If so what treatment path do you follow????
Posted by karatelady (Member # 7854) on :
My understanding is that lyme is often misdiagnosed as MS. Even the white lesions on the brain can be lyme related.
I've done quite a bit of reading on it to convince a friend to get tested for lyme. She was tested with Elisa and came back negative (which could easily be false.)
Anyway, my point is, I don't think its MS and lyme --- someone help me here. I believe its just lyme disease wrongly diagnosed as MS.
Sandy
Posted by dmc (Member # 5102) on :
I was dxd MS 17 years ago in 1988. Never did so called MS treatment since MS is a symptom that they named a disease after. You know...multiple sclerosis, multiple lesions.
I always believed that my immune system must be reacting to a pathogen. Why else would my immune system suddenly at the age of 25, go haywire and supposedly attack my body?
Finally found a LLMD in 2003 who did the proper lyme test. I tested positive for lyme with Igenex WB. I only do the lyme treatment and doing very good.
I say I have Lyme INDUCED MS. My body has the MS response to Lyme.
Remember treat the cause, cure the MS.
Good luck in whatever you descide. DMC
Posted by krazykt1 (Member # 3739) on :
Hi Kare, I was givin the ms dx in '84 but never took the offered meds(steroids) Had a bad flair of sx in '97 and researched lyme, begged many docs for abx until one gave me 3wks doxy.
Not enough, and no Dr./specialist would touch it til I found my current llmd in 2003. Have been unable to walk since then and am now 2 months into babs tx..it's getting better! I will only treat for lyme. kt
Posted by duke77 (Member # 5051) on :
There was a recent post with an article stating that some MS is being treated successful with abx. THe article kind of hints that MS might just be Lyme but more testing is needed.
I believe that these diseases with no known cause i.e. ALzheimers, ALS, Parkinsons, MS, Lupus, are all caused by pathogens could be spirochettes, mycoplasmas, or viruses.
Posted by Michelle M (Member # 7200) on :
I also have multiple white matter lesions (11), some up to 5mm. Their characteristics and location, however, are more typical of Lyme than MS. I also have abnormal evoked potentials. My neurologist believes I have MS. However, because I had a history of tick bite with EM rash, I sought out an LLMD and refused further treatment with him. All he would do to test me for Lyme was a Quest ELISA, which was negative. He refused to let me do an Igenex test.
A subsequent IGeneX blot thru my LLMD was way positive with six bands, some double and triple, so I felt pretty confident I didn't have MS.
Also, a screaming headache for a coupla years is RARELY the chief complaint in people presenting with MS, though it is very commonly the chief complaint of people presenting with neuroborreliosis.
I would trust my LLMD.
Michelle
Posted by vitch (Member # 8094) on :
Some believe MS and Lyme are the same disease. If true the treatment for lyme should prevail because the treatment for MS (steroids) reduces the immune system function to fight the symptoms, ultimately harming the patient's immune system. The treatment for lyme (antibiotics) goes to treat the infection, itself. Many LLMDs want their patients to do things such as eat properly and excercise to improve their immune systems.
Posted by BOEJR (Member # 1734) on :
Hi Kare,
I believe that there are many misdiagnosed lymies out there. I can't tell you what treatment to follow but here is one thing that I think might prove useful to you.
I have given HBO ( hyperbaric 02 ) to many patients in the past. As any hyperbaric nurse will confirm, a patient that has MS will gradually show improvement.
The patient with a mistaken MS caused by an underlying lyme will develop a herxhiemer reaction withing ten or so dives. It seems to be an indicator...
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