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Posted 3/31/2016 3:55 PM (GMT 0)
Hi All,

Some of you may remember me from a couple of years ago, when I was in the depths of despair from this stupid disease and several co-infections (Babesia being the worst). My anxiety was so bad that it felt physically painful at times. It was brutal. So, so brutal!

Since then I've been treating with a combination of abx, antiparasitics (Mepron and Malarone) and herbals. In January of this year, I had been symptom-free for more than 3 months (YaY!), so I ended treatment, under the supervision of my naturopath. In early March I pulled two ticks off of myself. Augggghhhhhh!!!!!!!

Got an RX for doxy and have been taking it for about 2 weeks. Almost immediately I noted symptoms coming back, but mildly. First was mild anxiety. The next day, some head pressure. Then little aches and pains started to show up one at a time. Today, I feel like I have the flu. Neck, shoulders, knees are all sore, and I feel head pressure. Mild headache.

My gut tells me this isn’t a new infection, but rather herxing from the old infection which began to get a grip again during the month or so I wasn’t treating. The ticks I pulled off weren’t engorged at all, though they WERE deer ticks. I live about ½ hour from Lyme, CT.

The old infection was probably on board for more than 20 years before I began treatment. My gut tells me that it wasn’t thoroughly wiped out and I’m herxing from these deep-seated, firmly-established critters that are still hiding out despite the more than 2 years of treatment. I’m leaning toward finishining up the doxy, then resuming herbal treatment for Lyme. Thoughts? Oh, and I just want to add--CRAP!
Posted 3/31/2016 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
Wow sorry you are going through this again. But maybe it is just a minor setback. Sounds like you were able to make a lot ground conquering it the first time, I believe you will again. I'm not as knowledgeable as some of the other folks on this forum but try detoxing a lot, and keep up with your protocols that worked for you the last time. I wish you all the best.
Posted 3/31/2016 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Notquitesoscared!
First of all, I agree, CRAP! I too got bit again and am back in treatment once more. Gets tiring! LOL!

It's possible that your immune system hadn't just quite recovered yet when you were bit - the ticks don't have to be engorged to spread these infections. There are studies that have been done that show the Lyme bacteria in a tick's saliva:
"We describe 3 cases in which transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal agent of Lyme disease, appears to have occurred in less than 24 h based on the degree of tick engorgement, clinical signs of acute infection, and immunologic evidence of acute Lyme disease."
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0732889311004159

Active spirochetes were observed by phase-contrast microscopy as early as 3 days after inoculating BSKII
medium with tick saliva"

jcm.asm.org/content/32/3/755.full.pdf

But I believe you should go with what your gut tells you - you know your body better than anyone else!
Posted 3/31/2016 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
I am so very sorry. This is a huge fear of mine especially since spring is here and the snow is gone and it is time to play outside.

Hopefully you can get this back into remission quickly.
Posted 3/31/2016 9:26 PM (GMT 0)
I've been sleeping since I got home from work. So wiped out. So Traveler, you seem to be suggesting that I contracted a new infection from these latest bites because my immune system isn't up to snuff yet. Possible, of course. My LLMD gave me 30 days of doxy at 100 mg BID. I haven't kept up with the latest literature. Does that sound sufficient to knock out any potential new infection, if that's what this is? I plan to do at least another 2 months of CSA after this--Crypto, Sida Acuta and the name of the third one escapes me at the moment. Any thoughts re whether this might be enough?
Posted 3/31/2016 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
No, I'm sorry, 200 mgs of Doxy daily is not enough. On the earliest of cases, 300 mgs a day might be enough for some people, but not 200 mgs daily - but it will get you started on treatments. But do realize that Doxy isn't good for Babesia last I heard.

The herb name you were looking for is Alchornea cordifolia. That's Buhner's core protocol for Babesia, according to his website, but he has a new book out that is more up to date that you likely should look into. You can check your local library to see if they happen to have a copy (don't forget inter-library loans too!), or you can get his e-book (Kindle version) for around $10 on Amazon, or maybe an even better price elsewhere. That way you have his latest research on it.

I would encourage you to not put a time limit on how long you treat - instead treat until you have gone without symptoms for about 2 months. Then stop the treatments and see how you are doing. If you have symptoms return within a few months, then you would need to restart treatments again and repeat (treat until 2 months past the resolution of symptoms).
Posted 4/1/2016 1:14 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, I didn't think 200 mg. of doxy was enough for a new tick bite. But it should help keep any new infection from getting firmly established, shouldn't it? In the meantime, I can look up Buhner's revised core protocol and get started on that. I have amoxicillin here that is still good. Do you think it would be a good idea to get started on that? Will that kill off any potential co-infections? Anyone know if it's safe to combine it with the doxy?
Posted 4/1/2016 4:11 AM (GMT 0)
I entered doxy and amoxy into the drug interaction website:

www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php

It said combining those two could reduce the effects of amoxicillin.

Are you taking the regular amoxicillin - or amoxi-clavulanate?

Are you taking probenecid with the amoxicillin? It is a medication that is taken with amoxi to keep the level of amoxi in the blood higher for longer period. (Amoxicillin has a short half life of one hour)
Posted 4/1/2016 11:07 AM (GMT 0)
I hope you beat this!
Similar stories, from CT and but recently in the middle of treatment 😢
But, wait....200 mg of doxy isn't enough?? That's what I've been on for my bite from last year...biaxin 4 months, doxy the last two...and I'm not getting better....now I guess I know why!!!

Would you mind emailing me your LLMD? I've had an awful time finding one...the well known ones all booking months and months out...and now my youngest child has been dx.

I really wish you the best in your treatment. Love this state, but hate the risks...pulled a tick off my son after only sitting on our front porch, not even near grass/woods/bushes or shrubbery 😕
Posted 4/1/2016 12:32 PM (GMT 0)
SummerLindsey--I hear you. I love this state too--lived here all my life. But probably been sick with Lyme and Co. for the majority of my life, too. :( I'll try to figure out how to email you the name of my doc.

Girlie--not sure whether it's amoxy or amoxi-clavulanate. I'm at work. I'll have to check when I get home. I've never had probenecid prescribed with amoxi, either. God--aren't the doctors supposed to be the ones who know what they're doing? So frustrating!

Edited to add--SummerLindsey, it looks like your email isn't enabled? If you enable it I'll email you that info.

Also, I just noticed my signature. I have to change it. My dog, Chelsea, did get the surgery that she needed on her ear. Unfortunately she also contracted some kind of systemic bacterial infection during the surgery, and had to be put down about 8 months later. Poor little girl. She had chronic Lyme and I highly suspect this contributed to both her chronic ear infections and the eventual infection that killed her.

Post Edited (notquitesoscared13) : 4/1/2016 6:36:23 AM (GMT-6)

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