posted
Hello everyone, I'm new here and just found this site this morning. A lot of good information. I've had chronic lyme for about 15 years and ran the gamut of doctors, but never were they able to truly help me. I did a year of abx, but just never got better. A friend finally suggested I see a Naturopath and within 4 months, I was feeling well. I'm pretty much back to normal. I would say I am 99% fuctional again.
Has anyone seen a Natural Doctor? and if so, can you share your experience.
Thanks Susie
Posts: 6 | From Toronto | Registered: Jun 2011
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sammy
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13952
posted
Yes, I have seen 2 different ND's. One diagnosed my Lyme and coinfections after years of testing and misdiagnosis by MD's. My ND actually understood the severity and complexity of Lyme infection and the impact it has on the body.
She tried treating me with herbs for antibiotic properties and many support therapies but it wasn't enough. My symptoms continued to worsen. Eventually she insisted that I see an LLMD for antibiotics.
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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lululymemom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 26405
posted
Welcome to the board, susegold! So happy to hear that you have had success with naturopathic medicine. PM sent.
posted
I was thinking of going to one...the only thing to hold me back is the money at them moment...I'm being treated by a Neurologist who specializies in Lyme, but I know of a Naturopath that seems to have more knowledge.
Posts: 222 | From NH | Registered: Mar 2011
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map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
Yes, they are beneficial and can really help you when you are working with LLMD or lyme literate PCP.
They should go hand in hand. Especially if neither ND or MD have some huge ego problem.
You can do a search on this site and hundreds of posts with naturopath in the posts will pop up and you can read experiences from years of threads.
Look for the highlighted "search" button at the top of this page. Enter naturopath----medical forum----any date---let it look for page after page of posts.
I hope this helps.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6495 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Thank you for moving this. My ND is lyme literate. She worked closely with LLMD because she herself had lyme for years.
Thanks everyone. Hope to hear more stories
Posts: 6 | From Toronto | Registered: Jun 2011
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scorpiogirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 31907
posted
Hi,
I went to a LLNP for a year but learned that she was way over her heard in treating Lyme. So back in April I switched to a LLMD and starting IV antibiotics. I felt like I wasted a whole year w/ this doctor while my condition deteriorated. I'm not against LLNP by any means, but I did not have a good experience w/ mine.
I am however, working w/ my LLMD and a NP (not Lyme Literate) to help me detox and boost my immune system. I love this NP! He is very knowledgeable and very very caring!! Once I get my Lyme and Co under control I plan to use him much more!
-------------------- Posts: 1391 | From Lyme Land | Registered: May 2011
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posted
I go to an LLND that employs both natural and pharmaceutical remedies/meds. She feels that the abx gets your bacteria/parasite/virus load down faster than herbs. But she very much likes giving me herbs if she feels my body is not up to the heavy herxing from abx. She also pulses her abx routines.
Having and LLMD is beneficial because sometimes they can order more specific things and MD's are i guess more acknowledged in the medical field. But you're in Canada?
I heard your health insurance there is awesome! True?
nefferdun
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 20157
posted
I have been to two naturopathic doctors. The first one was useless. He had Bruhner 's book sitting on his shelf and that was his sole reference for treatment. As I had tried that myself without success I did not need to pay him a huge amount of money to give me the same things.
The second was an LLND. She had a recipe treatment - said she always treats" lyme first". Even though I had treated borellia for two years and was no longer having monthly flares, she refused to address the bartonella that was my main symptom or the babesia that was beginning to take over. I consider her a novice in her experience.
However I am considering seeing another LLND that is very experienced and well trained. Doctors vary so we have to be open minded. Some LLND can and do give antibiotics. They also know more about how to support the immune system with diet, supplements and herbs.
-------------------- old joke: idiopathic means the patient is pathological and the the doctor is an idiot Posts: 4676 | From western Montana | Registered: Apr 2009
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tdtid
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10276
posted
Susie,
First off, welcome! As with Sammy, I too was actually DIAGNOSED with lyme from a Naturopathic Doctor after 5 years of seeing every kind of specialist they would send me to.
He referred me to a LLND who got in the field due to his wife having Lyme. He treated with herbs AND abx.
My case had gone too neuro though and he eventually referred me to a well known LLMD. I've been in treatment for 4 1/2 years but have come so far, considering where I started.
With that said, MANY have been brought to remission by this same LLND and can't say enough good about him. I think it really depends on everyones individual case as well as the actual ND.
If it is working for you, I would definitely stick with it.
Cathy
-------------------- "To Dream The Impossible Dream" Man of La Mancha Posts: 2638 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
If your ND could not treat you, then they probably did not understand how lyme bacteria works. You would need to find a ND who has knowledge with lyme. And really, it's not the lyme that needs to be treated, it's the person that needs to be treated. There is no one specific protocol for lyme since every person has a different lifestyle, different diet and different ways of releasing toxins. My ND worked with helping me open up my pathways, cell drainage and then worked on buidling my immune system, all while fighting the bacteria. I did do 5 months of abx before seeing her, which did kill the bateria, but also was killing my good cells as well. If I could go back, I would have seen an ND before my LLMD and done drainage and detox first.
And F Cracker, yes, we have a good health care system, but it has it's flaws. Natural healing is not paid for medicare up here.
I think the trick is to find a really knowledgable ND who knows about lyme. My Naturopath is not an ND but a practitioner and she also had lyme herself and knows her stuff. Rhuematologist and LLMD's refer patients to her.
She does on line consults, but not sure if she does them in the USA.
More and more Naturopathc are getting on board, so don't give up an natural healing. Abx are not the way to win this battle.
Posts: 6 | From Toronto | Registered: Jun 2011
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