Testing Children

I have 2 children and know w/o a doubt that I was infected when carrying my second one. I'm not sure about my first. My LLMD said that if a woman has an active, untreated infection during pregnancy, there's a 50-50 chance it was passed in utero. I asked her about testing both of my children. She said that the problem with testing is, even if they do test positive, Lyme treatment is clinically based. The LLMDs know when to stop treatment based on symptoms. They treat for a month or two after symptoms are gone.So she said w/ my kids, she would have no idea when treatment had even eliminated the infection because they don't have symptoms. She recommended to be aware of symptoms and observe them for any signs. She also recommended continuing to make sure they are eating healthy, etc. to keep their immune systems strong. Her husband and 2 of her 3 children had lyme disease so I trust her. I was very scared about my kids well-being when initially diagnosed, but I understand what she's saying and I'm going to take her recommendations. If they start to show any signs, I will have them tested and treated. My son is 7 and gets muscle cramps and has said twice that is arm felt tingly, so I'm watching him very closely and may take him to see my LLMD.

I like what your doc had to say about this, Mystery!! Since I've been infected since I was a young child, there's no doubt that I had these infections while pregnant and that's what I had decided to do with my own now adult kids! So far so good!!

Mommagg, that is very scary and I'm sorry for you. However, the good thing is, you have the knowledge now whereas before you might not have ever found the truth.
Nspeed, I brought my son to my LLMD last week after he reminded me that he was bit by a tick about a year and a half ago. It was before I knew I had it so I wasn't educated at all about it--I just believed what his pediatrician told me which was--the tick needed to be attached for 36 hours before Lyme can be transmitted--Good God! Can you imagine?! I didn't even have him tested!

At any rate, he does tend to get more sick than my other two do and I was really, really worried for him. But when I saw my LLMD we discussed what sicknesses he's had etc., she gave him a physical and said, even if he did test positive for it she wouldn't treat him. Because the big picture is he's healthy. He's growing, he's playing, he's eating well. If he did get infected, right now his body is handling it. If she did think we should treat I would have gone the herbal route. I would not treat him with long term abx while he's growing unless he was very, very sick.

Start logging symptoms/illnesses. If symptoms start then you may want to consider having him treated. But again, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to give him abx. You could give him herbs that will be much easier on his body.

I had lyme since about the age of 12, and wasn't diagnosed until I was 34. I passed lyme to my daughter while I was pregnant with her. Her symptoms began with high fevers from the time she was about a year old. Then, she was fine for years. When she was 10, the pain began more. She had to quit dancing and gymnastics gue to "growing pains," which is what the doctors said. Then she developed "scoliosis," which of course wasn't true either. But when she began menstruating was when the symptoms really came on...neuro symptoms, more pain, horrible acne, poor skin, stunted growth. Oh, it just goes on and on. My daughter and I saw over 45 doctors in 4 years before we finally got our lyme diagnosis. And after over 3 yrs of treatment, her neuro problems are gone, skin clear, spine straight, and well, hopefully her lyme will be gone this year.

My daughter has been through hell and back. She is in her junior year of high school and missed over 100 days of school. Her entire life has been tremendously affected on this disease because doctors failed to recognize it sooner. Kids can go symptom free for a long time (we all can), but suddenly, one day out of the blue, they are suffering from massive panic attacks, seizures, and the body paralyzing.

I can't stress the importance enough to have children tested and treated. To watch what my daughter senselessly went through because of the doctors misdiagnosing her.. well, I just can't even begin without the language becoming R rated... So I will stop there..

Good luck, and please be sure to ask any questions you may have. I hate to see children suffer from this disease, or any really.

Sincerely,
Samantha

I would suggest that you take your child to a Holistic Practitioner and have them treated. If the Practitioner has enough experience with tick-borne infections, they will know how to strengthen the body so that the body can fight these infections with only a little help from some herbs - that's the only way I was able to heal after having been infected for over 40 years.

It's an easy way to not harm our children's growing, developing bodies and yet take care of these terrible, debilitating diseases!

I now live with permanent damage, but after having these infections run around inside of me unchecked for so many years, it's to be expected I guess. Otherwise, yes!!! I'm pretty much symptom free (still a little nervous about actually saying I am! LOL!) and I've been off of all herbs for the treatment of tick-borne infections for 15 weeks now - one more week and it will be 4 months!! Woo hoo!!

I used quite a few different herbs to get well, as well as acupuncture, diet, exercise, and a healthy dose of "oh no you won't take my life away from me!!!" attitude. LOL! Not everyone will benefit from the herbs I used, as we are all different, but they are good herbs to try!

For my Lyme infection, I used the 'recipe' that can be found here: www.mistymeadows.org/wendy.htm.
Look for the tile that says, "Lyme Disease: A Practitioners Experience and Discovery". On page 77, you will see the "Chronic Tonic" that I used for 9 months. My Practitioner did have me change how it was prepared, but the herbs and their amounts were the same. What we did was to make a tea out of the herbs. I used 13 grams of herbs and added them to 4 cups of boiling water and allowed it to steep for 30 minutes. Then I drank 1 cup of medicinal tea 4 times a day.

For my Bartonella infection, I used Whole leaf Houttuynia for 6 months. When using the whole leaf Houttuynia (not the powdered stuff), I took 3 grams of the herb and added it to 3 cups of boiling water, steep for 20 minutes and drink 1 cup, 3 times a day. BUT I herxed terribly when I started this herb!! I had to start off with using 6 cups of water to 3 grams of the herb, and only drank one, then two cups of this diluted medicinal tea for 3 weeks before I could tolerate the 'full dose' - so be very careful as many find that they herx with this herb!

By the time we got around to treating my Babesia, my body was really healing well, and we did a lot of things to support the organs that weren't quite up to functioning well on their own - as a matter of fact I'm still taking herbs to support spleen function. I keep forgetting to ask my doc exactly which herbs she used for the Babesia treatment though, sorry!

I do hope that I've answered your questions fairly well! LOL! Of course you are always welcome to ask more questions either here on the forum or you can feel free to send me an email.

Traveler, thank you so much for your reply. So kind of you to go into such detail and for giving everybody hope that this disease can be beat! Congratulations! Hope you can continue being sympton free for the rest of your life. I looked into a pediatric holistic doctor here in Michigan however they have never treated Lyme disease so could not help me but I am on a 3 month waiting list for another doctor who uses antibiotics along with a holistic approach to build up immune system etc... So far my child has been sympton free since October after a six week course of antibiotic but I wonder and worry about the future. Just have to keep praying and doing everything in our hands.

Monty,
Although I always recommend using a Holistic doc that has treated these diseases with success, it doesn't mean that the Practitioners that have not treated these diseases can't help you heal! If they have enough experience, they can treat these infections quite well!

My Practitioner had never treated anyone with known Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, RMSF, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Mycoplasma & EBV before I started seeing her. They look at the body as a whole, not just the infections - meaning that they try to restore the body to where it can fight these infections on it's own, which an experienced Holistic practitioner can do. All of it is hard work for both the Practitioner and the patient - but I can say that in almost all cases, if both parties are willing to do the work, healing is something that will happen!

Something to keep in mind.

If your little one does start experiencing symptoms, don't let them 'suffer through' while you wait for a more experienced Practitioner. Go see the other one!

You're quite welcome, Monty!!
Getting your child in to see a Holistic doc would be a good idea since they were on abx and, honestly, we all could use a tune up once in a while because our food supply isn't what it used to be!

I would suggest that you either get educated or continue to learn all that you can about these diseases so that you can recognize any symptoms.