Candida+Lyme and Herx questions

madrona1

I have had Candida for about 10 years, off and on, but getting worse over the last 2-3 years. I can control it with diet and supplements. Got freaked out by a bad Herx on one supplement and haven't gone back to it, but I see I am just going to have to deal with Herxes (gently if possible).

My doc recently tested me for Lyme and feels it is likely I have chronic Lyme, based on my CD57 and Western Blot. She seems to be an LLMD or getting there.

I saw a different doctor for a localized bacterial infection in July. First I was put on Keflex, but I got these rashes on my arms whenever I got hot and sweaty (hiking, working out, etc.). They were itchy and there were some small hives, too. I was switched to Doxy and immediately had severe pain in one muscle in my left arm. And weakness. After two days of this, I stopped the Doxy and it went away fairly quickly. This was a muscle that had been somewhat painful, due to RSI, for a few weeks prior to the ABs. It just got tons worse on the Doxy. I could barely move my arm.

Meanwhile, while on the two ABs, my Candida started getting out of control. My doc wants to get my Candida under control before dealing with the Lyme, because it will just get worse on ABs. And before treating the Candida, she wants to treat my H. pylori infection (asymptomatic but high numbers of bacteria). I am feeling anxious about getting the Lyme treatment under way, though I believe I have had it for years.

If Candida is so common with Lyme, are you treating the Candida first? If/when it comes back, do you go off ABs and go back to square one? And how do I take Doxy if it causes me such severe pain? Do you start at a lower dose? Does that seem like a Herx reaction?

I am curious about people's experiences and approaches to this. The truth is I have only been on anti-Candida supplements, never an Rx.