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Why treat if treatment makes you feel worse?

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Posted 2/23/2017 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
Do people who are unable to get a positive Lyme test result consider a herx reaction when starting treatment as confirmation that they have Lyme disease?
Posted 2/23/2017 10:01 PM (GMT 0)
Basically, yes. Any reaction to treatment can be a sign that they have Lyme disease - symptoms easing up or herxing. I often suggest that a person trial treatments to determine if they have an infection.
Posted 2/23/2017 10:03 PM (GMT 0)

Girlie said...
I'm not sure if it's always a threat...the reason I say this is because I know people that are symptom free...and have been for years.

One person - he just did antibiotics...he had chronic lyme (don't know about coinfections) - doesn't do anything now - no herbs...no special diet - eats whatever.

He has been well and symptom free for several years now - (over 6 years)

Is he at some point at risk for relapse?

Another friend of a friend - she had lyme only for a couple of months...and treated with two 'rounds' of antibiotics (two different ones) - I asked my friend of it was a month each time and she said 'something like that'.
She's been well ever since. That was many years ago (more than 10 years)

Why are some people able to stay in remission, and others' aren't?

I don't know Girlie - but sometimes these people say they are "cured" from lyme but then you find out they have other issues but will not attribute to lyme. My great aunt had lyme and was cured with two weeks of doxy yet has horrible joint issues. I believe she has heart issues too. Yet no doctor (or her for matter) would think to connect dots and look for a root cause.
Posted 2/23/2017 10:16 PM (GMT 0)

k07 said...

Girlie said...
I'm not sure if it's always a threat...the reason I say this is because I know people that are symptom free...and have been for years.

One person - he just did antibiotics...he had chronic lyme (don't know about coinfections) - doesn't do anything now - no herbs...no special diet - eats whatever.

He has been well and symptom free for several years now - (over 6 years)

Is he at some point at risk for relapse?

Another friend of a friend - she had lyme only for a couple of months...and treated with two 'rounds' of antibiotics (two different ones) - I asked my friend of it was a month each time and she said 'something like that'.
She's been well ever since. That was many years ago (more than 10 years)

Why are some people able to stay in remission, and others' aren't?

I don't know Girlie - but sometimes these people say they are "cured" from lyme but then you find out they have other issues but will not attribute to lyme. My great aunt had lyme and was cured with two weeks of doxy yet has horrible joint issues. I believe she has heart issues too. Yet no doctor (or her for matter) would think to connect dots and look for a root cause.

It comes down to the immune system.
Posted 2/23/2017 10:27 PM (GMT 0)

Krimpet 🍔 said...

k07 said...

Girlie said...
I'm not sure if it's always a threat...the reason I say this is because I know people that are symptom free...and have been for years.

One person - he just did antibiotics...he had chronic lyme (don't know about coinfections) - doesn't do anything now - no herbs...no special diet - eats whatever.

He has been well and symptom free for several years now - (over 6 years)

Is he at some point at risk for relapse?

Another friend of a friend - she had lyme only for a couple of months...and treated with two 'rounds' of antibiotics (two different ones) - I asked my friend of it was a month each time and she said 'something like that'.
She's been well ever since. That was many years ago (more than 10 years)

Why are some people able to stay in remission, and others' aren't?

I don't know Girlie - but sometimes these people say they are "cured" from lyme but then you find out they have other issues but will not attribute to lyme. My great aunt had lyme and was cured with two weeks of doxy yet has horrible joint issues. I believe she has heart issues too. Yet no doctor (or her for matter) would think to connect dots and look for a root cause.

It comes down to the immune system.

Maybe. I'm not sure if I'm sold on it being all about the immune system.
Posted 2/23/2017 10:33 PM (GMT 0)
The reality is we will probably never really know. As the body is that complex. However, as we know that's what the doctors state is the difference between those that stay sick and those that get well, as well as those that never present with symptoms.
Posted 2/23/2017 10:35 PM (GMT 0)

Krimpet 🍔 said...
The reality is we will probably never really know. As the body is that complex. However, as we know that's what the doctors state is the difference between those that stay sick and those that get well, as well as those that never present with symptoms.

Yes , I think it's one piece...but I think there's more to it.
Hopefully one day there will be more insight into it...may not be in our lifetime though!
Posted 2/24/2017 1:28 AM (GMT 0)
I really think after reading Rawls' book that it is the immune system also.

That is why some have lyme and no symptoms ever. Tip the balance and that person gets lyme. And I totally believe that is what happened to me and my husband.

Healthy as a horse and if I had not gone out partying (drinking alcohol in excess) I would have kept lyme at bay. I honestly believe this. But, my immune system was compromised with all the booze and I got lyme disease.

My husband went through some stress and his came out to play.
Posted 2/24/2017 4:49 PM (GMT 0)
But, if it's the immune function - then why do so many kids get sick? Their immune function is the highest it will ever be.

From my research into it all, I see many, many reasons why people get these infections with the immune function being only one part of it - it may be a major part, but it's still only one part.
Posted 2/24/2017 7:09 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for sharing a great article.

Part of my diagnosis was a herx, and my tests show less than two full bands.
Posted 2/24/2017 7:19 PM (GMT 0)

Traveler said...
But, if it's the immune function - then why do so many kids get sick? Their immune function is the highest it will ever be.

From my research into it all, I see many, many reasons why people get these infections with the immune function being only one part of it - it may be a major part, but it's still only one part.

I agree...immune function is a piece of the puzzle...but there's got to be more to it.
Posted 2/24/2017 10:46 PM (GMT 0)

1000Daisies said...
Oh, it's a question that is on my mind frequently. Since I am positive for lyme and believe I passed it on to my kids in utero/breastfeeding, then why are two of my kids really sick with it? And I don't seem to be nearly as bad as others (my issues seem more related to yeast). My functional medicine LLMD said that I probably have a low load or it's good at hiding (based on my extended culture Advanced Labs test). And yet, my third kid is the healthiest of my kids from being "undertreated".
I do believe that my third kid's immune system is more like mine, whereas the older two kids may have some genetic snippet from my husband/me that affects their immune system.
I guess I will never know. But I sure wish I did so I can be more informed on how to treat my two older kids who have greatly struggled.

they are your children, but that does not make them clones of yourself. They have different genes. They also have different development history: the immune system develops after birth by an interaction b/w genes and the environment and the microbiota around. Besides this, chronic lyme always comes with coinfections. Some will be passed to children, some not. Things are too complicated to generalize and there are no easy answers.
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