posted
I was bitten in april of this year. began doxy within a week - but then my symptoms increased. i waited 2 weeks and got on amoxicillin for roughly 8 weeks, but the symptoms did not disappear - still had fatigue, brain fade and pains. i now have a picc line and have 18 days to go of my 30 day course. i have been feeling a ton better - no pains- no headaches - increased stamina. but this weekend i had 3 beers and i noticed that within about 15 minutes of drinking my first beer that i had pain in my elbows. since then i have noticed other pains in my elbows, shoulder and knee. is this normal? the headaches have not come back nor has the fatigue. have i totally screwed myself by having a few beers? has anyone else experienced this? could i have accidently let the lyme bacteria have a foothold by drinking a few beers? also is there any way to tell if i have an active infection? my infectious disease dr is not a llmd and has said that this course of rocephin will be the last thing he prescribes for me - if i have symptoms after this then it is just an immune response to the antibodies from the bacteria - that there could not be an active infection. sorry for so many questions, but i am very concerned and don't know what to do. someone please help! i am very worried because i am in dental school which is very demanding. if these antibiotics don't get the job done then what do i do?
Posts: 7 | From louisville | Registered: Aug 2011
| IP: Logged |
posted
You are being treated for Lyme disease but ticks carry more than just the Lyme infection. If I were you, I would want to get evaluated by an LLMD for those infections too because they require different types of drugs. I wish you a full recovery!
Posts: 472 | From New Jersey | Registered: Dec 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
Its Summer and hot where I am. Nothing is better than a few beers....BUT I can't drink and you shouldn't either.
Alcohol and carbs turns to sugars, which we know Lyme loves.
Next, your liver is trying hard to expel all the dying spirochetes and other toxins. It doesn't need any more jobs to do.
Alcohol also lowers our immune system strength which is another thing Lymies do not need, especially the chronic patients.
Last, some highly reputable LLMD's will not even treat you if you don't adhere to their no alcohol rules.
Fuel
-------------------- IgM- 31,34,39,83-93 IND IgM- 41+
IgG- 31,34,39,83-93 IND IgG- 41++ Posts: 610 | From Lymeville | Registered: Nov 2010
| IP: Logged |
philly78
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 31069
posted
Alcohol is not good for lyme patients....not even in small amounts! I couldn't even handle 4 oz of wine! Made me feel like crap for a few days following.
Find an LLMD. Post in the Seeking a Doctor section and members will send you pm's.
In the meantime, you can get the IV rocephin the ID doc is willing to give you if you want. I would.
You can also try taking some supplements to help with some of the symptoms you are having.
If it is any consolation, I work in a very hectic environment! An ER in a major city. I am on my feet for 12 1/2 hours and rarely ever even get a break. But somehow, I'm managing....by the grace of God I might add.
My point is that this disease doesn't have to stop your dental schooling. It may...but it also may not. We are all different and we all have varying degrees of this disease.
Most of us have other infections as well.
My best advice would be to get into see someone knowledgeable...an LLMD as soon as you can. The earlier this is treated, the better. Take it one day at a time.
Good luck!
-------------------- When faced with pain you have two choices....either quit and accept the circumstances, OR make the decision to fight with all the resources you have at your disposal. Posts: 1000 | From PA | Registered: Mar 2011
| IP: Logged |
TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
Yes, it is typical that alcohol makes a lyme patient sick.
It is extremely important that you not drink if you want to get rid of lyme disease. A good lyme doctor would have told you no drinking or smoking. Here is a quote for you from the Burrascano Lyme Treatment Guidelines:
"There are three things that will predict treatment failure regardless of which regimen is chosen: Noncompliance, alcohol use, and sleep deprivation." (page 17)
Also, based on what you have said, you will not be finished with lyme disease at the end of the 30 days of IV, so you definitely need to get to a lyme doctor who knows to treat this disease until the patient is symptom free.
The explanation the ID doc is giving you for not treating you until you are actually well is the standard party line from the medical establishment. It is not a fact, but their opinion, evidently based on only one small study.
Meanwhile, your health is at stake. So, call the lyme support groups in your state (see Support Groups on left side of page) and post in Seeking a Doctor forum to find a doctor who is really an expert at treating this disease.
Lyme disease is generally more than one disease and you are only getting treated for the lyme. Without testing to find out all the diseases the tick gave you and without treatment of each of these diseases (called coinfections) you cannot get rid of the lyme. The diseases all work together to help each other stay in your body.
To get your education on this disease, study the Burrascano Guidelines referenced above. They were written for doctors, so they are not an easy read, but you will then know more about this disease than your doctor.
Basically, everything your ID doctor knows about lyme disease is incorrect. That is because lyme is embroiled in a major medical controversy. One side says it is easy to get rid of it and the other side says it is difficult to get rid of it.
Everyone on this board agrees that it is difficult to get rid of lyme. We feel that way based on our experiences.
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.
I and my friends all had lyme, babesiosis, and bartonella. Every person in Maryland who has lyme disease has at least these 3. Each disease requires different medications to eliminate it.
Also, a Boston TV station did a great show on lyme disease about 2 years ago. Here is the link to it: http://www.kettmann.com/Lyme/Save/
Then, click on "Here"
The show was taped by a girl on LymeNet and she put it on-line for all of us to be able to view it. You will learn a lot about the medical controversy surrounding lyme disease and why it is so hard to find a doctor who knows how to cure a person of lyme disease.
You will also hear over and over how people tested negative for lyme disease, only to find out later that they actually had the disease.
The doc is the key to getting rid of this disease. I can't emphasize that enough. Lots of doctors treat lyme disease, but only a few know enough to get rid of it for a person.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thank y'all so much for getting back to me! My infectious disease doctor said that it would be fine to "have a few beers occasionally" so I thought it wouldn't be an issue. wow. I wish I had been better informed. I am going to try to find a LLMD ASAP. Thank you!
Posts: 7 | From louisville | Registered: Aug 2011
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic