I'm already a health nut and just got lyme

Hi,
I'm glad to have found this forum. Over the last few days I've read everything in the New to Lyme section and was excited to see the microscopy threads, that's super cool and I am also an ultimate DIYer when it comes to health. I homeschool 3 kids and have a 7 figure business. I view this past week as a pretty exciting adventure. I have previously dealt with chronic illness that was far worse and got through it. I hope this doesn't turn chronic because of my small children and other obligations, but if it does, I think it can be used to bless others in some way anyway.

I think I got Lyme a week ago. I was outside in backyard (very rural and have woods behind our house) and got bit by something and it swelled up. I'm in middle TN.

A few days later, around Friday night, I got a rash on my extremeties, not raised, just a major rash that wasn't itchy. My feet did itch. Then a few hours later all my joints started to hurt and swell and I was lethargic. Decided it was probably lyme and went to walk-in the next day. I told him basically what I thought and he gave me a scrip for Doxycycline and I specifically asked for at least 3 weeks worth. I didn't even think about the dosage strength and it's only 100mg 2x a day for 21 days. I did start improving right away which he said we want to happen. The rash disappeared and my joints are still swollen but getting better each day. I actually am working today.

I am now wondering after reading a little more if I should go back and get other abx.

I am doing an intense detox protocol with about 10-15 items including twice a day detox baths, vit b, c and d supplementation plus some Young Living products that I already have as well as ACV. We already essentially eat a paleo diet plus occasional rice, lots of homemade ferments (check out my blog at lifelongyl.com to see some things). We drink kefir and eat sauerkraut every day. about 7 years ago we started eating like we had cancer because we hated the idea of health insurance and would rather put the money into diet and supplements and prevention, as well as a savings plan so we can do our own thing if we get sick. I'm really big into taking charge of our own health as well as educating others about doing the same.

So back to my reason for writing--
1. THANKS for the awesome people sharing their knowledge and to the admins! Great resource, and what a wealth of support for those who want it.
2. A question- should I go back for more abx to complement my current?
3. I was planning on doing the Igenex tests but since it costs so much, and I don't need proof for insurance purposes (or maybe I should have it in case I later have to file for disability though I hate dealing with rules for things like that so doubt I would do it anyway), should I just skip it and start parasite treatments and other great treatments like Buehners, etc? Assume I have all types of coinfections and treat accordingly? Is there a particular unusual treatment for one of the coinfections which it would be more cost effective to know for sure rather than treat?

THANK YOU!!! Super excited to get my kids a microscope after reading more posts and check out our blood! I loved the one guy's youtube channel, I subscribed.

Hi healthexpander - welcome!

Although you caught it early - you do have symptoms showing it has disseminated past the bulls-eye rash.

This means you need to treat longer - you need to treat until symptom free PLUS an additional 4-8 weeks.
It is really important that you do this...as you have the best chance to knock this out now...and not become a long-term chronic infection.
This could take several months unfortunately.
I think you should seek out a LLMD a.s.a.p. as your regular Doc most likely won't prescribe more than a few weeks.
And, you will want to add a second antibiotic to the doxy...and increase the doxy to 200 mg twice daily.

To find a LLMD - start a new thread titled: "Looking for LLMD in/near_____" and fill in the blank.
You will need to enable your email option so members can send you names. We don't post the names on the forum - for privacy reasons...we need to protect our precious LLMD's.

You can also contact ILADS:



ilads.org/ilads_media/physician-referral/


And...you can contact me - shoot me an email - if you want me to look through my list of LLMD's. I'll send you what I have for the area you are in.

We encourage our new members to read through the thread at the top of the page titled: "New to Lyme?..Start Here!" It's packed full of useful information.


Question: Are you taking probiotics daily? You must do that while in treatment.
Also, you should do something for liver support - milk thistle extract is a supplement that works.

Drink lots and lots of water.... You need to detox to flush out the toxins created bye the die-off of bacteria.

Welcome, Healthexpander!

Starting with a healthy body is a definite advantage. Keep in mind that A: these critters almost never travel alone and B: many of them share symptoms. Determining that you have Lyme or STARI or any of the borrelia versions may be correct but it doesn't rule out RMSF, Babesia, Bartonella, EBV, mycoplasma variations, Erlichia nor any number of other pathogens seeking to reduce your here-to-fore healthy body into a moving buffet.

First find an LLMD. "New to Lyme" has helpful instructions on how. Then get tested for the other pathogens. Lyme is rough. Babesia can make it look like a picnic. Bartonella is at least as hard to detect through blood tests as Lyme. RMSF and Babs are easier. Aggressive abx therapy PLUS herbal treatments (see Buhner's "Healing Lyme" and Horowitz's "Why Can't I Get Better" and their other texts.) Fighting these thugs is akin to fighting termites: hit them hard and early and don't let them get a foothold. This is your first skirmish. You don't want it to become a war.

I'm of the opinion that Buhner's herbs would be better. Your life style fits to herbal treatments, it seems.

Doxy will not deal with all problems (too easy way for Bb to fight back and resist treatment, in my opinion). It takes very little time for a pathogen to find ways to fight back single chemical drugs, because pathogens are very intelligent and evolved during thousands of years in order to survive.

Single bullet chemicals are easy targets for that sort of pathogen-intelligence. Herbal Antibiotics is the name of the book that explains the mechanism of defense of bacteria against drugs (Buhner).

Catching lyme early is an advantage to some people, but not to all. I caught lyme early, so did my daughter, we still went to chronic lyme, despite early treatment. Very bad chronic lyme.

Nice you're a DIY type. Me too.

If you are open minded, you could also learn energy testing. It helps by giving you some directions.

Google O-RING Omura test, or Body Swaying test, or Muscle test, or kinesiology, you'll have an idea. I love energy testing, because it helps me finding antimicrobials, cleaning substances, minerals, if the tick was contaminated or not, stuff like that. You can't trust the answers 100%, but at least, it feels like you're not totally shooting in the dark.

It took me 4 years to heal, but I finally got better. 4 years of full time treatment.

If you want to test, I would look for anything testing COINFECTIONS. It is clear you got lyme (the rash proves that), arthritis after a bite seems much like Borrelia (specially if it's in bigger joints, hips, knee,...).

Most ticks have coinfections too. Knowing which coinfection you might have caught will help you target herbs or drugs.

Buhner's books are amazing resources for buying your own herbs and building your own protocols, both for treatment and also for supporting health in general.

Post Edited (Jinna) : 5/16/2017 2:53:28 PM (GMT-6)

I gotta ask what chronic disease did you have that was worse? You're in the early stages this stuff can get pretty horrid but I'm glad you caught it early. I would add in some herbs for good measure. At least knotweed. Plants have to deal with the whole range of bacterial nonsense from biofilms to resistance and so on and tend to target the infection from many angles. I'd trust a plant to prevent dissemination of the bacteria more than a bacteriostatic like doxy alone. In fact I'm late stage and knotweed alone is working out really really well

Thank you so much for the nice words and support! I have re-read every response about 5 times. I can't seem to write individual people because i don't have mail enabled for my mac. I have never been able to figure it out :/

I take homemade kefir and homemade sauerkraut every day so I am doing pretty well on the probiotics. I've slowly rebuilt my gut somewhat over these years it seems bc antibiotics used to give me terrible diahrrea way back in college and before. I haven't had any issues so far.

I am looking for a Dr in Middle TN or I will travel. There is one Dr in Franklin that is on a list but someone else mentioned they were looking for alternate so maybe I ought to as well...not sure! After hearing the advice, I plan on calling the walk-in doc and asking for additional prescription to be called in, I don't know if he would but worth a try. I know another walk in doc personally I could call her and level and see if she'll do it if he doesn't. I'll double up on the prescription for now and just pray I can get more before the next week. I guess I'll put a word out for a doc reference on the main page here as well. I just have so little faith....

I do have Healing Lyme updated version I just got and started reading. I am really big into taking action on my own so I think now I will just start on Ch 8 and order the herbs online and see if I can get a few even now today at a natural store.

@peteZa that is so awesome! I love that broth became a part of your healing process and that you worked through the herbs and saw great results. I do believe having a strong immune system and not having tons of garbage to detox helps in any health issue. I used to be on the ultimate nasty SAD diet and changed it 7 years ago and have been working hard on clean eating as a way of life for all 5 in our family ever since.

I'll search archives for this next but thought I'd add it here. I have used garlic in the past when a sinus bacterial infection got out of control and have always had amazing results (like 10 garlic pills every 4 hours until gone, which doesn't take long). I'll search the archives, just wondering if that is a good complementary 'antibiotic' of sorts.

Post Edited (healthexpander) : 5/17/2017 11:37:18 AM (GMT-6)

Hi Healthexpander!
Welcome to our community! I'm so glad you found us. You've been given a lot of really good information, so I just wanted to invite you to continue asking questions!

i was a health nut before i got infected and it didn't do squat to stop the onslaught of the multiple pathogen invaders who took over my body 2 1/2 years and counting.

as someone said earlier being healthy is an advantage one way it helps to rule out other complications and clear the way for direct assault on the pathogens but that alone will not necessarily protect you from their scorched earth policy.

as always everyone's mileage varies with these things given each person's unique makeup, health, pre-existing issues, what you put into your body, what pathogen(s) you're infected with, etc. etc.