I'm a newbie and have been symptomatic for 3 months...These include tremors, change in taste, sound sensitivity, discomfort around the gall bladder area, muscle twitches, fatigue, and sleep disturbance (usually wake up every few hrs shaking).
As I read this board, it's very disheartening as it seems people are on treatment forever...I just started a few weeks ago. I know it's a individual thing, but I would greatly appreciate it if you can give me some typical times for recovery based on the severity and duration of your symptoms. I've never been a patient person, and this disease will definitely test my patience. Also, I'd love to hear about people that make a full recovery in a short period of time...just looking for some inspiration but trying to keep it real too.
Thanks!
Posted by psano (Member # 7785) on :
Since you haven't been ill a really long time like some of the others here, I would think you might be able to recover more quickly and have a better chance of complete recovery, but that's just my logic speaking. I was symptomatic for about a year before I started treatment, and I'm hopeful for the same myself. You've got a head start on me...
There IS a success stories thread here that pops up once in a while. You might find it under Newbie Links. We all need a glimmer of hope, esp. when the sx are really bad. I was in horrible shape last month. It was worse than the previous month, and I was really worried that in my zeal to try anything that might "work" at making me better, I'd overdone it and made myself permanently worse.
Fortunately, I've gotten much better in the past couple of weeks, so I know my worst fears were wrong. This illness is definitely an emotional and physical rollercoaster.
Hang in there. There's light at the end of the tunnel.
Posted by liz28 (Member # 4946) on :
I found that once I was on the right drugs for whichever bug caused a problem, there was an immediate improvement. For both bartonella and Lyme, that meant 3-5 months. This was after over four years of the wrong drugs.
I've also recently found drugs that greatly help with getting rid of babesia, but wouldn't you know it, they are a hassle to find. It figures it wouldn't be something easy, like Fred Flintstone vitamins (eureka!) No, it has to be a drug you can only find in Thailand.
One common pattern is that you can't get well from Lyme if you also have unaddressed co-infections, and it is harder to get better if you take the weakest drug in every antibiotic class. So read Dr. B's 2005 guidelines at the top of Page One, match a strong cephalosporin with a strong macrolide for Lyme, take the supplements listed, and read up on the co-infections, which are all over the place these days.
And don't get scared off the strong drugs. Everyone has horror stories with some of them, and worships the rest. I worship omnicef and ketek for Lyme, rifampin and ketek for bartonella. Levaquin and minocycline are impossible to deal with, and rocephin was useless while I still had co-infections.
If you try any of these drugs, you must take lots of liver support supplements. One milk thistle per day won't help. If you are willing to splurge on these supplements, you should probably be able to handle the heavy abx.
Posted by trails (Member # 1620) on :
I'd compare this question to how big is the universe?
I can only offer you hope and NOT false hope.
I have been around this board for years--I didnt visit it once in 3 years because I forgot all about it. I was in "remission."
There are lots and LOTS of names that come thru here. I think over 500 names are listed.
LOTS of people get better, some fast, some not so fast and they never return.
Some do return. Some success stories are on treepatrols' newbie links under SUCCESS STORIES.
I agree with Liz--make sure you are properly treating the coinfections or the "lyme" will come back. Mine has returned twice so far for not treating coinfections.
Patience has a slow learning curve---but you will learn it here in lyme land. There is no other way.
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If you are willing to splurge on these supplements, you should probably be able to handle the heavy abx.