positive Igenex--lyme & rickettsia. need help.

Hello binx,

Welcome to the forum! As you say you have been around us for a long time, I will dispense with all the usual things we say to newbies.

Congratulations on getting some clear test results and being ble to start treatment program.

I do believe that you have not started to feel better yet because that was a rather low dose of doxy. It was just enough to get your body fighting Lyme and rickettsia. Your body produced antibodies which were then discernible by the test. But by fighting the disease you started to release toxins that made you feel ill.

Have you started to detox regularly? You have been around the forum to know that we are always talking about that -- and that is because it works. Keep in mind that these toxins also can effect your mood a great deal which maybe why you aren't seeing this development in a positive light.

It sounds like you are in very capable hands both because you have a very good doctor and a supportive spouse. I also think that part of your reticence is the disease speaking. I have noticed this with myself and other Lyme patients here and that I meet. At several points you find you are talking yourself out of treatment. There is no logic to it but it is a strong feeling. It's best to focus on what you have to get better for-- the life you would like to lead free of your tick borne infections.

thank you Lymester, achievinggrace, and springsjean for taking the time to respond to my post. i appreciate all your insight and support regarding my situation given the limited amount of information i provided.

i don't want to bore you with too many of the details of my story, but i will try to be succinct. i'm 43 and have been dealing with acute symptoms--overall malaise, fatigue, muscle weakness (primarily on my left side), vision problems, night sweats, palpitations, numbness, tingling, nausea, headaches, irregular menstrual cycle, abnormal lactation, etc. etc.--since january 2009. i've been to over 30 doctors, have had 8 MRIs and have been screened for MS, lupus, etc. last year my neuro put me on a 3-day solumedrol infusion and that nearly killed me.

all that testing has revealed is severe degenerative disc disease and bulging discs throughout the length of my spine (an MRI revealed bulges and a cervical herniated disc compressing my spinal cord), inflammation in the arteries that feed my optic nerves (not optic neuritis), two small cysts on my thyroid, and inflammation in my salivary glands labeled chronic sclerosing sialadenitis (distinct from sjögren's syndrome). i had a cervical discectomy in december '10 to repair the herniated disc in my neck, and hoped it would help me feel better though i knew it wouldn't. a week later, i developed two DVTs in my lower left leg. i was on coumadin therapy until last month. now i am just taking a daily baby aspirin and ginkgo.

i don't recall a tick bite or rash.

i have a very supportive husband and an almost 6-year-old. i am hanging by a thread emotionally and physically. my husband says we don't have anything to lose by pursuing the desensitization and pursuing treatment. he's right, i know, but i am still feeling apprehensive about the process.

i did go through a detox process about a year ago, but have since backslid. i need to get back on the wagon since i know it is very important. i was actually considering a juice fast, but i don't know if my system can handle it right now. i feel very fragile.

i didn't realize that 200mg of doxy was below the standard doseage for killing bugs. i guess it makes sense though given my response. i was just afraid it wasn't doing anything and i was just worsening for worsening's sake.

thank you, again, for your replies. i will definitely stick around and try to keep you updated once i am able to unstick myself from the mental mud that is keeping me from moving forward. it's interesting to note what achievinggrace said about my reticence being part of the disease. it doesn't surprise me.

with gratitude,
binx