I am in a state they will not give IV treatment for Lyme. Should I go to a state that will or will oral antibotics work?
Posted by ninjaphire (Member # 18234) on :
Oral Abx seem to be working well for me so far.
They work for some people, but others prefer IV.
I guess it all depends. I'd say It's worth a shot though.
Posted by IckyTicky (Member # 21466) on :
What state are you in. I didn't realize there were states that could refuse such a thing. Insurance, yes..but a whole state? geeze.
In answering your question... yes. I have been on oral abx for 16 months now.. mono-therapy at that. I have gone from the fetal position on the couch thinking I had ALS with every symptom practically known to very functinal and living my life again.
Am I symptom free? No. But I've had this disease probably all my life (I'm 31) and if not all my life..then at least since I was 10. I am DX with Lyme, RMSF, Mycoplasma, Bartonella H., and even West Nile virus.
Not everyone gets as well as I have on orals because everyone is different. But yes, it's possible. I am proof of that.
And I have also heard of people getting much worse on IV and not getting back to where they were before the IV. I'm not completely sure I'd accept IV abx if it were offered long term.
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
From what I have seen, many ppl get well just on orals. And the ppl I know personally that are considered cured did it with mostly mono-therapy.
Posted by phaze (Member # 22544) on :
Thank you. I am in North Carolina.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I don't think it's true of the state... just that you can't find an LLMD there who uses IV, right?
I got well on orals alone.
Posted by Dekrator48 (Member # 18239) on :
My LLMD says the important thing is using combination antibiotics that target all the different forms the bacteria can take...and of course treating coinfections.
Just because a drug is IV doesn't necessarily make it better.
Some people may find that they improve alot on an IV med, but it isn't going to be used as sole therapy.
My LLMD uses only orals.
Posted by WildCondor (Member # 434) on :
That is NOT true of North Carolina, or any state. Makes no sense you just have to fight this and give the powers that be the appropriate info.
Orals are fine as long as they are the right doses, right combination, and strong enough for long enough. Posted by coltman (Member # 21272) on :
quote: Just because a drug is IV doesn't necessarily make it better.
If medication efficiency was the sole factor IV should been the only choice. Their bioavailability leaves orals and even IM far behind (means for same dose you reach far greater effect). But IV are extremely costly - in terms of money, time and other logistical resources.
I doubt there are many people out there who can do a full IV regimen for a period of time necessary for chronic Lyme
Posted by Erica741 (Member # 15186) on :
Phaze, I'm not surprised you're not able to get IV antibiotics in North Carolina.
For those who have seen "Under Our Skin", the doctor who had his medical license suspended during the filming had practiced in N. Carolina. So the NC medical board is not exactly "Lyme-friendly"....
Frankly I'm surprised there are still doctors in NC willing to prescribe long-term oral abx tretment. So it is great that there are still local options in your state!
In my experience, IV treatment is greatly under-utilized by most LLMDs. If a patient is not making progress after several months of treatment and definitely by the 1-year mark, it is time to take a hard look at what is lacking in the treatment.
After unaddressed co-infections, it seems that under-treating is a major reason why patient's don't get better. This is just my opinion based on my experiences, talking with many Lyme patients, and having read hundreds of posts on this board.
So I don't think IV is required for recovery. But I do strongly believe that it should more often be an automatic "next-step" of treatment when a patient is clearly floundering after months to years of oral tx.
Posted by gemofnj (Member # 15551) on :
i took orals and i am in remission at the moment.
you can get better, but i think treatment depends on what the person is dealing (pathogens) with and how long they have been sick.
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