Prednisone - Newbie Needs Advice!

Hello,

I began treatment for Lyme, Bartonella, and Mycoplasma six months ago, after having the very good luck of being referred to a LLMD. It's been a bit of a roller coaster to say the least! Igenex testing showed strong positive for Bart and the Lyme was inconclusive.

In the course of my illness (serious debilitation began after being infected by Myco five years) I've developed numerous allergies and allergic asthma. I experienced a very bad allergic flare this week after horseback riding (I was exposed to multiple allergens) and ended up in the ER. The doc put me on a short course of Prednisone--which I know is not good for Lyme....Hence my need of advice. I have two questions:

1. Since I'm not sure if I actually have Lyme, should I still be concerned about taking it with Bart?

2. Can the antibiotic and anti-viral cocktail I'm on somehow trigger a stronger immune response? I ask because it was like my immune system went nuts. The asthma treatment given at the ER couldn't eliminate the inflammation in my lungs--hence the Prednisone.

I won't be seeing my LLMD until Thursday, and have no idea if the Prednisone is safe for me to take (the ER team hadn't even heard of Bart). I'm also admittedly feeling very overwhelmed, undereducated (despite attempting to learn as much as I can), and uncertain, as Lyme and the co-infections are so complex and I have little support (my family doctor, despite being very well-meaning and caring, doesn't know a lot about my diseases--which is not her fault--and I only get about 30 minutes every three months with my amazing LLMD).

Thank you in advance to anyone who has advice they are willing to share!!!

Ugh! Hate that that happened to you, especially horseback riding.
Well, welcome Celie. You'll get some good advise pretty soon, in the meantime, even though you seem well versed already, you might want to read up on the Lyme header New To Lyme?.......Start here!

Roller coaster is what we all call this ride.

There is so much cross over between Lyme and Bartonella, you can treat both pretty much the same way.

If your breathing is being impeded by the allergic reaction, by all means you need the Prednisone. It will of course depress your immune system even more, which could bring on some strong flaring of the bug infections.

Taking all this will bring on a stronger response as it is killing bacteria. Are you familiar with detoxing methods? You really need to start on these to help your body remove the dying buggers.
www.tiredoflyme.com/detox-methods.html

The easiest thing to do is take some kind of binder such as charcoal tabs, but take them at least 2-
3 hours clear of any other medication/supplements, as the binder will soak up and sweep out everything.

I think a short course of steroids, you might be okay. Anything long term, I would avoid. A well-meaning Functional medicine doctor put me on a 30 day steroid (before Lyme) and it is what put me over the cliff...

I wouldnt take it ...bvt can calm the th1 immune response and kill myco pnumonia whichbis probablybat the root of your breathing issues ...

if you have bart you likely have lyme ..dna connexions will test without a doc ..i suggest you look at www.cpnhelp.org also

First, I would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who replied!!! I'm extremely grateful for your advice and support. I've been feeling pretty low and isolated since returning home from the ER and your responses gave me the boost I needed. I no longer feel alone in this, thanks to you!

The advice everyone shared helped me make an informed decision regarding the Prednisone. The prescription was only for one-week, and it turns out it was essential to returning to some semblance of normal breathing, so I opted to remain on it. My LLMD was on board with me doing the full week, as his main concern was my breathing. I did find the 'flu I was fighting off came back for a couple of days, but I'm doing a lot better now.

Although the Prednisone helped quite a bit with my breathing, I have to admit that I continue to struggle with asthma (I can't quite seem to get enough air) and inflammation of the lungs. This is the first time the ER nebulizer and Prednisone didn't solve a bad asthma flare completely....I'm left wondering why (and resisting my Respirologist's suggestion that I do another round of Prednisone). Can anyone offer ideas regarding why my body may be staying in an inflamed state this time around? Would perhaps doing a paleo-ketogenic diet help calm things down?

Thank you also for the recommendation that I check out the information for people new to Lyme. It was very useful, and I've taken it all on board (including adding detox methods).

Just to confirm what some folks suggested, my LLMD said he thinks I do have Lyme in addition to Bartonella and Myco, even though the tests have been inclusive. I've had allergic reactions and liver issues related to a couple of antibiotics (my LLMD said we're running out of options), but I'm trying a new regime of antibiotics, an anti-viral, and Hydroxychloroquine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed this will be the right protocol for me!

Thank you again to everyone who shared their wisdom, advice, experience and support. Your help made a real difference :)