Self Treating - Who is successfully treating without the help of an LLMD?

Just wondering who all is self treating, and if you feel successful?

I've learned a lot over the last year, researching EVERY DAY. I'm wondering if I can save $600 per month by skipping the LLMD.

Seems the last five months, my appointments consist of me making recommendations in my protocol, and my doctor saying to give it a try. That's it!

What about a new LLMD?

$600 a month is a lot especially if you’re having to make recommendations


If you go to the J clinic it’s not that much per appt and they’re generally 3-4 months apart. (And he’s one of the most experienced Lyme docs)

Self treating with abx is a challenge - I did it for a year.
But I had a GP who did regular labs to monitor kidney, liver function etc


Are you thinking about self treating with herbs?

I am seeing a lyme doc in all honestly I’m not sure why sometimes, I tell him which herbs I’m taking and what I may have added in etc and he usually just says, yes just keep doing what your doing, cha ching!! Charges me for that advice.

He agrees that I should continue on the herbs as opposed to pharmaceutical antibiotics, maybe I would feel I get more out of him if I was on the pharma stuff.

I feel like I’m self treating but with his ok in the background. I’ve even started to get my blood work done through gp, just like to have him lingering in the background. He also does 15 min phone consults so maybe I can opt for that when I feel there’s not much new to share.

Self treating, using doxy and garlic adding laurincidin Monday. Was real bad and my insurance stopped paying for my rosacea medicine so I aske the derm to give me doxy hycalate 100 for a year so that is how I have doxy. Found where a microbiologist treated himself and family with only garlic and doxy and is free after having it ten yrs. so I started it too and wow feeling better everyday. Been sick for 7 yrs knew I had it but Arkansas no one believes it exist. Girlie sent me llmd list of a few but I decided to try this first. Eat radishes for detox when I get bad herxing and going to add horseradish since I ate some on wife’s sandwich and I herded terribly, looked it up and it is a great antibiotic and biofilm buster kills cyst too. We forget the old way of doing stuff way too much. The biologist says one pill works cause after a few hrs they change their form and doxy doesn’t nothing that’s why the garlic. He said only raw and that is what I am doing. I am pulsing too 3 on doxy and one off then on again and I think it helps cause I herxing every time I start it again. But on second day on nothing till I go off and on again. The brain fog is getting better too so the B.B. theory of 100mg not working is a myth my opinion. If it is in the blood it goes to brain, doxy dose does not double it stays steady for 18 hrs even if you take two read the studies on drugs . Com. Maybe the garlic is the B.B. fixer though I do not know. The biologist said he studied it and I trust him so far because it is helping me. I drink kefir but I do think I am allergic I get real flush in face and itch and can not satisfy the itch seems deep in shoulders and my nose runs when I drink it. Do 6 oz a day for candida but garlic kills it too. Hope all of us find our health again and thanks to everyone for the advice been watching since 2011 but recently talking.

I am self-treating. Main 2 sx are vertigo and fatigue. But i feel better than 5 yrs ago.
Taking 2x/day:
(~1 tsp each) Cats Claw, Japanese Knotweed, Andrographis, Houttunia. ACV
Swish in mouth with Coconut oil once in AM
Pills 2x/day: Mimosa Pudica, 'Diet Detox' pill,  Oil of Oregano, 
Supplements 1x/day at night:
D3, C, Iron, Niacin, E, Lions Mane, Calcium, Potassium, Collagen, Fish oil, "multivit/mineral 50+"

Diet:
Chicken, Salmon, Bass
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Yam
Lettuce
Spinach leaves
Kale leaves
Radishes
Blueberries
Walnuts
Pumpkin seeds
Feta cheese
Avacado oil dressing
Garden of Life Organic Meal
Shredded Coconut
Almonds
Cashews
Clementine
Avacado
Granny smith apple
Almond butter
Green tea
Almond milk
Apple cider vinegar
Water

Deejavu said...
Hi Runninheid,

I followed Dr. Jernigan's "healing at home" protocol from his first book "Beating Lyme Disease" and followed his instructions which in turn healed me without any remaining symptoms. And that was over 12 years ago.

I don't know if that is considered self-treating since I did follow a doctor's instructions (even though they were from a book). I just ordered the remedies as well as followed the instructions in his book for detoxing, internal cleanses, coffee enemas, etc.

When I did have questions I called up the Hansa Center (where I ordered the remedies) and back then they answered my questions. I don't know if they do that anymore.

Follow your gut instincts! If you want to try an herbal protocol do your research, ask questions, and just remember that you can always go back to antibiotics!! They are not going anywhere...

Denise

Yes - definitely qualifies as self treatment.

Like it or not we are all self treating. You pay your doc he doesn't pay you.
Use them as a resource and some may be great at pone thing and not another.
For example-my St. Louis doc is great at dental and parasites-I and many think the best in the world. Is that enough-doesn't seem to be so off to a stem cell doc. My point-it may take more than one doc.

We are as a collective group (not just this forum) far more wiser in choices than the average sick person. Far more. This blows my mind how blindfolded the average public is on all health issues. They fell for the fda/big pharma pill.

Self treating. I used natural and allopathic medicine including antifungals, antihelmintics, and antibiotics obtained from India as well as some meant for animals which I found to be just fine. Keeping a dated health log of symptoms and responses to medicines was of paramount importance to succeeding.

I am off of the Rx's now (except Xanax and sometimes Ambien) but still use naturals and recently began daily ozone therapy. The ozone generator I bought works great and cant beat the price.

I have learned so much since joining this forum back in 2014. I dont know how I would have done it without everyone here to give me perspective, support, insight, and keeping me from making bad choices.

Not every decision was perfect but I was able to determine if I should discontinue something by journaling my bodys responses and learning contraindications as well as major and minor side effects of each of the many medicines used. In hindsight I wish I put more space between adding new medicines so I could be certain which one was responsible for what, but I have no regrets about what I did.

I cant say I recommend the average person do the same. Guidance is important but I had all of you wonderful forum members to help me evaluate the speed bumps. But there were times where I had to trust my intuition completely while having doubts and fears in the back of my mind. This can be a difficult combination to navigate.

I also had the luxury of time to research on pub med and other journals and would spend several hours a day doing so. I looked up every word I didnt know and learned them. The brain fog was so intense in the beginning I dont know how I was able to retain important information. I believe I also had help from an etheric realm guiding me and injecting ideas and intuition, God if you will.

I am 90% better with a persistent remaining 10% of symptoms, but am far better off. I am optimistic about my future.

Runninheid - "Just wondering who all is self treating, and if you feel successful?"

I am self-treating with Buhner's protocols. I'm in my 11th month. I do not feel successful. I am very sensitive and have multiple issues - some known, some unknown. Ongoing chronic stress has likely influenced my slow progress. I don't feel like it's a failure. I just expected it to be easier, smoother, more linear, less herxing/flares. I expected to have the kind of response sandyfeet has had. I haven't.

I do consult with an ILADS trained doctor who treats mainly with antibiotics (which I am not using). She runs tests and has done a lot that I asked for. She's made suggestions of supplements, what to focus on. Some helped. Some didn't. I don't take doctors' suggestions as orders. I consider their suggestions and implement how/when I see fit. Can't say if that is to my betterment or detriment.

The reason is I am very sensitive, and I often have different (often negative) responses to treatment than what doctors expect. I feel like none of my doctors have dug deep enough and looked at the whole picture and really tested for a lot of things. I've had very few alternative tests that others on this forum have had. While the doctors mention various tests, they haven't ordered many of them. I've had to ask for almost everything I've gotten and push and advocate, even with the alternative doctors I've seen. I feel like no one is really looking to accurately and efficiently identify and resolve my problems but me. And I'm the one paying for it.

The other issue with pay-out-of-pocket doctors is financial. If you contact them to help troubleshoot a problem or report adverse effects, it's probably going to cost you. And they are probably just going to tell you to take another expensive supplement that may/may not work.

Probably my BIGGEST pet peeve with doctors is they make assumptions about everything, including what I mean when I tell them something. They don't ask clarifying questions. They listen briefly, assume they understand what I'm telling them, and quickly make recommendations based on their half-accurate assumptions, often wasting my time and money. I find that immensely frustrating. I'm a detail oriented person. I would rather someone take longer on the front end to listen, ask, evaluate, test, THINK about what they are assuming and why, and then come up with a plan and review it with me. (I'm sure they think they actually do this.) Instead, they come up with a plan on the spot based on limited information and then alter it if I complain later about issues with it, or assume it's working (without ever asking if I even followed the plan) if I say nothing between then and the next appointment. At least this is my limited experience.

In spite of initial 2 hour appointments with the functional MD I first saw and now the LLDO I'm seeing, I did not feel like those lengthy appointments were well utilized. I have been sorely disappointed in the quality of medical care I've gotten, but have come to expect that is all I'll get. I hear others on this forum speak highly of their doctors. I don't know if their doctors are that much better, or if the patients have lower expectations/higher trust level in general. I have high expectations and low trust level. The recent reports I've read of Rare Squirrel and ArtAngel sound like they have the kind of doctor I wish I had.

I have learned so much on my own that it is painfully clear to me that doctors don't know about everything I know about and do not share my opinions on lots of things. I've learned more on here and from personal experience than I have from any doctor. I am not a very science-minded person though, and doctors know far more than I do. Getting the right exchange of information seems to be the key, and I haven't found the key yet.

Sadly, the further I get along in this, the more difficult a patient I seem to be. I know enough to be dangerous as they say, but not enough to cure myself. I guess most of us here could say that.

WBF-

WalkingbyFaith said...
Runninheid - "

Probably my BIGGEST pet peeve with doctors is they make assumptions about everything, including what I mean when I tell them something. They don't ask clarifying questions. They listen briefly, assume they understand what I'm telling them, and quickly make recommendations based on their half-accurate assumptions, often wasting my time and money. I find that immensely frustrating. I'm a detail oriented person.

.

Yep, my pet peeve........LLMDs still assuming (guessing). I certainly understand your frustrations.

Since I also take note of details (my job also requires this), I expect health professions to be detail oriented too, and they should be!! Some LLMDs dont know anymore than what can be found online. I expect more knowledge to be gained from hands on experience, guess thats not automatic.

Oh...........nice book.......