My mom might have Lyme-please help!!

One thing I learned about bi-pap when I studied up on them in case my sleep study turned out bad....with the machine forcing air into her airways, she doesn't need to exhale the carbon dioxide out. Is she also getting breathing therapy while she's there? Where they have her blow into a spirometer? It helps clear the lungs out of the carbon dioxide, like I said, which makes room for oxygen to get it.

A de-tox kit could include a natural bristle brush that you or others can gently brush her skin all over..it opens pores. Traveler here often says our skin is our biggest organ for detoxing.

If she has one of those small hospital wash up tubs you could take epsom salts and hydrogen peroxide and give her a 10-20 minute foot soak. Or just just epsom salts.

If she is getting water at least with her meals, take her a small bottle of organic lemon juice and have her put a capfull in her water for each new glass.

A package of charcoal tablets...you usually take two of them as needed for herxing problems, but they must be taken at least 2 hours away from ingesting anything else, both before and after the capsuls.
These will bind up everything and pull it out of her. She needs to drink a full large glass of water with those or they will constipate her.


Other's want to add more ideas?

Yes, the sore throat can be part of it. That could be the Babesia infection.
The malarone is targeting the Babesia..
Yes, you can up her detox...but slowly add them in.

Is she currently just drinking lots of water...and doing PT?

Are you able to give her a binder? You said you're there at night. So, it wouldn't interfere with her meals or medications? You need to have the binder given two hours after her meds and food...or it flushes that out with the toxins.

...and then she can't have any other meds for two hours after the binder.

She also needs something for her liver - milk thistle extract (unless she has a ragweed allergy).

We discussed probiotics didn't we? She needs those to replenish her gut bacteria.

julymorning's idea of the foot soaks is also good.

The activated charcoal can be purchased at the health food store...but it can constipate..She would need lots of water with it.
I'm wondering if there's a binder that would be better - I've used the Charcoal only...so I will ask my co-Mods about this.

Milk Thistle extract - also health food store. You can find it in capsule, or tincture...

You posted that she said felt stronger...and her right hand wasn't so 'sick' and now worse...that is the way it can be.
You can feel better for a day or two...and then worse again..

Kari, I want to remind you to take care of yourself too. This has to be very stressful for you. Be sure to try to have relax times for yourself every day.

Try to get a good night's sleep, even if you have to find some herbal tea to help out. If you and your Mom can find things to laugh at/about, which may have it's own difficulties, I don't know, it would do you both good. Even pray together if you're into prayer.

Many (((hugs))) for you and your Mom.

Hi Kari
You've been given a lot of really good information! Do all that you can at this point for detoxing to help keep your mom in treatments. This will be important. We can help with ideas, though.

Hang in there!! Be sure that you take good care of yourself, as July said - you are very needed right now, so you need to be careful that you don't get sick too.

For constipation - one of my biggest issues - I use magnesium oxide. It's the only magnesium form that pulls water into the colon, so not much is 'available' for other purposes in the body. Start with a small dose, around 250 mgs once a day to see if that helps her.

If it does, but then seems to no longer help, you will need to raise her dose again until her bowel movements get easier again. Keep doing this until she is moving her bowel regularly and "with ease" daily. This is known as "to bowel tolerance".

Her LLMD should know about this, but even if he doesn't, try to get them on board with this so the facility where your Mom is will get the doctors orders about the magnesium as well and she gets it regularly.

It's all one step at a time, and we will be here to help you just as much as we can! Hang in there!!!

Yes, weakness can be from the infections or from herxing. Herxing is "just" an increase in symptoms or new symptoms appear in the course of treating certain infections like syphilis and Lyme.

Here is one article and one You Tube video that you can look over to see if they would serve to help educate your sister (I do understand her reluctance, with the way Lyme is portrayed):
/www.lymedisease.org/372/

/www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N3p2m6Rjrw Part 1

/www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CB-B0A38jc Part 2

My Dr. also sent a blood test to Igenex and that confirmed what was going on. Positive on 5 of the
markers and that was enough. Prayers for you and family..

KariW93 said...
Thanks everyone. The LLMD had testing done for all other tick born diseases-it was negative. Now I know that the testing isn't great for Lyme disease, but the fact that these tests came back negative-is that a bad sign?

I'm still not all that convinced this is for sure Lyme disease. I keep doubting myself, but you guys seem to help me keep hope. Is it normal for these tests to come back negative too?

The LLMD doesn't really help keep hope either. I still am unsure why he told us Igm 23 isn't significant.

-Kari

Kari - I'm thinking with your research, you most likely know who Dr. Horowitz is?
Take a look at this article - he lists the bands that are significant.

www.publichealthalert.org/-interview-with-dr-horowitz.html

"We need to examine the ticks and find out which organisms and strains of these infections (bacteria, viruses and parasites) are in the ticks in each state, and then create more region-specific Western Blots. This may help improve the sensitivity of these tests. Then in making the diagnosis, we can't rely on CDC criteria, which is intended for health departments to epidemiologically screen large populations; We need to teach doctors how to make a clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease after ruling out other diseases, supporting that diagnosis by finding borrelia-specific bands on the Western Blot, which show evidence of exposure. This would include finding the 23(OspC), 31(OspA), 34(OspB), 39, and 83-93 kDa bands on the Western Blot. If the patient has classic Lyme symptoms such as migrating joint and muscle pain, with good days and bad days, and symptoms that come and go, made better or worse with antibiotics, you need to use your clinical judgment and recognize that those are classic Lyme symptoms."

I have definitely read about him! But what is the difference between those Igenex bands and the tests that would test for all other tick born diseases? And is it a bad sign that they were negative?

-Kari

I'm not sure if she was tested for any co-infections? I'm guessing that's what he tested for with this blood test? The Igenex test showed IGG 18,66 and Igm 23 present, abnormal. Which is why we pursued the LLMD. We thought it meant SOMETHING. All these co infections, etc are so confusing.

-Kari

I am trying to get both my mom and sister to understand that this very well could be Lyme disease. I am thouroughly convinced that jt is. My mom told me she doesn't think it is because her right arm is getting worse. I explained to her the herxing. I also showed her the videos that traveler gave me the link to.

I just feel like I'm alone in this. I'm not sure why.

-Kari

I have watched it and told her about it. I just really feel like this is it. Just sucks being the only one to feel like that I guess!

Yes - but I've had it full body like that as well.

Is she taking any magnesium? A lot of times, something like magnesium orotate will help with muscle issues - 'quivering', cramping, twitching.

I think it's kind of safe to say that most of us feel pretty alone in this, as Girlie said, it's steep learning curve, and so it won't make a lot of sense to those that aren't trying to understand HOW it could be these infections.

One thing to ask - and I'm very, very sorry to put it this way - but ask them if they would rather accept the death sentence that is ALS or to try to see if it's these infections that are commonly misdiagnosed as things like ALS, MS, and more. Seriously - what has she got to loose?

With her test results and symptoms, I would be fairly confident that she has these infections, which is why we keep trying to help you find ways to not only get her the meds and supplements she needs, but to help you through this - so we aren't giving you false hope, or just saying that everyone has these infections (although they are very prominent in nearly every country now).

Something I do need to tell you though is that we will need to start a new thread very soon - long threads are hard on our servers. I can start a new thread for you, or you can do this yourself. It's helpful to put a link in the new thread linking it to the old one for those that come along searching for answers to situations very similar to this - but we can be of help with that as well if you should wish.