Just diagnosed with Lyme and on antibiotics and still feeling awful. Looking for Lyme Literate doctor as my family practitioner is not knowledgeable at all. Will travel anywhere in Reading to Lebanon PA area. Thanks!
Posted by hopingandpraying (Member # 9256) on :
Welcome to Lymenet! PM sent for PA & MD.
You need to be evaluated and treated by a Lyme-literate doctor (LLMD). Non LLMDs have no clue about this horrible disease or its complex treatment!
A LLMD is one who has treated Lyme disease and the co-infections which come with it for many years and has gotten patients well. A good one will follow Dr. B's Guidelines, the "gold standard" for Lyme treatment.
Unfortunately, LLMDs are far and few between. You need to go where they are.
Also most LLMDs do not accept insurance due to the politics surrounding this horrible disease. Read poster TF's explanation, "Why Lyme Doctors Don't Take Insurance":
Hi, Biddie and welcome to LymeNet! You probably do not know that there are few doctors who really are lyme literate. And, even fewer are good.
So, that being the case, you have to be willing to travel to get good lyme treatment. Many people have to fly to see their lyme doctor. At least half of all lyme patients go out of state.
There are some lyme doctors in Pa, but there are better doctors in Maryland. If you would be willing to travel to the Washington, D.C. area of Maryland, I know a good doctor who could see you right away.
You see, good lyme doctors can have as much as a 9 month wait for a new patient. The best aren't even taking new patients.
So, being able to see a good doctor quickly is rare. If you want the name, just let me know. You would only have to travel there once every 3 months. He will do telephone or Skype appointments with you the other months.
Another thing, lyme specialists do NOT take insurance. So, it is going to be expensive to see a good lyme doctor.
Your prescriptions will be covered by your insurance, however.
You are so wise to not depend on your family doctor to cure you of this. Lyme disease is extremely difficult to cure. It is a very complex disease which is actually a number of diseases. Each disease needs treated with different medications.
So, for all of these reasons, you really want to go to a doctor who treats basically only lyme disease. That is how they develop expertise at treating lyme patients.
Each lyme patient is different. There is no one ABC treatment that will work. So, it is an extremely complex disease to treat. And, treatment is generally long term.
To get an education on this disease, I strongly suggest you read and STUDY the Burrascano Lyme Treatment Guidelines found here:
This document is not an easy read because it was written to other doctors to teach them how to treat lyme disease. But, it will give you an education on the disease. You will find out what good lyme treatment looks like.
You are so wise to ask for a doctor here. We will help you all we can.
You can also contact the lyme support groups near you. See Support Groups on the left side of the page. Ask them which doctors are getting people well.
I had undiagnosed lyme disease (and babesiosis and bartonella) for at least 10 years before a doctor thought to test me for lyme. Still, I got rid of it by finally going to a doctor who followed the Burrascano protocol.
Then, I started sending my friends to Burrascano type doctors and at least 5 of them also got rid of their lyme.
The typical experience for a person with lyme is to treat and treat and never get well. So, this is what I learned: the doc is the key. Many doctors treat lyme disease, but only a very few know enough to cure a person of it. Very few.
It is now over 11 years since I completed my lyme treatment and I am still symptom-free, enjoying my life. I have the same life I had before lyme disease.
This can be you also if you are willing to travel and pay the money to get good lyme treatment. The sooner you do, the better for you.
I wasted 2 years going to doctors who gave me poor lyme treatment. These doctors were recommended by a lyme support group leader near me.
Then, I studied the Burrascano Guidelines, went to the Philly area to hear Dr. Burrascano speak, and then decided to find a doctor who followed the Guidelines. That made all the difference for my life.
I stick around LymeNet just to point others to the good doctors, so they don't have to waste years getting lousy lyme treatment like I did.
Best to go to the very best lyme doctor you can possibly afford. That gives you the best chance of getting your life back.
Let me know if you want the name, prices, etc.
Posted by jmaloney (Member # 48279) on :
I'm curious of the names and prices of the doctors you know. It is hard to read all the doctor recommendations and not actually have someone to has gone to them. I would love to hear who you would recommend if you would share. Thanks!