Posted 4/15/2012 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
Generally, doing a spinal tap to look for lyme is pretty unreliable, usually moreso than the blood test if I'm not mistaken. I don't know too much about it other than I had it done many years ago and it was negative, despite the fact that I have a positive blood test now.
Most doctors agree at this point that doxy by itself isn't enough to eradicate the infection - the bacteria can take on forms without a cell wall, which doxy is ineffective against. Biofilms can also be a problem - little colonies that protect the bacteria from the immune system. My LLMD only had me on doxy in the beginning (as well as supplements), presumably because she didn't want to do too much too soon.
I wouldn't put too much value in your PCP's opinion on lyme - if a doctor hasn't taken a special interest in lyme disease, he/she won't know about any of the advances in research and treatment that have occurred since they've gone through medical training. Being on this side of the controversy, I can no longer understand how a medical doctor could be so oblivious about something that's getting so much attention, and I do believe the issue is changing, slowly but surely, but at this point you really can't invest much in a primary doctor as far as lyme disease goes - and just be careful! All too often uninformed - albeit often well-meaning - doctors lead patients astray!