is this die off?

I was just diagnosed with Lyme Disease about 5 weeks ago. I think I've had it for many, many years. My doctor has not yet put me on antibiotics yet. I'm on Ivermectin right now, as well as about 24 supplements. He said that he's going to start the antibiotics the next time I see him -- in 2 weeks.

I had anticipated die off. But I guess I didn't think it would feel this way. Since I've been on the slew of stuff that my doctor has prescribed, I've most just been exhausted -- really, really, really exhausted. (I wasn't nearly this tired before treatment). And whereas before I'd have flare-ups in my hips, si joints, and pubic symphysis that were painful, but would go away, I now constantly ache in those places. (It's not pain -- it's just a really annoying ache that makes it hard to sit in a chair and hard to get comfortable at night.) And I also have bouts of nausea.

But it's been five weeks of this -- since I started on all of this. Is this normal? Should I just expect this to be my new normal throughout treatment? Will it get worse when I start on antibiotics?

I'm on medical leave from work this semester. (I work at a university.) But I'm panicked that this will continue into next semester. I guess I'm getting ahead of myself. One day at a time...

Hi Pricklyromp!
Welcome to our community!

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, a list of questions that you can ask any doctor that you are seeking treatment from and so much more.

The die off is to be expected - as the Lyme bacteria die, they put off toxins and our bodies can be overwhelmed by them, so we always suggest that members detox. As I mentioned above, we have some good detoxing suggestions in our "New to Lyme?" thread.

Eating just as healthy as you possibly can will be very helpful too - less toxins in means less toxins that your body has to deal with. Limit your foods to as few processed foods as possible, little to no sugar, and be sure to drink as close to 64 ounces of lemon water a day as you can get to help keep those toxins moving so they can be flushed out of your system.

oh...and diet is super important. Your body is dealing with such a huge load of toxins that you need to eliminate what you can. My LLMD recommends glueten free, soy free, sugar and artificial sweetner free, only organic fruits and veggies and meat with no steroids or antibiotics.