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LLMD PRICING?!?!

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Posted 6/27/2013 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
LLMD PRICING

Are all of these Lyme specific doctors outrageously priced? I have called 2 and it seems that I would be spending at least 1600 dollars on just a consultation and blood work. Thats not including the mandatory repeat visits for at least 4 months that about 200 each. And Insurance wont pay for these things?!?

Anyone else in the same boat?
Posted 6/27/2013 3:55 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Beil,

Call the last name on the list that I sent you. Yes, many of us have this problem. My doctor is the most affordable by far and worth the drive. He will be a drive for you though...

Beth
Posted 6/27/2013 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
It would be $200 for the first visit I believe + $200 for the testing unless he wants to do more testing on you. There after it is much more affordable. Do you have insurance and if yes, may I ask what type?
Posted 6/27/2013 4:11 PM (GMT 0)
Blue cross
Posted 6/27/2013 4:14 PM (GMT 0)
That doctor I suggested does take Blue Cross :) BUT you will still have to pay for the test out of pocket. Tell us a little bit about your background and your issues. There is a lot of useful information on here and some of us might be able to suggest some things you can do before you get in to see the doctor. :)
Posted 6/27/2013 5:17 PM (GMT 0)
Where do I start?
I originally thought I had a gallbladder issue due to pain and pressure underneath my right rib cage. I got a HIDA scan and found that my gallbladder was working properly. I then started looking up my symptoms (which ill get to) and found myself falling into the (yeast overgrowth or candida overgrowth) group. Not sure what to believe anymore.
Symptoms seemed to have started right after Christmas.
Here we go:
-Diarrhea for 2 weeks straight
-Then what seemed to be heartburn/chest pain
-Then pain seemed to move down to my right ribs which I have to this day
-Then I started getting very strange stools
-went to a GI and has upper and lower endoscopy(at that point I was suspecting crohns). he determined that I had gastritis and put me on nexium which I'm still on. he also said I have "ibs"
- then I started noticing a significant increase in eye floaters
- heart speeding sometimes
- wake up with my heart pounding and shortness of breath
- having trouble staying asleep
- anxiety (which I've never had)
- panic attacks ( which I've never had)
- then my fore arm started hurting for a week straight/ then my wrists/ then my knee/hip/top of neck/bottom of back/ ankles which all seemed to come and go for about a week
- my finger tips went numb/ then went to pain and felt like pins and needles were being stuck into them. That came and went also
- the last time I drank was march 1st and the next day had the worst hangover of my life and I started talking really weird and couldn't speak right and was slurring words (really scary) that never happened to me before and I didn't even drink as much as I usually do on sociAl occasions. I did get drunk though.
- very fatigued
- head pressure
- brain fog
- got a weird big oval rash under my right armpit which was strange because I never get rashes.
- little red dots on both of the palm of my hands for a couple weeks.(half the size if dimes)
-weak legs and wejghtloss but that might have been because I got so struck with a candida diet which I'm still pretty much doing.

I've had a slew of blood tests done. Including : diabetes, liver function, pancreas, scans, blah , blah
I've had 2 lymes tiders and a western blot come back negative.
I've had a number of ticks on me before while working outside.
I don't know what to think anymore. Doctors are starting to think its in my head and want me to go on antidepressants. I don't want to do that. I'm starting to feel quite alone in this fight.
Quick past medical
2010: surgery: unbiblical hernia/ chronic appendicitis? Now gone
2011: surgery: sinusitis! Still have pressure and pain in sinuses and head

That's all I have for now. Any help would greatly be appreciated!
Thanks!

Post Edited (BEIL) : 6/27/2013 12:06:14 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/27/2013 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
It's not all in your head, and don't let the doctors convince that it is!

Our, then 9 year old, daughter had a list of 21 symptoms when she started treatment - many that you list: IBS, palpitations, panic attacks, insomnia, chest pain, numbness in the extremeties, severe fatigue, loss of concentration etc. I chart symptoms every day on a scale of 1-10. In the beginning she was scoring a total of 120 points per day. Now she is only having occurrances of between 1-3 symptoms per day, mostly bartonella related (shin pain or slight headache) or related to inflammation in her brain (Tourettes-like ticcing). Her highest total score in the last two months has been 10. Most days it is 2 or 3.

These infections are real, and can be treated. Our daughter is proof.

If you have known tick bites, the possibility is certainly there that the symptoms you are seeing are infection related. Lyme has been shown to cause many of your symptoms. Bartonella can cause IBS symptoms. Our daughter was suffering several times weekly with IBS for about a year before we started treatment for bartonella/lyme. The symptoms resolved immediately and have not come back. We do use a lot of probiotics and fermented vegetables now. Did the oval rash look like an EM rash?

Our daughter had to be treated out of the country (long term abx treatment is not available in Ontario), and we ended up paying approx. $1200/month (for 2 years) on appointments and supplements. The abx were extra.
Posted 6/27/2013 8:11 PM (GMT 0)
rowingmom: Thank you for some input. It is always nice to hear someone say it is not in your head. The issue I am having right now is how and where to find the right doctor. Ive been told I dont have lymes by 2 doctors now and it is just a little disconcerning but I know something is going on! I want to feel like I used to!
I feel like some of these LLMD's are preying on people who are at there wits end so they just break down and pay a small fortune to get help. I want to use doctors that are still in my network but perform better tests than the ones I have already gotten. Im very frustrated. Maybe I dont have lymes but there just seems to be TOO MANY things happening at the same time that never happened to me before.
Posted 6/27/2013 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
Most LLMD's face losing their license and possibly their entire practice for prescribing long term high dose antibiotics for us is part of the reason why they charge so much. They really do put their necks on the line for us!

Here's some of the problems with the testing - first the tests miss about 1/2 of all those that actually have the disease.

Not all strains of the Lyme bacteria (or any other tick-borne infection) are being tested for, only just 4 or 5 out of 100 that are here in the U.S. alone (300 world wide).

The tests all rely on the immune system response. It's been well documented that the Lyme bacteria can not only dampen the immune system, but go into a cyst form that the immune system doesn't recognize as an invader.

Most labs don't know how to properly read a Western Blot for Lyme disease. Many patients are told that because the band is 'ind' (indeterminate) that it means that it's not there - the reality? It's there, but not responding enough to make it a full positive.

The most knowledgeable LLMD's will diagnose clinically, and hope that the tests back them up, but they don't hold treatment based on the tests alone.

Using a LLMD is the only way to go if you are going to use antibiotics (abx) - they are the only ones who understand how and how much to give to help you actually heal.

The other alternative that you have is to use Holistic means to heal. Many here use herbs added to their abx routines to enhance their effectiveness or to address something else. Many here are using herbs alone and are healing quite well. Also, although I did use abx for a full year (it didn't go well though), I went with herbs only and have healed.

Just some thoughts to think over!
Posted 6/27/2013 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
Why didn't your antibiotics go well? if you don't mind me asking
Posted 6/27/2013 10:42 PM (GMT 0)
I was so ill and knew nothing of detoxing, so the targeted attack was too much for my body. I ended up herxing the whole time and found myself having real seizures and bed bound by the time I stopped using them. I was much more ill by the time I stopped than I was when I started using the abx.

That's why I sought out natural alternatives, and found that they were incredibly powerful! The herbs often have components that abx don't that will help the body deal with the 'killing' of the bacteria. I've healed with using only herbs for 2 1/2 years total.

My 'story' is all over this forum, so I don't go into much detail unless asked. If you have more questions though, I'll be happy to answer!!
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