I was diagnosed to have Lyme disease 2 months ago. It was not diagnosed immediately because I thought it was just the simple flu. The symptoms that I felt were flu-like. I have headaches, fever, sore throat, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, there was a symptom that I missed and this was the presence of the rash called the erythema migrans which looked like a red ring that is expanding. When I went to the physician, I was not diagnosed easily. I really felt weak, I almost could not walk and I felt as if my life is going to be upside down. We went to several doctors and no one seems to give me the right diagnosis because of the different symptoms that I had. One doctor gave out a diagnosis of meningitis, another one gave out a diagnosis of Epstein-Bar virus but was confused why I did not have the glandular fever. One doctor even advised my parents to bring me to a psychologist in case these illnesses were all made up. But I was getting weaker and we know something was really wrong. We disregarded the presence of the rash and little did we know that it was what would solve the problem. When we did some research over the internet, it could be possible that I was having Lyme Disease, and off we went to see another doctor hoping for some medication. This was the disease that changed my life for some time.
As soon as I was diagnosed to have the said disease, I was advised to take oral medications which are antibiotics. I had to skip school because of the said disease. I was given cefuroxime axetil at first. It was the physician’s choice over two choices which are doxycycline and amoxicillin. For two weeks, I was responding well to the treatment and I thought that I was ready to face school again. What I did not know is that Lymes Disease is not an easy disease to cure because of the spirochete bacteria called the Borrelia burgdorferi. These are bacteria that are difficult to detect and so instead of detecting the presence of the said bacteria in the blood, health care professionals detect antibodies against the said bacteria (Lyme Disease, 9).
When I went back to my physician, my symptoms were even worse. I was experiencing muscle pains and joint pains, especially in my elbows and knees. I almost could not walk and if I do, I could not stand longer because I tire easily. At first, I was confined to the hospital and the physician gave me an intravenous treatment and I had choices like ceftriaxone or penicillin. Currently, I am on my second cycle of antibiotics taking IV injections of ceftriaxone daily and I am staying on my bed because I still cannot combat the fatigue that I am experiencing.
The second cycle of my treatment for Lyme disease was made to prevent treatments with cardiac or neurological manifestations of the disease. Along with the antibiotic treatment, I was also taking pain relievers for my joint pains and I even reached the point of undergoing arthrocentesis, however after the said procedure was done, I am still experiencing joint pains. However, my physician told me that even after the disease has been cured, joint pains may still be present. Now I am still suffering from symptoms that a disease brought about by a single tick that fed on my blood and transmitted the bacteria that caused the suffering that I am experiencing now.
My second round of antibiotic treatment would not guarantee my cure. However, with the many cases of people getting Lyme disease and they getting well after the long-term antibiotic treatment, I was hoping that after this treatment I will fully recover and hopefully can go back to school next semester. My second dose of treatment may help but with the chances that I will still be suffering from the symptoms of the disease.
Lyme Disease Prognosis
Patients with Lyme disease have a different response to treatment. With early treatment, many have fully recovered from the said disease. However, to some patients, recurrence of the said disease may occur and additional antibiotic treatment may be necessary. However, even with the extensive treatment with strong antibiotics, some may still have permanent damages involving their joints and nervous system especially to those with the late chronic stage of the said disease. This may even cause death in rare cases (Lyme Disease, 1).
Research Studies Done on Lyme Disease
An article posted by the UT Southwestern Medical Center last February 2009, states that researchers at the said Medical Center have identified a protein that can help people with Lyme disease. The findings of the said study suggested that a bacterial protein, the one that aids in the transportation of metal manganese helps in making these bacteria become virulent. This discovery is used to do more research on what really is in the bacteria that causes Lyme disease why it is different from other bacteria. This will guide future researchers to know how to combat the disease by discovering the downfall of the bacteria responsible for it. This will help the scientists find out what can weaken the bacteria and finally find a cure for the said disease apart from the long term use of antibiotics at this time (Scientists identify the potential key to Lyme disease)
The research entitled “A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Repeated IV Antibiotic Therapy for Lyme Encephalopathy” was done to see what a 10-week antibiotic therapy can do to a patient with Lyme disease after the initial 3-week antibiotic treatment. The study involved 57 subjects with 37 patients having a history of Lyme disease and with another 20 healthy volunteers. These participants were divided into three groups. One group received the IV ceftriaxone treatment for ten weeks, another group receive an IV placebo for 10 weeks and the healthy group acted as controls. The study did not show significant results that the additional 10 weeks of antibiotic treatment would really help in the treatment of Lyme disease. Although the Stonybrook study did prove that 64% of the patients treated with ceftriaxone showed a clinically significant improvement in fatigue compared to just 18.5% in the placebo group and the Columbia study as showed similar results with 66.7% of the ceftriaxone group improved in terms of fatigue compared to just 25% to the placebo group, this is was not enough for them, to advise the additional 10 weeks antibiotic treatment. This was because the investigators found out that 19% of the patients developed potentially serious side effects that are associated with antibiotic use. They have found out that IV antibiotic therapy may cause thrombi and systemic infections to mention a few of the many fatal side effects of the said therapy.
With the findings that the investigators have, Dr. Fallon, the head author of the said study, along with his co-authors advised that the 10 weeks of IV ceftriaxone followed by 14 weeks of no antibiotics should not be practiced because of the lack of sustained benefits and the presence of the significant risk. However, further investigation was advised (Fallon 1).
Prevention and Vaccine of Lyme Disease
Once before, a vaccine for Lyme disease called Lymerx was available from the year 1998 to 2002 however it was removed from the market because of the reports that LYMErix causes the neurologic complications that vaccinated patients experience. In October 2002, in the American Neurological Association, the researchers from the Cornell-New York Hospital has identified the 9 patients experiencing neuropathy related to the vaccination of the said medication. Thus since 2003, the best prevention of the said disease was known to be your self-protection by taking extra measures when exposing yourself to the places identified with the said occurrence of Lyme disease (Frey, 1).
My Treatment Options
Antibiotic treatments, as I was advised should not be used for a long time. I was wondering, what if I do not get well after the second cycle of antibiotics? I cannot continue taking antibiotics for long because this might cause me more fatal conditions. I searched through the site and found some relevant information about the different treatment options that I can have after the second cycle of the treatment. I found that there are complementary and alternative therapies that I can consider after the treatment with antibiotics. I need to look into my nutrition and some food supplements. Even today, I was advised to take some probiotic supplements. This would help my digestive system function properly and help me combat the side effects of antibiotics like diarrhea and yeast infections. I was also considering the use of herbs, however, the use of herbs should not be used without the physician’s advice because this may cause some unwanted side effects. Some of the herbs that may help are green tea standardized extract. This plant acts as an anti-oxidant and an anti-inflammatory to mention a few. Gingko Biloba is another herb that gives almost the same effect as green tea, however, this herb increases the effects of blood-thinning medication that is why you need o to consult your physician first before taking any supplements containing Ginko. Cat’s claw is another supplement. This has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal actions. These are just some of the herbs that I researched that may help me in combating Lyme disease.
Another alternative medicine that I can consider is acupuncture. According to the research that I did, this may help me in combating the fatigue that I am feeling and help relieve pain. Acupuncturists even use formulas that may help resolve the problems of joint and muscular pains and the neurological symptoms that are brought about by the infection of Lyme disease even after the many courses of antibiotics.
My antibiotic treatment may or may not help with the disease that I have right now. However, I am still positive that I will still get well. I am doing everything that I can for me to recover. For one, I am researching the new trends in the treatment of the said disease. I discuss it with my doctor and see what we can do to help me get better the soonest possible time.
The immune system therapy as an adjunct treatment for the said disease is one choice. The immune system is what would help us combat any disease. Thus boosting the immune system would greatly help. AIDS is one disease where you can base how important the immune system is, even with high doses of antibiotics, it would not help because the immune system is depressed. However, with Lyme disease, I can still do something with my immune system by taking supplements to give it a boost thus this can be an effective help in treating the said disease.
In my research for new treatments, I came across Lyme-Aid as an adjunct therapy. I have read that this therapy is an offshoot of the company’s research for Immune-Assist, an adjunct therapy that they have for cancer patients. I read that this therapy works well with patients with Lyme disease. This was even shown to be effective in treating advanced stages of Lyme disease where CNS problems are already present and are said to enhance the effects of the antibiotic used in the treatment of the said disease.
I also read silver as an adjunct therapy. This is also said to work well during the late stages of the said disease. However, these two therapies were not yet advised. My doctor and I are currently discussing how I can fully recover from the disease. I am working closely with my doctor because he knows what medication will work for me and if ever I discover something, he is open to listening to my point of view.
My Path of Action
My path of action in battling this disease is to follow the treatment therapy that I have right now. Although this is already too tiring for me, I am left with no choice but to follow what the doctor has to tell me. It is I who would suffer in case I would be stopping the said treatment because you can just imagine what the different outcomes are if I stop the treatment. I would not want to be paralyzed, nor do I want to be blind. I would not also want to have some neurological problems. All I want is to be cured and live normally like the way I lived my life before. I may not function the way I used to function but at least, I just have to deal with pains and not other complications brought about by the disease.
My goal with the said treatment is to get well and be able o go back to school. I had a life that sucks when I had the disease and could not do anything but lie down and get tired. I am willing to do everything I can so that I can win this battle. This is not an easy thing to do but this is something that I need to survive if I would want to have my life back. This debilitating disease that I had, took a part of my life that I could have enjoyed spending at school and at other activities.
This is my experience with Lyme disease that changed my life forever but there are things that people need to go through so that we become stronger people.
Works Cited
Fallon, BA, et. Al. “A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Repeated IV Antibiotic Therapy for Lyme Encephalopathy” (2008). Lyme and Tick-borne Diseases Research Center. Web.
Frey, Rebecca. Lyme Disease (2004). Life Steps. Web.
“Lyme Disease.” Wellness Focus, 2009. Web.
“Scientists identify potential key to Lyme disease.” University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Web.
Www3.niaid.nih.gov. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 2008. Web.