Is it possible, with treatment now, that I could go on to feeling better than I have since college? Or are the effects of Lyme permanent?

I've had three attacks like this, unbelievably debilitating, the last two I just naturally fought back from, who knows what % better I got, but I got back to living functionally. The only correlation that I have is that all three came in times of my life of heavy binge drinking. One in college, one in my early twenties, and then this past year when I was at ample weddings, bachelor parties, graduation parties, etc. Does this germ sit and fester and just wait for an opportunity to lash out?

I've been on antibiotics for 3 months now, Doxy, Tetra, and now Mino/Levaquin and am just praying to God something good comes out of this. I was just married and just hope to God I can bounce back fast enough to get back in gear for my beautiful wife. I've read about people on here that have been on abx for years. I understand all the theories. The way I see Lyme is this. I think your body has a very fine balance. 55/45 immune system to Lyme. No one will ever rid themselves of the spirochete. Impossible it seems. It seems like you have to simply smush it to a point where your body can keep it down. So the secret formula seems knock Lyme down as much as possible with abx when needed, stay health/solid immune system = symptom free. Correct?

This whole episode/experience have been beyond bizarre.
 

I have been doing some reading about syphilis and think you may be right on the immune system business. Have heard lyme docs suggest that remission or symptom-free is the goal with treatment, rather than Cure. Don't know how you could ever prove the spiros were completely gone. I talked to someone who was treated fairly early with two weeks of IV and said that every year since then his symptoms came back briefly, then disappeared again. Every year this episode was shorter and milder. And he used nothing to treat these except OTC stuff like tylenol. His opinion was that all cases resolve eventually. I would be more cautious than this because he is extrapolating from one case to all others. Most of the people here are late catches, so the bug may be good and dug in at this point. Plus, this guy was treated more aggressively than most early cases. Don't think any co-infections were involved in his case either.

It might be dangerous to assume that after some treatment, subsequent symptoms will be handled by the immune system. They might not be. It is a real mess to try to figure out what is permanent damage and what is on-going active infection. Both could be in play at the same time. Trauma and stress can also bring the chetes out of hiding. Maybe drinking would fall in that category. Presuming that these are immune suppressors.

You did not mention whether any co-infections are involved in your case.
 

Second acute attack 6 years later, same type, but worse. I was about 25 at the time. Again, in a bit of a partying stage. Toughed that out yet again with no clue what was going on.

This third time was unbelievable and included EVERYTHING. Gastro, vision, you name it. I have a positive Western Blot and have been tested positive for Bartonella, which I am being treated with right now. My biggest concern is easily the cognitive and mental clarity. I would give up anything for that. This last bout was again about 6 years from the previous. Either something hormonally changes in my body that allows this to flare enormously every 6-7 years or it is something I'm doing. Prior to this last attack, I ran a half marathon in my best time. I was in fantastic shape. I'm not sure if I've been reinfected each of these occasions or it's the old version just blowing out of control. I do chase my ball quite a bit in the woods of golf courses and was laying in a field and hiking a couple weekends before this. Prior to this last attack, I don't think I had as much as a cold in 4 years.

I live in CT which is the heartland for this stuff. It seems like everyone has had it or knows someone that does here. It kicks some people in the rear, but most people seem to tolerate it fairly well. It is totally consensus that you never rid yourself of this stuff and that I understand that. I just don't understand how this allows me to live fine, then just wallops me in such acute attacks. Is it hormonal, reinfection, a suppressed immune system? 3 months ago, I would have rather been dead.
 

Which Lyme is nothing new to this. When your immune system takes a dive where Lyme takes over, it's like a who came first, the chicken or the egg. But one thing is for sure, once Lyme takes over, it will wear down the immune system to let other bugs take over.
 

Your story is very familure here-
Change the age a little and you
match me. --
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