Lyme Disease Support Group
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. It is now one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in the U.S. Lyme disease is caused by infection with the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, and is primarily transmitted to humans as well as dogs, horses and other domesticated animals by the bite of infected ticks.
Hi everyone,
I am new to the Lyme disease group, but not to daily strength. My story in a nutshell--
I was bitten by a tick in May of 2010. Developed the classic bullseye rash. I was 5 months pregnant at the time and since I live in the south, everyone was baffled as to how to treat it. I ended up taking amoxicillin 500 mg 2xday for 30 days and that was it. I'm worried I was under-treated for this and think I may have developed chronic or late stage lyme.
I have had various symptoms over the last 2 1/2 years ranging from terrible joint pain to extreme fatigue to headaches to joint popping and "brain fog". Most recently I had some sort of episode where all my muscles felt like they were contracted and were extremely painful which then developed into weakness. My neuro doc suspects polymyositis. I think it's due to Lyme but he is skeptical. I have an appt with a LLMD but can't get in until February. I am still weak although improved from the initial onset of this weirdness.
I am very frustrated and would just about do anything to feel better. The baby that I was carrying in 2010 was also stillborn at full term. I can't help but wonder if my possible Lyme had anything to do with that as well. Thanks to anyone taking the time to read this.
I am new to the Lyme disease group, but not to daily strength. My story in a nutshell--
I was bitten by a tick in May of 2010. Developed the classic bullseye rash. I was 5 months pregnant at the time and since I live in the south, everyone was baffled as to how to treat it. I ended up taking amoxicillin 500 mg 2xday for 30 days and that was it. I'm worried I was under-treated for this and think I may have developed chronic or late stage lyme.
I have had various symptoms over the last 2 1/2 years ranging from terrible joint pain to extreme fatigue to headaches to joint popping and "brain fog". Most recently I had some sort of episode where all my muscles felt like they were contracted and were extremely painful which then developed into weakness. My neuro doc suspects polymyositis. I think it's due to Lyme but he is skeptical. I have an appt with a LLMD but can't get in until February. I am still weak although improved from the initial onset of this weirdness.
I am very frustrated and would just about do anything to feel better. The baby that I was carrying in 2010 was also stillborn at full term. I can't help but wonder if my possible Lyme had anything to do with that as well. Thanks to anyone taking the time to read this.
Mothers who have had stillborns are of course devastated with grief and the furthest thing from their minds are having the baby tested for the presence of spirochetes.
Your course of amoxicillin, as you surmised, was woefully inadequate. The first choice of an abx is usually doxycycline at 400 mg per day so I'm curious as to why that abx was chosen.
I read at Dr. Biddle's web site and his article about Lyme was fair and balanced, I thought.
I've found (and so have dozens of others) that most neurologists are almost useless for Lyme. Diagnosing for polymyositis, although the symptoms have commonalities with Lyme, sounds like a doctor who would rather diagnose almost anything rather than Lyme.
Bulls-eye rash! Bingo! Lyme!
I hope you can get some relief when you finally get to see a doctor who seems to have a handle on the situation.
My 'best' drug was IM bicillin. (And I've had them all.) It gave me a 3-4 year remission and many people like it because it doesn't give a huge Herx (usually).
I am going to see Dr Biddle in February. Hoping my neuro doesn't try to kill me before then.
What's worse, as I researched this more, is that there also can be congenital defects from taking doxy during pregnancy. So glad your doctor was on top of that!