Hi LymeLady!
Welcome to our community! I'm so glad you found us.
If you haven't yet, 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, helpful links and pdf's, how to detox when one has these infections, information on probiotics and much more.
And, here's another good place to find helpful detoxing routines:
http://www.tiredoflyme.com/detox-methods.html
Doxy alone is not a good treatment choice as it encourages the bacteria to go into it's round body form (sometimes called the cyst form) which means it can withstand all attacks to it. Monotherapy is not recommended with any of the abx (antibiotics) for this same reason - it's just that Doxy is particularly bad about
this. It is often used as a first step in treatments though, but other abx are added to the protocol.
For your tests, retesting is never recommended because we can't get rid of all of the Lyme bacteria, we can only get them to low enough levels for our immune function to keep it all under control - just like with many viruses like EBV and the Chicken pox virus. So, with Lyme, we have the potential to always have reaction on some bands. What is more telling is how you are feeling. Do you still have symptoms? (Yes) So, then you still have the infection(s).
The drenching sweats are an indicator of another infection many of us deal with - Babesia. Without specific treatment for this, a person can not heal from it.
Yes, people relapse all the time from improper treatment. Unfortunately we see a lot of that here, particularly people in your situation, where an uneducated doctor has tried to treat them and hasn't done a very good job.
The next step is to get in to see a doctor that has had enough training to understand the significance of these symptoms - and understands the testing better.
You will want to find an ILADS 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. For information on finding an ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) trained Lyme Literate Medical Doctor(LLMD) in your area, 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 send me an email by clicking on my screen name or the small blue envelope under my screen name. I may have contact information for some LLMD's in your area as well. Please include your state and area that you would like to find a LLMD in and I will see how close I can get to your
location.
You can start a new thread titled something like "Looking for LLMD in the
(insert the nearest larger city & state) area". Members can email you about
the LLMD's that they see in that area if you have your email enabled. We don't allow doctors names to be posted though.
You can email the Tick-Borne Disease Alliance at
[url]
[email protected] for LLMD referrals
You can 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
ILADS has their own referral system as well:
ilads.org/ilads_media/physician-referral/
And
www.LymeDoc.orgGo to the ILADS site to read the new (2014) Treatment guidelines to get you started on your healing journey:
www.ilads.org/lyme/treatment-guideline.php