posted
Just curious, is there a preferred antibiotic for initial treatment of Lyme? Which are best?
Posts: 386 | From Southeastern PA | Registered: Oct 2007
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CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
Usually Doxycycline because it is effective against Ehrlichiosis which may be seronegative, and has some action against Babesia as well as Lyme-!!!
-------------------- 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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posted
And, how long would the treatment last on average? Why am I asking? An unquenchable thirst for knowledge?
Posts: 386 | From Southeastern PA | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
6-8 weeks. That's what I figured. How about if your bite was 13 months ago? And how does one know when to stop?
Posts: 386 | From Southeastern PA | Registered: Oct 2007
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
Then you would need more than 6-8 weeks .... you would treat until symptom-free for two months. You would also want to treat any coinfections.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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Michelle M
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7200
posted
Hi Thomas.
Your doc's not an LLMD. You're probably going to have to argue with him to get him to sign for an IGeneX blot.
Then, unless it's "CDC positive," you'll have to argue for treatment at all.
Then, if you're lucky and get treatment, you'll get HIS idea of treatment, which will be as above -- a few weeks (maybe) of 200 mg a day of doxycycline.
Not enough.
200 mg a day is what's called "bacteriostatic." That means it discourages the bacteria from reproducing.
What you want is 400 mg a day. That's called "bacteriocidal." That means it KILLS them. Kind of like most things that end in '-cidal.'
When you go on doxy, you're likely to feel like a truck hit you. Your non-lyme literate doctor may foolishly tell you you're allergic to it, not recognizing a herx reaction.
But that's not all.
Most people unlucky enough to have lyme also have a co-infection or two tossed in for good measure. Chances are good your doc won't even have thought of this or if so, he will think it's "rare." NOT.
Treating for an inadequate length of time, or failing to treat a co-infection like babesia, will send you back to square one. Really. I have a feeling we will soon be seeing you in our "Seeking a Doctor" column. You can try and work with him but please brace yourself -- doctors do NOT like patients who educate themselves about lyme. And that is what you are doing. And you have to!!
I think there is an LLMD in your future.
Good luck!!
Michelle
Posts: 3193 | From Northern California | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
Thanks Michelle. Aren't any cases of Lyme simply treated and cured?
Posts: 386 | From Southeastern PA | Registered: Oct 2007
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Michelle M
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7200
posted
Good question, Thomas!
YES!!
If you're really, really lucky and you happen to notice it, get in to a smart doctor ASAP, and get a long enough, STRONG enough, dose of doxy....
AND...
if you get really really lucky and didn't happen to get any co-infections...
...then yes, you can be all done!
However, 13 months after getting bitten, you've had lots of time for your particular critters to disseminate throughout your body.
Hey -- President Bush had lyme and is supposedly recovered!! However, curiously, no one will tell us what treatment he received. I seriously doubt it was the standard 10 day dose or (shudder) the "one-day" dose sometimes recommended by the IDSA. In fact, his doctors consulted with one of the best LLMDs in the world on the sly if that tells you anything.
I'm only trying to prepare you for what is LIKELY to happen with a non-lyme literate doctor, not trying to scare you. I want people who haven't had the experience to prepare for the lecture they're gonna get, the "tsk-tsk'ing" they will probably hear from their MD; otherwise it's easy to be intimidated and overwhelmed and forget everything -- doctors have a way of doing that to you.
Some doctors can be educated. However, most of them balk and can get very defensive. Most people find it intolerable and decide to find an LLMD. I do hope it works out for you, but please let us know! I'll be looking for your next post!! Don't forget to tell your doctor you'd like a copy of your western blot results. (But don't tell him you intend to post them here!)
Michelle
Posts: 3193 | From Northern California | Registered: Apr 2005
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
Abx therapy long term is not difficult for everyone. You are on a message board with people looking for answers and support with difficult treatment.
If my daughter were the only one with Lyme I wouldn't have a need for this board ... it is for support for myself that I need it.
She has been on abx for 5 months. She is doing AWESOME! Her learning disabilities in school are essentially disappearing, she feels GREAT! She has herxes, but they're every 30 days and all emotional ... since she's 14, that could be hormonal.
She has seen nothing but improvement in everything -- her health, her demeanor, her cognitive symptoms, her joint pain, etc.
She was not really sick when she got started on abx ... we didn't wait till she was. She was a borderline case.
So, you may breeze through treatment even though it could be long term. This is why you need an expert. I would still fly to NY to see our LLMD even if a "new" one opened up down the street. Experience in treating Lyme is essential, whether you have a mild case like my daughter or a severe, debilitating case like mine.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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quote:When you go on doxy, you're likely to feel like a truck hit you.
That is where I am right now.....1st week of IV Doxycycline. The first few day were fine, then bam!
Posts: 31 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2007
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posted
Just an update. First some background. I have not been diagnosed with Lyme. But I was nailed by a deer tick about 13 months ago. About 4 months after that the fun started. I went to my primary care doc today. He had no hesitation about doing the Igenex tests. The draw should go out today. He was very open to exploring this. He started me on 100mg Doxy twice a day. I had mentioned that someone suggested 400mg a day. He said if I could provide him with some information on that, he'd consider it. So, if you have any articles, preferably by doctors, talking about meds and dosages for Lyme, I would appreciate it. Again, I don't know that I have Lyme at this point, but had I known what I know now, I would have gone on antibiotics right after being bitten. Oh well. That's a good lesson.
Posts: 386 | From Southeastern PA | Registered: Oct 2007
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
You are still catching it early, so you still have a very good chance of being cured.
I would comb through the Dr. B. guidelines on www.ilads.org for info on Lyme treatment. I can't remember whether he has dosages listed or not. The ILADS guidelines listed there are good, too.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
I'm just starting out with treatment myself and can attest to everything that has been mentioned when it comes to non-Lyme doctors. My GP prescribed 200mg of Doxy per day for two weeks. It was enough to start some mild herxing after about a week.
After looking around on websites like this, I went back and asked for 400mg per day and also asked about testing for co-infections. My doctor told me not to worry about co-infections because they are usually treated with Doxycycline anyway -- which I figured out later isn't generally true.
My family doctor then sent me to an infectious disease specialist, which wasn't helpful at all. The ID doctor talked to me for a few minutes and told me "categorically" that the Doxy has taken care of the Lyme. Then she recommended Yoga for my symptoms.
I'm sure a lot of people have had similar experiences in the health care system.
The best thing I've done so far is go to a LLMD on my own. I'm finally getting checked out for the co-infections and other important indicators, such as CD57 levels. I'm getting some labs back tomorrow that will hopefully shed more light on what's going on.
Posts: 28 | From Northern Virginia | Registered: Oct 2007
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