posted
How come I never read about anyone who was diagnosed, got treatment, and got better quickly. I was diagnosed 5 weeks ago. Taking 200mg of doxy/day. Not many goods days I'm afraid. Does anyone get better?
Posts: 13 | From NY | Registered: Nov 2007
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CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
Dear Stiller,
I will tell you why- because they are out having fun & living life, that's why*)!*)!!!! Yes, it happens ALL THE TIME*)!*)! And you will likely be one of them!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even people sick a long time can go into full remission. I have seen it over & over. I am a TBD Support Group Facilitator & Hotline person in SC County, CA, capitol of CA for Lyme disease.
WELCOME TO LYMENET!*)*)!)!
You are on a LOW dose of Doxy for lyme htough- if you are an average sized man. I was on 400 mg a day when I was on Doxy. Then again, you have been caught right away so it might work- still, if you have been caught right away- why take a chance????
Doxy suggestions- wear gloves when driving- watch out re sun sensitivity- if nauseous take with starchy foods- don't take with milk or dairy because that chelates the drug and makes it less effective- um... that's all I can htink of now!!!
I was caught right away but undertreated and allowed to get chornic and ended up really sick. I didn't know there was treatment out there (I wasn't even online, was anti-technology at the time woe is me*)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), ANYWAY, you *should* recover fully with appropriate treatment because you have been caught so early!!
Did you get tested for Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis aka Ehrlichiosis? If not that is a sign your doc knows little about TBDs. You should have been. I had both and many people have more than one TBD when infected- also Bartonella which was just found to be tickborne a few years back.
Anyway, WELCOME!*)!*)! All the ones who get better quickly are off living their lives*)*)!)! Hopefully you will be too*)!*)!)!! Best wishes, Sarah O. Aptos, CA
-------------------- 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
I'm a woman. Sorry I guess my name makes you think I'm a man. I weigh 150. Should I be on 400mg a day?
Posts: 13 | From NY | Registered: Nov 2007
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quote:Originally posted by stiller: I'm a woman. Sorry I guess my name makes you think I'm a man. I weigh 150. Should I be on 400mg a day?
YES!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
Sorry, don't know why I thoughT!!! Yup, maybe the name- Ben Stiller, comedian pops to mind-
I am a woman too and at 112 pounds was on 400 mg Doxy!!!
200 could be enough for you because you are so new!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Could be enough!!!!
I hope so*)!*)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best wishes, Sarah
-------------------- 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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AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
Precisely what Sarah said... alot of people do get better and get back to living.
I also think that someone who only needed treatment for five weeks probaly wouldnt have the investment in the board (and in its members) that some of the people who need longer treatment do.
So I think between the two things the people who probaly post the most are the long term treatment chronic lymies
or the people who went through the long term treatment of chronic lyme (like sarah and lymetoo)
Hang in there. Dont loose hope. There is alot of it.
The deer tick that made star Gere sick FROM LIZ HODGSON
ACTOR Richard Gere feared he would die after contracting a potentially fatal disease that confined him to bed a for a week.
He was left too weak to move as he was stricken by Lyme disease, an infection caused by the bite of deer ticks, which causes a rash, chills, fever and pains in the joints. It can also lead to facial paralysis.
Gere, 50, who became a father in February when girlfriend Carey Lowell gave birth to their son Homer, was lucky to be diagnosed quickly and treated with powerful antibiotics, said friends.
He became ill last month, just as he was about to start promoting his new film Autumn in New York in which Winona Ryder plays his terminally- ill girlfriend.
"Richard told me he thought he was going to die," a friend revealed. "He said: 'I felt so terrible I wished I was dead'."
Gere told friends: "This is one scary disease. I felt as though every ounce of strength had gone from my body. Within hours I could barely lift my head from the pillow. Just turning my head to see the time on the clock was a major operation. I felt as if my life was going in slow motion. When I realised I was coming out of it, a wave of relief just swept over me."
The friend added: "His doctors recognised the signs almost right away. When they quizzed him they realised he had been exposed to deer ticks. He's completely OK now but he's thanking his doctors and his lucky stars that he pulled through."
Dr John Masaab, professor of infectious diseases at the University of Michigan, said Lyme disease can be fatal. "If the victim has an existing condition or is elderly, it can cause a variety of potentially deadly situations in particular pneumonia, because the immune system becomes so depressed."It really depends on when the disease is detected, but it can take a tremendous toll on the body."
� Express Newspapers, 2000
-------------------- 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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I was sick for 1 month before my internist thought to do a lyme test. Does that mean I'm still fairly "new". This entire thing just freaks me out!
Posts: 13 | From NY | Registered: Nov 2007
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AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
Hope you have a quick recovery. But just to temper your expectations, my wife was sick for about 2.5 months before being diagnosed with Lyme.
She started antibiotics August 1st. She has had some good periods since then. During one of the longer good periods (3 weeks) we felt optimistic that this disease was on its way out. But then *Bam* it came back with a vengeance.
Right now she's in about as rough shape as she was before starting treatment.
This is not to scare you or anything, but the progress, if any, can be very non-linear from what I've seen.
Posts: 655 | From USA | Registered: Sep 2007
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Hopefully, I will be a success story in the near future. I was infected at the start of June. Diagnosis took until the start of Oct. with a LLMD. Prior to diagnosis, I, too, thought I was dying. I was in the hospital two times this past summer.
Since starting Abx., I am 95% (or more) better. I have a little lingering joint ache and I am itching for some reason. That's it.
I will continue treatment and hopefully get to 100%.
Yes, I know I could get worse, but, that certainly ios not the plan
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
welcome to the board.
i'll send you a private message, pm, with my 81 pages of newbie links, advise, symptoms list, testing, disability, and much more including treepatrol's archive of oer 1000 links of good lyme info!
to find pms, go to top left side below HELLO and by flashing light and in my profile.
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Michelle M
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7200
posted
Hi Stiller. Glad to know you're a girl -- I was thinking "Ben Stiller" too! Hah!!
Your best chance of getting rid of this FOREVER?? Get an appointment with an LLMD -- "Lyme literate medical doctor." Post in 'Seeking a Doctor.'
Now, that's not to say you might not get real lucky and recover completely without one. You surely could.
However, lotsa people DON'T. They go on to become chronic.
Especially in your area, where more than half of tickbite recipients get a co-infection along with their bite. But do most DUCKS know that? Nope. ("Duck" = non lyme-savvy doctor.)
The co-infections can be so nasty as to make lyme look like a walk in the park!!!
Now, I hope you don't have one. I hope this whole thing is over soon for you. 'Cause LLMD's aren't cheap and the wait list is a real pain to deal with.
But...
They are WORTH it, because chronic health problems from lyme that didn't REALLY go away, and untreated coinfections, well, ... just read here for a while, you'll get the picture!!!
I'd make an LLMD appointment. One thing about 'em, they really WON'T keep treating you if you're well... Fact is, they LOVE to turn their patients loose! They'll prolly throw you a party!!
Welcome to LymeNet!!
Michelle
Posts: 3193 | From Northern California | Registered: Apr 2005
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TheCrimeOfLyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4019
posted
Yes, you get better.
In 2003, when I first started lyme treatment, I had ( and this isnt everything)
Brain fog Vertigo ALL DAY severe unrelenting headaches head pressure, severe and unrelenting light sensitivity awesome pain in my eyeballs that never stopped spurting nose bleeds severe pain throughout my head, neck, face, shoulders and jaw various muscle pains and twitches sleep paralysis spurting nose bleeds.. etc... sleep apnea internal vibrations abnormal ekgs sore feet raynauds syndrome HORRIBLE skin and my hair was falling out
but for ME, back then, a typical day was to get up, ( rather, slide off the bed), actually scoot on my behind to the bath, have help going to the bathroom AND bathing, get carried back into bed, not able to even brush my hair. Repeat.
Today,
my symptom are:
burning head pain sleep apnea ( came with the lyme) jaw pain, face pain, head pain and shoulder pain that comes and goes intermittent bouts of vertigo accompanied with hot flashes and sweating and pressure in the head intermittent internal vibrations
A typical day for me these days is get up, do whatever I feel like doing, EXCEPT RUN thats still out... and take a 20 minute nap when it gets too much, and the symptoms abate
UNLESS its around that time of the month. Then Im just up a chit creek and they will pass with time and antibiotics.
It gets better. I have been off and on abx, not on a steady course of them.
In between treatment, I developed a severe case of leaky gut syndrome with orthostatic hypotension from A LOT of yeast and had to hault lyme treatment for 18 months, so dont think I have been
doing this for almost 5 years steady.
I recently went back and addressed a lingering coinfection:bartonella.
You WILL get better. Believe me, if I can go from where I was years ago, actually PRAYING for death because I was too SICK to commit suicide,
to living a darn near OK and healthy life ( still fighting here), you can get better as well. And you will.
Good luck to you.
-------------------- You want your life back? Take it. Posts: 3169 | From Greensburg, Pennsylvania | Registered: Jun 2003
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TheCrimeOfLyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4019
posted
I just wanted to add
that when i was only 90 lbs because I had lost so much weight from lyme, I was still given 400 mg of doxy.
It is SAID that 400 mg of doxy has better brain penetration, thats why that dosage is set like that, and lyme loves to get up into the brain.
Again, good luck to you.
-------------------- You want your life back? Take it. Posts: 3169 | From Greensburg, Pennsylvania | Registered: Jun 2003
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valymemom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7076
posted
Yes, you would want to see a lyme literate doctor because the dosage of doxy is not appropriate for Bb......and also co-infections could play a role in your journey.
I waited six months after removing my embedded tick to start abx with a llmd. (three in my family see llmds)
The good news is that after being treated for 14 months for both lyme and bart....(I was symptom-free month 12 and 13).....my llmd took me off abx.
I have remained symptom-free (almost 9 months now) but I continue to support my system with daily supplements and the antimicrobial, samento, plus resveratrol.
I do believe folks get their lives back.
My two sons each had a third infection - babesiosis - and that has made their recovery harder/longer.
If you find a good llmd, he/she will help you treat/uncover everything that could compromise improvement.
You want to be symptom-free.
Posts: 1240 | From Centreville,VA | Registered: Mar 2005
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I'm alot better since I started abx almost 3 years ago. (I am currently still on them) My symptoms are down about 85 -90% as long as I stay on my abx. If I go off after about 2 weeks they start coming back.
But I'm fine with what is working for me now. I feel good most of the time. I can remember peoples names, concentrate more, work, stand on my feet, go dancing and do things that haven't been able to do in years!
And by the way - I did this by being on low dose abx - I started out on only 50mg of Mino a week, and now I'm on 300mg a week. It just depends on the person how much abx is right for you -- and how long you've had the disease.
If you just got bit - YES by all means go on as high of dose as your body allows. But if you've had this for years, you may not be able to tolerate higher doses. You have to figure out what your body can tolerate and go from there.
I sure hope this time my message gets posted. They say the third times a charm, so here goes.
Yes, Yes, Yes, People do get better, and yes most of us are out living our lives.
I was diagnosed with Lyme last summer 07. My regular MD followed the CDC guidelines and put me on Doxycycline, 100 MG, twice daily. And yes I was cured. I had all the nasty symptoms and was sicker than a dog while taking the meds but it was worth it.
The first day off the meds I joined a gym and started exercising to regain my strength, after about a week of this I started to feel like my old self again. It has now been 11 weeks now and I and feel better than ever.
Hang in there, there is hope and you can get better.
Nancy
Posts: 4 | From Southern Illinois | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
I am STILL hopeful but have to say I've been sick for at least 12 years and will start treatments in a few weeks.
Anyone out there have LD for a long time before being treated? I really hope there is HOPE for me.
Posts: 261 | From NW Pa ~ Crawford County | Registered: Oct 2007
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5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
yes, people do get better. I am much better but have a ways to go.
Do you have nay co-infections? This can hault progress.
It depends on alot of things...how long you where sick before treatment, how high your germ load is, how resisitant your strain is and how many co-infections you have.
Are you taking pro-biotics? Doing anything for detox? ~ some people have a harder time eliminating toxins produced when the lyme spiroketes dies off ~ herxing.
Really important so as not to get yeast. A no sugar diet is a god idea will in treatment
Hope you can find some relief soon Dana
none of the bove is medical advise...just my 2 cents
-------------------- 5dana8 Posts: 4432 | From some where over the rainbow | Registered: Sep 2005
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