All I can say is I have like full blown chronic lyme disease...there are certain drugs that I would'nt let down my street much less in by body...nuff said zman

Before I knew what was wrong with me, I got a bad chest infection I couldn't kick. After 2 rounds of abx, I was given z pack and ihalant steriods, not the common one, the other steriod kind.

After this, only used it 2 days, I experienced my first body buzzing episode and right arm tremor. Before this, had symptoms typical of basic fibromyalgia. I knew they were messing with me, but didn't know why, and stopped on my own.

Not to scare you, but this preceded my demise, and within 3 months could not work and was in a serious mess. Some other things contributed after the steriods, but this was significant. When I go to the hospital which is quite often these days, I tell them I have had bad reactions to steriods, so they don't consider giving them to me and think of other options. Other options being nothing.

It gets quite tempting at times, and lose my head and think to go on them, and then I read something like this and remember all too well the dangers of steriods.

We are in unique situation with lyme, with all the inflammation and not being able to use the number one effective treatment used in hospitals against it. Man made disease????

From my experience it takes very little to do damage, which is also scary.

I'm so sorry you've had to go through all this. Just want to say, "Hang in there. It will get better."

Did you call your LLMD?

He needs to know this. He may want to change your protocol because as you already know this is a major hit on your immune system. He will have the best ideas how to counteract this.

Take heart, one young Cheerleader from Arkansas was tested for Lyme & it was positive. The non-LLMD knew she had Lyme & put her on "lots" of steroids to take down the swelling.

She finally came to north Texas to be treated by a LLMD who hospitalized her because she was worse. But with his expert efforts, she has now recovered and our Metroplex Support Group reported that she's doing well now.

I know more experienced folks than me will
come by & help you soon.

After getting help from my LLMD & perhaps stabilizing a bit, I might research the following items:

If it were me I'd get my LLMD's advice & then I try to bump up my immune system with Beta Glucan by IMMUNITION Brand capsules or MGN-3 by Lane Labs. They're ridiculously expensive, but work.

MGN-3 works pretty fast in their recommended high doses & Beta Glucans are much slower, but they both work incredibly to strengthen the immune system. They work behind the scenes; not directly on infection.

I'd take them constantly, but can't afford to.

Beta glucans info at www.nsc24.com
You'd need the NSC-100 Extra 30 count (10 mg) capsules for $48.97/summer sale.

These were originally manufactured for children who had their immune systems damaged by chemotherapy so it would seem anybody wanting to boost their immune system could take them.

I found MGN-3 cheapest at Doctor's Trust Vitamins www.doctorstrust.com for $39.99.

I've been a guinea pig for everything for 14 years before I knew I had Lyme. These are 2 standouts that really worked. I had no clue as to why they helped me back then.

The other thing was the amino acid NAC (n-acetyl-cysteine) which is the precursor to glutathione. It detoxifies & builds the immune system. Needs to be activated with Vit. C & B6 on empty stomach. The brand by Country Life called BIOCHEM NAC was the one I like best. A good health food store carries this. Found at www.country-life.com. Twinlab was good, too.

If you go to a big health food store, sometimes they'll carry all 3 of these.

NAC is a form of sulphur like onions & garlic. It has nothing to do with "sulfa" drugs which is a totally different thing.
(Don't buy NAG-----that's the wrong thing!)

The faster your LLMD can reverse this, the better.

It IS used to stop status asthmaticus (very immediate life threatening situation) and it IS used to stop seizures...eclampsia...the TOXEMIA (toxic condition! Acidosis) of pregnancy.

Unfortunately steroids depress the immune system and they stay in the system for several days, months...depending on dosage. This allows Bb to replicate unstopped...and this bug loves (our) Mg and glycogen. As these are impacted = symptoms increase.

To BOOST your own immune system think Mg and Ca. Here's why:

"E. Required by immunological process. Magnesium, immunity, and allergy: Mg is required for several steps of immunological reactions
1. Lymphoblastic transformation, a prerequisite of secretion of antibodies by lymphoblasts, requires Ca2+ and Mg2+
2. Mg is required for synthesis of proteins, immunoglobulins included
3. Antibody-induced complement activation is Mg dependent
4. The antigen-immunoglobulin-complement reaction induces degranulation of the mastocyte"
http://www.mdschoice.com/elements/elements/major_minerals/magnesium.htm

Immunoglobulins are antibodies. Our OWN "antibiotics".

Since the citrates INactivate PFK...they might be a good form. Both Ca citrate and Mg citrate are avail. OTC - over the counter. Before adding Ca...get your electrolytes checked. Know where you presently stand with that mineral (we have a LOT avail. in storage).

Need VERY (!) small amts. OFTEN. Timing is critical. Okay to head for the ODA...optimal dietary allowance (DIVIDED) instead of the RDA. If you take SMALL amts. spaced, the Mg doesn't cause the typical diarrhea. Tried this myself to make sure. We don't want diarrhea...lose more electrolytes.

Get on a low glycemic index diet...alkaline will be helpful too (lists are on the internet). NO sugar. Complex carbs are okay and are needed...our WBCs, our brain cells, our mitochondria NEED glycogen...just not a sudden rush of it (which triggers insulin (acidic)...which ACTIVATES PFK - the enzyme Bb is dependent on).

Detox. Various means. The "Universal remedy" of old was...Mg oxide, tannic acid and activated charcoal. Think about this combination...why it worked.

Tannic acid...we mess it up when we try to process/make it, but it is present in many healthy foods - like blueberries, cranberries, etc. Problem is...we add sugar and this disrupts the balance of one of Mother Nature's perfect foods. Natural sugar (+ charge) with a strong acid (- charge). Additional + charges...adding that refined sugar... is not good. Do you follow?

Activated charcoal absorbs toxins.

If you can't exercise...consider CoQ10 as a supp. Should help with glutamate toxicity issues(neuro issues).

And yes, the beta glucans...the mushrooms. Host Defense by New Chapter or Immunity by Niken. These are immune "boosters" too...natural abx. of sorts. Same with Cat's Claw. These hit the pathogens from the sugar angle it seems.

My sis was misdx'd and given steroids. They definitely prolong the disease. We need a healthy immune system to beat this....and beat it we can. Support your own immune system to the best of your ability.

When Mg levels are low -> new allergies develop. When Mg is low, Ca tries to go into the cells, histamine is triggered -> allergic response.

Fish, protein are acidic. Triggers minerals/ positive charges from storage to try to counter - the minerals are alkaline. Since Mg is already low...perhaps Ca was "called for" from storage...which triggered histamine...

Selenium (follow the RDA) will help to reduce TNF alpha too. This will take SOME of the "ouch" out. We don't want to block TNF alpha completely, but we do want some pain relief!

Have you ever tried an Epsom salt bath? "Recipe" is on this board. For now...might not add the H2O2 though. Just stick with the Epsom salts. 2 cups added to a warm tub for a 20 min. soak. We DO absorb things thru our skin.

Wishing you a safe journey back to health.

before i was diagnosed w/ lyme . my husband and i bought a house.

i decided to get started before we moved in as i love to decorate. at the time i was working so i took 2 days off before move in date. i am allergic to dust.

anyway i was painting our new dining room , ripping down wall paper, and vacuming all at the same time. i started about 11am and i would say by about 3 i started breaking out in hives, at 1st around my neck, then every where else, and i mean everywhere. i went to a walk in clinic, and they gave me im benedryll, then called a ambulance to send me to er cause my lipps were very swollen.

the er thought i was allergic to the bactrum i was on for sinus infection.

so i went back to our new home 1 1/2 days later. well to my surprise , it was not the abx i was alergic to. i had a allergic reaction to primer.

when i walked in the house w/ in 5min my whole body was once again covered in hives, but instantly i could breathe, husband called 911, ambulance gave me benedryl, prednisone, and brought me to er, there they also gave me more steroids, and had to give me a epi shot. my heart rate went to 200, as i already have heart rate issues. i was freaking out, shaking non stop tremors.

they had to strap my arms and legs down cause they were shaking so bad, and my teethe wouldn't stop chattering

i told them about 2am in the morning that they need to knock me out cause i couldn't take it no more. they gave me i v lorazapam, or ativan, my hives went away, and breathing ok,and i was sedated, so they sent me home.

the next week i suffered, and shook no stop so bad i was in tears. my dr said i must have a bad reaction to steroids. he wrote me a rx for ativan po 1mg as needed, this was what made it stop, and i mean instantly.

this was 6 months ago, that was the last day i worked and since then i was diagnosed w/ lyme. i still take the ativan, until i start abx. didn't mean to be so lenghty but your story brought back bad memories.

call your md. you only take them when u need to, and if i helps till they wear out of your body atleast you are not suffering

As far as the eggrolls go, a lot of people are allergic to shellfish such as shrimp and the reaction can be very dangerous and even deadly. Also, most Chinese foods are prepared with MSG. This can cause similar reactions. The last time I went to the ER was because I ate a meatloaf loaded with MSG from Marie Callenders (all their foods, even their frozen foods in the supermarket have this crap in them). I thought I was going to die and at that point I really wanted to. All Campbell's soups, yes the ones you give to your kids are loaded with MSG.

I'm going to go to the supermarket and make an MSG product no-no list for this group someday. You would believe the number of family-food products that this toxin turns up in.

Here's where it appears most:

Canned soups, chili, and stew
snack crackers like cheez-its
frozen battered fish filets and chicken
marinades
salad dressings (watch out for WishBone)
frozen entrees
dips
chips like doritos, cheetos, etc....
Hamburger helper meals (totally loaded!!!)
Instant flavored rice and pasta mixes
Taco seasoning
Gravy (Happy Thanksgiving in the ER!!!)
All Kentucky Fried Chicken Menu items
Chinese dine-in or take-out

And be careful because it's not always listed as "MSG". Mostly, they label it by its real name, "monosodium glutamate" to confuse the average person.

I've wrote to the FDA several times about banning this toxic substance from the food supply. I always say..."If it ain't good for babyfood, it ain't good for me".

-greg