Lyme disease Help?!
Question: Was diagnosed 2006 early (still had bullseye)- took 21 day Doxy and felt ok- Now I have major joint pain and lethargy and depression- Just went for my annual checkup and bloodwrk came back Acute Lyme and elevated white count.
I thought if Lyme is caught early, it is no prob????
My Dr put me pac on Doxicycline for 3 weeks... Is this right? Should I be getting more aggressive treatment at this point?
Answers: Was diagnosed 2006 early (still had bullseye)- took 21 day Doxy and felt ok- Now I have major joint pain and lethargy and depression- Just went for my annual checkup and bloodwrk came back Acute Lyme and elevated white count.
I thought if Lyme is caught early, it is no prob????
My Dr put me pac on Doxicycline for 3 weeks... Is this right? Should I be getting more aggressive treatment at this point?
It sounds like you May have slipped thru the cracks of the system as far as initial treatment. 3 weeks of 100mg b.i.d. dyoxy (twice a day) HAS been considered adequate treatment for early Lyme, though now a 4 to SIX week protocol is becoming the norm.
In Your case--
1) you may have been infected subsequently [2nd bite]
2) your inoculation of "ketes" by the original tick(s) was substantial enough that not all got lysed by the serum level present for those 3 weeks.
[The 'cyclines are "bacteriostatic" at lower levels; they inhibit but don't kill.]
I would think another 3 weeks at the same level is NOT adequate & that you should see a doc specializing in Lyme (referred to as an "LLMD"- "Lyme-literate M.D.) for atleast a 2nd opinion, if not actually take over your treatment [recommended]!
Most docs FAMILIAR w/ the disease will put you on a higher level than traditionally specified, and quite probably a different catagory of abx such as amoxycillun, Ceftin [Cefuroxime Axetil] or clarithromycin (Biaxin) at this point, along w/ appropriate probiotics, diet restrictions (NO sugary stuff, alcohol or tobacco!!) & certain nutritive supplemements.
BE AWARE that you might very well find yourself getting worse temporarily (the Jarisch- Herxheimer reaction) as the Lyme bugs are killed off. But you WILL recover. It just may be a few MONTHS of this protocol before you are feeling you are back to normal.
--Wishing U a speedy recovery
Lyme disease never goes away, only comes under a certain amount of control. Sometimes it shows a positive negative and fools the doctors.
It was thought at first treating it with tons of anti-biotic would work. It did to a point but, it came back.
Your doctor will make the decision on the treatment, let him do his job.
Good sources of info about Lyme disease:
http://www.canlyme.com
http://www.lymenet.org
http://www.lymeinfo.net
http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org
http://www.ilads.org
http://www.betterhealthguy.com
http://www.publichealthalert.com
http://www.freewebs.com/teenswithlyme
http://www.lymetimes.org