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Can we talk about syphilis for a moment (only because it's a spirochete)??

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Posted 6/20/2009 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
menshealth.about.com/od/sexualdiseasesstds/a/syphilis_treat.htm

Is a link describing treatment.

Anyone game for a discussion. If treatment in in primary and secondary cures it, what happens in tertiary.

BTW, syphilis can lay dormant for 50 years...
Posted 6/20/2009 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
I'm out on a discussion for right now, Hoping (leaving for awhile), but I did a little reading on syphillis myself, simply because of the similarities of the diseases. It's very interesting. I also read about a Dr who won a Nobel prize because he injected syphillis patients w/ malaria, so they would get a spiking fever, which would 'cure' the syphillis. some of his patients died, tho...... Fortunately, penicillin was discovered shortly after.

Still, interesting about the fever. That is why I don't believe in treating a fever unless it's gone dangerously high, or you MUST go to work or something. So that's our 'cyclical' fever -- when the spirochetes are reproducing, our body produces a fever in an attempt to kill them.

I will read your treatment link when I come home, because I think this is very interesting and we ought to be learning about treatments from this disease!
Posted 6/21/2009 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
You know what else I found out is that if it's tertiary syphilis AND neuro, they do a spinal tap before treatment and then again AFTER.

That way they know treatment is done.

The test for syphilis must be accurate then.

I think spinal taps are dangerous, but then I'm not a doctor. Only a Lyme infected (and maybe co-infected) patient.
Posted 6/21/2009 5:46 AM (GMT 0)
my nuero wants me to have a spinal tap on thr. i'll still not sure i want to go thro this tho.

i cant say for sure as i am new to all this, my understanding is kinds like lyme is syphilis with armor in a way.

if why can treat you for syohilis and they are the same kinda why doesnt the treatment for 1 not work for the other.hence at the armor
Posted 6/21/2009 6:45 AM (GMT 0)
Didn't any of you get tested for syphilis? I guess an LLMD would be the only one to rule this out. I was tested twice for it already just to rule it out.

RD: Why are they wanting to do a spinal tap? I've had one done and it wasn't bad at all. I didn't feel a thing. I got all worked up for nothing. I did however hurt pretty bad after, in my muscle for about 3 months.
Posted 6/21/2009 7:00 AM (GMT 0)
CG, from what i was told its to see what stage of lyme i have. looking for anitbodies in my spinal floids.

reson why i do not want this done is becouse when i was 5 i fell out a 2 story window and landed on my back. i was told to never have anything done to my back. i could wind up in a wheelchair. i cant even do situps cause of it. i also bubbled 2 dic in my back in a car wreck.

so needless to say i am more then scared to have this done.
Posted 6/21/2009 7:05 AM (GMT 0)
RD,

From what I have read, spinal taps are the least likely to find Lyme. I think they are less likely that the Western Blot.
Posted 6/21/2009 7:08 AM (GMT 0)
not acording to my flippinf Dr.s and i am not sure i will have it done anyways. only way i would even think of haven it done is if they promisted to treat me for lyme. also i guess to rule out MS for sure. as i do have the lesions.
Posted 6/21/2009 7:27 AM (GMT 0)
at least they are doing something!!!!!
Posted 6/21/2009 7:48 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, ruling out MS would hopefully make them want to treat you for Lyme. It's just such a big step and I guess I don't want it to go downhill for you some more. Ticker could tell you alot more about the negatives of doing a spinal tap for Lyme.


Veronica: Yes, they are doing something but how will this affect her. I am thinking about her outcome, not whether they are doing something or not.
Posted 6/21/2009 11:47 AM (GMT 0)
If it's CNS Lyme, wouldn't a spinal tap at least confirm it?

And if they do find an antibody or whatever they look for, then you may be put on IV antibiotics.

Get ready to start healing RD!

Another thing RD, have you tried reading glasses? I'm not sure how old you are or if, like me, you're in the twighlight zone when it comes to vision...don't really need reader, really need readers. Can't tell.

Anyways, glasses help this situation A LOT. If you even have an astigmatism and perfect vision, I believe an adjustment with glasses helps!

Take care RD! We are all pullin' for you here.

Anyways, syphilis is back on the rise. I don't believe I've been tested for it. But yeah, I had a friend once who was an intern at the medical college here and she was diagnosinig it at all stages she claims. She dealt with a lot of indigent folk. But still, remember the old commercial "VD IS FOR EVERYONE!"

I digress.

It's Sunday so let's all take a break for Lyme and co-infections.....
Posted 6/21/2009 11:53 AM (GMT 0)
Want to know what THE VERY FIRST THING 8 various doctors said to me after first testing positive for LYME DISEASE?

"WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE SYPHILLUS!"

It got to the point where I'd just walk in and say to the doctor....., "Oh, by the way, I don't have syphillus!"

Posted 6/21/2009 4:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hoping,

I'm not sure, so don't quote me but I think its less than 5% that they find Lyme by doing a spinal tap. I'm not trying to tell her not to do it. I want her to get treatment. She is a friend. I just DONT want it to slap her smack in the face if they don't find Lyme and then they say, 'well, you don't have Lyme...your WB was a false positive'. Then she'll never get treatment. THAT is what I am concerned about.
Posted 6/21/2009 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
CG, I appricate your concern. and yes I count you as 1 of my friends too. they can not tell me I dont have lyme from this test. as i do have a positive IgM test already. I will also try and get the nuero to treat me insted of the ID. he has already told me he didnt think i had MS. so i dont belive this is what he is looking for in the tap. guess i should start a new thread on spilan tap

as for syphilis i know i do not have this cause i used to give blood up till i found out i had lyme. they check for everything but lyme. much to my dismay. but what i qustion in the treatemnt of it is can it not aply to lyme to help us. as they seem so much alike in many ways.
Posted 6/23/2009 3:27 PM (GMT 0)
RD, I assume that your neuro doc knows your history (falling from the window and car accident) what does he/she say about the risk of doing a spinal tap?  Does he want to do it just to "confirm" your LD?  What about a clinical diagnosis that even the CDC says LD should be?  Take Care, KO
Posted 6/23/2009 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
KO, he wants to ckeck for insimes like minagintes so on, and yes i told him of my back troubles , he didnt seem conserned about that tho. i'm going by what i have been told by a bone and jont Dr. who i whent to for the bubbled dics 20 yrs ago. i did call today and they are not doing the LP thr. just a electo dencaty test on my legs. thinks i have low blood flow in them.

he even stated i tested positive for new expocer to lyme from my test. there is no LLMD in my part of Tx. and the Dr.s here do not belive in it. stating there is no lyme here.

i just found out there was a child just Dx with lyme here and never traviled. so they need to wake up. it is here and its going to get worse. i just hope i can hang in there long enough for them to wake up and treat me for it.
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