posted
I went to my appt. with Dr. S in NJ. He said I have lyme & no co-infections (Igenex for Lyme: IGM:31++,39 IND,41+, IGG: 30++,31IND,39IND,41 ++, 45+,58++). I am allergic to Penicillin which rules out a couple of related drugs. He wanted to put me on oral zithromicin. I had expected doxcycline. I also expected him to recommend intravenous. He said doxcycline was maybe better or about the same as zithromicin but did not have the problems with being out in the sun. He also said IV was better but harder to get insurance to cover. I am not money bags but will invest $ in the right treatment if it makes a difference. If I was better I would be at a job that pays more money so I look at spending the money on the right treatment as a wise investment. How bad is the sun problems with doxycycline? Is zithromicin/zithromax as good as doxy.? Also I read that you are supposed to have a balanced approach with vitamins, excercise, blah blah and he did not get into any of that just to take achidophilus. I have low magnesium. he also does not test blood levels. He did switch to putting me on the doxy. at 11 mg twice a day because I siad I would prefer that... Please help...
Posts: 35 | From baltimore, md & nj | Registered: Apr 2006
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cantgiveupyet
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8165
posted
I was thinking he would put you on zmax. it is good for lyme. A lot have started with it.
Im allergic to it so i cant take that or any related abx.
Also, if you are willing to pay out of pocket for IV then i would bring it up at the next appt you have with him, see how you react to the doxy..it may suprise you how much you may herx from it.
Many LLMD's do not get into diet or excericise much, i think it is because they are so busy treating lyme patients.
Did you ask him about your Mg level? He does run blood tests on me every month.
Also everyone is big on doxy, but there are other abx that are just as good if not better for lyme and coinfections. Sun is a huge thing while on doxy.
what coinfections do you have?
-------------------- "Say it straight simple and with a smile."
"Thus the task is, not so much to see what no one has seen yet, But to think what nobody has thought yet, About what everybody sees."
-Schopenhauer
pos babs, bart, igenex WB igm/igg Posts: 3156 | From Lyme limbo | Registered: Oct 2005
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Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
There is a school of thought that you do not start treatment with IV. Some think it is harder to get rid of Lyme if you undertreat with IV. Plus, the IV is more intrusive to get set up. So many people tray oral first.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
Hi Keh,
There have been some recent topics posted about Doxycycline and the sun, so put those words into the search feature and see what comes up.
I was on Doxy in Southern California and did burn despite sunblock, clothing with SPF in it, hat and gloves, but it was such a great medication for me, it was worth it.
I think Zithromax is going to be added to my regimen in a few weeks (I'm two years into treatment) - there is no specific one right way as to which medications to do first, orals vs. IV is an issue most of us have probably discussed with our Lyme doctors many times.
Insurance (or lack of) and money is a huge issue for many of us as we get into very expensive medications. So if you have the funds to pay out-of-pocket for IV, just let your Lyme doctor know.
By the way, are you sure you are still allergic to penicillin as an adult or was this a childhood allergy?
The reason I ask is that I recently went through extensive allergy testing for penicillin because I had a suspected mild allergy as a child, but we wanted to consider using Bicillin (an injectable form of penicillin on me). Turns out I am no longer allergic to penicillin, or perhaps it was never a true allergy, and I'm doing fine on the Bicillin.
But of course I would never recommend you even bother with the testing if you know you are truly allergic - and I don't know your situation.
Good luck! Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
keh, Welcome to this 24/7 LYME support group board!
Here's TREEPATROL's and Tincup's combination newbie links.
Print off the links then check them off as you read as you could spend several months reading all of this.
print & read Dr. Burrascono's 2005 info first; you will come back to this often.
Extensive info in Treepatrol''s newbie links about the meaning of WESTERN BLOT IGM/IGG test results from Igenex! Be sure to read or print this info IF Igenex tested you ok!
Also, see Cheryl''s extensive web sites on: LD DIAGNOSIS, SYMPTOMS, & TREATMENT ... wonderful! Read the area on CO-INFECTIONS! You could have from 1-12 other illnesses that tick is carrying...lyme, malaria, etc.
If you are showing symptoms of co-infections, I would like to suggest being tested for co-infections when you have LYME western blots done. It isn''t cheap!! But if you are positive, you can treat the co-infections first, and then work on LYME symptoms.
mention you have lyme and marshall protocol, they will give you 20% off! I'm NOT on MProtocol, but mention it anyway. I was on their new board almost 12 months!
Also they have been kind enough to replace the SCRATCHED LENSES & BROKEN BOWS! How's that for service?
I don't drive often at night, but I can wear NOIR's 901 lenses at night while driving; it creates soft candle lights coming at me...tolerable. NOT to wear in town with all the action of people crossing where they shouldn't be, etc.
from LOU to Betty on LONG web links and Thank You Lou!: "If you hit the return key in the middle of a link, I don't think it will be clickable anymore. An alternative that maybe Betty should be telling people about is the tiny url website. I have it on my tool bar at the top of the page and use it for those incredablylongwebsiteaddresses.
All you have to do is ask tiny url to produce a short version, which it will do with a unique address, which you then use instead in your post. Works just the same when clicked! Here is the website, spread the word!
3-1-06, fyi, I tried dragging tinyurl to my toolbar without success, so that''s why I currently have LONG addresses vs. short tiny ones! I''ll keep trying.
Tincup posted March 8, 2005, 2218 Lyme Disease Survey Responses February 27, 2005 - March 9, 2005 1. How many doctors did you have to see before being properly diagnosed? 112 responses Average number of doctors consulted before being diagnosed- 14 Answers ranged from 1- 120 different doctors 2. Have you had problems getting insurance to pay for doctors or treatment? 87 responses Yes- 63 No- 24
3. Have you lost income because of Lyme disease? 106 responses Yes- 99 No- 7 4. How much does it cost you (average) per month for Lyme related expenses? 61 responded Average cost per month per patient- $4,472.49 Low- $500.00 High- $21,492.00
5. How many different medications do you take per day? 77 responded Average - 14 different medications per day Low- 3 High- 25
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TheCrimeOfLyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4019
posted
Dr. S will start with what he thinks is appropriate for your lyme, based on your symptoms, and your bands, etc.
He may be trying to avoid the sun reaction with doxy,which you may or may not have.
About the vitamins and supplements; if you ask he will recommend but he doesnt "prescribe" them. Thats patients choice.
My first drug with him was shots. Iv has a history of not getting people well.
-------------------- You want your life back? Take it. Posts: 3169 | From Greensburg, Pennsylvania | Registered: Jun 2003
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