posted
hi. i'm showing high rheumatoid factor, positive ana, sky high c reactive protein. i had lyme five years ago and i'm wondering whether this is more related to mycoplasm, lyme or something else.
Posts: 234 | From nyc ny u.s. | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
oh, and my eosinophils are high, and according to wikipedia they're the cells that fight parasites and they could be linked to mycoplasma. otoh, are they also linked to lyme?
Posts: 234 | From nyc ny u.s. | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Probably an auto-immune problem such as RA, Lupus etc. See a Rhemy DR. Did you test positive for Lyme? Were you treated? I too have a positive sky high Ra factor No ana but also elevated CRP. I have RA but also tested positive through Igenex for Lyme. They ( lab ) talk about cross reaction with RA and western Blot testing. I would think try treating for Lyme and see what happens
Posts: 355 | From NY | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
okay, and since i can't seem to get it together to put it all in one message, let me rephrase it this way: I have high interleukin-8, high crp, weakly positive rheumatoid factor, a positive ana in the nucleolar pattern, turbid appearance of urine and a few bacteria. everything else is normal. i was hospitalized with ttp for two months back in 1999, which it turned out was my way of presenting with lyme, and after that my ana was positive in the centromere pattern and polymyositis/scleroderma was suspected, but that was ruled out by later tests. as it stands now, i'm fat, but pretty much okay, although i get a little achy and have that leaky gut stuff going on, but not to a degree that paralyzes me or keeps me chained to the potty. however, the c-reactive levels are almost ten times normal, and i'm a little scared of what that will do to the lining of my vessels, so i'm slowly and reluctantly moving in the direction of a vegan, and primarily green juice, diet. does anyone know of an alternative doctor who would know good herbal antibiotic regimens, assuming that this is caused by either mycoplasma, or still-present lyme, which i'm about to get tested for again? any other suggestions? i'm willing to travel anywhere in the u.s. to find a good alternative doc/herbalist. pls email me at [email protected]. tnx.
Posts: 234 | From nyc ny u.s. | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
6t5frlane: yes, from 1999-2002 i was treated by an assortment of conventional md quacks and then some llmds who blasted me with the usual antibiotics and got me back on my feet. these recent results do come from a rheumatologist, and a very good one, who chairs the rheum dept at an nyc hospital. fortunately, he's not suggesting that i be drugged with anything, because i'm walking around just fine, no pain except for a little achiness, no neurological symptoms, instead leading an active life, exercising etc. yes, i know about the cross-reactivity of all of these tests, but the fact remains that these levels of crp are hurting my vessels, and since i'm in no rush to die of a stroke i'm going to test for all bugs that seem likely but rather than take abx i'd rather find an herbal antibiotic protocal because that path may have fewer side fx. do u have any leads?
Posts: 234 | From nyc ny u.s. | Registered: Jul 2001
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luvs2ride
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8090
posted
ilonar2820
I applaud your desire to heal your body. No doubt you are headed in the right direction and I have no doubt Lyme is the source of your troubles.
Problem is that lyme and the abx that treat it damage our bodies. I have been working with an excellent medical doctor whose goal is to get my terrain (body) right so that the body can heal itself.
He is located in NC and the problem with long distance travel is that alternative care is intensive. I think you would do better to find somebody in NY. I believe Dr Zhang is in New York city. I have a friend using him and she travels to NY to see him. She is doing great!
My doctor told me just last week that there are 4 blocks to the human body. Fix those blocks and the person will be well.
Mind: stinkin' thinkin' and/or stress. My case is stress.
Chemicals: He didn't elaborate on this one.
Heavy Metals: My main issue. I am unable to excrete them well and I can't seem to tolerate any attempt at chelation so we are slowly reducing the load with IV glutathione. I also have recently begun working with a D.O. who quickly identified H.M. as my issue and is also working to reduce the load. That is 4 medical doctors who have diagnosed heavy metals. I wish they would just put me in a coma and liposuction the dang stuff out of me.
Biologics: bacteria, viruses, etc.
The N.C. doctor is a medical doctor who focuses on alternative care. I will be happy to share his name and web info if you privately e-mail me. He is a member of ACAM. If you search www.acam.org I believe they list their member physicians by state.
Good luck and be grateful you do not have the joint pain. It can be a real show stopper.
By changing your diet, you will surely see weight loss.
Luvs
-------------------- When the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power, there will be Peace. Posts: 3038 | From america | Registered: Oct 2005
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kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
You may not want to post your email address on this forum. If you want someone to contact you personally, ask them to send you a private message. Then, you can share your email address.
posted
How did you get tested for heavy metal toxicity?
Posts: 310 | From TN | Registered: Jan 2007
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luvs2ride
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Member # 8090
posted
Jason,
I assume you are asking me how I got tested for heavy metals?
My doctor gave me a small dose of DMSA then I collected my urine for 6 hrs. I restricted fluids so as to not water down the results.
The urine was then sent to Doctor's Data Laboratory.
Luvs
-------------------- When the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power, there will be Peace. Posts: 3038 | From america | Registered: Oct 2005
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luvs2ride
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8090
posted
More on Heavy Metal testing.
The other 3 doctors used alternative methods.
First doctor did ART testing.
Second doctor used Bioset (computer assisted) She could identify the exact metals.
Third doctor used the urine challenge I outlined above. This also identified exact metals.
Fourth doctor used kinesiology which is very similar to ART.
Just amazed me how they kept coming up with the same conclusion. I didn't tip them off ahead of time.
Luvs
-------------------- When the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power, there will be Peace. Posts: 3038 | From america | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
through the life extension foundation i had myself tested for lead,mercury and arsenic. came out normal (altho of course one should never have lead, mercury or arsenic in one's body at all). today i called an id specialist in nyc and explained my concerns to the secretary, who spoke to him and then told me that he would send me back to the rheumatologist and i shouldn't bother to come in. so, where o where am i going to get tested for mycoplasma. the reason i'm so interested in this is that in a small study 90% of ra patients tested positive in their synovial fluid (well, maybe not there.. my memory may be playing tricks) for mycoplasma, which usually is a pneumonia/dry cough bug but that somehow shows up a lot in ra patients.
Posts: 234 | From nyc ny u.s. | Registered: Jul 2001
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luvs2ride
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
You are right about the mycoplasma connection with RA. See www.roadback.org. I have been on the low dose minocycline for one year. My rheumie prescribed it for me, but he doesn't believe in it and doesn't monitor it.
If I try to ramp up from 100mg to 150 mg, I break out with a rash on my face that is dangerously close to a lupus rash. Yikes! There is a GP in Richmond VA who believes in the Antibiotic Protocol and absolutely believes in an infectious cause to RA. I am thinking of going to see him for this aspect of my illness.
I know some do better on zithromax, etc.
Luvs
-------------------- When the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power, there will be Peace. Posts: 3038 | From america | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
luvs2ride: tnx for the links, which gave me names of alternative ducks in nyc who treat for leaky gut, myco etc.
they may not understand lyme, inasmuch as no deer roam fifth ave, but if they're alternative they'll be open to a new round of testing from igenex in addition to myco testing.
i'm heading to my local juice bar, where i will lift my morning wheat grass in a toast of tnx to u for the good info.
if convenient, would you pls send me a private msg with dr. z's fone? if u don't have it handy, don't worry about it, b/c i'm sure i can dig it up from the internet, but if you do, pls send it my way. tnx, ilona.
Posts: 234 | From nyc ny u.s. | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
I cannot add to much more. I would be concerned with cardiovascular problems with a very high CRP. Take an aspirin daily
Posts: 355 | From NY | Registered: Jan 2006
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treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
posted
The lyme is back I would bet on it you may also have yeast problem lurking?
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
posted
ok, so, i went to an llmd in the mid-hudson valley, and they did extensive testing, and they found: a) no rheumatoid arthritis. there is a confirmatory test for people with rf, and it's much more precise, and no, i don't have ra. b) i had sky-high antibodies to the pneumonia set of mycoplasma, which almost certainly caused the high eosinophils and the high rf. pcr showed no more current mycoplasma infection, so i presume the antibodies were left over from a ten-week cough that was going around back in Jan-Feb. c) tons of autoimmune/inflammatory stuff going on, caused by various infections. d) leaky gut. e) just old lyme, nothing new, very weak. testing by igenex, which found very high levels back in 2000 when i first got dxed after being hospitalized for two months with ttp (if u don't know what that is and want to know what's it's like to have the preacher come around to icu to give u last rites, check out my old posts. stupid ducks...to think i almost died and did lose two months of my life and then years of recovering to those idiots who can't diagnose their own face in the mirror....) f) babesiosis, very new, hasn't even switched to igg. not surprising, i get bitten all the time... the rx: abx, for about a month, and some nasty tasting powders with cinnamon, licorice, glutamine and other stuff, as well as probiotics, for the leaky gut. also according to their tests i have severe food allergies -- but not to the usual suspects: wheat and milk are okay; eggs, ginger, pineapple, cranberries and beans are not; curiously, i eat a lot of those, and so that's what's floating around in my blood thanx to the leaky gut. the nasty tasting powders really work: the big D disappeared within the first day. cheers.
Posts: 234 | From nyc ny u.s. | Registered: Jul 2001
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i went to the drugstore to pick up meds, and the bill was 4k. yes, 4k. so i left the meds there and returned home promising myself that i will call the insurance company tomorrow to finally get an insurance card and while i'm at it ask them why they didn't cover my mammogram.
the meds were plaquenil, zithro (for 30 days 2x a day), mepron, and minocycline.
the results of my tests were:
chlamydia pneumoniae. no igM, but high IgG (1:256), indicating past exposure, and igA (1:64), indicating recurrent or chronic infection. a quick trip to wikipedia informs that chlamydia pneumoniae is linked to atherosclerosis and all kinds of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.
mycoplasma pneumoniae antibodies: IgG, 5-fold higher than this lab's outer limit, definitely positive. there is no differentiation b/w recent and past infection.
equivocal babs IgM
very equivocal Lyme (not surprising, because i was blasted with oral abx years ago and they did clean me up big time).
now, check these out.
thyroglobulin antibody: 5 times the outer limit for this particular lab. all the other thyroid measurements were normal. wikipedia informs that i may develop hashimoto's disease, but then again, i may not. (graves' too, but since i'm getting fatter it seems that hashimoto's is more likely).
gliadin antibody. equivocal, but high enough that i shouldn't eat wheat.
so, someone correct me if i'm wrong in the following assumptions: mino is for mycoplasma. mepron is for babs. zithro is for ???? plaquenil is for any stray borrelia.
do i really need to take these meds? if i don't have a current infection (nothing is showing except for a new, and very equivocal, babs and whatever lyme is left over) am i hurting myself by these abx?
is this what they really cost?
is there harm in taking these meds for one month?
i have high crp, ana, rf (probably from the myco). my muscles and fascia are tight and shrink-wrapped and my stretching ability is limited in many planes. my memory isn't that great, but i can still think well (but not like i used to.) i'm steadily gaining weight (240 lbs.) i can and do go the gym, but i can't do yoga like the other ladies of a certain age. i'm not limber. i'm strong, i.e. i can do well with the weight machines, but i'm deconditioned in the aerobic sense, and while i gladly start pilates and yoga and dance and step classes, i have to leave after about a half an hour. oh yeah, i have bad leaky gut, but the potions and powders are helping that big time.
how many of my problems are due to obesity, and how many to tbd, and how many to these pneumonia issues? i had a ten-week cough this winter, along with half of manhattan, but it didn't stop me from doing anything.
what should i do? the meds were prescribed by the physician's assistant in the office of a reputable hudson valley llmd. she seemed very smart and knowledgeable. i'm just scared of all these abx at a time when i'm not really feeling ill.
i need some educated opinions, please.
Posts: 234 | From nyc ny u.s. | Registered: Jul 2001
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