posted
Depends on the person and what their definition of "cured" is really.
When I look at the symptom list for Lyme/Bart/Babs, I think to myself "that is like every single thing that happens to people". Meaning, with headaches, people just take something and move on without thinking about it too much.
They could have been told that by their family doctor and believe it to be true.
I didn't even know I had Lyme until 6 months into my knees swelling for no reason.
Posts: 123 | From Georgia | Registered: Jul 2008
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LisaS
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10581
posted
My mother in law told me she was cured of lyme now after a month of abx. Then about fifteen minutes later told me she was seeing a pain specialist for her arthitis.
It is so hard to understnad. If someone has strep throat and after a week on abx they still have a sore throat they will call their Dr and say Im still sick and get another stronger prescription. But with Lyme everyones in such denial. I dont get it!
posted
Early, early on, I just attributed my symptoms to getting older. I could push through them with no problem. I was 25 when they started.
I was 35 when they advanced to disabling.
Fancy
Posts: 258 | From San Diego, CA USA | Registered: Sep 2002
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
-
It is possible. Not usual, however. Still, I would never try to talk someone in to fearing for their life if they really felt good.
Some people can get lucky with just one round of a low dose abx. Some even have cleared it w/o meds. However, that is the exception.
Still, anyone so lucky should be attuned to the fact that they need to keep an open eye and, if certain symptoms pop up, see a LLMD ASAP.
And, denial? Yes, that happens.
While some think they are cured and beat themselves up, thinking that their "laziness" or "slowness" - or "advancing age" - is just what is causing symptoms (as probably they have been told by doctors) - well, then they may not cured.
Still, it's best to give an article or two or a book and suggest they get checked by a LLMD. It's always best for them to read something from an expert. They are unlikely to believe most people.
Usually, when this comes up it can be someone saying, "well, I had lyme and I'm fine - you must be, too." It best to not even "go there" with them on this if it sounds like judgment.
I might mention that there are over 300 strains of lyme, different forms, mutation, and and many co-infections that can even be fatal by themselves. Each person may not have the exact same set of circumstances.
You don't need to prove anything to anyone.
You have to trust that you know what to do for yourself and simply say "great, and, hey, if you never need a follow-up, here's a great book to check out."
posted
In the next breath they'll tell you they have fibromyalgia or arthritis or depression. Or maybe they've now been dxd with MS or Parkinson's or ALS.
They don't know.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
Near the very end of Pam Weintraub's book "Cure Unknown," she states that there are something like 23 strains of lyme but only about 4 can cause disseminated disease. The rest cause only the localized bull's eye rash.
So, if you get the bull's eye rash from one of the strains of lyme that DON'T cause disseminated disease, ANYTHING will "cure" you. In other words, you could just do nothing, and you would still be fine because the strain of lyme that you got only causes the localized bull's eye rash, nothing else.
I discussed this with my now famous lyme doc. I said that this is probably what has caused the belief in the medical community that lyme is easily cured--all the people who get bull's eyes and are "cured" with a few weeks of antibiotics. What the docs didn't know is that they would have been cured, even if they hadn't done anything. He agreed.
So, I believe this could account for all the people you know who say they had lyme and they only took 2 weeks of meds and are now fine. I know some people like that also.
Burrascano also mentioned this same fact at a conference a number of months ago. It was an east coast conference, if I remember correctly. And, there were videos of it on the web. At the time, I hadn't read Pam's book and I couldn't understand what he was saying, that only 4 strains of lyme could cause disseminated disease.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Interesting, TF!! I haven't had time to read Pam's book yet...but I have it! That book weighs 5 lbs (literally).
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
Lymetoo: Look at the last 5 to 7 pages of Pam's book, and you will find it.
I believe it is near the very bottom of the page, left side of the book.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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lymeloco
Unregistered
posted
Eric, I'd like to know what they took to cure them, because I've been treated for eight years and I'm not doing much better.
I went to my llmd today and he said he'll try one more time in three months to treat me with antibiotics and if that doesn't work, then I'll just have to live with it.
I am being treated with Valcyte for a few viruses but haven't been on it long enough to know if it's working.
If a book that says that a cure is unknown, then everyone should realize that there isn't one as of yet.
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posted
I keep wondering about brucellosis. Supposedly rare in this country, but they used to say that about Lyme. Could be a co-infection that's overlooked.
-------------------- 3 Strains Mycoplasma and Chlymedia 2001. After treatment fine for all 2004. Major symptoms since 2005. Diag Aug 2008 Lyme. 400 mg/d doxy 500 2/d Ceftin Posts: 164 | From Texas | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
I too would love to know, but they all say basically the same thing,
My Doctor gave me some Antibiotics and all went away after a week or two...
I just think that today they all still have it, just dont know it, and suffer with it here and there, and blame the basics of life like stress, economy and old age on all their current symptoms.
Also back then most of them Never really went to do the Extensive blood tests as Most people here do !!!
Back then it was a small rash and a tick that they saw and thats that.
Posts: 570 | From philadelphia, pa | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Our preacher is actually one of these lucky folks. But they also caught and diagnosed his Lyme immediately, instead of going for several years without treatment.
I think it has something to do with an individual's immune system as well. I've always had a crappy immune system, and was always the kid in grade school that caught every cold that went around. My husband, on the other hand, will have the flu for a day and then be fine.
Posts: 306 | From Brownsville, PA | Registered: Jul 2007
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stymielymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10044
posted
i do believe there is a group of people in our society that may never get lyme or have subclinical symptoms. my wife and i pulled tickes off of ourselves and dogs,all on the same day. my dogs have all had lyme, i had lyme, yet it seems my wife does not. she has been tested,yes, but no major symptoms of lyme have occurred.
theoretically she should have lyme, but has no symptomology or clinical signs.
i do believe there may be a genetic disposition to the bacteria ie the hla-dr4 gene. many autoimmune diseases are predisposed towards women than men ie lupus 9:1 . women appear to get many more autoimmune diseases than men, so genetics or hormones may also be a factor.
if you read this board, most posters are women. now you know there are probably more men in the woods with hunting, working, fishing than women,so logically you would assume men would be more prone to lyme and coinf.
however, men tend not to seek medical treatment until they are dieing , and also don't tend to communicate in forums as much as women.
this is not a factual observation but just an observation. it may be totally incorrect as i have never seen a study of the ration of men to women with lyme.
docdave
Posts: 1820 | From Boone and Southport, NC | Registered: Sep 2006
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men usually start to complain when its already too much to handle or the pain is too severe...
(i used to fish at least three times per week, all over pa and nj, and now if i go once a month when my friends force me to is a blessing)
i know what im going through now and can only say that this desease totally sux, at times i wish it was just anything else, anything, and not lyme & co.
as others say here, when its cancer and its localized its different as so is the localized treatments, and even people sympathize and seem to understand and care,
but when they hear lyme they think a deer tick and a few weeks of pills to cure it,
they dont understand that this actual disease is all over you, and the coinfections that come with it are horrible, it is just is a whole different thing.
i am trying to help cure myself as you advise,
and noone else seems to care, relate or can understand this unless they themselves are infected or affected as many here are.
i feel for all of you.
i just hope i don't fall too weak to help myself.
seems that trying to sleep (and i do mean trying, not sleeping) and not do anything else is the number one way for now to deal with it, though is the very wrong way i admit.
and ofcourse the depression that comes with it is not helping.
i really thank you for your support.
[ 26. December 2008, 01:07 AM: Message edited by: eric555 ]
Posts: 570 | From philadelphia, pa | Registered: Dec 2008
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Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
I have talked with a man who claims to be cured He was on IV antibiotics and in the 3rd. month he herxed a 106 fever and almost died. He tested positive for Lyme. And he told me he and the Dr.s thought he was going to be diagnosed with Cancer but it was Neuro Lyme. He said after the fever his symptoms all disappeared and he has been free since I worked with this man he packed his IV around at work and I do believe he is cured.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
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