lucky this is a question I cannot answer but I would love to know the answer too!!!

hugs!!!

http://rheumatic.org/

Found a link here to antibiotic treatment http://heal-good.blogspot.com/search/label/antibiotics

Antibiotic treatment is not IVIG. IVIG is an immune support from a blood product and is a mainstream treatment.

The Antibiotic therapy is for an infection presumably and is not a mainstream western medicine treatment. I know someone on this list is using antibiotis and naturopathic treatments, just can't remember who. hope they will chime in.

Lyme is a disease that is treated with Antibiotics, and the earlier the better with it.

Sending you the best, Shawna

My doctor did bloodwork to check for bacterial or viral problems. In my case, mycoplasmas were okay, Lyme disease was negative, but Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) was a problem for me. My doc said that the antibiotic protocol (AP) can be used if one has a mycoplasma problem or Lyme disease. If mycoplasmas (bacteria with no cell walls that hide in other cells) are your problem, then a certain class of antibiotics might help (tetracyclines, I believe). In my case, the AP would be ineffective because of a viral problem. However, the doc told me that I could try Lauricidin, which has helped me. Lauricidin can be purchased from Lauricidin.com or Amazon.com.

As for IVIg, it is intravenous immune globulins (from the research I've done). Because I have no health insurance now, I can't afford the IVIg. However, while doing research, one doctor mentioned that colostrum is a natural alternative. So I recently ordered some colostrum from vitacost.com. Hope this info helps.

As part of the diagnostic process everyone should have been tested to rule out Lyme and other conditions that cause myositis. These conditions don't respond to prednisone and require antibiotics or other treatments.

DM and PM are autoimmune disorders, not infections. Prednisone and/or other immunosuppressants are used to calm the hyperactive immune system that is attacking your muscles and/or skin.

Lucky

The bad thing about taking too much antibiotics is that eventually we create these Super Bugs like MRSA.

The thought process is that too much antibiotics cannot be good although I do have to say since being sick I have felt better when on antibiotics, but I am on 20mg of prednisone and that seems to really be working.

Hi LuckyBabe,

A couple of people on here are using antibiotics to treat myositis. I am doing something called the Marshall Protocol, and you can find more info on it here: mpkb.org

I know some people have had success with it, and some have not.

Just my two cents-- if you have not started steroids yet, you should shop around. Even if you have, you should shop around. Steroids are dangerous. Feel free to read some of my other posts about my lovely experience with prednisone.

Good luck!

Thank you everyone for your advice and web sites - this helped a lot!

Antibiotic treatments do not address DM/PM which are the autoimmune forms of myositis. Our disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs do address the needs of DM/PM. Lyme disease is a separate disease from DM, just like tuberculosis is separate from DM. It is possible for someone to have both DM and Lyme but they are different diseases.

I could answer this question, but it is best to discuss with the doctor the meaning of your C-reactive protein and Sed rate tests. If you ask the doctor these questions then you will learn how DMARDs do the job for DM/PM. Antibiotics are not necessary. If you read up on your medications and see what the medication addresses then you will understand better your own DM/PM.

Best Wishes.

Hey there! I saw this under recent posts and realized I had replied to this YEARS ago. If this is still something you're considering, I have an update to my advice.

I have PM and I tried an antibiotic protocol. It didn't work AT ALL. It could work for others possibly. But it shouldn't take very long to see some improvement--if you start to decline, rethink it. I was very stubborn and stayed on it way too long, and was sicker than ever. It was unnecessary suffering.