I cant afford to see a LLMD right now, but am going to see my regular doctor tomorrow to rule out other things such as Chronic Fatigue syndrom, current lyme infection, ect...
My question is, are there any test I should ask my regular doctor to run that may be covered by insurance, or not too expensive?
Thanks!!!
Had Lyme in 2000, wondering if I have chronic lyme now. Lyme titers have been normal in recent months...
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Western Blot by LabCorp or Quest. Neither lab does a good job testing for Lyme, but you may get lucky.
You can get a Western Blot thru Igenex for about $200.
test #188 & 189
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Chronic Fatigue syndrome is often caused by lyme or other stealth infection.
I do hope your GP is open to helping you as best he may be able. Just don't expect much. I hope you can read all the detail in these two treads today so you can be better prepared for your appointment tomorrow. It's just good to understand the politics involved and try to avoid major pitfalls.
You do need your GP to be the best he can be for your care. Just be prepared if his demeanor suddenly changes when you inquire about "chronic lyme" as most doctors do not believe it even exists. But it does.
Still, you want to have a thorough assessment so the "Diagnosis" thread below lists all things to consider, especially OTHER tick-borne infections if they were not assessed for you in 2000 when you were dx with lyme.
Infect Drug Resist. 2011;4:97-113. Epub 2011 May 3.
Evaluation of in-vitro antibiotic susceptibility of different morphological forms of Borrelia burgdorferi.
Excerpt:
. . . Conclusion
Antibiotics have varying effects on the different morphological forms of B. burgdorferi.
Persistence of viable organisms in round body forms and biofilm-like colonies may explain treatment failure and persistent symptoms following antibiotic therapy of Lyme disease.
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Liver support & Adrenal support is also very important before and all during treatment. Why:
LIVER SUPPORT LINKS & and several HERXHEIMER support links, too.
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The "chronic fatigue" is often a result of lyme or other "stealth" infection that causes problems for the endocrine system. Here is what can help along the way, regardless of the the exact cause - as that all gets worked out:
Some GPs will load patients up with all kind of pain pills (or antidepressants) rather than address the infection, liver stress & and adrenal exhaustion that goes with lyme and can cause extreme pain.
Again, it's just good to know which pain medicines or supplements may be best and which to avoid.