Looking for an LLMD in Los Angeles, and have some other (pressing) questions-- thank you, God bless

hi all... I am a 31 year old male... a couple weeks ago, I found two bullseye lesions on my leg, and one on my shoulder, so I saw my buddy, a non-Lyme literate MD, who diagnosed it immediately as Lyme. I was in rural New Jersey a couple of times over the summer, and suspect that I got bit on the 16th of August. Starting on Sept. 16, he put me on doxycycline (200 mg a day), for 14 days, and I am nearing the end of this cycle. From the boatload of info I read in the last 24 hours, I understand that this is a bacteriostatic, not bacteriocidal dose, and the course is pathetic. I have found the names of an LLMD in Sacramento (near where I am now), and one in LA (where I'm supposed to be next week), and plan on calling them tomorrow (for some reason their offices both closed early on Wednesdays).

I'm wondering a few things. First off, my friend is not a literate Lyme doc, so I don't know if he'll refill my doxy script (I'll find out tomorrow), so if I am without doxy for a few days to however long it takes me to get in to see a LLMD, am I screwed, and if so, how screwed?

Other pertinent data: In the last 24 hours, I have started modifying my diet to be Lyme hostile, I have purchased and have taken Cat's Claw, Astragalus, Echinachea, and Vitamin C, and started doing yoga. I also took an Epsom salt bath(i read about the more complex detox in your FAQ, and am planning on doing that). I am strongly considering purchasing a rush order of Samento, and starting on the Vit C/sea salt protocol. The idea is to do all these things with the rest of my short Doxy course, then and try and bridge the gap if for some reason I can't take Doxy until I see an LLMD. Ordering doxy overseas takes too long, and I don't know any other "friendly" doctors.

With respect to the people who caught it after ten years of false diagnoses, I am still terrified that my treatment is too little, too late-- I do not want to be battling this for years. Is there anything else I should do in the near term while I'm waiting for the diagnosis of an LLMD?

As the title to the post states, I am also wondering if anyone knows of an LLMD in Los Angeles, as I found only one. Friendly to adjunctive naturopathy is a bonus...

Any and all help is appreciated, and again-- God bless,

Inundatedbyinfo

You are on the right track with all the studying you've been doing.  Great job!!!

It may take a while to get in to see a LLMD - so I wonder if you could educate your friend, the doctor, and let him know that you need 300 - 400 mg of Doxy a day for at least 30 days.  Maybe he would cover you until you see a Lyme specialist.  That would be awesome. 

I had a Nurse Practitioner do that for me, and she wasn't even a friend of mine.  She even put me on 2 additional antibiotics, Ceftin and Flagyl, to kill all the forms that Lyme take in the body.  Let us know what happens!

 Oh - and when you talk to your doctor friend - make sure its okay to take your antibiotics with Cat's Claw.  My doctor said not to - bad interaction.

LLMD Dr. H in Redwood City has a Malibu office. Might work for you.

Momtomonsters

IMO, 14 days is not enough. Bacteria regenerates and dies in 4 week cycles--do you really want to take a chance?  You're right questioning this.  If you know the doc well, *your buddy* ask him for 6 weeks of doxy--that will give you enough time to find an LLMD. My third PCP (Yes, I kept changing them because the others were not willing to give me more abx) gave me 6 weeks of abx and that gave me enough time to find an LLMD. In the meantime, I found this forum and learned about LLMDs here.  I did not know they exist.  You came to the right place.  IMO, you should get at least 6 weeks. Some hospital in PA recommand 4-6 weeks.  You have a chance to erradicate it bec. you cought it so early, and got the rash, unlike many of us! Usually, doctors prescribe 3-6 weeks, usually 3 weeks, BUT I did 3 weeks and did not go away, a few mo later I started to have a lot of new symptoms, including neurological. 

I got tested and my tests came back +, only my GP said they are false + and did not treat me.  The difference is that I was infected months or years before starting treatement, so starting asap, you have better chances than me.

Make sure you don't have co infections

Tell your buddy you are not well, lie if you have to, do everything to make him give you enough abx to hold you until you see an LLMD. Probably a little too late now, but if you still have the rashes, take pics of them and save them, in case you may need them as prove at a later time.   If your doc is a good friend, show him some of the literature, including Dr B's guidelines for treating lyme.  Your dose is not high enough.  And as others said, I would not mix anything else with abx.  Some doctors are prescribing doxy for several months or even years for acne, your doc should not have a problem to give you some more abx for something much, much worse than acne.

As for everyone else, it depends how your body reacts to treatement. I believe I got sick 8 years ago w. bartonella and lyme. did no tests at that time, took abx for 3 weeks. I was in my 20s, healthy and strong, stronger and healthier than anyone I've ever met. I've had an amazing immune system, people could sneeze and caugh all over me, (and they did in NYC trains) and I never caught anything.

I was fine until last year, I think my immune system was able to fight it, and last year it hit me. Unfortunatelly, my doc only gave me 3 weeks of abx (after for the first time I tested for lyme and the test came +) and that was not enough, I started to get sicker and sicker and eventually I changed drs and now I am seing a LLMD and take 2 different abx at once. So don't worry about other people right now, everyone is different, it is great you caught it so early on, eat healthy, exercise if you can (to get the abx moving around and catch the bacteria), and rest as much as you can. No sugar, white bread, etc The spirochettes feed on sugar.  Stay away from stressful situations and again, rest!

Good Luck

Post Edited (Simela) : 10/1/2010 9:19:25 AM (GMT-6)