Oh yeah. It's Lyme.

[happybird]

The doc hasn’t called yet but new lab results were posted to my online patient portal thingy today.
The Western Blot is back. (Edit: it’s the ImmunoBlot by Igenex, not the regular Western blot).

9 positive bands on the igG.
2 positive bands on the igM.

Glad the doc already started me on the doxycycline. Fingers crossed that I start feeling better within a few weeks. Talked to my Dad earlier and he said they’ve had friends who had to use a portable antibiotic IV pump to fight this. Yikes.

I’m just glad to have some answers and direction. Also super glad these aches and pains and annoying brain fog aren’t due to me simply aging.

[niyad]

1. Glad that you have some answers. . and now hope! Please keep us posted.

[happybird]

3. Thank you

I can’t wait until my brain is back to normal! It’s been so frustrating not being able to complete thoughts. I’ve felt downright stupid for a year or more now. I kept writing it off as a combo of aging and quarantine/isolation weirdness.

[blm]

2. ((happybird))

🤞🏽

[happybird]

4. Thank you

[PortTack]

5. From someone who suffered without a dx for 2 yrs with Lyme, stay on top of it

Portable IV antibiotics are nothing to fear or worry about. Literally saved my life

[happybird]

6. How long until you started to feel better after treatment started?

I think I’ve had it for close to two years, judging by when my knee started swelling for no obvious reason and when the random, moving joint pains began. The brain fog and insomnia has been occurring for about a year. The migraines started about 6-8 months ago.

God god, when I write it out like that, I feel really stupid that it took me so long to go to the doctor. I kept rationalizing everything away.

[NJCher]

7. You're not alone

I have read a number of health stories here where that was the response.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

8. Oh wow... So how did you start thinking Lyme's disease?

My sister had it and is just fine now. Are there varying degrees? I can ask her tomorrow how long before meds kicked in

[happybird]

10. It kept popping up as a possibility when I googled about my joint pain and swollen knee

On one site I saw a list of symptoms for later stages of Lyme and was like, “Oh, I have that. And that. And that....” But with those webmd sites, you end up suspecting you have every disease known to man, lol! The swelling would go away so I’d put off making an appointment. Rinse and repeat.

I figured the migraines were menopause related (never had them before, but my slightly older sister started getting them during menopause, so it was easy to explain that symptom away).

When I did my taxes and saw how much I paid for the health insurance I didn’t use this past year, it was the kick in the pants I needed to finally go to the doctor. I have only had insurance for about 3 years, after 20 years of not having any, so going to the doctor is usually the last option I consider. I need to get over that old habit.

There are three generally accepted stages of Lyme. I think I’m in stage 2.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

13. I know we pay a fortune for healthcare and we end up trying to self diagnose

all the time. There's got to be something wrong with that picture.

So is there medicine for Lyme disease?

[PortTack]

9. Don't beat yourself up!

I’m a nurse and when my western blot came back neg. I gave the idea up that that was my problem. It wasn’t until our two dogs began to be ravaged with many of the same kinds symptoms that the picture came together. Symptoms can be so wide and varied.

the western blot is still such a poor test only measuring antibody response..by the time I had my first western blot I was too sick to mount an antibody response. My body went into a autoimmune response instead.

The IV antibiotics helped me feel better within 2 weeks. I was just so far down that orals just weren’t going to do it.

Hang in there, don’t be afraid to take longer courses of drugs, or to find a DR. That will put you on longer courses of therapy. It’s a really tough bug to beat. I also utilized sauna and other natural therapies that helped my body rebound and recover.

[happybird]

11. Thank you

I have only been on the doxy for a few days so haven’t noticed any improvement, but realize I have to be patient. I work in a kitchen so I move a lot - bending, crouching, carrying stuff, chopping, etc etc- and can’t wait for the aching in my joints to go away. My coworker pointed out the other day that she can tell when my legs are hurting because I start tossing items back into their storage spots instead bending down to put them away. Didn’t even realize I was doing that.

Fortunately, my doc is great. He’s had a lot of experience treating Lyme. It’s so common around here the county website has a surprisingly large, multiple-page section devoted to it.

[PortTack]

14. Sounds like you've got a plan and a knowledgeable physician!

[SheltieLover]

12. You must think long-term regarding trestment with lyme

When lyme organisms die, they emit powerful neurotoxins. Known as Herxheimer reaction. Here is a link explaining more:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557820/#:~:text=Jarisch%20Herxheimer%20reaction%20(JHR)%20is,Lyme%20disease%2C%20and%20relapsing%20fever.

Hugs to you!

[electric_blue68]

15. Sorry to hear that! A friend who part time lives in a house in the woods...

on a hillside got it a bunch of years ago. (She also lives in NYC)

I should ask if she has had any hold over symptoms. I should read that article to give her any needed info.

When I was briefly in a different set of woods several years ago I remembered to roll my socks over my pants!


I wish you a ultra successful recovery! 👍

[IbogaProject]

16. We summer near the Catskills

And I've been bitten by those white footed mouse ticks. What we do as a prophylactic against the lyme bug is we take a course of Harmaline freebase, the HCL form has a much worse taste. Now we aren't on much medication so it's easier for us to use that. It has a few helpful properties, one it doesn't kill friendly bacteria, in that it seems to work with the immune system only killing invaders. Two while it is a MAO inhibitor it is a week one and research indicates it will let go if an actual toxin needs the enzyme to clear or block absorption.
Don't feel bad many don't discover the infection until the joint discomfort begins.