posted
Ok, so I FINALLY got the legit bloodwork back and it's positive! Which, while not necessarily a good thing, certainly gives peace of mind.
My plan is to post the positives I got with HOW positive they were (that + scale they give ya) and get feedback on how treatment went for people with similar results.
So as far as my practitioner's explanation led me to believe, I could have it FAR worse than just one or two plus signs! I have already responded to just a couple weeks of doxycycline (200mg 2xday) tremendously (feel almost 100% better!!) so I'm assuming the infection isn't all that bad.
Anyone out there with similar results, and tales of treatment?
Thanks so much!
Posts: 17 | From Purcellville, VA | Registered: Mar 2012
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
I just want to point out that the plus signs don't tell you how much lyme is in your body or how bad your disease is.
This test is an indirect test for lyme disease. It doesn't look for the lyme germ. It is looking to see if you body made antibodies to the lyme germ. Antibodies fight germs.
So, you have some antibodies to lyme. The only way you would have them is if your body recognized the lyme germ inside you and started making antibodies to kill it.
A person with 4 plus signs next to each band has more antibodies than you. It doesn't mean anything about their illness, though. It might mean that their immune system is doing more than yours is doing to try to kill lyme. The test found a lot more antibodies being made by that person. That could mean a very strong immune system.
So, I just want to say that you can't read anything into this test except that you have lyme.
Now, you have to figure out what other diseases that tick gave you and treat them also (called coinfections). They each require a different treatment.
Also, if you can figure out how recently you got the lyme, that is a help. A very recent case often requires shorter treatment than a long-standing case. But, it is not that easy to figure out when you got sick, especially when you are just starting out learning about this disease.
The more I studied lyme, the further back I could see lyme symptoms in my life. Look for strange symptoms that would come and go. Things you overlooked or just forgot about.
And, the most important thing to know about lyme disease is that the doctor is the key to getting rid of it. Many doctors treat lyme, but only a few know enough to get rid of it for a person.
Your job is to find one of those few doctors.
You see, even in the year 2012, there is no ABC treatment that cures lyme disease. Instead, each person's treatment has to be different, based on all of the diseases the tick gave them, how long they have been sick, what meds they are allergic to, if they also have lots of heavy metals in their body, if they had high chemical exposure as a child, if they live in a moldy house, etc.
So, what works for one person may not work for another.
It sounds like you are doing well. So, perhaps your case will be simple. If things change, we can help you to find a new doc if that becomes necessary. Hope it won't be.
So, no sense trying to compare yourself to another person. The doc is the key to getting rid of this horrendous disease. Get a very knowledgeable doctor and you have the best chance of quick treatment and total recovery.
I suggest to everyone that they read and STUDY the Burrascano Lyme Treatment Guidelines found here:
They will give you your education on this disease and also teach you what good lyme treatment looks like.
They are not an easy read because they were written to doctors. Just read a section each day and keep a dictionary handy to be sure you understand what is being said.
Wish you the best. An educated patient is the best kind of patient to be.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Also, don't stop treatment too early. I had 2 weeks of Doxy in June of last year for a positive Ehrlichia test (prescribed by an ID Dr).
After that, I had a great 2 months. My ID Dr and I thought I was healed.
Then the symptoms and fevers started slowly returning. It wasn't until Nov when I finally got diagnosed with Lyme/Brucella/etc, etc by an LLMD. By then, after 5 months without antibiotics, the infection had become more entrenched and much harder to treat.
-------------------- aperture Posts: 551 | From Louisville, KY | Registered: Nov 2011
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