Hi TheJay -
I have a few clarifications to offer from what your LLMD mentioned to you. Keep these in mind when deciding your next steps - there are good reasons to stay with him (it can be very difficult to get a Lyme diagnosis--even when it's clear you have it) and there might be good reasons to find another specialist to partner with.
Chronic LymeFirst, acute Lyme is the stage of initial infection; chronic Lyme can develop after an initial Lyme infection went undiagnosed or was untreated or undertreated yet symptoms remain after 6 months or so... no hard timeline.
Many MDs rely on the typical IgM (antibodies to a new or current or recent infection) vs IgG (generally, IgM antibodies transition to IgG antibodies, which can signal a previous infection and IgG antibodies generally stay around for a long time) as an indicator for acute vs chronic Lyme, but since Bb can evade and/or disable normal immune responses this doesn't really apply. The best way to determine how long ago you might have been infected is to study your symptoms.
The manifestation of the Borrelia burgdorferi (or Bb Lyme) microbe does change over time, which can also influence a "chronic" stage - Bb can evolve into a cyst form or L-form (biofilm).
AbxIt's not uncommon for MDs to assume that neuropathy or the length of time one has gone untreated indicates a chronic condition. Nor is it uncommon for them to assume IV delivery is required but there are oral abx that are as effective as IV abx in crossing the BBB (blood-brain barrier).
Complexities with IV abx are so numerous I can't list them here. I just wrapped up 3 yrs of IV abx (although I went 16+ yrs undiagnosed so most people wouldn't need that long). I refer you to this post -
(sorry - forgot to include the links - here they are
To IV or not to IV:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3674546COST of IV:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3665291&g=3665498#m3665498Most people do not need IV delivery - the best reason to go this route is if you have severe GI problems that interfere with proper absorption of meds or create conditions where oral abx are intolerable, both which were my challenges. I don't regret the abx decision but I sure wish I had known what I was up against with IV. A PICC line is less cumbersome but has a higher risk of infection.
Herbs and alternativesMost people treating successfully here on this forum (and I also think out there in the universe) are using a hybrid approach of abx + herbs or herbs+ other tx. Lyme & Co is so very complicated and there is no one method that works for everyone. unfortunately, we're forced to explore options to find out what works for our unique case.
And this is what will limit you with your current LLMD. In fact, I would be a little leery of any Lyme specialist who doesn't actively incorporate herbal components of a protocol or at least encourage you to do so. This isn't uncommon - it is rare for anyone in western medicine to know much about
herbal and alternative treatments ----but we need to.
Lyme specialistAgain, you might be better off just getting started w/ an LLMD, get abx and get into a good protocol (there are many things you can and need to do on your own, regardless of what your specialist is doing). And then when you're ready, move on to someone else.
Diet & DetoxDiet & Detox are KEY to healing - regardless of which protocol you choose or how it evolves over time, which will also very likely happen. There is a lot of good info here and on the internet for Lyme-supportive diet and detox.
Hope this is helpful - if not, keep asking q's -
-p
Post Edited (Pirouette) : 11/16/2017 2:03:04 PM (GMT-7)