New to Lyme-need LLMD

Hi.  I am looking for a LLMD in the state of Arkansas.  I am very rural, the only two "cities" available to me are Hot Springs and Fort Smith, AR (preferrably Hot Springs).  I would appreciate your help.

Also, a few questions--I have been diagnosed with H. pylor and am currently going through my second triple therapy (on day 9 of 14 and not feeling better).  I have so many symptoms that seem outside the realm of H. pylori and VERY much more like Lyme.  What started as GI complaints have now progressed to muscle spasms, intermittent vision loss, urinary frequency and migratory joint pains, to name just a few.  I have not been diagnosed with Lyme but really think it is likely--I have definitely been bitten by ticks multiple times. 

I need help finding a doctor who will take me seriously.  My current family doctor will not listen when I tell her my symptoms are getting worse and more and more bizarre.  Also, there is absolutely no indivisualized care there--they are a busy office and I am getting brushed off--"we can only deal with one symptom at a visit..." I have seen her often recently.  Also saw a dentist for jaw/tooth pain--nothing wrong with my teeth, an ophthalmologist for vision problems--nothing wrong with my eyes!  I'm desperate for help.  I get vertigo that has me hanging onto the couch for dear life, floaters in my vision even when my vision is otherwise almost normal, severe neck spasms and jaw pain, etc., etc., etc.  The migratory joint pain is now in my sacroiliac, keeping me very inactive.  Previously it was in the thumb and fingers of left hand.

For general info, I Was previously a very Healthy and Health Conscious person!  Normal weight (although I'm losing weight at an alarming rate), healthy diet, (previously) plenty of exercise, etc.  The only deficiency that has been found in my blood work is low-normal vitamin D.  Otherwise, everything else within normal limits. 

I have no insurance and not much money at all to spend on doctors.  Any info leading me in the right direction for a doctor in my area would be so appreciated.  Thank you.

 

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Any comments maybe? Please.

Hi Greenspark,

I don't know of any doctors personally in the area, but have you tried the LLMD search via the LDA? That may be a good place to start.

I can understand not having insurance and trying to pay. It is very stressful as testing and treatment for Lyme are very costly. I think the first place to start would be to have an Igenex western blot. It's about $200. Then perhaps the LLMD you find will be able to clinically diagnose for co-infections.

Weight loss can be attributed to many things, but in my case, the severe rapid weight loss was due to babesia.

Hi greenspark - welcome to the forum! I'm so sorry it's taken so long for one of us mods to come along and greet you!

Unfortunately, most doctors who don't specialize in lyme disease brush it off. Your symptoms do sound like they could be lyme and/or co-infections - specifically, GI vision, and urinary symptoms are often associated with the co-infection bartonella. You have some options. Generally, we suggest a lyme literate medical doctor, as the tend to be the best trained in treating these diseases, but as tickledpink pointed out, it can be a bit expensive. We can certainly do our best to help you find a LLMD, though I'd suggest looking around - internet research, asking around, whatever - for some kind of alternative/holistic health practitioner who's lyme-literate. When in doubt, just call them up and ask!

There are also herbal/natural protocols you can do at home - look into Cowden, Buhner, Zhang, and Jernigan - though this can be quite a challenge and it really, really does help to have a practitioner helping you along the way, able to perform tests and deal with complications as the arise. If there's anyone who can help you out financially, please do take advantage of that. Lyme can be successfully treated, however it really is important to treat it promptly and thoroughly.

In the meantime, we all strongly advocate adopting some sort of (or several!) detoxification strategies - sounds like you're already in a good place to start, being health conscious, but with lyme, we really need to step it up! When the lyme bacteria die off, we're left with extra "junk" (call them toxins, or whatever you like) that we have to clear up. On top of all the rest of the toxins we have to deal with. Often on top of other toxin conditions that tend to link up with lyme disease. There is some information in the "new to lyme" thread put together by our members here about detoxing - that's a great place to start! Lots of us here love the epsom salt baths. You can also find plenty of information in books and all over the internet.

One more thing - please make sure your email address is available through the profile section, that way if any of our members want to suggest a doctor, they can send you a recommendation.

For information on finding a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor(LLMD) in your area, please email our long time member, Dan's Mother at:
[email protected]

If you'd like more doctor suggestions, you can email stephanie at: [email protected] You can also go to: www.turnthecorner.org/bod.htm if you want to learn a little bit more about Lyme Disease.

You can also go to The Lyme Disease Association and search for LLMD's 3 times in a month. You have to register first. Here is the link: www.lymediseaseassociation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=277&Itemid=74

You will want to find an ILADS (International Lyme And Associated Diseases Society) doctor. The ILADS site is a great place to read to get you started on your Lyme journey.
www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/treatment_guidelines_clearing_ilads.html

Best of luck - we're here to help however we can!

Thanks for the replies. I'm taking in everything posted. That was a typo on the hct. Supposed to be 39.2, not 3902. The magnesium was 2.0 mg/dL.

On 09/19, my husband had to call an ambulance and I spent a few hours in the ER. I got dizzy when I was walking into my home office, the floor tilted and I found myself on the floor with facial twitching and inability to speak for a while. They did standard CBC and comprehensive metabolic panel and did not find anything out of the ordinary. Also, my left side was weak. I thought possibly stroke or seizure. They did a CT of head but that was just to look for intracranial bleed because I didn't know if I hit my head on the way down. They weren't concerned with what the CT showed. Also an EKG was done that only showed the PVCs, PACs that I already knew I had. I was released with a rx for
Antivert for the dizziness. No answers.

When I was in the hospital, my abdomen (along the sides) went into spasm (rock-hard ropes) but they did not care or even attempt to feel what I was talking about (because that had nothing to do with my fainting, and that's why I was there).

My supportive family (husband and son) have to be getting sick of the fact that my illness is all i can talk about anymore. I feel like I'm driving them away. This has become so all consuming and only someone who has experienced bizarre chronic illness could understand. Maybe I'm crazy and these are all psychosomatic symptoms related to stress??????????? I wonder, though, who would not be stressed if they were the ones whose lives were falling apart. I have never needed validation the way I do at this low point.

I have an appointment scheduled with a new doctor on Tuesday. I don't even know at this point how to approach him about the other symptoms besides the H. pylori (the only thing I can "prove" is wrong with me)--I don't want him to think I'm a crazy person, as I feel everyone else is beginning to think. Maybe I'll only ask about the H. pylori and the muscle spasming and just touch on the fact that there are other symptoms I'm worried about. Such a puzzle, so much time slipping by without a diagnosis, so much more possibly irreversible damage being done to my body, relationships weakened, my confidence in myself shaken and feeling that this world is a cold and lonely place with no one to whom I can turn for help. I pray constantly. Very difficult time.

Greenspark I just saw this website on another group http://needymeds.com/ perhaps you can use it for help with medications.

hi you can email me if you need one in tennessee. I know of 1 about 8 or 9 hours from you.