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.
I had a bulls eye rash on my shin in 1979 after camping in the woods one weekend during college. I had flu like symptoms and I went into a coma-like sleep for 18 hours. I went to a doctor at the infirmary and he told me it was a spider bite. At the time they didn't think Lyme was in Texas. I've looked at pictures of spider bites and Lyme and it looked more like Lyme.
My question is, even if I have it, is there any point in getting tested decades later? The first long term symptom I had was depression, but now I have other neurological and cognitive problems as well as pain of the everything.
My question is, even if I have it, is there any point in getting tested decades later? The first long term symptom I had was depression, but now I have other neurological and cognitive problems as well as pain of the everything.
" Are LD sufferers often on several antibiotics for more than a year?"
OH YES!!!! (grin) That's not uncommon at all. And many of those people regress after going off of them.
Just Hydroxychloroquine alone ? Did you ask your doctor why? Does s/he consider you 'cured' and is now just mopping up?
It's usually using in conjunction with other abx, but you should ask you doctor the reasons. Maybe there's one that I don't know depending on your total medical history.
(You're paying his/her wages and deserve a thoughtful answer.)
Wiki says:
"Hydroxychloroquine is also widely used in the treatment of post-Lyme arthritis following Lyme disease. It may have both an anti-spirochaete activity and an anti-inflammatory activity, similar to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.[3]"