My daughter, age 9, was finally diagnosed with Lyme after being misdiagnosed for one year! She was on Ceftin for 6 weeks last August until October. She hasn't had any reappearance of symptoms since during these 8 months. Could she possibly have symptoms reappear sometime in the future? I have heard that spirochetes can lay dormant for up to years later? Is that true even after antibiotic treatment?
Or should I assume she's totally well? The reason I'm asking is that the insurance company wants us to sign a medical release about this so they will pay for her specialized treatment. Should we sign the release or could her Lyme symptoms reappear? Has anyone had any experience of Lyme reappearing after intensive antibiotic treatment? Please advise. Thanks!
Re: Can Lyme symptoms appear again after antibiotics?
Hi mirandamom.
I am so glad to hear your daughter feels better. Its just the worst for me when one of my kids is sick.
Sorry to hear she was sick for so long and that it took so long to get diagnosed. oooh - these doctors get me mad sometimes. I was also v4ry sick for a long time before getting treated. Nine docs and not one thought to test for Lyme.
Anyway, you sound worried and I wanted to say hello and tell you that I'm sure everything will be fine.
Lyme is a tricky devil and I can understand your worry. I also hear of folks relasping and its scary. To fight this disease and feel that you've won is great - but to think that it can come back is discouraging.
If she's otherwise healthy and stays that way I'm sure she'll be fine. Although it never hurts to talk to a Lyme Literate doctor for the scoop. Maybe the doc can teach her about healthy life choices.
I've heard that stress can bring Lyme out of remission. I am still being treated for the initial infection so I have no experience.
I'm also afraid I have no advice on the insurance thing. My insurance pays nothing and I really think they're poopy heads.
I would take this "form signing" thing seriously. You don't want to risk being denied payment of a later claim or anything those sneaky claims reps can think up.
You're a good mom to be finding out this information.
Glad she's Ok. Peace and health to you and your daughter.
Re: Can Lyme symptoms appear again after antibiotics?
Hi mirandamom. I wrote to you on the other thread also.
Six weeks of treatment is not very long for someone who had Lyme for one year before getting diagnosed. It is my understanding that six weeks of the proper dose antibiotic is the minimum treatment for an infection caught within two weeks of the bite. A longer infection needs longer treatment.
Was your daughter treated by a Lyme doctor? Was she tested for all the co-infections ticks can transmit: Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis (HME & HGE), Bartonella, and Mycoplasma? This is important. Many people who have Lyme are co-infected. Yes, Lyme can lay dormant sometimes for years. In some cases a person is able to keep symptoms at bay until their immune system becomes stressed in some way (illness, accident, divorce etc.). Then symptoms emerge.
I don't understand what the insurance company wants you to sign. Is it that they will not cover futher treatment?
I would recommend that your daughter be evaluated by a Lyme doctor to see what would be best for her situation. Dr. Charles Ray Jones in New Haven, CT is the best Lyme pediatrician in the country. He may be able to help.
Re: Can Lyme symptoms appear again after antibiotics?
Mirandamom
I am glad that your daughter is showing no symptoms. I pray this will continue. Lyme can wrap itself in a cyst while it hides and lays dormant. Was your daughter on one of the cyst busters. (Flagyl) I know Mickie & Ticker questioned the co-infections. Alot of lyme patients are co-infected. So it is important to know whether she was tested or not.
Also regarding the insurance, insurance companies are as interested in our health as the lyme bacteria are. They are looking out for themselves. My advice. Don't sign.
You are a good Mom. You are staying on top of things and that is so important. Try not to worry.
Prayers.....Marsha
Last edited by Pearlscale; 07-21-2006 at 07:37 PM.
Re: Can Lyme symptoms appear again after antibiotics?
Thanks so much for replying! I hadn't even heard that there could be co-infections until now!!! Another thing the doctors didn't tell me, right? How should I go about getting her tested for co-infections? The specialist we saw is expensive and not covered fully by insurance! We're still looking for a trustworthy pediatrician locally since our other clinic misdiagnosed for so long. We don't plan to go back there after how we were mistreated!
Yes, the medical insurance wants us to sign off so they won't have to pay any further treatments since the Ceftin was expensive! I'm suspicious about that! Why do we pay premiums when getting the insurance carrier to pay is such a hassle? Yet, without medical insurance it's even worse!
Any advice? I've learned a lot from reading the stories/experience posted here! I had no idea so many struggle with the symptoms for so long! My heart goes out to you all!
Re: Can Lyme symptoms appear again after antibiotics?
Hi mirandamom. Unfortunately, the majority of doctors are not knowledgeable about tick-borne illnesses.
Many Lyme doctor do not take insurance because they often do not get reimbursed. People usually pay up front and submit the bills to their company for what they will reimburse. You can always write to the CEO of your company and request that the doctor visits and testing be covered as in-network.
Maybe you could find a local doctor who would consult with Dr. Jones. IgeneX Lab in Palo Alto, CA is one of the best Lyme labs in the country. Many Lyme doctors use it for testing.
Re: Can Lyme symptoms appear again after antibiotics?
I had a reaccurance of LYME.
I was exposed and took ,y antibiotics for 30 days and I assumed I was fine.
2 years rolled around and I started experiencing vision problems. I FINALLY went to a TOP eye guy and after telling him my ENTIRE medical history, he told me that although it is RARE, LYME can come backa nd he susoected it attached itsslef to my eye nerves. He gave me a Rx for the SAME exact antibitoics I took before and although I took it for ANOTHER 30 days, in 2 days, my vision improved. My vision is not PERFECT, but I almost went blind.
So, YES, you CAN have a reaccurance. RARE, but ti can happen.
