posted
Hi everyone, i just found out i am not only lyme positive through igenex but also through lab corp! Anyway i just had a couple of questions i was hoping someone might be able to help me with here
maybe this sounds nuts but why does this disease seem like AIDS to me?? is it like AIDS or am i just thinking too much?
I also had a few symptoms questions- i just came off of some zithromax and was noticing my toes burn now and for the last month or two i've been bruising very easily
has anyone had these problems and found something that helped? my hands and feet are also endlessly cold. Ive had my thyroid and heart cleared so far so i'm just wondering what else this could be? I appreciate the help!
Posts: 34 | From Texas | Registered: Mar 2010
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- HIV is a retrovirus. Lyme (Borrelia b.) is a gram negative bacteria and a spirochetal bacterial.
They are not the same. But lyme can get into DNA and change it just like a retrovirus can. Lyme affects every organ and system and often lyme patients feel sicker on a daily basis than some HIV patients unless they are in a flare. -----------
What is your liver support? Milk Thistle?
Do you have an ILADS-educated LLMD (lyme literate medical doctor)?
ILADS -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
Welcome!
I used to bruise very easily, that went away with treatment.
My thyroid was borderline, but within "range" across the board. We found that I felt better, and my hands and feet were not so cold, if we got it in a better part of so-called range.
I hope you're seeing an LLMD.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
Yes i did use milk thistle while on the zithromax but i came off the zithro to try and deal with my bad candidia issues
I am seeing an lyme doctor recommend by our lyme support group leader here in my city. So far she seems good but i still have so many questions i need to bring up with her...before i knew about her i was seeing a pretty thorough LLMD but he doesn't take insurance and is kind of far to drive to with small kids
Thank you for your explanation of hiv thing...i just feel like my immune system is shot. I read about AIDS in my nutritional healing book and it just freaked me out a little.
Do you have any idea what the bruising might be? I read something about a vit C deficiency? I guess i should get my blood clotting checked...
I have low blood pressure but so far it hasn't been too much of an issue since starting an adrenal supplement.
Thanks for your response Kebbler.
Posts: 34 | From Texas | Registered: Mar 2010
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posted
thanks goofy, hmmm, maybe i could try some natural thyroid support just to see? I read somewhere kelp i supposed to be good?
I suppose it wouldnt hurt to see what my new lyme doc thinks about supporting it even though i'm still in range, thanks!
Yea, the brusing is a little creepy, i mean i play around with my kids but i never used to get these little bruises- they heal okay but it seems i always have a couple of new ones somewhere!
Posts: 34 | From Texas | Registered: Mar 2010
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MariaA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9128
posted
it's not really like AIDS in terms of immune system stuff. Basically, the immune system is a 'system' because it's composed of different chemicals that different body parts secrete to signal to itself what's going on, to raise temperature and to make different kinds of immune system cells such as different types of white blood cells. While AIDS and Lyme both affect the immune system, there are big differences in how they do so.
In AIDS, the virus destroys certain kinds of immune cells such as CD4 T cells that are used by the body to tell the rest of the killing-type white blood cells what to do and whom to attack. AIDS also destroys some other immune cells.
in Lyme, several different things happen to the immune system but they are not as severe or life-threatening most of the time as what would happen if you had no CD4 T cells as in full-blown AIDS. What we often DO have is a suppressed immune response where the body still has most of it's immune cells (like white blood cells of different types) intact, but it doesn't recognize the Lyme bacteria. This is because the bacteria has several very sophisticated ways of hiding it's identity. That's different than the way that retroviruses like AIDS work.
Another immune abnormality that is probably the most common one in Lyme is that when your body DOES recognize the Lyme, it sometimes has an overactive response to Lyme. This is why it sometimes feels like the flu. Normally this kind of immune response to things like colds and flu only lasts a few days before your immune system changes how it's reacting to the flu and begins to make a different, more specifically targeted type of immune cell to destroy the invader. In the case of Lyme, either this entire immune response is out of wack, disregulated, where you just stay in the 'first response' mode, or, perhaps in some people, the Lyme changes shape so many times and goes in and out of hiding, that the body constantly thinks it's a new infection, and also stays in that initial flu-type mode.
in Lyme you can have both suppressed immunity in one way, and heightened immunity in a different way (inflammation- the flu-type state) all at the same time, so that you're very at risk for various opportunistic infections like candida and bartonella or other coinfections being more serious than they would be if you didn't have Lyme. It's basically disregulated.
If you want to research more about this, I strongly recommend Dr. S's book The Lyme Disease Solution- he talks about it much more clearly than I managed to describe it here, and he has a lot of recommendations for diet, supplements, and other drugs and herbs for regulating the inflammaiton or boosting immunity where it's deficient.
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- You can search causes of bruising on the web but I just wouldn't worry about it as long as you are getting the best nutrition you can - and some web site may help you with key points about that.
Lyme changes everything about every system and mostly we just have to roll with the punches. But, if you do get bumps, the homeopathic ARNICA, if taken right way (under the tongue) can stop bruises from developing. Bioron is one brand. Most natural foods markets carry this.
Be sure to tell your LLMD at your next appointment, though.
Have you read Dr. S's "The Lyme Disease Solution" ? Lots of explanations and practical advice there. -
[ 03-20-2010, 06:09 PM: Message edited by: sixgoofykids ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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MariaA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9128
posted
I used to have easy bruising at one point before I was diagnosed with Lyme (it went away on it's own). One medical person I saw (a pharmacist, not an MD) told me that it might be a niacin deficiency, so I was using the flush-type niacin and I think it did help. Research this online to see if it might help.
-------------------- Symptom Free!!! Thank you all!!!!
MariaA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9128
posted
If you have a lot of questions for your doctor, you might want to start keeping a list of them (and of course ask here or, even better, do a search here to see what discussions about those topics have already happened- you'll get the benefit of many people's discussions who aren't here anymore if it's a popular topic that's been discussed in the past) .It's very helpful to come to the doctor with your questions typed out for them, especially if you have brainfog or anxiety or other issues like that which we tend to.
-------------------- Symptom Free!!! Thank you all!!!!
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