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Posted by lyme in Putnam (Member # 11561) on :
 
If and when remission comes about, has anyone done time off/time on antibiotics. One in my docs office does 2 weeks on/2weeks off as maintenance and I thought that sounded better than staying on full time to keep symptoms at bay. What do you think or what has anyone done?

Thanks.
 
Posted by catskillmamala (Member # 12536) on :
 
I rife for maintenance.
 
Posted by ping (Member # 6974) on :
 
Putnam, not exactly sure of what's being called "remission" here, but the definition as I learned it and did it is OFF all abx & no return of sx's. What you might want to ask your doc is how will you know if you're in remission if it's 2 weeks on / 2 weeks off?

When I first went off abx, the sx's started to return in about 6 wks, then, went back on for a while. Then went off and sx's stayed away for months, then came back, so ON again. Last time I went off, no sx's have returned. This is how we old-timers used to test it way back when. Don't know what the standard is now...
 
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
 
Putnam, my LLMD talked about treating only during the flare time or during menstruation (which is often the flare time for women) once symptoms were mostly gone.

Now that I'm in remission as ping says, I am off all the meds. It's truly not an active disease.

I think it's a good idea though to be able to take breaks from the abx towards the end of treatment like that.

I've seen my LLMD give a talk where he said 99.99% of people relapse. Given those odds, perhaps that's what the program you're talking about is for.
 
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
 
I have not heard of this before. Most LLMDs will just continue regular treatment for several months once you reach remission. Then you will go off antibiotics to see if you are cured or if you will relapse.
 
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
 
Sutherngrl, we talked about this with my LLMD when my daughter was in treatment. She was getting to the point that she only had symptoms during menstruation, so he was going to switch her to treatment only during that time. Ended up she went into full remission and didn't need to do it that way. She's been in remission for a few years now.
 
Posted by ping (Member # 6974) on :
 
6 - Wish my old LLMD had the forethought to have done what yours did, but hind-sight is 20/20. It's a really good plan!
 
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
 
Yeah, ping, seems pretty logical doesn't it?!
 
Posted by ping (Member # 6974) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by sixgoofykids:
Yeah, ping, seems pretty logical doesn't it?!

Well, "logical" can be gender related, but you were lucky enough to have a male doctor that truly got the picture. Sometimes, better lucky than good (kinda).
 


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