I've been on several different ones in the past 2 years and I've tolerated them great. It has saved me from going to a pic line. I'm also getting better slowly but surely.

Hope and pray you find what works for you soon.

Before Lyme I avoided all drugs and took the natural route. The few times I took antibiotics I had a bad reaction. I now know this is because I had Lyme and I didn't know it. The reaction was in fact a herx.

I've been on antibiotics for 10 months now with minimal side effects. I take probiotics and various supplements & am on a strict anti yeast diet. I am very carful to always drink lots of water and with the drugs that allow it, have a full meal first.

I never would have believed I could do so well on antibiotics. I was so sick when I started them I don't think there was any chance I could have survived without strong antibiotics.

Of course I hope to reach the point where I don't need them anymore and can rely on natural treatments and perhaps rife.

Lyme is too serious to not attack it with the strongest things we've got.

Don't delay, it only gets worse.

there are alternatives you can use ALONG with abx, but you need strong abx to actually kill the spirochetes...no way around it.

the longer you wait, the worse you'll get.

trust us old timers who have tried every thing, including every herb, every treatment , every supplement , every alternative medicine alone etc...

you will continue to deteriate until you 're body will not be able to come back from it...PLEASE trust what I am saying ....I am a firm believer in homeopathic medicine and take it and acupunture along side by abx...alone I got worse ad worse until my neurological systmps nearly killed me,a dn probably would have very soon...

you need abx also, then supplement with herbs and tinctures and alternative therapies to strenthen your immune system to go along with abx.

I am now at 95% from doing this after 2 1/2 years..if I hadn't I'd be dead. on straight herbs and tinctures I hwas having seizures and in a wheelchair etc...

I'm of the same mind as you...so maybe we're both crazy! Seems like there must be a way to do this without bad herxes and while maintaining functionality, but that seems to not apply to most people here. Feeling fairly well while being chronically is is definitely in the minority with lyme.

Here are a couple of recent threads that you may find helpful:
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/034069.html
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/034229.html

I've stumbled across other boards where more holistic and alternative treatments are discussed. They are out there.

I just saw my new LLMD for the first time last week. He's doing a bunch of testing to see where I'm at overall healthwise, and we will go from there.

I have been working on my health holistically for about 8 years, with other practitioners and on my own, self-treating and with major lifestyle overhaul, but have had chronic lyme for much longer. Just recently dx'ed. I started taking freeze-dried garlic a week ago, and just started TOA-free cat's claw (Allergy Research Group liquid) today. Still looking into other herbals and supplements and other measures, and will add more as I go along.