About 2 weeks ago i noticed a bulls eye rash on my upper thigh. I was also feeling sick...achy, exhausted, terrible headache. My lyme test came back negative. My doc gave me two weeks anti biotic anyway. Should I stay on antiobiotics longer?
Thanks, Jamie
Posts: 2 | From Bucks County, Pennsylvania | Registered: Jun 2013
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posted
Absolutely and also ask to be tested for coinfections. You need to hit all 3 forms of lyme and address any possible coinfections
Posts: 749 | From State full of ticks | Registered: Dec 2008
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- You need to find a real lyme expert (glad to see you have posted in "seeking a doctor" forum). Sadly, most MDs are not at all, even those who say they are infectious disease specialists. See last links set below for explanation.
With the bulls eye rash, classic symptoms, some experts suggest treating for at least 6-7 months - yes, MONTHS- and with COMBINED Rx, one antibiotic, alone, can cause chronic lyme to develop.
That 6-7 months minimum (I think they say 30 weeks) is detailed in the last links set below. Other experts suggest at least six weeks but that is for a tick bite that has not necessarily developed into lyme. It's very clear in your case as the the bulls
* bulls eye rash with
* classic symptoms
ARE your best test results. Sadly. And Sorry.
I hope you took photos of that rash for safe keeping and documentation.
Links in these sets are very important for your continued study. I wish you the best of luck.
WHY you need an ILADS "educated" or "minded" Lyme Literate doctor (whether MD or ND, or both) - starting with assessment / evaluation.
Medical "models" explained here, as to differences in the ISDA & ILADS models of assessment & treatment - and exactly why it is so very important to know the differences. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Pulling out one article for you:
This author says that a minimum of 30 weeks treastment - combination treatment - is required to cover the cycles of borrelia. See last line below.
Discusses differences in the methods of the IDSA from those of ILADS - and why you need an ILADS-minded doctor.
CONTROVERSY CONTINUES TO FUEL THE "LYME WAR" - 2007
Excerpts:
. . . Each of these forms is affected by different types of antibiotics. If an antibiotic targets the bacterium's cell wall, the spirochete will quickly morph into a cell-wall-deficient form or cyst form to evade the chemical enemy. . . .
. . . Within the tick gut are hundreds of different types of pathogens . . . .
. . . Phase and antigenic variations allow B. burgdorferi to change into pleomorphic forms to evade the immune system and antibiotics.
The three known forms are the spiral shape that has a cell wall, the cell-wall-deficient form known as the �L-form� (named not for its shape but for Joseph Lister, the scientist who first identified these types of cells), and the dormant or latent cyst form.
Encapsulating itself into the inactive cyst form enables the spirochete to hide undetected in the host for months, years, or decades until some form of immune suppression initiates a signal that it is safe for the cysts to open and the spirochetes to come forth and multiply.
Each of these forms is affected by different types of antibiotics. If an antibiotic targets the bacterium's cell wall, the spirochete will quickly morph into a cell-wall-deficient form or cyst form to evade the chemical enemy.
Borrelia burgdorferi has an in vitro replication cycle of about seven days, one of the longest of any known bacteria.
Antibiotics are most effective during bacterial replication, so the more cycles during a treatment, the better.
Since the life cycle of Streptococcus pyogenes (the bacterium that causes strep throat) is about eight hours, antibiotic treatment for a standard 10 days would cover 30 life cycles.
To treat Lyme disease for a comparable number of life cycles, treatment would need to last 30 weeks. . . . -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Mono treatment (with a single antibiotic) can cause chronic lyme to develop. This is just one reason for the combined treatment protocol that an ILADS educated doctor will individualize for each patient.
Doxycycline, or ANY antibiotic - alone - though cannot keep spirochetes from going into their cyst mode and they may do this within 20 minutes of the first dose.
Therefore, IMO, and what seems to be highly likely is that doxycycline (or other antibiotics of similar nature), alone, can cause chronic lyme to develop down the road. A combination approach is very important.
LIVER & KIDNEY SUPPORT & and several HERXHEIMER support links, too. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Liver support should help a great deal with some of your symptoms. In addition, MAGNESIUM is the number one helper for pain. Many with lyme are deficient in magnesium.
Topic: NATURAL SLEEP & ADRENAL SUPPORT -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Judie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 38323
posted
Your doc tested for Lyme too early.
The blood test is for antibodies and it takes at least a month for it to show up on a blood test (if it even shows, a bulls-eye rash is 100% accurate for diagnosis, no need for even a blood test really).
The fact that this doc is under-treating AND tested too early shows that he has no understanding of Lyme.
I was in a similar situation. I had a bulls-eye rash. I was give 3 weeks of antibiotics. My doc said it was too early for testing.
I immediately saw a Lyme doc. He had me take antibiotics for a month before testing (he said waiting a month is really important).
I had positive test after that.
I had to treat for 6 months and this was catching it early!
I'm now dealing with co-infections (I had 11 last count). These also showed up on the blood test after waiting a month.
See a real lyme doc ASAP. You can't wait on this.
2 weeks of doxy isn't enough for ANYONE.
Posts: 2839 | From California | Registered: Jul 2012
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