HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

new to lyme

Support Forums
>
Lyme Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/14/2014 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, I have decided to become a new member here, I have some questions about lyme disease, and need advice.

Around 2010, I contracted the bulls eye rash from a tick bite. I went to my doc, and she said it was definitely lyme, and gave me a course of antibiotics, maybe a weeks worth if I remember correctly. As a test to confirm the lyme would have cost me money at the time, we didn't bother. I assumed I was cured, and put it all out of my mind.

Fast forward years later, I had been experimenting with cats claw in order to potentiate an herbal supplement I was taking at the time for anxiety and depression. After a short amount of time, I started feeling really sick, it was horrible. 5 Days in, a constant nausea developed and I started throwing up repeatedly. I thought it was from too high a dose of cats claw (3 grams 2x daily) so I cut that in half. Over the span of that evening I developed a high fever and dark urine, and stopped all cats claw. Even so, I wasn't able to sleep for 2 days, these symptoms continued, and I couldn't keep any food or drink down. I felt sick and exhausted for those two days before finally beginning to recover.

I couldn't understand why I had this reaction, so I looked on the internet about cats claw making you sick. That's when I first heard of this herxheimer reaction and then remember that I had that experience with contracting lyme, and this possible explanation for what had happened entered my mind. I inquired on a forum dedicated to the other herb I was taking as to if this was possibly what was going on. Others with lyme confirmed that might be what happened.

I have had problems with fatigue, insomnia, depression, and anxiety for years that I had thought were attributed solely to a psychological disability (schizoaffective disorder) I had developed, could lyme be contributing to these problems? I want to take action to help improve the way I feel, would getting tested for lyme be a good idea? How accurate is the test? What is the next step?

Thank you
Posted 9/14/2014 1:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hi CubicleClown,

Welcome to the forum. I think you are on to the right path.

Right, so the bulls eye rash is particular to Lyme disease. You did not treat it. Don't feel bad about that; a weeks worth of antibiotics would not have helped, necessarily.

Your reaction to cats claw could very well be a herxheimer reaction and your psychological issues are very much consistent with a long term Lyme infection.

The tests for Lyme are largely inaccurate; they rely on detecting antibodies to the disease. However, the disease suppresses the immune system and there are many strains of the disease that the tests cannot detect. So a negative test result is not a reason to not treat.

What you need to do is to find a Lyme Literate Doctor associated with ILADS (not an Infectious Disease Doctor). They will take your past exposure and current symptoms to evaluate you clinically as well as considering your test results.

If you need help finding a LLMD, just start a new thread entitled "Looking for LLMD near (name your nearest big city or region you are willing to travel).

Again, I think you are on the right track and the good news is that the symptoms you are experiencing can be reversed. Glad you found us!
Posted 9/14/2014 4:43 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, I will make a post looking for a LLMD, and it's a relief to hear that the symptoms can be diminished .
Do you know if LLMD's would typically be covered by medicaid? If not, I may not be able to see one because I imagine it would be expensive, and I am relatively poor.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply