Parts 1 & 2 of “Peer Exchange” Lyme disease panel
Contagion Live is a website devoted to educating medical professionals about infectious diseases. One of its features is called “Peer Exchange”–videotaped discussions about different diseases and their treatments.
The following recent exchange about Lyme disease features moderator Peter L. Salgo, MD, Robert C. Bransfield, MD, DLFAPA; Samuel Shor, MD, FACP; Leonard Sigal, MD; and Patricia V. Smith, of the Lyme Disease Association.
Part one: Understanding Lyme disease and where it’s found
Click here to read a transcript of part one.
Part two: Early vs. late Lyme disease symptoms.
Click here for transcript of Part 2.
Future segments will be posted as they become available.
I was recently diagnosed, western blot showed acute or early lyme. My question is, can you have had lyme for quite a while but not the test look as if you were recently bit? Asking because I have had symptoms and have been sick for about a year, was being tested for so many other things before Lyme test, like AR, MS,etc.. mostly because I had no RECENT memory of tick bite (was bitten many times many years ago) and never got the rash or flu symptoms. thanks for any insight, very confused
I cant answer your question, but I have the same experience. I had several tick bites between 2-4 years ago, no rash, no memory of flu symptoms. That said, I have had the later symptoms for 1-2 years. On the basis of long term symptoms, I recently asked to be tested and the tests were positive but indicated a new infection, but I have had no recent bites! Ironically, I DID get a tick bite the day after the test! So whilst I can’t give a scientifically accurate answer, I can say that it seems likely. Anyone be more precise?
I’m wondering the same!!!
Cindy Molitoris I was diagnosed via positive Western Blot in Dec 1989 after a car crash in July 1988 when I didn’t recover from the crash. I was given 30 days of doxy, and when I didn’t become “well” I was dismissed as having fibromyalgia. 29 years later, I am disabled and have every symptom listed for Lyme and the co-infections. Educate yourself; read books, watch videos, find a LLMD or, better, naturopathic doc who is Lyme literate to help you. Weeks, months or years of antibiotics won’t work. You need a lot more than that.
Yes, you are probably talking about having a positive IgM on the western blot. In many other diseases, that would suggest an early case, because it develops first, then IgG antibodies later. However, lyme is different because it keeps changing to baffle the immune system, so when a different form shows up, the immune system reads it as new.
I want to thank you for this site. I was sick for 3 years and getting worse. I did the checklist for Lyme which I pretty much checked every item and printed it out and took it to my doctor. He finally listened to me and put me on antibiotics. I actually thought I was dying that is how bad I felt. I had every test that the doctors could think of and they finally told me I should see a counselor because they thought it was all in my head because they couldn’t find anything wrong.
I feel 100% better now.
I actually thought I had MS.
Thanks again.
I am still looking for someone in my area to treat my Lyme disease,
Susan
You need to become your own dr of Lyme
To write read and know everything
It’s s hell like no other
Susan-I agree with Jdh that you have to research, read, watch videos of experts and of other Lymies AT LENGTH. Buy a book or 2, and get started on restoring your health. I don’t know if I can state the name of books/authors here, but I’ll try. Buhner, Horowitz, Rawls (my favorite) all have books with good info. Of course, there are others as well. Personally, I have decided to go with natural treatment which includes life style/diet changes and herbal/natural treatment, but I have a PCP who is going to monitor my kidney and liver function and be available if I try to go to fast with treatment and get into trouble. Take it slow. I started making changes and taking herbs, essential oils, etc. about 2 months ago. I found out the hard way to start out with really small doses of 1 herb at a time, and to follow guidelines that I have found from multiple sources. Too fast die-off of the microbes causes very bad Herx reactions.