Hi Cynm,
Welcome to our little community!
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I wouldn't suggest that you see an ID doc at all - even though one would think that's what is needed in this instance! They don't believe the scientific studies that have been done that say a month or two of abx is far from being enough to stop this incredibly complex infection! They often don't use abx that are in high enough dosages to actually kill the bacteria, it frequently only keeps them from replicating.
Instead I would highly recommend that you see a doctor that has had training from ILADS -International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. Those docs are known as LLMD's, Lyme Literate Medical Doctors.
For information on finding a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor(LLMD) in your area, you can start a new thread titled something like:"Looking for LLMD in the _______ area." Although you will need to enable your email option in your profile in order to receive any recommendations, as we don't allow doctor's names and contact info to be posted on the forum for several reasons. You can enable your email option in your profile, under 'edit profile'. Be sure to click the submit button to actually save your preference.
You can also email our long time member, Dan's Mother at:
[email protected] You can also email Stephanie at:
[email protected] You can also go to:
www.turnthecorner.org/ 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) trained doctor, as ID Docs (Infectious Disease Doctors) believe Lyme is hard to catch and easy to treat, and don't believe in the reality of chronic Lyme. The ILADS site is another great place to read to get you started on your Lyme journey.
www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/treatment_guidelines_clearing_ilads.html If you haven't already, it would be helpful for you to start with reading through the thread at the top of the forum titled,
"New to Lyme?...Start here!!", as it is packed full of important information, symptom lists (as Lyme rarely occurs by itself), helpful links and pdf's, how to detox when one has these infections, and a list of questions that you can ask any doctor that you are seeking treatment from!
We also have a pretty good search function on this forum to help you narrow down your search for information from past posts. We must be our own health advocates now and the best thing to arm yourself with is knowledge about
our infections and the different ways to treat them!
These infections are so prevalent - in epidemic levels actually - that more than just ticks now carry these diseases. Any insect that bites and draws blood and survives to bite again can now spread these diseases: spiders, biting flies of all types, mosquitoes, fleas, and now even bed bugs, to name a few.
Be sure you are eating food just before you take your abx, as you will need to protect your stomach. Even though most people will tell you to take your abx on an empty stomach, they aren't taking into consideration the size of the dose. By eating just before taking your abx, it will only slow down the absorption of it slightly.
Please be sure to educate yourself on these diseases. An educated person can be a much more effective advocate for themselves!