I know this may be a redundant question to some, but I can not seem to find a definite answer..
From what I have learned, it seems pretty plausible and makes sense that Lyme would be transferred to an unborn child, but what about the sexual transfer??
I have been with my s/o for almost 5 yrs now and at the time we met, I did not know that I had Fibromyalgia, much less Lyme.
All I knew is that I wasn't well on most days and no one knew why.
Now, with a definite Fibro diagnosis and a pretty definite certainty that I have Lyme(though no "official" diagnosis), I have noticed some things with him that I question.
He has developed a rash on his left side, that comes and goes, though we haven't figured out what makes it come and go....or even what is causing it.
He has been suffering from RLS the last year or so, and when I met him was a pretty "heavy drinker"..
Not that he drank every day, but when he did, he could "put away" quite a bit (16/17 beers on a good nite)
Now, after 5 or 6, he acts "totally loaded"...
Is it possible that I may have given him Lyme, or could all these things just be normal coincidences??
He seems okay otherwise... I mean he's not showing any signs of neuro problems, YET..
Also, though he has always been one to sleep whenever he is bored or upset, he seems tired ALOT more than he was....
We can not even afford, with me out of work, to get me to a LLMD, how can we afford for him to get sick too??
Did I miss it somewhere in my research?? Is it transmitted sexually for sure or not???
Thanks and sorry if this seems like a really stupid question.. Ellen
Posts: 50 | From Port Crane, NY | Registered: Apr 2007
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
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posted
I think it's more likely that you were both exposed to it by ticks ... NY is a hotbed for them. Many couples/families all get Lyme due to being in the same places together.
There is no definative answer to this question. My LLMD says it's unlikely to be sexually transmitted. Some think it can be.
I definately had Lyme before marriage. I've been married for almost 23 years and hubby shows no symptoms at all.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
Ellen,
Not enough research so no definite answer. But, if it is sexually transmitted, like all STDs, it would be much easier pass from men to women than from women to men. It's how we are biologically structured.
You live in NY, so, you might both have separate exposures.
-A
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I do know that I was sick long before I met him and he appeared healthy when we met.
I would just hate to think that I could have given it to him.
I suppose if Lyme is what is causing his problems, he could have been exposed separately, but it seems like such a coincidence.
He was born on Long Island, lived in FLorida 20+ years and has been back in NY for about 6 yrs now, so who knows??
I thank everyone for their responses, though. I thought maybe I had missed something somewhere.
There just seems to be so much debate over where it can be or not..
Posts: 50 | From Port Crane, NY | Registered: Apr 2007
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CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
I don't think so but some people do.
One LLMD studied semen & vaginal mucosa and found them positive by PCR when not on abx but negative when on.
IF it is I think it is like Heptatitis C, which is NOT sexually transmitted MOST of the time but in a small minority of cases- is!!!
TBE viruses have been shown to be sexually transmitted htough!!!! So anyone with an ALS presentation should be careful re protection-!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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lymednva
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9098
posted
I was married for 24 years and had Lyme long before I got married. My ex has shown no signs of Lyme.
Just my 2 cents.
-------------------- Lymednva Posts: 2407 | From over the river and through the woods | Registered: Apr 2006
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echostef
Unregistered
posted
Yes, yes, yes, according to my LLMD. Not only does he treat Lyme, but his whole family is infected as well. That is why he began treating Lyme in the first place. His wife passed it to their two daughters thru childbirth and sexually to him. He is absolutely adament about this and made sure that both my husband and I understood that we MUST use condoms during intercourse. I wondered why this fact was not published more publically, but I am certainly not going to second guess him and take the chance of infecting my loved one!!
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GiGi
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 259
posted
Lyme and co-infections are sexually transmitted as far as I and the doctors who have treated us are concerned.
Per our doctors: Most people are exposed to Lyme & Co.
Some people don't get ill at all. Some people only get ill when their life takes a stressful turn or added toxin exposure. Some people get sick and never seem to get well for a variety of reasons.
Take care.
Posts: 9834 | From Washington State | Registered: Oct 2000
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JimBoB
Unregistered
posted
Yes your question is redundant.
And NO you will NOT find a definitive answer, because there are none, YET. Maybe in time, but not now.
I also had Lyme before marriage, seven years ago, and my wife has no Lyme either. NEVER had protected sex.
YOUR choice on how you want to go. MOST doctors will say NO, not transmitted. A few self proclaimed LLMD's may.
Jim
PS: He SHOULD be totally loaded after 5 or 6. That would put him WAY over the limit for intoxication. ###
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
My LLMD says that sexual transmission is possible, but highly unlikely.
I have Lyme as does my husband and children.
My neighbor has Lyme (as does 7 out of 8 other neighbors),
However, her husband doesn't. In fact he is the only one in a quarter mile
Radius with a completely negative WB other than a 41+ IgG via Igenex.
He also is the one with a known tick embedded in his ear and immediate antibiotic treatment
Upom tick removal. I would say that based on the research I have done,
It is more likely than men can pass bb. It has been found in sperm.
Given that, who knows?
Although, being together and visiting the same places, etc.
Is a more likely way of getting Lyme.
Don't beat yourself up over the unknown. It is a waste of valuable
Energy you need to get well. I suggest you get your s.o. tested via Igenex.
I was diagnosed first. My husband didn't show symptoms until months later.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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tailz
Unregistered
posted
I think I had Lyme before I was married. More likely though, we were just exposed to the same mosquitos.
Your significant other could be developing rashes due to electromagnetic field exposure. Have you considered that?
Both of my nastiest rashes appeared when I lived in EMF areas - the first one when I lived in Norfolk and worked on a Naval base - the second when I lived in Royersford close to a nuclear power plant.
I had a different rash in my current home and found, when I measured the electromagnetic fields here with a gaussmeter, that they are much higher than most places are inside.
I think these bugs are flourishing due to these fields, so it's hard to say if he got Lyme from you or if these rashes are electromagnetic-field related.
Get a gaussmeter and see if that is his problem before you blame yourself.
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posted
I asked my wife's LLMD if I should be tested and he said yes. I was positive. I am having issues but my big concern was whether I was "re-infecting" her through intimate contact, thereby contributing her treatment failures.
Of course I still do not know the answer to that.
Posts: 70 | From AZ | Registered: Sep 2007
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posted
I've had the opportunity to discuss this with a few top llmds and they said yes it is sexually transmitted based on their research and experience.
These are doctors that speak at lyme conferences and teach other llmds how to diagnose and treat lyme and coinfections.
Posts: 925 | From California | Registered: Sep 2004
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
My LLMD also speaks at Lyme conferences and teaches other LLMD's and says it's not ... they just don't agree on this one at all.
Personally, I think it would be more prevalent if it were easily sexually transmitted. I tick bite goes directly into your bloodstream, bodily fluids from sexual contact do not.
The point barksplinter brought up was the one I was more worried about ... if my husband were going to get it from me he already would have, so I was wondering if he should be tested to protect ME from HIM. My LLMD said no, it was not necessary.
I think you need to take the precautions you feel are right. There's just no clear answer, even the experts don't agree. I'm not concerned about hubby, but I must admit, I would have some concern if I were in a different circumstance and getting into a new relationship.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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JimBoB
Unregistered
posted
SO Six, what are you saying, that "hubby" is not as important as a NEW love would be? Jim. ###
quote:Originally posted by sixgoofykids: My LLMD also speaks at Lyme conferences and teaches other LLMD's and says it's not ... they just don't agree on this one at all.
Personally, I think it would be more prevalent if it were easily sexually transmitted. I tick bite goes directly into your bloodstream, bodily fluids from sexual contact do not.
The point barksplinter brought up was the one I was more worried about ... if my husband were going to get it from me he already would have, so I was wondering if he should be tested to protect ME from HIM. My LLMD said no, it was not necessary.
I think you need to take the precautions you feel are right. There's just no clear answer, even the experts don't agree. I'm not concerned about hubby, but I must admit, I would have some concern if I were in a different circumstance and getting into a new relationship.
posted
Not everyone exposed to lyme will get lyme disease.
Also, it MAY take years, sometimes many many years for the disease to become evident.
Posts: 925 | From California | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
There are studies to find a definate answer. But I know of many people who have spouses/boyfriends and girlfriends who got Lyme after having sex with their partner.
Good luck to you. Hopefully you both can get to a LLMD soon!
-------------------- "Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful."
posted
I sure hope that one of these days SOON, they will actually have some studies that give us the REAL answer one way or the other on this one, so we can stop all the speculation that we see on here several times a year.
As far as "knowing" many people, Mystery, do you know that they ACTUALLY got the Lyme from the partner, and not from a tick, or mosquito, or flea, OR?
sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
quote:Originally posted by JimBoB: SO Six, what are you saying, that "hubby" is not as important as a NEW love would be? Jim. ###
LOL No, I'm saying that if he hasn't gotten it in 23 years, I'm not worried about him coming down with it now.
But. I can see how some would be concerned and want to prevent transmitting it ... though for me it's not a worry since he hasn't been protected from me all this time.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Cave, that really IS a terrific study. For some reason, my Adobe program actually worked and I could read it. Thanks for posting the link.
Anyone keenly interested in all the possible/probable transfer modes of Borrelia should check out that link that Cave posted. It sure fills in a lot of the gaps that we have talked about around here for a very long time.
Since sexual transmission is suspected but not proven, I think the responsible thing to do is assume that it IS.
With a new partner, use protection. With an established partner (probably already infected), some simple, reasonably inexpensive, `microbe-killing' regimen might be considered for the partner just to keep his/her bug-load in check, such as the addition of daily freeze dried garlic (or stabilized allicin). Or perhaps incorporating some daily Samento or whole Cat's Claw would not be an over-reaction to a serious, potential problem down the road.
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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pamoisondelune
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Member # 11846
posted
My LLMD says that the evidence is conflicting. He said that when animals are put together in a cage just for mating, they don't transmit it; but when they live together in a cage, they do transmit it. He says, Urine is suspect.
Posts: 1226 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
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JimBoB
Unregistered
posted
quote:Originally posted by pamoisondelune: My LLMD says that the evidence is conflicting. He said that when animals are put together in a cage just for mating, they don't transmit it; but when they live together in a cage, they do transmit it. He says, Urine is suspect.
So does that mean IF I don't pee inside her, she won't get Lyme? LOL. ###
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posted
I think literally the only way to find out for sure would be to take 2 people, 1 infected, 1 showing ZERO bands of exposure, put them in a plastic bubble for say 6 months, encourage them to have unprotected sex and see what happens.
That having been said, can you see many people signing up for this experiment? I can't. Especially when they see the fine print in the agreement saying that "we aren't sure what will happen, and we aren't sure you can be cured if you DO get Lymes" - which we'll test for according to CDC-protocol and deny you insurance company coverage - forget it is what they'll hear ALOT.
Posts: 131 | From PA | Registered: Aug 2007
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JimBoB
Unregistered
posted
Billclo: Maybe they would get more takers IF they said there would be one guy and three women in this bubble? LOL. ###
quote:Originally posted by billclo: I think literally the only way to find out for sure would be to take 2 people, 1 infected, 1 showing ZERO bands of exposure, put them in a plastic bubble for say 6 months, encourage them to have unprotected sex and see what happens.
That having been said, can you see many people signing up for this experiment? I can't. Especially when they see the fine print in the agreement saying that "we aren't sure what will happen, and we aren't sure you can be cured if you DO get Lymes" - which we'll test for according to CDC-protocol and deny you insurance company coverage - forget it is what they'll hear ALOT.
sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
JimBob, I don't think you'd have trouble finding a man for the experiment, but it would be more difficult finding a woman ...
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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JimBoB
Unregistered
posted
Six:
THAT is why I suggested three women. They could have a headache, and he still would have a partner most of the time. Are you suggesting ONE woman, and three MEN?
I would think that would be three frustrated men after awhile, and harder to find them, and/or it would be one worn out woman.
lymebytes
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11830
posted
The Pres of Ilads told my husband and I that we can "ping pong" this disease, not just sexually but through saliva.
The LD bacteria has been found in semen that is fact. I don't think many of us know for sure how we got this disease or how many times we may have been bitten.
I have asked this question to another LLMD who said families have the same risk exposure, their yard, pets, camping, hiking etc.
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