Questions for Doctor

Hi, everyone, and thank you for all of your very informative posts and discussions. 

I have my first appt. with an ID on Thurs. and am making a list of questions to ask.  I already have some that seem to be answered at least in part just by reading what you all have been experiencing.  I was first treated in Aug. 2005, after bite the last week of June previous to that. Was tested neg.  I didn't get the rash, but low fever initially, and kept feeling tired and as if catching a cold or something all summer.  Two weeks into August began the severe neck pain, that two pain meds and muscle relaxer didn't begin to alleviate.  Also was getting ultrasound at MD office and Chiro. treatments.  As the pain finally began to slighly subside, I felt sick all over again.  I researched on web and went to MD, and he put me on Doxycycline for two weeks.  I also went to the health food store and went on Cat's Claw and Wormwood, NAC and Chlorella.  I missed 7 weeks of work.  It took a while, but began to feel better. 

In March 2009, I began with severe sinusitis, with extreme vertigo,and something new, parasthesia.  Specifically, pain in what feels like all of my nerve endings, as if all my skin is bruised.  It comes and goes in varying degrees and seems to begin in my feet, sometimes hands and feet, and sometimes everywhere.  It has subsided, but I also get achy in my joints sometimes and my muscles feel like they are overworked, and get twinges of shooting pains or just achy, also in varying degrees, but tolerable.  The muscles in my upper back have been tight from my job, partly from dog walking (he has improved in the past year though) and even my hobby of wire jewelry making, so didn't think too much about the tight tingly feeling in my upperback, with twinges of pain.  I thought it was just from ignoring it too long and working while not feeling quite well.  I was treated with 2 weeks Biaxin (March 3) when it seemed like siusitis, then went on Doxycycline 100mg and still on currently.  Tested with Western Blot, that showed old positives and one new.  Also sent for MRI of brain which showed normal.  Also began medicinal mushrooms, Lypo-spheric Vitamin C, Cat's Claw, have already been taking good multi-vitamin and probiotic, and herbal blend for hormonal transition, ground flax seed and flax seed and evening primrose oil, and apply  natural progesterone creme topically to try to balance my cycle.  Have realized I need to do yeast free diet, and just purchased a blend of Berberis-Homaccord, Lymphomyosot, and Nux vomica-Homaccord for detoxifying.  Also doing the detox bath mentioned on this site (thank you!).

My symptoms seem like nothing next to a lot of others.  My main question is: did my resistance get knocked down and the little critters are swimming again, or is it a new bite.  I don't seem to have the other symptoms for Babs., Bartonella or the others, but should I be tested for those.  Do my aches and pains sound like infection or herx?  And what would be important to ask the ID, when I get there on Thursday?

 

Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction- the body's response to the toxins released during treatment as the parasite or organisms die off, named after the doctors Adolf Jarisch and Karl Herxheimer, who both noted the reactions to patients treated for syphils. And it can apparently feel as bad or worse than the original symptoms or even mimic intolerance to a med. I searched herx and there are many articles that mention it. I am learning more and more, and reading what others are experiencing takes some of the loneliness and fear out of it. There is another woman at work who has Lyme and will also be going to the same group as I am, so we can share our experiences as we go through them, which will also help a lot.
I should have probably also have mentioned that I am 43 and the hormonal stuff was going on before the tick bite, so I suppose I am entering perimopause. I get the brain fog, but that has been there all my adult life, and seems to be hormonal. I did the yeast free diet for approx. a year, after on and off antibiotic use throughout my life for sinusitis. It isn't easy, but I got off all my allergy meds, felt better and lost 20 pounds. I do take meds for allergy/ sinus symptoms as needed, but try not to. I prefer natural remedies to drugs, and am also making a list for the health food store, but don't know what to add, and does anyone else take Cat's Claw? Sorry, that's a whole 'nother question!