I am recovering and wining the battle finally.

Hello everyone. I am a fellow lyme sufferer...but am currently in the recovery process.  I know I am recovering because my long list of symptoms...all of them are at least 75 to 80 percent better. I still get flares/herxes but they are now completely manageable...Not disabling and extraordinarily painful and scary like once was.
If u want to here a detailed summary of my experience start to finish I will be happy to do. For now I will try to kep it short and sweet and straight to the point.
I believe I have had Lyme since I was around 26 and I am 34. I think it may have stayed dormant if I did not have a physically traumatic experience...pregnancy. I believe the enormous stress and change on my body woke it up. At first it crept up on me...and then body slammed me when I got so ething that seemed like food poisoning.
I had almost every symptom out there.
I do extraordinary amounts of research...hrs and hrs on the Internet and at the library. I'm not a dr. I am simply sharing my experience and what I have found through extensive research.
Thanksgiving ofn2010 I have food poisoning or first real gut attack from Lyme. I have my first er....10 more to go all in 2 months.
No doctor will diagnose me with anything but anxiety issues and carpal tunnel. So common. I beg a family friend and dr. To put me on doxy (after endless hrs of research I am convinced my symptoms are Lyme but of course fear ms and ALS). She does. I spend 6 months on doxy and have things happen to me I can't believe I made it through sometimes.
My first herx was so intense and insane. It took me4months  of doxy 200 mg a day which I raised to 300 and 400 against his wishes based on my research. He was a very knowledgeAble and kind infectious disease dr. Yet lacked in the area of Lyme treatment. My bible in the beginning was naturally Burascano.
My. First herx was about 6 nights 7 days. He kept saying it was just the flu.  I have had the flu several ti es. This was not the flu. It was unlike anything I ever experienced. I had a 101 to 103.5 the whole time. I was not just shivering but almost convulsing. My kidneys...omg my poor kidneys. Unreal pain. Sheets were wet from sweat. Buckets. Etc etc
Day seven...recovering
Day 8 feel fantasic. Almost symptom free for a week..then all Lyme symptoms came back. Maybe slightly slightly better. 
So....first 6 months doxy...mostly 200mg day..several weeks towards end on 3 to 400
By month3 I start Dragging myself to the gym after continuously reading by very reputable sources that exercise is mandatory for recovery. Going to the gym is more difficult than I can express. 
I used the sauna for 20 minutes three times a week.
I sat in hot baths at home whenever I could. 
I gave up gluten after noticing my e.r. Visits usuallynhappened after eating something with gluten.
Not eating gluten is the best thing I did for myself. If gave me normal stool and regularity....no more life threatening flares. Really intense ones but not  like the old days.

This is getting too long and choppy..sorry will try to do better...

my 11 months of intense treatment and research

Starts nov. 2010

-First 6 months doxycycline ( first 4 on 200 mg. Next 2 on 300 to 400.)
-by month 3 of treatment start going to gymas much as I could handle. Some weeks five days a week some weeks one or none.
-sat in the sauna almost every time before I leave gym about twenty min. Yes would make my symptoms flare especially ear pressure.
-after 6 months of doxy do 5 months of iv rocephin so far... via Picc. Huge difference. Iv rocephin and oral doxy can't even be compared. Iv rocephin so much more effective killing it.
-month 6 starts insane supplements...potassium for lyme induced hypokalemia. Magnesium, alpha lipoid acid. Lactoferrin, C, fish oil, nac, ubiquinol, b12, multi, so many more I will get my list later.
- by July start drinking two tablespoons braggs apple cider vinegar ... Google the benefits.... Mix it with large glass of water and one tablespoon blackstrap molasses. Yum lol
Also ever morning first thing I do oil pulling with sunflower oil. Google benefits.
I also at this point started testing ph level every morning first urine best way most accurate. Very very acidic so research ph balance and now eat tons of alkaline food every day.
-around July also started pulsing the iv rocephin because of poor blood work. 4 days on three off and pulse echinacea same. Huge improvement..herxes etc...pulsing or even maybe just the change in routine is really effective.
- month two of iv rocephin start doing flagyl 1st week of every month...grows to two weeks. Very helpful! Kills them 
-

So in a nutshell..
Doxycycline, iv rocephin, flagyl, exercise, supplements, oil pulling, apple cider vinegar, blackstrap molasses, noooo gluten, raw garlic, lots of sleep, heating pad, I got one massage wish I had more ahhhhhh, research

I believe the best thing is antibiotics... I strongly believe combining  that with alternative treatments and eastern medicine....being disciplined and driven and proactive...that is called  recovery to me and for me. Fight fight fight never give up.

I realize I may relapse and will keep u updated

Good luck

Hello fellow New Jerseyan, thanks for posting as we ALL need to hear we can and WILL get better. Did you eventually switch to an LLMD or stay with infectious disease dr.? Did insurance pay for IV? Just curious of course. I am also feeling better these days with long term antibiotics but wonder what will happen when I stop. Are you now off antibiotics? When you say no gluten, did you cut back or really go cold turkey. I have wanted to try but don't think I'll be able to do it. Again, so happy for you and thanks so much. Gonna go do some more RESEARCHING !

Sorry that read unclear
I did month one of rocephin with infectious disease doctor....after that an llmd.

Love to hear success stories. I wish there was a separate forum made just for them!

You're methods to recovery all seem like pretty good ideas. I just went gluten free almost a month ago and don't regret it yet. And I also use some of the same supplements as you. The only thing you do that struck me as weird is the oil pulling. Really? If you're going to swish something in your mouth to kill germs isn't that what Listerine's for? I've also done tons of internet research... leading me to the exact opposite opinion of oil pulling. But yeah, other than that... keep it up! Sounds like you're doing all the right stuff to get better.

Hi mystery lyme
From what I understand....many people believe oil pulling can remove toxins from the bloodstream. This is a very big debate if that is possible. Here are my views

There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. It is 100 percent safe and proven to give u healthier gums and teeth at least. If by chance it can do more even possible to help or cure this and other diseases or illnesses than he'll yeah
Plus it's cheap too..which we know is rare fighting this disease

The other thing I ponder....on that topic if it can draw toxins out of the blood...I think the reason why some pills we r told to swallow and then there are some they say don't swallow but let sit under ur toungue...sublingual...is because it bypasses the digestive process and enters straight to the bloodstream. So maybe he is right...cause we know things can enter through the big veins under our tongues and other areas of our mouth...if the can go in maybe things can be drawn out. Maybe.

Maybe combined with nothing to lose is good enough for me

Oh! Springsjean...if u have wegmans by u...u almost can't complain about being gf. They have an Amazing Gf free selection. The gf bagels in their freezer section are awesome. The gf frozen pizzas or ok too . I really think it will help u...even if u slip once in a while I think it may still be good to try

Your story (the beginning) sounds soooo similar to mine! I'm also 34 yrs. old and I had a dormant infection that became active during pregnancy. I had severe GI involvement also. So bad that my PCP admitted me to the hospital for a complete GI work-up. For months after delivery, I was nauseous, had abdominal pain, and vomited daily. I was in the ER for it many times. Fortunately, the GI stuff eventually let up and is completely gone now after being on Rifampin for Bartonella.

How long into abx. treatment did you start to notice improvement?

I have gone gluten free also. It's only been about 2 weeks. I haven't seen any improvement yet, but maybe it's too soon.

It's great to head a success story.Thanks for sharing!

njlymie thanks so much for sharing your story!! I am 32, and I can recall noticing that something was "off" for me at the age of 26. I may have had vague symptoms even before that, but around 26 is when I recall a lot of tell-tale symptoms popping up, yet I just associated it with my lifestyle. Working too much, going out a lot, etc etc.

However after my son was born I became very ill and have been ever since.

From what I've learned (mostly from this forum), I strongly believe that the combination of abx and alternative medicine is the key to healing. However, I haven't seen an LLMD yet so I haven't started treatment. Only 3 more weeks, and I am so ready!

Thanks for this post. It gives me hope, much needed hope! My blood work has also been of a concern lately. I am hopeful that by the time I receive treatment there isn't too much permanent damage.

My biggest concern is that I won't be able to do IV treatments. I'm seeing an LLMD that accepts insurance, otherwise I could never afford. I fear he will be hesitant to treat aggressively, but I feel that based on the severity of my symptoms I'm in need of something aggressive, unfortunately.

Best of luck, and I hope you'll stick around this forum to share your encouraging success stories with those of us in need :)

Thank you for sharing your experience and giving hope as a result. Hope you are still doing well. Any relapses?