Just diagnosed with Lyme's

Hi everyone,

I was just diagnosed with Lyme's by my doctor early this week.  He did a lot of blood work including a Western Blot.  He told me the Western Blot came back positive for Lyme's.  I was positive on the IGM bands 23 and 47, but not any IGG bands.  He told me that means it probably an early infection.  I find this hard to believe because I have been suffering with joint pain and swelling for nearly a year as well as just an achy feeling in my shoulders and neck.  My joint pain and swelling is in both knees and hips as well as one hand and foot.  I also have a moderate case of psoriasis on much of my scalp.  He currently has me on 800mg of Ibuprofen twice a day, which has helped the joint pain and some of the swelling and 1500mg of Amoxicillin also twice a day.  I'm wondering if they may be a miss diagnosis since I have seen no reference to IGM band 47 on this board and wouldn't I show on the IGG bands if I have been infected for a year?  And if I am infected what can I expect?  Sorry for all the questions, but I'm really glad you guys are out here.  Thanks for any help you can give.

Hi JeseyShore!

My daughter was infected for about 10 years and didn't show positive bands until well into treatment. Her immune system was so fried that no antibodies were being produced to show anything. The test results really mean nothing. It can can months for anything to show up in tests. Which really means by the time it does show up, it is no longer an early infection. I tested negative after a tick bite and bullseye rash. So the antibiotics were stopped since I didn't have Lyme. The dr was very wrong. As a result, been fighting this for over 2 years now. But I am finally almost back to my old self again!

Hi Jerseyshore,

Welcome to the forum! I'm sorry you had to find us this way but so glad you did:)

Maybe it's band 41 you are referring to? You may want to get you lab results just to have a copy in your possession.

Also, make sure your doctor tests for co-infections too.

ILADS is also a great site to find information:
http://www.ilads.org/

For even more info, please read the topic at the top of the first page of this forum tittled "The Basics, Newbies check this out". It will help you get started learning about lyme.

Good luck with that!! I tested pos for all bands plus IGG. I was put on Doxy 100 mg 2Xper day. I felt better while on it, brain fog, memory improved but my hands were still swollen and burning. The Infectious Disease Specialist said I was cured and that I had carpal tunnel syndrome, just so happens at the same time. I bought it and am now headed in for surgery on both hands. But my knees and ankles flared up to the point I was crippled after I stopped the Doxy, so I went to a Lyme Literate Doctor/Rhumatologist $500 cash no we don't take any insurance thankyou, She ran Lyme, Rhumatoid, and other tick related - all negative!!! I'm so frustrated, I'm a fit 40 year old that single handedly runs an active horseshow barn!! Where do I gotta go for help, I hate throwing away money to doctors that won't treat clinically! I have never been sick before ever. I started taking Sulfa and Trimeth (for an upper respiratory) and my sore knees and ankles went away!!! I just want some straight answers, this is ridiculous that all these people are suffering with this disease because Drs don't really want to look past their noses. So I say Good Luck, my symptoms started in May 09 probably earlier have had sore feet since about January 09, Here we are almost Sept and 4 Mds, 1 Infectious Disease DO,1 Neurologist, 2 MRIs, 1 lovely EMG test (electrocution) 1 Rhumatologist, 1 Hand Surgeon and a Partridge in a Pear Tree!

Post Edited By Moderator (CajunGrl) : 9/1/2009 5:14:19 AM (GMT-6)

Are you seeing an LLMD?

Jersey, I hate saying 'welcome to this board', but you are welcome, anyway!  First time I finally sunk my belief into Lyme, I had no idea what it meant.  I felt relief that one finds when one finally figures out what is wrong w/ them.

  Lyme?  Cool! I just need to have a blood test and take some abx and voila, I will be cured and finally 'normal' again.

Oops, when I came here to look for Drs, treatments, etc I was immediately overwhelmed and discouraged and I did not want to be here.

'Sick for years', 'abx for years', PIC lines, endless holistic and natural treatments, heavy metal toxicity, necessity of detox, 'Cure Unkown', endless list of symptoms, freaking CO-INFECTIONS......  Sheesh, I really did NOT want to belong here!

But everyone's  posts here are excellent. And CajunGrl gave you some great links.

Jersey -- the Dr you are seeing now sounds good to me.  At least so far. You're getting the proper tests, he's not ruling out other stuff.  He's treating you and still testing you.  Sounds open to treating Lyme, etc.  See what the others think, but for the time being, this Dr sounds good to me -- IF you like him alright.

I believe it is important to do as much research as possible and I think you must like your Dr, whether he's LLMD or not.

For example, I am sorry to say that I do not like my LLMD, even tho he's an LLMD.  I feel like I'm nothing but some cash on the side. But I would not have felt this way had I not learned so much on this forum and in my other research. 

If you feel like your Dr is really trying to get you the proper diagnosis, I think you should stick w/ him until you feel otherwise.

Anybody else?