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Posted 2/20/2016 1:48 PM (GMT 0)
about two years ago during spring turkey season i was reluctant to wear bug spray.

I got bit by so many ticks and i'm not sure if i should have this checked out or not. It's been two years and i didn't have the ticks on me for more than 2 or three hours. AT least 10-20 bites over the course of a few trips out in the woods.

I don't know what i'm supposed to feel if i were to have it. As if i had all the symptoms i'd be so used to them by now, right?

I'm also allergic to doctors. But i will go to one depending on the feedback i receive here.

Say i do have lyme, is there anyway to get rid of it? I'm a guitar player and really don't want my joints getting messed up.

Thanks
Posted 2/20/2016 2:10 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome khughes1041!

Sorry for the reason you're here but, glad you found us.

Not everyone who gets bit by a tick gets infected. It all depends on whether or not the tick was infected and, if so, the number of infections it has. It has nothing to do with how long a tick might have been attached despite all the misinformation on the internet.

Healthy people can be asymptomatically infected and not need treatment.

Question of the day: are you dealing with any symptoms?

If yes, I invite you to read the "New to Lyme? Start Here!" thread that sits at the top of the forum. You'll find symptoms lists in there. If you are dealing with any symptoms, you would benefit from a visit to a LLMD (Lyme literate MD). We can help you find one but first things first - please share your symptoms.

For whatever it's worth, my life was symptom-free before I got bit by the tick and I had NO symptoms after the bite. However, I'd learned enough about Lyme to seek treatment but it was, unfortunately, inadequate. Thankfully, I got in to see a LLMD within 8 wks. of the bite and had only developed a few mild symptoms by that time. I certainly wasn't used to them and have no intentions of trying to get used to any symptoms. I'm working towards 100% symptom relief and am very close.

If you do have Lyme, yes, there are ways to heal from it. It takes time but healing is definitely possible - just read my signature :)
Posted 2/20/2016 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
I read that whole page and the symptoms on there are very broad.

I could be experiencing any of those.

I'm not sure what to feel if i have it. It has been two whole years and i cant remember feeling anything. I usually brush any pain off. I'm just concerned that the number of bites i received increased my chances. My glands in my neck get sore every now and then. But that could be anything.

I live in Virginia, so i think lyme is pretty high in my state.

I am going to the doctor friday. What should i bring up when i go? As far as testing goes. I want to get tested but i dont know how they'd do it at this point being two years since my last tick bite.
Posted 2/20/2016 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
I was bit by something and about 6 weeks later I was not feeling well. Head pain, ears plugged, sore neck, achy knees, sounded like gravel in my neck when I turned it, and a few other things. What I did was research because I did know that these symptoms were something I had never had before. I took a few tests online to see if it was lyme. Here is one.

/drive.google.com/file/d/0B9hqzwuTdy6kLWdQdHNIaHZTa2c/edit

There are other places where I took their test and when all results pointed to lyme, then I went to the doctor. I am not a fan of doctors either. I googled something like online lyme tests, I think.
Posted 2/20/2016 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
Oh and by way, this spring if you are going for turkeys, please do wear bug spray. At least take a strip of duct tape and seal off your pants to your shoes. Long sleeve shirt and a hat! If you don't have lyme, trust me, you do not want to have lyme. It is a culmination of all kinds of illnesses rolled into one. The most horrible disease that rocks your world off its axis. Trust me.
Posted 2/20/2016 4:18 PM (GMT 0)

PeteZa said...
I was bit by something and about 6 weeks later I was not feeling well. Head pain, ears plugged, sore neck, achy knees, sounded like gravel in my neck when I turned it, and a few other things. What I did was research because I did know that these symptoms were something I had never had before. I took a few tests online to see if it was lyme. Here is one.

/drive.google.com/file/d/0B9hqzwuTdy6kLWdQdHNIaHZTa2c/edit

There are other places where I took their test and when all results pointed to lyme, then I went to the doctor. I am not a fan of doctors either. I googled something like online lyme tests, I think.

I see, now all of these would stay with you if you had them 6 weeks after? It's been two years, im nervous i wont be able to tell if i have anything.

The doctor can take blood there for the test right?
Posted 2/20/2016 4:27 PM (GMT 0)
Lyme is individual. It is not the same symptoms for everyone. And on top of that lyme migrates through the body giving you something one day and something else the next. That is why it is so hard for a regular medical doctor to diagnosis it. My regular doctor, based on my symptoms, said I had a sinus infection. I did not even have a stuffy nose!! Lyme is terribly mis-diagnosed.

There are regular ole blood tests that a doctor can do. One is an Elisa and more than likely done at your local lab. Very unreliable. The other is a Western Blot and it can be done at your local lab. It also is very unreliable. If you really think you have lyme, the best test is through a lab that is experienced in looking for lyme. Igenex is generally the lab of choice. The cost for this test is $210 and your doctor can order that test, draw the blood and send that blood to them (but not on a friday, you do not want your blood sitting in a delivery truck over the weekend).

What makes you suspect you have lyme? Just the fact that you were bit? Do you have any lyme symptoms?
Posted 2/20/2016 5:24 PM (GMT 0)

PeteZa said...
Lyme is individual. It is not the same symptoms for everyone. And on top of that lyme migrates through the body giving you something one day and something else the next. That is why it is so hard for a regular medical doctor to diagnosis it. My regular doctor, based on my symptoms, said I had a sinus infection. I did not even have a stuffy nose!! Lyme is terribly mis-diagnosed.

There are regular ole blood tests that a doctor can do. One is an Elisa and more than likely done at your local lab. Very unreliable. The other is a Western Blot and it can be done at your local lab. It also is very unreliable. If you really think you have lyme, the best test is through a lab that is experienced in looking for lyme. Igenex is generally the lab of choice. The cost for this test is $210 and your doctor can order that test, draw the blood and send that blood to them (but not on a friday, you do not want your blood sitting in a delivery truck over the weekend).

What makes you suspect you have lyme? Just the fact that you were bit? Do you have any lyme symptoms?

It's been so long i can't remember what i felt like before i got bit a bunch of times.

So i wouldn't know. I do feel ill from time to time. A fatigued ill, with swollen glands. Then it goes away.

I don't really know what having stiff joints would be like.

Just the fact that i was bit so many times worries me too. That list of lyme symptoms is broad and for all i know i'm depressed but dont know it.

Yes, i feel ill often.
Posted 2/20/2016 5:47 PM (GMT 0)
There's one symptom on that list that says

"Chills and/or shakes when hungry (may occur instead of feeling hungry)
Cold hands and feet"

Yes i get cold hands and feet. Yes, i get chills or shakes when im hungry without feeling hunger. But isn't that just low blood sugar?
Posted 2/21/2016 1:10 PM (GMT 0)
I'm starting to think you all just care about selling the Igenex Lab Test.

Sponsorship?
Posted 2/21/2016 1:19 PM (GMT 0)

khughes1041 said...
I'm starting to think you all just care about selling the Igenex Lab Test.

Sponsorship?


Sorry, khughes1041 - that's the farthest thing from the truth.

IGeneX is one of a handful of labs that runs Lyme and coinfection tests properly. Mainstream labs such as LabCorp and Quest don't even check for the bands most likely to show positive.

We recommend IGeneX only because their prices tend to be lower than other labs and patients can request the testing kit themselves to bring to a doctor.

Please read the following link to understand the truth of the situation with these infections:

badlymeattitude.com/2015/08/26/help-wanted-lyme-aids-2-0/
Posted 2/21/2016 4:11 PM (GMT 0)
I think if you have ruled out all other illnesses your self, you may have lyme. I suggest Igenex because it is the most reliable affordable test there is. I am in no way affiliated with Igenex or advertising for them.

BUT, I was one that had a negative test from Quest Lab.

I just don't want you to spend money on a false negative like I did. Then I spent unnecessary money on a brain scan. Then on a neurologist and the list goes on.

FINALLY, I had an Igenex test and was positive for lyme. This made doctors listen to me and not send me to the psychiatrist.

Just wanted to share a been there, done that with you. You can forgo this test and just try a $12 herb and it will probably tell you if you have lyme.

I hope your doctor visit Friday goes well. Let us know what he/she says.
Posted 2/21/2016 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
labcorp was enough for me....no selling,just help here)
Posted 2/21/2016 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Khughes,
Welcome to our community! I'm glad you found us.

We don't allow any selling or promoting of products or services here, so you don't have to worry about that. We do have a tendency to kind of promote what worked for us - if you call talking about it and explaining it promoting it. We do that a lot, because there are so many fake or ineffective treatments out there for these infections, we like to expound on the ones that do work. Same with the labs that do our testing. We "talk up" the things that help us the most.

I was negative on lab corp until after I completed a full year of abx for Lyme - then I got a positive. Lab corp doesn't even use the right testing medium in the petri dish to be very accurate.

Do people get positives from Lab corp and Quest that can be trusted? Yes, but most tests are a false negative because they don't use the right testing methods, among other things.

I healed from a 40 year old set of infections which included Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, RMSF and more using herbs only. But then in 2014, I got reinfected. I was in town grocery shopping of all things, when I got bit. The bugger didn't stay on me for more than 30 minutes - 1 hour and I ended up being infected. again. I used the same herbs and healed again, but this time I started using a preventative herb so I won't get infected again. What I didn't realize is that I had asymptomatic Bartonella and Babesia at the same time, so now I'm back in treatment for those.

If you wish to use an herbal protocol, I know of one (that I earn nothing in any way shape or form for suggesting it to you- and it's not the same one I used) that you can use that will not harm you if you do not have these infections. It's commonly known as Buhner's protocol. He's a Master Herbalist that chose to focus on treating Lyme and has had a lot of success in treating these infections. You can do searches on this site to read how other members are using it, and you can go take a look at it here: buhnerhealinglyme.com/the-protocols/

Also, you can read his own words about the protocols not harming you if you don't have these infections:
buhnerhealinglyme.com/basics/protocol-harmful-if-i-dont-have-lyme/

And about the effectiveness of the protocol: buhnerhealinglyme.com/basics/protocol-effectiveness/

If you would rather go to a doctor first, you would do well to go see an ILADS ​(International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society)​ trained​ Lyme Literate Medical Doctor(LLMD), not one that has self proclaimed themselves as a LLMD or an ID Doctor (Infectious Disease Doctor), as ID doctors and most other doctors believe Lyme is hard to catch and easy to treat, and don't believe in the reality of chronic Lyme.

ILADS vs IDSA:
www.clinicaladvisor.com/controversy-continues-to-fuel-the-lyme-war/article/117160/

archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=226373

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901226/
Posted 2/22/2016 11:32 PM (GMT 0)

Traveler said...
Hi Khughes,
Welcome to our community! I'm glad you found us.

We don't allow any selling or promoting of products or services here, so you don't have to worry about that. We do have a tendency to kind of promote what worked for us - if you call talking about it and explaining it promoting it. We do that a lot, because there are so many fake or ineffective treatments out there for these infections, we like to expound on the ones that do work. Same with the labs that do our testing. We "talk up" the things that help us the most.

I was negative on lab corp until after I completed a full year of abx for Lyme - then I got a positive. Lab corp doesn't even use the right testing medium in the petri dish to be very accurate.

Do people get positives from Lab corp and Quest that can be trusted? Yes, but most tests are a false negative because they don't use the right testing methods, among other things.

I healed from a 40 year old set of infections which included Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, RMSF and more using herbs only. But then in 2014, I got reinfected. I was in town grocery shopping of all things, when I got bit. The bugger didn't stay on me for more than 30 minutes - 1 hour and I ended up being infected. again. I used the same herbs and healed again, but this time I started using a preventative herb so I won't get infected again. What I didn't realize is that I had asymptomatic Bartonella and Babesia at the same time, so now I'm back in treatment for those.

If you wish to use an herbal protocol, I know of one (that I earn nothing in any way shape or form for suggesting it to you- and it's not the same one I used) that you can use that will not harm you if you do not have these infections. It's commonly known as Buhner's protocol. He's a Master Herbalist that chose to focus on treating Lyme and has had a lot of success in treating these infections. You can do searches on this site to read how other members are using it, and you can go take a look at it here: buhnerhealinglyme.com/the-protocols/

Also, you can read his own words about the protocols not harming you if you don't have these infections:
buhnerhealinglyme.com/basics/protocol-harmful-if-i-dont-have-lyme/

And about the effectiveness of the protocol: buhnerhealinglyme.com/basics/protocol-effectiveness/

If you would rather go to a doctor first, you would do well to go see an ILADS ​(International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society)​ trained​ Lyme Literate Medical Doctor(LLMD), not one that has self proclaimed themselves as a LLMD or an ID Doctor (Infectious Disease Doctor), as ID doctors and most other doctors believe Lyme is hard to catch and easy to treat, and don't believe in the reality of chronic Lyme.

ILADS vs IDSA:
www.clinicaladvisor.com/controversy-continues-to-fuel-the-lyme-war/article/117160/

archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=226373

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901226/

Can't you just treat it with antibiotics rather than herbs?

Thanks for the response.

Also, how do you know lab corp does not use the right methods?

Is there proof of this?
Posted 2/22/2016 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
You definitely can treat it with antibiotics. But, you really should have a doctor that knows about lyme disease being the doctor that prescribes those antibiotics Most regular General Physicians do not know anything about lyme disease.

So find a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor that is schooled in lyme and he will prescribe for you the antibiotics you may need.

Post Edited (PeteZa) : 2/22/2016 4:42:37 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/23/2016 12:16 AM (GMT 0)

khughes1041 said...

Can't you just treat it with antibiotics rather than herbs?


Yes, you most definitely can treat these infections with abx (antibiotics), I only said that if you wished to use an herbal protocol, you could because of your statement that you were allergic to doctors.


khughes1041 said...

Also, how do you know lab corp does not use the right methods?

Is there proof of this?

www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=1718655

And although I can't seem to find it now, but someone actually called them and talked to them about this and confirmed it.

Plus all the negative Lyme tests that I hear about coming from Lab Corp. I have been here for 9 years now, and this isn't the only place that I post and try to help out.

I had a negative test from Lab Corp, but it would have likely been negative no matter where I went. It took a full year of treatment before I could get a positive Lyme test through Lab Corp. Quest is worse though. Igenex and Stony Brook Labs are the ones that actually specialize in these tests.
Posted 2/23/2016 1:08 AM (GMT 0)
If you decide to go with qwest or labcorp at least request that they run a mandatory western blot even if elisa is negative. They can order it this way.

Testing is not very good for lyme. I would base it off symptoms - trust your body you know if something is off. And you would know if you had joint pain. Not everyone has it with lyme. Do you recall a horrible fever, headache, neck pain or anything like that shortly after hunting trip? I had that one summer - i recall telling my family it felt like what you would think meningitis would be like. I got better after a week. Then over the course of 5 years had oddball things pop up...rosacea like rash on face, itching all over, heart palps, tinnitus, spots on skin, left knee pain, brain fog, neck cracking, bouts of frequent urination. Then last year had major neurological symptoms. So, it can take awhile before it really gets bad.
Posted 2/23/2016 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
K07, have you had success with requesting Labcorp run a mandatory WB even it the Elisa is negative recently? I've been reading that they no longer allow that to be done.

This is only one article that I've read about this.
danielcameronmd.com/labcorp-deny-physicians-access-western-blot-tests-lyme-disease/
Posted 2/23/2016 7:39 PM (GMT 0)

k07 said...
If you decide to go with qwest or labcorp at least request that they run a mandatory western blot even if elisa is negative. They can order it this way.

Testing is not very good for lyme. I would base it off symptoms - trust your body you know if something is off. And you would know if you had joint pain. Not everyone has it with lyme. Do you recall a horrible fever, headache, neck pain or anything like that shortly after hunting trip? I had that one summer - i recall telling my family it felt like what you would think meningitis would be like. I got better after a week. Then over the course of 5 years had oddball things pop up...rosacea like rash on face, itching all over, heart palps, tinnitus, spots on skin, left knee pain, brain fog, neck cracking, bouts of frequent urination. Then last year had major neurological symptoms. So, it can take awhile before it really gets bad.

Over this summer i had a random case where i itched all over and i had no rash.

I went to the doctors and they said to quit the dry cleaner i worked at because of the chemicals. I didn't have an itch after that. But who knows what caused the itch.

I can crack my neck, my glands swell up from time to time in my neck. If i don't get enough sleep i either feel like i'm getting sick or i do end up getting sick.

I can't remember if i got sick near that spring or not. But i do get sick easily and it happens often.

I
Posted 2/23/2016 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
My heart does skip a beat from time to time i think. I'm not really sure what that's supposed to feel like.

I think i have a hard time retaining information too. Reading is a task and i can't tell if it's my ADD or not. I bet you when i go to the doctor friday they will tell me not to worry. I'm going to get the test done and if that comes back negative i might try the igenex test.

It's been two years, can i be cured without controversy with long term antibiotics? Oral or Intravenous?

Sometimes my left hand goes numb. I can't ever breath out of my left nostril (never been like this before). It switches nostrils throughout the day too

The summer after the spring i had bouts of really bad headaches for a few weeks. Then they went away. Which was not normal for me at all either. I just contributed that to being depressed and unemployed, i'm also a smoker.

Post Edited (khughes1041) : 2/23/2016 12:55:44 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/23/2016 8:50 PM (GMT 0)
I just read this article about the Igenex test. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/health/policy/unproved-lyme-disease-tests-prompt-warnings.html?_r=0

"Doctors who tested Mr. Courcier in March at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., ruled out Lyme, a tick-borne illness, as an explanation for the disabling pain and exhaustion he was suffering. Then a Texas doctor sent his blood sample to a California laboratory that indicated he did have Lyme disease. But a New York specialist who tested his blood a third time, in June, said emphatically that he did not.

"It's amazing to me that you could have this much disparity in medical test results and not have the government do something," said Mr. Courcier, 38-year-old executive with a consulting firm who lives with his wife and two young children in a Dallas suburb.

Now the New York State Department of Health has opened an investigation of the California laboratory, IGeneX Inc., that issued Mr. Courcier's positive result, after receiving eight complaints from doctors and patients who said its Lyme tests also gave them positive results not confirmed by other labs' results."

Why is that?
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