Re: Looking for THINKERS and I know you are here (long to Jelly)

[Guest guest]

Jelly:

Your history and symptoms are like mine were, except I got my load

of Lyme and Babesia (or maybe malaria) from a blood transfusion in

1975. They had 27 years to replicate before they got their first dose

of Doxy. Blood profiles over the years periodically showed rouleux

(stacked RBCs stuck together like a stack of coins) and I never

bruised either - I had RBC fragments, abnormal RBCs and a dx of

heymolytic anemia.

In 2002, when I took the first 200mg dose of Doxy, I had a herx

within 8 hrs ( pretty much though I was going to have a stroke that

night). In boreliosis, usually herx happens when the pathogen load is

high, and there is a big kill with the inital abx doses.

Probably your initial reaction to Doxy WAS a true herx.

Throughout my Lyme therapy, I had flash back symptoms- symptoms

from years past which were extrodinarily weird and extremely scary

symptoms to have them come back, one right after another ( one was MS-

like and other was pain so bad I couldn't walk). I thought I was

nuts...

and the only explanation I have for that is from what I've

researched. While those symptoms do not fit the true criteria of

herx (which is a systemic immune response) they do fit the criteria

of localized aggitation (of some pathogen colony?)resulting in

localized inflammation. And it MAY have been localized die-off - but

becuase it was localized I don't call it a herx. I suspect there

isn't a 'conventional' name for it.

The point I'm trying to make.. is that there are some extremely

troublesome reactions that we try and attribute to SOMETHING...These

reactions are extremely hard to monitor and to pin down as to whether

they are reactions within the body that are good- or are they adverse

reactions to the abx.. are they helping one -or actually hurting?

If I went backwards in how I felt- I stopped and did something else..

I wanted the trend toward wellness- not the other way around-

regardless of what one called the reaction I was having. I never

tuffed it through a bad time on abx- I stopped them, then resumed

when I felt better.

I also hold an unpopular opinion that the body can adjust to

antibiotics in a way that's similar to an addiction, so that when

they are withdrawn, a person feels worse in just a few days (I

experienced some of this, and had to wean off a few antibiotics

instead of going off cold turkey). I don't know what THAT is either,

but I know others have experienced it.

From your history, is sounds as if you have gotten your (lyme )

pathogen load very very much reduced, as indicated by your

improvements. Your immune system seems to be working again, as you're

experienceing swollen glands (which I assume you didn't in the past).

I had a tremendous problem with the cervical lymphnodes in the right

side of my neck after I started to feel better.

If I had to make my best guess about your case, I'd say you had a

very high Spirochete load as I did (I tested postive for Lyme by PCR

at MDL and tested positive for a high spirochete load). I was off

and on abx for about 1.5 years as you have been. You've killed alot

of Lyme bacteria (as have I) and you've responded well to your

therapy (as have I).

I tested positive by IgM western blot for Babesia (although I think

it could have been Malaria) and I did the 3rd world 5 day anti-

Malaria therapy ARTEMOS and my frequent fevers (to 100.5 deg F, I had

for for years, even with an abnormally low body temp of about 96.8

deg F. stopped I've never had another fever ( and my body normalized

to 98.6).

I think it's entirely possible you have some co-infection (maybe

Babesia maybe something else)if you are still experiencing fevers...

But I think you are getting better because you have/are sucessfully

lowering your pathogen load with everything you've done.

Like you, I have had conditions that were supposed to be

degenerative - " spontaneously remit " ..I had a bakers cyst on the

back of my knee for years, the size of a small orange completely go

away. Go figure?

So,

playing both sides of the argument here-

on the one hand if I were you and thought what I was doing was

helping, then I'd go right on doing it.. on the other hand I'm not

you, and I just wouldn't take extremely low doses of any antibiotic

because of my informed opinion after 3 years of research on

antibiotics, including low dose and antibiotic chemotherapy (high

dose) and their actions on bacteria.

But in any case I am extremely happy you are better.

And I thank you for the opportunity to discuss opposing views in a

manner that's not taken personally when we DO disagree!.

Barb