Several diagnosis of CFS since taken ill in 1994. Now new Dr. says my symptoms point toward Lyme. I have most symptoms of both diseases.

Possible that I do have both? If so, would it be a chicken/egg kind of thing?

Thanks for all thoughts! Sick and confused, **LdyM



[This Message was Edited on 10/27/2009]

is yes. The longer one has any illness that remains undetected/untreated, it of course compromises the immune system and allows opportunistic infections. Some feel lyme can be opportunistic, or open the door for other pathogens like the xmrv or others.

It IS sort of a "chicken/egg", that is for sure.

Many feel that if you treat the lyme, the body will take care of most other things; plus most of the abx that are used for lyme do treat other bacterial stealth infections. Others feel you treat what's most obvious, then follow up as indicated by one's clinical picture... I'm sure for many antiviral treatment is helpful as well.

At any rate, it sounds like you have a pretty good doctor at least in being able to look at 'the whole picture'... good luck with him. What does he want to do first?

all the best,
Victoria

Hi,

Yes you could.

Remember that all of your symptoms have a cause.....your Dr's just didn't look for the cause all those years.

Once you got a CFS diagnosis, they just tell you it has "no known cause" and treat you symptomatically forever.....leaving you no hope of recovery.

It is also possible that your CFS symptoms are really lyme and coinfection symptoms.

Please read the following information, starting with Dr B's 2008 Guidelines.....


http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/B_guidelines_12_17_08.pdf


http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/about_lyme.html


http://www.lymedisease.org/lyme101/lyme_disease/lyme_disease.html


http://www.harp.org/Twostandardsofcare.htm


You can also find lots of info and help at lymenet.org. They have a great Medical Questions board, general support board and Seeking a Doctor board.

That is great that your Dr actually recognized that you could have chronic lyme. Chronic lyme requires long term treatment by a Lyme literate MD (LLMD) who follows ILADS guidelines.

It is important for you to know that lyme should never be ruled out by just a negative test.....although most Dr's do this mistakenly all the time. It is a clinical diagnosis, based on history and symptoms.

good luck!

check out the top sticky note about info and links...

Listen to this interview:
http://hansacenter.com/lyme-interview.html

Get Dr. J's book and if you possibly can, go to his clinic. Many people have wasted years and lots of money trying things all over the country but making improvement once they see Dr. J.

Best wishes for your recovery!

~Renae

P.S. My daughter has CFIDS, Chronic Lyme & several bacterial and viral coinfections, Fibromyalgia, etc.

[This Message was Edited on 11/02/2009]

I got a Trojan horse virus using the URL in the post above mine to check out the lyme interview.

Took me an hour to run my anti viral program so it didn't ruin my PC. Don't know how else to warn all of you so am putting it in a reply and hope no one else tries it. Moderators ... is there something else you can do?

Wonder if it's the whole site, or what...

you might want to email tech support here right away tho.

Thanks to everyone for the input. I'm thinking more and more that I do have both.

Probably never know though, as the years of disability and treatments have rendered me close to penniless. I am however in the XMRV Clinical Study, so perhaps that will give me one more piece of the puzzle.

You all are the best! **LdyM