View Full Version : Lyme disease debate
musicwoman
07-06-2008, 21:24
Interesting article on CNN.com:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/07/06/lymedisease.treatment/index.html
ofthearth
07-07-2008, 08:19
10-year battle with pain highlights Lyme disease debate - CNN.com*
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/07/06/lymedisease.treatment/index.html
I had a tick bourne illness a few years back and treatment was two weeks of antibiotic. Seemed to work. I asked what my illness was and the doctor said it wasn't lyme or spotted tick fever but was one of the other (20 ish?) ones they didn't test for. Maybe diagnosis and treatment will improve as we learn the differences in the several diseases and, I suspect, stop lumping them all as Lyme disease which may be what happens in some places & times? My doc said some do that instead of say they don't know exactly.....
Wise Old Owl
07-07-2008, 23:45
Thank you for bringing that report to my attention, currently my doctor is claiming high blood pressure, indifferent from multiple bulls eyes from bites. I still test negative for lyme.
Incahiker
07-08-2008, 08:49
I just got back from a section hike in Georgia, and I have never gotten so many ticks on me in my life. I was with my dog and during the night I kept having to pick ticks off me as the scurried all over my body trying to find a place to call home. I though when I got home I would have been covered once I got to look over my whole body. I didn't find one, but my dog had over 20, and before we left she had 0. Good thing I decided to put deet on.
Appalachian Tater
07-08-2008, 09:43
Thank you for bringing that report to my attention, currently my doctor is claiming high blood pressure, indifferent from multiple bulls eyes from bites. I still test negative for lyme.The test for Lyme is unreliable. A positive does not mean you have active disease and a negative does not mean you do not have it. It is not necessary for diagnosis. My physician didn't bother with it because I was fortunate enough to have an obvious bullseye rash.
Of course, you can have tick-borne disease with no rash at all; the rash can occur anywhere on your body, not just at the place the tick was; it may not be a bullseye; and it can occur in multiple places.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/ld_lymediseaserashphotos.htm
Bare Bear
07-08-2008, 20:02
It might be best just to get the cure when you finish. I thought my tiredness, near exhaustion was from losing 70 pounds and the stain of the thru hike. I did have Lyme, no bullseye, maybe some rash (hard to tell it from heat rash) but it took a year before I felt normal again. By my count about 20-25% of the thru hikers had Lyme in 06...........not good odds.
There must be ways to boost our bodies immunity systems while we are hiking also.
Appalachian Tater
07-09-2008, 11:18
There must be ways to boost our bodies immunity systems while we are hiking also.Eat a well-balanced diet, drink enough water, get plenty of sleep.
Alligator
07-09-2008, 12:06
The test for Lyme is unreliable. A positive does not mean you have active disease and a negative does not mean you do not have it. It is not necessary for diagnosis. My physician didn't bother with it because I was fortunate enough to have an obvious bullseye rash.
Of course, you can have tick-borne disease with no rash at all; the rash can occur anywhere on your body, not just at the place the tick was; it may not be a bullseye; and it can occur in multiple places.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/ld_lymediseaserashphotos.htmAny idea of the false positive, false negative rates?
Just Plain Jim
07-09-2008, 12:19
I was in the 3rd stage of L M in 2006 before my doctor took my wifes advice and did a blood test. It took about 5 weeks to feel at my best. I was the 3rd person that contracted the disease that was from Madison County, Alabama and all of us got it on the AT [ 2 in Virginia and 1 in Pa ].
Odd Thomas
07-09-2008, 12:20
Any idea of the false positive, false negative rates?
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20050715/297.html
Halfway down the page, I'd cut and paste it, but the tables would get messed.
knicksin2010
07-09-2008, 12:55
I had a speed thru-hike attempt ended by it last year. I nearly lost my vision to papalitis (sp). It took 2 months on an IV anti-biotic to get better, and 3 months for the strabismus to go away. It all seems very obvious looking back, but I dismissed all of the early symptoms as normal fatigue from hiking big mile days.
Appalachian Tater
07-09-2008, 13:11
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20050715/297.html
Halfway down the page, I'd cut and paste it, but the tables would get messed.
Laboratory Tests
The host antibody response to B. burgdorferi infection develops slowly, and only one half of patients with early-stage Lyme disease will have a positive serology. The immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies appear two to four and four to six weeks, respectively, after the onset of erythema migrans and peak at six to eight weeks. Although IgM usually declines to very low levels after four to six months of illness, IgG remains present at low levels despite successful treatment.1
Eat a well-balanced diet, drink enough water, get plenty of sleep.Good stuff. I also wonder about stuff like how we should go about our daily and weekly washing, and how even our choice of clothing might have an impact. Our skin and saliva and gastro-intestinal tracts produce alot of important anti-bacterial stuff. We also pick up alot of good bugs from dirt and stuff. So we want to be clean, but more important we want to be healthy. So maybe rinse more and disinfect less.
mkmangold
07-09-2008, 19:25
I had a speed thru-hike attempt ended by it last year. I nearly lost my vision to papalitis (sp). It took 2 months on an IV anti-biotic to get better, and 3 months for the strabismus to go away. It all seems very obvious looking back, but I dismissed all of the early symptoms as normal fatigue from hiking big mile days.
"Papalitis" is inflammation of the Pope. Make sure you wear sunglasses that work well in low light.
mkmangold
07-09-2008, 19:30
I just got back from a section hike in Georgia, and I have never gotten so many ticks on me in my life. I was with my dog and during the night I kept having to pick ticks off me as the scurried all over my body trying to find a place to call home. I though when I got home I would have been covered once I got to look over my whole body. I didn't find one, but my dog had over 20, and before we left she had 0. Good thing I decided to put deet on.
That's how my parakeet got chirpes. It's a canarial disease.
TIDE-HSV
07-09-2008, 23:43
Ho Ho...
Odd Thomas
07-09-2008, 23:45
Ho Ho...
2/3rds of a pun is PU. :D
stranger
07-13-2008, 01:12
The Lyme test is worthless, my father tested negative about 6 times and to this day has never been the same. Lyme needs to be diagnosed by symptons, not blood work, it can ruin your life, and should be taken very seriously.
NorthCountryWoods
07-13-2008, 10:35
Lyme vaccine for dogs is useless as well. Know a half dozen people in southern New England that had it administered to their dogs but they still came down with it.
Hate to point out the obvious, but bringing down the bambi population has shown to help greatly.
fiddlehead
07-13-2008, 12:20
There must be ways to boost our bodies immunity systems while we are hiking also.
I always take Echinacea when i'm feeling a cold or any sickness coming on.
Works for me. (but not a good idea to take it all the time)
Echinacea is a natural medicine and comes from the roots of the purple flower. It boosts my immune system. (not saying it will for you but worth a try)