I did 4 months of doxy and then took a break shortly after contracting shingles. I felt pretty good after they cleared up however now I think the Lyme has come back, but I am not sure.
Basically, my liver enzymes have shot into the 200s and I have broken out in a rash that looks exactly like the rash I got years ago when I thought I had contracted Lyme (coincidentally my liver enzymes were also extremely high back then as well). I also have a sore shoulder that radiates down my arm, my perioral dermatitis has come back, and now I have had Crohns symptoms for 2 days (diarrhea).
For 15 days before this started happening, I was taking iodine 12.5mg. I am wondering if all these symptoms are a bromide detox or the Lyme coming back. When the rash showed up I stopped the iodine. I also take glandular adrenal support (for past month).
What scares me is that most of this rash is centered over my liver. I have had liver issues in the past and am afraid that the iodine pushed fluoride and bromide out faster than my liver could filter it.
I just did a new blood test for my liver numbers today and results will be in tomorrow. Unfortunately my doc is out til next week so I can't ask him if he thinks this is the Lyme nor can I get any more doxy.
My liver hasn't given me trouble for a year since I started LDN, so I am really worried at this point. My doc did the free conventional lab tests for coinfections but I won't get those results for several weeks. Any coinfections attack the liver and affect enzyme levels? Does this all sound like a relapse?
Thanks...
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Wish I could help!! Bringing this to the top!!
Posted by CountryMouse (Member # 32073) on :
Thanks Lymetoo. Rash is still here but my liver enzymes are coming down with ursodiol thank god. I am feeling like this is definitely a relapse at this point. Sucks but we've almost all been where I am. Here I was thinking the doxy had killed everything! But I was naive and you can't be with this infection. Ugh.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
If all you have done as lyme treatment is 4 months of doxy, that will not cure lyme. The only time that treatment might work is if you started it within a week or so of getting your bite.
It sounds like you have had lyme for some time, so your treatment is going to have to be a lot more complex than this to clear this disease.
It sounds like you have not yet gone to a lyme doctor. You will likely continue to relapse as you call it until you get adequate treatment.
Any time a person gets shingles, that means that their immune system is weak. The shingles virus can only come out when the immune system is too weak to suppress it. A person with a weak immune system will never get rid of lyme. It takes a fully recovered immune system to overcome lyme disease and keep it under control.
Both lyme and babesiosis compromise the immune system (like AIDS my doctor said). Based on the fact that you just got shingles, your immune system is still compromised.
Here is a quote from page 3 of Burrascano:
"A very important issue is the definition of �Chronic Lyme Disease�. Based on my clinical data and the latest published information, I offer the following definition. To be said to have chronic LB, these three criteria must be present:
1. Illness present for at least one year (this is approximately when immune breakdown attains clinically significant levels). . . ."
I suggest you get to a lyme doctor who follows the Burrascano protocol and then you have a good chance of getting rid of your diseases. I say diseases because it is basically unheard of for a person to just have lyme.
Here are a few points from Dr. B's guidelines:
You must attack both the regular and cyst (or other) form of lyme simultaneously--requires 2 different antibiotics to do so.
You must test the patient for all co-infections and other physical ailments (thyroid, etc.) and treat everything the person has.
You must treat all co-infections (including mycoplasma, etc.) or the patient will not get well.
You must use Igenex for most of these tests--they are a tick-borne disease speciality lab in Calif.
You must use very high doses of antibiotics to kill the diseases (batericidal doses).
You must give the patient supplements, probiotics, herbs such as artimesinin if babs is suspected, and require adherence to rules such as low carb diet, no alcohol, rest, and exercise as the patient is able to do it.
You must treat at least 2 months after all symptoms have disappeared (if sick at least 1 year).
These are just a few of the important points you will see in the guidelines. You want a doc who does EVERYTHING Burrascano says to do. He treated lyme for over 25 years, and compiled what he learned so that other docs could benefit from it. Read it in his Guidelines.
On top of good lyme treatment, to boost your immune system, you must do non-aerobic exercise. Burrascano says to do one continuous hour of weight lifting/calesthenics every other day. You can read about how this strengthens the immune system, helps to clear the lyme, and prevents a relapse starting on page 31 of his Guidelines.
If you have not yet STUDIED the Burrascano Guidelines, I suggest you do. Otherwise, you will not know what proper lyme treatment looks like and you could go years with this disease.
The Burrascano protocol is a 4-pronged approach:
antibiotics supplements diet, exercise as above
It takes all 4 to get rid of this terrible disease.
The best thing you can do for yourself is educate yourself about this disease. I wish you the best.
Posted by CountryMouse (Member # 32073) on :
Thanks TF. I have read the Dr B guidelines several times but stuff doesn't always stick in the Lyme brain. I do the best I can.
I am seeing a doctor who is known in this area to treat Lyme and does follow the Buhner Protocol, however he is difficult to see because he is popular and he has been away so I couldn't ask him about what was happening.
I have been on a ton of supplements and watch my diet carefully including being gluten-free.
I exercise daily although it is often aerobic which Dr B says not to do, although it seems that is a controversial topic depending on which doc you talk to.