philamom

Interesting. Please keep us updated! Did she say why Melatonin would help the GI inflammation?

On my list to do... For other reasons as well.

Most with lyme and/or co-infections will eventually need a cyst-buster antibiotic.

The one next to the dime is what I have on my stomach/chest (10-15 of them). The other picture looks more like sores.

In your case to save money our llmd would recommend that you start with the labcorp western blot and the cd57 test, both of which are covered by insurance. (The cd57 would does not work for a child). If the patient happens to get a positive labcorp test or a low cd57 score (under 100-the lower the number the more likely it is lyme) then they do not need the igenex test to prove they have lyme disease. My sister got a positive labcorp test so she did not have to do igenex testing. Igenex testing should be pursued if you get a negative result on the labcorp WB b/c this test is falsely negative 50% of the time. This is hard for some patients to believe when they are looking at a negative test result so this is why most llmds probably start with igenex. Also a llmd will treat based on symptoms and monitor the progress to see if it is working. If you are going to need a picc line (which is not necessary in most cases) then a clearly positive test result is very helpful or else insurance may not cover it. There are some coinfection tests that are covered by insurance too that are worth doing if your symptoms suggest one or another coinfection (sweats, air hunger, thigh cramps, calf pain, sore soles of the feet, etc.). So much of diagnosing these infections is educated guesswork b/c the tests are so unreliable. This is why muscle testing can be very helpful. It can confirm a diagnosis (such as lyme/bartonella/babesia for example) or it can unearth other possibilities. Of course insurance won't care about muscle testing :-) but when you are operating in the dark and you are very sick any intuition is helpful. A friend of mine is wondering if she could run the cd57 test on her high school age child. Can she?

Happy Birthday Cutie Pie!!!! Wishing him a great day!

I know two of the 250mg isn't the same as one 500mg...that's because both pills have 125 clav acid in them. I'm not sure about splitting a 500mg pill.

y

Oh Nancy, that is such a long journey...I hope the light at the end of the tunnel is closer than you think! What a strong daughter you have!! And yes, I can understand her freaking out...I will be a nervous wreck next time I have to remove a tick. It's probably best someone else did remove it anyhow (hopefully correctly).

I also had a pituitary tumor. Were you told it would resolve on it's own?

I love the idea of the coupon or trading in, but my daughter's hoarding would not allow it. And then she'll agonize over the offer and get very upset at me as well as herself. I usually sneak away pieces every night and make a visit to the outside trash can. It's one symptom I can't seem to budge! She is walking around the neighborhood without me, so I'm very proud of her for that!

Mama2alex & Peglem- Fantastic!!

y

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Although Band 41 isn't specific to Lyme, it's usually the first band to show up. If I had a positive band 41 only, I would do additional testing with another lab or re-test with Igenex in 4-6 weeks. Or consider seeing an llmd.

Tenacity- I recommend using Igenex if you decide to test for lyme...Quest was negative in our case. A year later, we received a positive Igenex WB. Since then, we received positive co-infections thru Quest & Specialty Lab. I wish I would've known this info many months ago. Just throwing this out there. My prayers are with your recovery!!!

y.

Mati's mom- I'm not sure where you're located but here's a company that does Tick Control Services. www.nixticks.com www.maxforcetms.net 1-888-NIX TICKS

Have you checked out the LIA Foundation (Lyme Induced Autism). www.lymeinducedautism.com www.LIAFoundation.org

y

My daughter is also positive for Lyme, Bartonella, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. She is currently taking 1000mg Amox and 250mg Zith daily and Tindamax on the weekends. Good luck with the treatment!

If taking Flagyl, be sure to NOT take Milk Thistle.

Does this sound similar to the IgG powder? Glutagenics (Powerful Gastrointestinal Lining Support). It features 3 key ingredients-glutamine, DGL, and aloe. It's from Metagenics.

Dr. Martin Fried, MD Former Director of Pediatric GI & Nutrition Assoc. Director Monmouth County, NJ

Birds May Spread Lyme Disease January 4, 2010 The range of Lyme disease is spreading in North America and it appears that birds play a significant role by transporting the Lyme disease bacterium over long distances, a new study by the Yale School of Public Health has found. Researchers analyzed published records and concluded that at least 70 species of North American birds are susceptible to infection by black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), the principal vector of the Lyme disease bacterium (Borrelia burgdorferi). The evidence also suggests that these bird species are dispersing infected ticks into areas that had previously been free of the disease, such as Canada. Lyme disease bacterium is usually associated with small mammals such as mice and squirrels. Immature ticks (in the larval and nymphal stages) become infected with the bacterium when they feed on these mammals. During subsequent blood meals, an infected tick transmits the infection to other hosts, including humans. White-tailed deer—while playing an important role in maintaining and spreading tick populations—are a biological dead end for the bacterium because its blood is immune to infection. Birds, however, are not immune and numerous species get infected and are capable of transmitting the pathogen onto ticks, the researchers found. What remains to be seen is whether the B. burgdorferi strains that can infect birds can also cause disease in humans, If so, the role of birds in the epidemiology of Lyme disease could be profound. “Birds are often overlooked in Lyme disease studies” said Robert Brinkerhoff, a post-doctoral student in Maria A. Diuk-Wasser’s lab at the School of Public Health and first author of the paper, “but they may be playing a key role in its rapid expansion.” The researchers found that I. scapularis most consistently parasitizes bird species such as thrushes, brown thrashers, wrens and wood warblers. The authors estimate that as few as three individual birds are needed to infect one black-legged tick with the bacterium. The research appears this month in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Lyme disease can cause severe health problems, including arthritis, nervous system abnormalities and irregular heart rhythm. It is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, with the number of reported human infections doubling between 1992 and 2006. Others authors of the paper include research assistant Corrine M. Folsom-O’Keefe, Kimberly Tsao, a Ph.D. student, and Maria Diuk-Wasser, assistant professor, all at the Yale School of Public Health. Source: Yale School of Public Health, by Michael Greenwood