Last year my doctor put me on Doxy for 20 days when I was bitten by a tick. Two days later I got bit again and went on for another 20 days. I never did feel 100% better. Joint hurt, stiff knees, BURNING FEET!!! and my bones feel like they are burning, especially my arms.
Got bit by 4 more deer ticks so far this spring, went to doctors because I was feeling so crappy. Told her that I still have lyme disease, and now it is worse.
She did a western blot and that came back today. Said that only one out of three bands show darkening, she said that 3 need to be dark to be lyme.
Also said that only one band out of 10 showed that I had lyme antibodies, so she is saying that I probably didn't have lyme disease last year either.
She tested me for a bunch of other stuff too, like rhumatoid arthritis, epstein barr, etc. So far nothing came back positive.
I know there are a lot of things wrong and worrisome with this story so far, but the thing that is bothering me the most is that last year my white blood cell count when they tested me for lyme was 11.8 and now it is up to 12.2
Is this high? Is it really high? Can anyone tell me what this means other than I might be fighting off an infection?
Thanks and sorry for the long email.
Posts: 5 | From Royersford, PA | Registered: Jun 2007
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posted
The wbc is just slightly elevated. The difference between the two is insignificant. I would not worry about it. If it gets up to the 20 range then I would worry.
Posts: 340 | From Ohio | Registered: Oct 2005
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
You need an LLMD (Lyme literate medical doctor). They are very well equiped to find out what is wrong with you. There are very good reasons why you may not be making antibodies against lyme (and thus your test would be negative) even though you may be infected. Stick around here and learn about that and many other issues.
Ticks often pass more than one infection. These are called co-infections. Tests for them are just as unreliable as tests for lyme and thus diagnosis for TBI (tick borne illnesses) need to be based on a clinical diagnosis (symptoms, history, test results etc). Even if you were effectively treated for a lyme infection, you won't get better if you have an untreated co-infection. They can make you feel very sick.
If you had been infected with your first bite, you were not treated long enough to get rid of the infection. Borrelia (the bacteria that cause lyme disease) can and do go into cyst form so one usually needs more than one type of antibiotic to kill it off. You generally need higher doses than what non-LLMD's are willing to give. Some co-infections require different meds such as anti-maliarial type medications.
Don't fool around. Go to the seeking doctors section and find an LLMD and get some real help. If you don't have lyme or co-infections, they can likely help you figure out what you do have since most are masters at the differential diagnosis.
Educate yourself by going to the newbie links on this site. There is a huge political battle going on that makes getting effective treatment for lyme and co-infections through infectious disease doctors or any other non LLMD unlikely. TBI's are tricky illnesses with a lot of unknowns so your best bet is to see an ILADS LLMD.
Go to the bottom of the page for a referral but also go to the seeking doctors section on this site and ask other patients for their recommendations. http://www.ilads.org/
Check out your local lyme groups too for recommendations.
Good luck.
P.S. You will need to be tested through IgeneX in order to get the most reliable results for lyme. Can you post the results of your Western Blot? We would be looking for which bands tested positive because it is not only the number of bands that are important but which bands tested positive as well.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
welcome teresa!
i see pattilynn and terry gave you outstanding advice.
also, what is the NAME OF LAB DOING your testing? please show that too when you show only the POSITIVE, +/-, AND ind.
WE DO NOT NEED NEGATIVE NOS. ONLY....just everything else.
show them this way please:
IGM
31 +/- 41 +++ 78 IND ... i can't remembers now; if i typed it wrong FORGIVE ME ok!!
IGG
31 +/- 41 +++ 78 IND
i'll send you by private message, PM, my 57 pages of newbie links including TREEPATROL'S NEWBIE LINK ARCHIVE. you've come to the right place for educatin and support!
yes, go to SEEKING DRS. copy your story above and paste it to NEW post showing in there LARGEST CITY near you, PENN in SUBJECT LINE ok so you get immediate readers who will tell you names of those in YOUR state from 1st hand experience with these LLMDs, LYME LITERATE MDS.
i'm sorry your md did NOT treat you LONG ENOUGH WITH ABX last year to CURE you promptly! welcome to our chronic lyme group.
in support are SUCCESS STORIES, SO THERE IS HOPE. it's in links i'm sending you too!
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