He was very old though, about 82. He spent 3 months in hospital with IV drip antibiotics. He recovered and lived many years.

A lot more is known about long term underground infections than 20 years ago. I'd want docs to make sure the medication is long enough so it won't return.

Thanks for commenting and your support.
Eko.

I don't have it now. Here is what I learned. It has three forms: 1) cell wall 2) no cell wall 3) cyst. Each broad-spectrum antibiotic goes after one form. the spirochete changes to the other 2 forms to wait it out. The way I finally got rid of it was by taking Amoxicillin, Bactrim, and Flagyl simultaneously until I was symptom free. I can't remember exactly, but I think it was 4 months. I decided that saying "I think I'm over it," means that you still have it. When it was finally gone, the statement that came out was, "I don't have it anymore." Yes, there were aftereffects of those antibiotics, and none of them were good. I read, in the Lyme newsgroups back in the day, that high pressure oxygen treatment really helped, but it didn't cure. There are legions of sufferers out there, and the most common diagnosis is "hypochondria."

I will tell my doc about this treatment. I have felt for a long time now that I was going crazy and/or just being a huge baby. I would go to sleep and be stuck in bed in pain till the evening the next day, be able to get up for 2-3 hours and then have to go back to bed again and repeat. Thanks for letting me know!
Keep on keeponing.
Eko.

It is really nasty. On the other hand, I have long COVID now, and the fatigue, brain fog, and falling over asleep every afternoon at 3pm are all very familiar. Been there, done that. At least the COVID only hurts when each new variant passes through, not all the time, like Lyme.

Keep you head up as much as you can and keep getting up.
Eko.

Have you seen an infectious disease specialist?

I hope something helps soon.

I just found out in the past 2 weeks and didn't find out about long term Lymes until recently. Next time I go back to doc I will see if they feel like one needs to be referred.
Thanks tons!
Eko.

dispute them or they'll accuse you of being a hypochondriac.

tick haven [lots and lots of deer] and for some reason,
they love me so i have had lymes several times but there
are also many other tick diseases. none of them are good
for any other animals- even my dogs have had it and i use
nexgard for them. hopefully there will be a vaccine available soon.
please take care and recover~

As others have said you are your best advocate for docs who don’t take this seriously, and frankly there’s too many of them. I’ve had it a few times and get on Doxycycline for 30-days which my stomach tolerates. If they prescribe less, ask for more - there’s plenty of peer reviewed research. You really need to obliterate it if possible. In my home states of MN/WI we have family tick checks whenever it’s above 50F, we look like a bunch of monkeys but it’s essential. Best of luck to you!

Hoping you get the treatment you need.

you seriously.

I like to go backpacking, often in areas with ticks. More than a few have attached.

The important thing is to do a thorough body search at the end of each day. Removing them promptly is the key.

I have had it six times, the most recent a couple months ago. More on that later.

My sister and a good family friend got lyme before the medical community were aware of it locally. They did not get proper treatment for months, making it severe. My sister had to retire, as did our friend. Both live very limited lives these days.

Both of my sons have had it once. Both had Bell's palsy affect one side of their facial muscles, both for relatively long periods. My younger son was a crisis response social worker at an large area school, and I know he was self-conscious about it.

Since having it the first time, of course, I am no longer tested for it. It will show up, even when I have zero symptoms. But when bite by a tick, I call my doctor, and she usually calls in the Rx for me. This last time, however, the tick was deep, and it required her using a scalpal to cut it out of my arm.

and too many people don't get the rash or know they've been bitten by an infected tick. It can be really sneaky.

Testing needs to happen more frequently, I agree, whenever there's a symptom profile that suggests autoimmune disease but without autoimmune markers. A test for Lyme should be the next step.

Antibiotics will still clear it, even if the infection has been low level and of long duration. It hasn't become resistant, not yet.