Hello,

I thank you all for your responses, I greatly appreciate it. Ticker I had a question in regards to lyme, what is actually used to treat it as I am taking antibiotics (tetracycline 500mg twice daily). Also does lyme cause gum problems? I seem to have a lot of gum inflammation and did see dentists and had scaling and some more treatment but with no avail.
It seems like my skin, gums, eyes and outer areas of my body are extremely irritated and inflamed. I will look into getting a probiotic as well.

Also if you do know of a reputable lyme doctor please do send me some information. I did get tested for lyme a few times but I was tested with ***** diagnostics. I thank you all for taking the time to post to me, thanks once again

Hi mainman. I agree that when taking antibiotics it is good to take high-quality acidophilus. The best ones to get are refrigerated. Most healthfood stores have them. Wait at least two hours before or after taking the antibiotics to take the acidophilus.

Lyme disease is treated with high dose antibiotics. Tetracycline may be used in some cases, but I think the dose would be higher than what you are taking. I don't know if gum problems could be Lyme related, but I know that teeth problems can be. Before I was diagnosed, my teeth became extremely sensitive when they had never been before. I saw several dentists and no cause was found. I think it was nerve related. It resolved when I was treated for Lyme.

Realize that no Lyme test is completely reliable. Regarding the Western Blot, the CDC requires a large number of bands to show for it to be considered positive yet many people who have Lyme do not have this many bands show. Lyme doctors often focus on which bands show, some are specific for Lyme. It is important to be tested by a Lyme reputable lab such as IgeneX in Palo Alto, CA. They have more sensitive tests and list more bands on the Western Blot. Testing should be used as an aid in diagnosis not solely for diagnosis. A lyme knowledgeable doctor will not rely solely on test results to diagnose tick-borne illnesses.

I know of three Lyme doctors in the MD/DC area: Dr. Kenneth Singleton in Towson, MD comes highly recommended. The other two doctors are Dr. Mark Garzon in DC and Dr. Elizabeth Lucas in Timonium, MD. All I know about them is that they are supposed to be Lyme knowledgeable.

Good luck! Keep us posted on how you are doing okay?