I want to test my kids...

I'm starting to think my kids have also have lyme. They aren't "sick" per se, but its not that hard to believe that they might. We've been going to Martha's vineyard for 20 years and they both have multiple strange, seemingly non-related medical things that only I am putting together that they might be infected (husband doesn't believe in any lyme stuff). My oldest son said he started feeling manic/depressive lately and has become somewhat aggressive. He also ripped up the cartilage in his knee last March and he doesn't remember doing anything special. He also says he's tired all the time and has no stamina, and has swollen glands. He had to have major surgery this past Dec. and then promptly dropped out of college.

My 14 year old has random migraines, vertigo, has carpal tunnel, plus has the pinpoint rashes off and on...he doesn't complain at all. I heard them talking that they both had muscle twitches, and they were like, "how weird!" They didn't know I was listening. Anytime I have brought up the possibility of Lyme, I get shut down pretty quickly. Now that I am better, they have said they were sorry that they thought I was crazy. My husband didn't do me any favors in that area.

I'm pretty sure my husband battles lyme and doesn't know it. He has prostatitis, battles depression, has a stiff shoulder that doesn't respond to treatment, IBS and gut issues and recently he told me he couldn't do the Spock sign with his fingers anymore. When I showed him my pruney fingers back in January, he said, they look fine. look mine are just like yours. ***!!!???

The pediatrician ordered western blots, but they both refused to go to the lab and husband wouldn't back me up. I was thinking of giving them a dose of cat's claw tincture just to see what happened. Is this just crazy? Would they react from one dose, let's say a dropper full? Please be honest with me. What would you do?

Sometimes hard love is the best love. Perhaps you need to paint a picture of what their lives may be like in the future if they do not handle this now. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. Ask your husband how he would feel if his children were incapacitated in the future because nothing was done now? Tell him that there is nothing to lose with getting them tested, but everything to gain---making sure that they can live the rest of their lives happy and healthy after treatment (if necessary). Tell him it's ok to gamble with his life, but it's not fair to gamble with the lives of your children. Sorry....but sometimes you just have to go there.

cr3ativegirl--

I agree with all of the posts. I doubt one dose is going to tell you much on less it was a provocative dose... and that might not be a good idea.

But some tough love is also in order, as already suggested, for you and them.

Those are not normal experiences for healthy kids. Period.

Every day that passes without treatment, the infections have an opportunity to do its damage. Is it guaranteed? No - but who knows what is really going on until you do some investigation. At the very least, they can cooperate and do one test.

If it's negative, they can search on the internet for the causes of their symptoms (and with the exception of the "catch-all" pseudo-diagnoses of fibro and CFS, if it isn't Lyme, the alternatives are usually scarier).

This isn't the time to be the nice guy so that everyone gets along. This is the time to act.

You probably know how to make this such an issue they'll be relieved to not hear about it anymore and just get the test done and over with. It shouldn't be all on you--but it is. You're right to be worried and you're doing the right thing.

Let us know if there is any way we can help you...

-p

I think you are doing the right thing, lyme/coinfections is highly likely given what you are saying. It sucks that your husband is not backing you up on this. But trialing herbal antimicrobials and gauging for a herx reaction as confirmation for the infections is a good idea.

I just found out that my mom who is overall functional but has terrible back pain and has skin issues likely has lyme/coinfections. I put her on samento/banderol, not thinking she had lyme, but to see if it would help her skin rashes, and she ended up herxing. Her skin has gotten much better since she's been on these products.

I'd like her to see a good lyme doctor to help guide her treatments. She's been blown away with her response to the herbals, and now agrees she likely has lyme (she has always been my strongest advocate and supporter so she "gets" these diseases). She's never had a bulls-eye rash or known tick bites, but we've lived in many places. Some months ago she was put on doxy for some issue, and she had a terrible reaction. She never told me about it, but mentioned it to me once she started the herbs and had the same reaction. She was like, HOLY CRAP! I wasn't having a side effect from doxy, I was herxing! Pretty amazing. I'm not 100% sure she has lyme or if it is some other infection(s), but I would feel better if she could get professional guidance and supervision in her treatments.

I've also just found out that my ex-gf is dealing with lyme, and her mother, who has been diagnosed as early onset dementia also has lyme. My ex-gf is very aware of these diseases given her intimate knowledge of my history, so after her mom's early onset dementia dx she pushed for the lyme test from her GP. And when they refused she cited Kris Kristofferson's misdiagnosis and that supposedly clinched the deal. Both she and her mom herxed from herbal antimicrobials, which helped confirm that there are underlying infections.

If your doctor is hesitant to do the proper testing, I would assume (given symptoms and the area of the country in which you live) that you all have lyme. Depression/raging/bipolar behaviour is very indicative of bartonella infection, while vertigo is often a symptom of babesia. If you have any or all of these infections, your family likely has them all too.

If I was you I would invest in both of Buhner's coinfection books (babesia and bartonella), as well as his new 2nd edition of the lyme book. Start reading.

If you can't find a doctor that will properly help you, you will be better off treating yourselves.

I had a horrendous reaction to cat's claw at the beginning of our journey. I couldn't use either my elbows or knees for at least a week. K didn't react at all.

1000Daisies said...
FWIW - I eventually tested all of my kids, and they were all positive for lyme. I recently was tested, and I was also positive. I believe I passed this on to my children in utero/breastfeeding, despite being rather functional and not nearly as sick as many others.

I know this board values IGENEX, as I do too. But I'll be honest in saying that I've been a bit disappointed in IGENEX recently. I've been doing Advanced Labs testing the past few years. For me, I just skipped IGENEX and went straight to Advanced Labs (mine was positive after an extended culture).

Wishing you the very best for you and your family. I know the challenges when it comes to having a family/kids who are sick. My heart goes out to you!

I think it has a lot more to do with Igenex being the 'first' to do the reliable testing so we just got used to recommending them - and I have to admit when I'm dealing with brain fog, I'm lucky to remember Igenex!! LOL! Stony Brook labs was the second lab to do reliable testing, I believe and once in a while I can remember them, but for some reason, without some kind of a prompt, I don't think of Advanced Labs, although I've heard a lot of good things about their testing.

Please feel free to mention the other labs any time!