I have been on IV and oral antibiotics (just about every one except the 'cillins) for 5 months and I haven't herxed or felt even slightly better. I have only had these extreme pain, parasthesia, twitching, jerking symptoms for 8 months (not many years).
I just found out that I have high levels of mercury, too, and I've been hearing that one can't get better with abx until the mercury problem is dealt with. Has that been true with anyone? Abx didn't work until you got some mercury out? I'll be trying chelation for about 10 weeks before going back on antibiotics. Hopeful stories needed!
Hyperbaric oxygen hasn't helped either (except for the very supportive nurse -- HI! if you are reading this).
Comments? Thanks!!!
Posted by Beverly (Member # 1271) on :
Hi madhattan
I am so sorry that you are feeling so bad.
No, that wasn't true for me, I was on two years of abx for lyme, then finally got treated for Babesia and I was getting better with treatment.
I have gotten most of my mercury fillings out (still have 2 to go)and it did make me feel less toxic overall. I am still trying to get the mercury out, had to start with small dosages of Vit C etc.
I think getting the toxins out do help us fight infections, but treating the infections are important as well.
Have you been treated for possible co-infections such as Babesia?
I hope you find something that works for you.
Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
Yes, chelation was very helpful for me. Lyme seems to be a complex multi-systemic problem.
My LLMD feels that if you don't deal with the metals, parasites, molds etc. which are immunosuppressants, the burdon on the body is greater.
Posted by BOEJR (Member # 1734) on :
Hi Mad Posted by hardynaka (Member # 8099) on :
I think so. One of my most persistent symptoms was lyme arthritic pains in my knee and left elbow. I took only herbs though, no antibiotics.
While on herbs, I had zero arthritic pains. Everytime I stopped herbs, arthritis came back rather fast (in hours or in days). I had been taking killing herbs for months and I still had the same problem in those same joints (the ones where my lyme symptoms began).
A few months ago, I finally had a very strong episode of metal mobilization exactly on those problematic joints. I posted it here. I'm doign metal detox for months, but I never had so much mobilization in so little time as in those days/ weeks. It was massive.
I felt so much pain with such mobilization that I couldn't even stand up. That lasted a few hours, then the pain diminished, but I continued mobilizing in the joints (milder pain) for days/ weeks.
Since then, I started HERXING ARTHRITIS again, with the same herbs I had been taking for months before, same amounts but no herxing before!!! It was an amazing surprise!
After such herxes, I never felt anything in those joints. I think I'm rid of borrelia in the joints. But I can't be 100% sure, as I never stopped all lyme killers. NOw I'm on andrographis and teasel still. But that's all.
Now I'm fighting borrelia in my brain. My naturopath swears I have mercury and other metals there. So I'm still doing a double treatment: killing and metal detox.
I'm not herxing, but I don't have really many symptoms, so it's difficult to measure improvement.
Selma
Posted by dguy (Member # 8979) on :
If you do the research (PubMed, etc), Lyme polarizes our immune system's T cells toward Th1, whereas mercury polarizes them toward Th2. An excess of either Th1 or Th2 leads to problems.
For the Lyme patient, mercury actually exerts an immune balancing force. Remove the mercury, and your Th1 can become even more overexpressed, leading to a worsening of symptoms. It's exactly what I experienced.
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