Omg...i Might Be On To Something

[Debbie65]

Lost it somewhere but my question was

How can you quote and answer questions from lots of people at once?

[Rachel--24]

Rachel and Laura

I so relate to everything both of you said about feeling overwhelmed- and rachel that question- "Is this really happening?" Is this real? That question pops into my mind often and ever time I feel like the ground shakes - its like a wake up call- becasue I am in so many ways just used to not feeling well and just accept his is my life right now I think realizing how sick I am is always still suprising to me. (Idon't know if this make sense)

Miamia,

Thanks for the update.

What you said does make sense. I am very used to living like this now...with the diet, the chemicals, the research, the Dr. appts, the treatments, etc. It keeps me busy and focused but sometimes it does hit me....just as you described....its like the ground shakes underneath me and I remember that this is all *real* and its actually happening to me.

It is still shocking to me when I'm hit with this realization. I suppose as long as I'm sick like this....there will always be those moments when everything hits home and I'll feel a little overwhelmed by the whole process.

I think because I get wrapped up in the scientificness of it all I tend to "forget" at times that all of this is happening in my life because I'm really sick. To some extent this has helped me cope...I can tell that I'm less worried and less sad when I keep my mind busy with learning new things. Probably so I dont have time to sit and think about the things I'm missing out on.

Its hard for me because on the outside I dont "appear" to be sick.....so people still ask me to go out, invite me to parties, etc. Even the people I see everyday sometimes momentarily forget that I cant do everything and eat everything....because otherwise I seem pretty normal.

I was thinking about it today and I'm just so thankful for the Dr.'s I have now. I was remembering how it was when the Dr.'s at Kaiser just brushed me off all the time....they could never imagine in a million years all the ways my body was messed up on the inside.

Now....even on a really good day where I'm happy, full of energy and could easily blend in with the "healthy" crowd....I walk into BioSET or into my Dr.'s office and I sit down with them and they know that I'm sick. Not only do they know I'm sick but they're aware of how bad it is....and they understand why. Never once have they said "You dont look sick."

I just realized today that this really means alot to me and it has taken alot of the anger, stress, frusteration and fear out of my situation. I'm definately in a much better place than I was just a year ago...so I do have some things to be thankful for....and I am.

Luckily we are all strong and we're all fighters cuz this stuff sure aint easy!!

I guess I am just really hoping that some of the things I am doing are the right things for me and that I am finally getting to the root of all this.

I'm sorry about your set-back....we all seem to have them.....I think it just comes with the territory. After some time on treatment I think we will notice that they come less and less. Thats what I've read anyway...I dont know from experience yet.

I think you are getting to the root of things...it might take some time to find the treatment that works best for you. It sounds like your Dr. is trying different things to see what might help. Is he running anymore tests or are you all done with tests now?

[AndreaB]

Lost it somewhere but my question was

How can you quote and answer questions from lots of people at once?

Hit quote for each response you want to reply to and then hit add reply.

I just realized today that this really means alot to me and it has taken alot of the anger, stress, frusteration and fear out of my situation. I'm definately in a much better place than I was just a year ago...so I do have some things to be thankful for....and I am.

A good doctor or team of doctors is wonderful isn't it? I'm happy you have a good team working with you.

[diamondheart]

When I went to treatment last night I told her I'm toxic and I think I might have too much sulfur in my system. I told her I think sulfur from foods is building up.....I know that its causing me problems.

We went through a bunch of stuff and in the end found out that my sulfur pathway wasnt open. It used to be clear but something happened and it got blocked. I had to get re-treated last night and today I'm not so toxic anymore.

Rachel, I think it's great that you have gotten sensitive enough to feel what is bothering you. I find this to be so helpful when working with a healer for your own healing!

I haven't written anything in the the last two days because our kitty crisis. We had to put our pet cat of 16 years down early this morning. He was the diabetic one I've been talking about. I only knew him for about 5 of those 16 years (DH's cat originally), but I was really attached to him. He was a very cool cat with a big personality and big heart! It's a very sad story that I'll save for later .

I've never had to put a cat to sleep. My own pet cat of 16 years got eaten last summer by the neighborhood fox, so I was spared to make that difficult decision with her. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, and I was glad to be there for Ouiser (pronounced wheezer). I could feel his spirit was happy when he passed, because he wasn't suffering anymore. And I was actually glad to spend some time with his body, which I hadn't expected either. We took his body home to bury him. It was very very very sad :( .

At least we have one cat left, but she's the oldest of the three at 17.

Claire

[AndreaB]

We had to put our pet cat of 16 years down early this morning.

I'm sorry.

I had to put one of my cats down years ago. She had liver cancer and was only around 4 or 5 years old. They told me to bring her in when I was ready. Well, I wasn't ready but I couldn't make her suffer anymore. I wasn't there for it though.

Hugs. It's hard to lose a loved one, non furry and furry alike.

[NoGluGirl]

Dear Claire,

I am so sorry about your kitty! I had a miniature Schnauzer named Jasmine who died of congestive heart failure several years ago. I did not have the emotional strength to put her down. I know I should have, but she loved life so much, despite her suffering. No matter how sick she was, she always tried so hard to get back up. I never have been fortunate enough to own a cat, because my parents never would let me have one. Go figure, I found out I am allergic to dogs in 2005. We cannot get rid of our Yorkie. People say to just get rid of them. It is just, you cannot go and be like "Oh, see ya pup!" They don't understand, and they get traumatized. I hate it when people think that animals do not have feelings. I grew up around a lot of animals, so not having a pet feels strange for me. At one point, we actually had a dozen or so hamsters, three guinea pigs (my absolute favorites), a rabbit, seven aquariums, and two dogs! I miss them all! Now, since Tasha Bear, our Standard Schnauzer died in 2005, we have only had Dart. It does not feel normal!

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[miamia]

Miamia,

Thanks for the update.

What you said does make sense. I am very used to living like this now...with the diet, the chemicals, the research, the Dr. appts, the treatments, etc. It keeps me busy and focused but sometimes it does hit me....just as you described....its like the ground shakes underneath me and I remember that this is all *real* and its actually happening to me.

It is still shocking to me when I'm hit with this realization. I suppose as long as I'm sick like this....there will always be those moments when everything hits home and I'll feel a little overwhelmed by the whole process.

I think because I get wrapped up in the scientificness of it all I tend to "forget" at times that all of this is happening in my life because I'm really sick. To some extent this has helped me cope...I can tell that I'm less worried and less sad when I keep my mind busy with learning new things. Probably so I dont have time to sit and think about the things I'm missing out on.

Its hard for me because on the outside I dont "appear" to be sick.....so people still ask me to go out, invite me to parties, etc. Even the people I see everyday sometimes momentarily forget that I cant do everything and eat everything....because otherwise I seem pretty normal.

I was thinking about it today and I'm just so thankful for the Dr.'s I have now. I was remembering how it was when the Dr.'s at Kaiser just brushed me off all the time....they could never imagine in a million years all the ways my body was messed up on the inside.

Now....even on a really good day where I'm happy, full of energy and could easily blend in with the "healthy" crowd....I walk into BioSET or into my Dr.'s office and I sit down with them and they know that I'm sick. Not only do they know I'm sick but they're aware of how bad it is....and they understand why. Never once have they said "You dont look sick."

I just realized today that this really means alot to me and it has taken alot of the anger, stress, frusteration and fear out of my situation. I'm definately in a much better place than I was just a year ago...so I do have some things to be thankful for....and I am.

Luckily we are all strong and we're all fighters cuz this stuff sure aint easy!!

I'm sorry about your set-back....we all seem to have them.....I think it just comes with the territory. After some time on treatment I think we will notice that they come less and less. Thats what I've read anyway...I dont know from experience yet.

I think you are getting to the root of things...it might take some time to find the treatment that works best for you. It sounds like your Dr. is trying different things to see what might help. Is he running anymore tests or are you all done with tests now?

Rachel-

thanks for your response. For now I am done with testing. Today I will start this 3 day medication and then I think in a while do one more. After these 2 treatments we are going to evaluate where I am at- if there are any changes, etc. and proceed from there. It makes me feel good that at least we have some sort of a plan.

It is strange- Even people who know I am sick seem to forget and ask me to do things that I really can't. They forget I guess or I think they just don't completly understand the situation r how bad it is. Even when I explain it I guess its too much for them to really wrap their brains around. - I can understand this in a way I mean its hard for me to wrap my brain around.

[CarlaB]

Nou I

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Question about the grapefruit: If it interacts with opioids, and gluten is an opioid, could one of the reasons gluten intolerance took so many decades to hit me be that I always ate a lot of grapefruit???

[Rachel--24]

Question about the grapefruit: If it interacts with opioids, and gluten is an opioid, could one of the reasons gluten intolerance took so many decades to hit me be that I always ate a lot of grapefruit???

Alison,

I dont think so. The grapefruit slows down the livers detox significantly. When one of those drugs that were listed is being taken the enzyme needed to break it down is not available...because its busy breaking down the grapefruit juice. The drugs end up staying in your system too long and can build up to dangerous levels....it can even cause death.

I would think that in this case the grapefruit wouldnt "protect" you from noticing gluten intolerance. I would think that if that particular enzyme is needed for breaking down the opiate in gluten...and the enzyme is always busy with grapefruit juice....the pathway for detox would be slowed down. This would make reactions more severe I would think??

I wonder if someone who is glutened drinks alot of grapefruit juice.....if this would cause the reaction and amount of damage to be prolonged due to the fact that detox would be slowed and gluten would remain in the system longer???

I dont know that there is any relationship with gluten opiate and the enzyme involved in breaking down grapefruit juice (cytochrome P-450 3A4) but that would be some interesting scientificness.

Here is a link about grapefruit juice and the medications.

Open Original Shared Link

[Rachel--24]

Ok....so this is all that I could really find out.

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (abbreviated CYP3A4) (EC 1.14.14.1), a member of the cytochrome P450 mixed-function oxidase system, is one of the most important enzymes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics in the body. CYP3A4 is involved in the oxidation of the largest range of substrates of all the CYPs. CYP3A4 is also, correspondingly, present in the largest quantity of all the CYPs in the liver.

So the enzyme slowed down by grapefruit juice is mainly for breaking down xenobiotics....normally found in drugs.

A xenobiotic is a chemical which is found in an organism but which is not normally produced or expected to be present in it. It can also cover substances which are present in much higher concentrations than are usual.

For example, drugs such as antibiotics are human xenobiotics because the human body does not produce them itself nor would they be expected to be present as part of a normal diet. However, the term is usually used in the context of pollutants such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls and their effect on the biota. Natural compounds can also become xenobiotics if they are taken up by another organism (eg uptake of natural hormones excreted from humans by fish downstream of sewage treatment plant outfalls).

The body gets rid of xenobiotics by xenobiotic metabolism. This consists of the deactivation and the secretion of xenobiotics, and happens mostly at the liver. Secretion routes are urine, feces, breath and sweat. Hepatic enzymes are responsible for the metabolism of xenobiotics, by first activating them (oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis and/or hydration of the xenobiotic) and then conjugating the active secondary metabolite with glucuronic or sulphuric acid, or glutathione, followed by excretion in bile or urine. An example of a group of enzymes involved in xenobiotic metabolism is hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450.

So I guess the question would be...Does gluten contain any xenobiotics? If gluten is an opiate...is that considered a xenobiotic?

I dont know if there is any chemical in gluten which depends on the cytochrome P450 to be broken down?? If there is.....I would think that Celiacs should avoid grapefruit juice when glutened??

[Rachel--24]

I haven't written anything in the the last two days because our kitty crisis. We had to put our pet cat of 16 years down early this morning.

Claire,

I'm very sorry about your kitty.

{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}]

I've always had pets and its very hard when we lose them. I've never had to make the choice to put a pet down and I'm sure that is not something that would be easy for me to deal with.

5 years is plenty of time to have bonded with a kitty and loved that kitty the same as if you'd had him the entire 16 years.

I'm glad that being with him afterwards gave you some peace. Its hard and you'll be sad.....he was obviously very loved and lived a long and good life with you and your hubby...so remember that. He was a lucky cat.

[dlp252]

What a day, lol. First, I stumbled down my stairs, but caught myself, so didn't fall. BUT, in the process of catching myself I managed to jar my entire body up...neck really hurts, wrists both hurt, leg hurts, feet hurt, and my back hurts, lol. What a mess.

Then...I have nothing to report for bioset cuz I forgot I only made appointments through the end of February, lol. I went over there and did my shopping thing, and was sitting in the waiting room, and then the receptionist noticed I was still sitting there after 1:30...she checked and sure enough I didn't have an appointment! Talk about foggy brained! But, I did find some cute tops.

So, now I'm home, all sore and still toxic. In a minute I'll heat up some heating pads and just lay on the couch for a while.

I just wanted to mention to anyone here that is trying to detox.....dont eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice. I learned that grapefruit juice really reduces the livers ability to detox....by about 40%!

This means that toxins will remain in your system alot longer due to the grapefruit juice slowing down the livers ability to detox...which could cause a definate worsening of symptoms and also may cause the immune system to become sensitized to things which are staying in the body too long.

Wow, this is good to know. I haven't really had grapefruit in many years but I've been considering buying grapefruit see extract for the candida. Think I'll just stick to what I've been doing.

We had to put our pet cat of 16 years down early this morning. He was the diabetic one I've been talking about. I only knew him for about 5 of those 16 years (DH's cat originally), but I was really attached to him. He was a very cool cat with a big personality and big heart! It's a very sad story that I'll save for later .

I'm so sorry Claire! Hugs from me too. I've had to put down two dogs...not easy. The first one I got as a puppy and had to put her down at 8 years old. The second one I adopted as an older sick dog, and only had her for 2 years, but that was just as hard as the first one was. I really love animals, and it was just heart wrenching for me.

[AndreaB]

What a day, lol. First, I stumbled down my stairs, but caught myself, so didn't fall. BUT, in the process of catching myself I managed to jar my entire body up...neck really hurts, wrists both hurt, leg hurts, feet hurt, and my back hurts, lol. What a mess.

Then...I have nothing to report for bioset cuz I forgot I only made appointments through the end of February, lol. I went over there and did my shopping thing, and was sitting in the waiting room, and then the receptionist noticed I was still sitting there after 1:30...she checked and sure enough I didn't have an appointment! Talk about foggy brained!

Ouch! I hope those heating pads help you. Are you still going to physical therapy? Can that help?

Oops about bioSet. Did you make some more appointments?

[dlp252]

Ouch! I hope those heating pads help you. Are you still going to physical therapy? Can that help?

Oops about bioSet. Did you make some more appointments?

Yes, I'm still going three times a week to physical therapy and chiropractic...and that was the first thing I thought of today and was wishing I had an appointment with them today, lol. I guess I should have did a massage at bioset...the guy there is always wanting to give me a massage.

And, yes, I made appointments through the first week of April so that when I turn my calendar page I will SEE that I don't have appointments for the rest of April, lol. Next week I couldn't get my normal time, but I got 3:00, so at least I'll have something done.

[diamondheart]

Hugs. It's hard to lose a loved one, non furry and furry alike.

Ain't that the truth! You forget how hard it is...

Donna, wow, you did have a rough day! I hope you're not too debilitated from the stairs thing. Do you have a hot tub? Sounds like that would be really nice right now.

Claire

[lonewolf]

Wow, you all move from topic to topic really fast here.

I'm sorry to go back to the mercury thing, but you're all more knowledgable than I am. I've been doing some research and it's not good news:( . The dentists that do amalgam removals in my area either aren't covered by insurance or aren't covered by my policy. We don't have the $5 - 8,000 to get this done. (Not a matter of not wanting to spend the money, we absolutely don't have it and no chance until all 4 kids are grown and gone and hopefully going to college on full scholarships.)

So, what would you think is better? 1) Leave all 7 of my amalgam fillings alone and wait 10-12 years before we could possibly have the money to get them removed. 2) Have my current dentist, who isn't specially trained, remove them and deal with the problems of improper removal, but get them out of my mouth.

I'm currently not horribly sick. I actually feel pretty good most of the time, but I'm more tired than I'd like to be and still don't feel completely "right". One of those hard to pin down feelings that make doctors think you're crazy. Going gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free and egg-free has been nothing short of miraculous for me, but I still think I could feel better. (And I would like my psoriasis to go away and my thin hair to thicken up.)

Any thoughts?

[NoGluGirl]

Wow, you all move from topic to topic really fast here.

I'm sorry to go back to the mercury thing, but you're all more knowledgable than I am. I've been doing some research and it's not good news:( . The dentists that do amalgam removals in my area either aren't covered by insurance or aren't covered by my policy. We don't have the $5 - 8,000 to get this done. (Not a matter of not wanting to spend the money, we absolutely don't have it and no chance until all 4 kids are grown and gone and hopefully going to college on full scholarships.)

So, what would you think is better? 1) Leave all 7 of my amalgam fillings alone and wait 10-12 years before we could possibly have the money to get them removed. 2) Have my current dentist, who isn't specially trained, remove them and deal with the problems of improper removal, but get them out of my mouth.

I'm currently not horribly sick. I actually feel pretty good most of the time, but I'm more tired than I'd like to be and still don't feel completely "right". One of those hard to pin down feelings that make doctors think you're crazy. Going gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free and egg-free has been nothing short of miraculous for me, but I still think I could feel better. (And I would like my psoriasis to go away and my thin hair to thicken up.)

Any thoughts?

Dear Liz,

I know how you feel. It sucks when you need treatment, but cannot afford it. I am in the same situation. I am trying to figure something out. My health is so bad, I cannot work. I barely can make it through a day at home. My business took a downturn due to being a victim of fraud, and now I am stuck with a -$99.70 in the bank account, and no way to fix it. One thing is for sure, the company that did it to me is not getting away with this! I would not have your current dentist remove the fillings.

If it is done incorrectly, it can cause serious damage to the patient's health.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

P.S. Did you ask the naturopathic dentist about payment plans?

[dlp252]

Wow, you all move from topic to topic really fast here.

I'm sorry to go back to the mercury thing, but you're all more knowledgable than I am. I've been doing some research and it's not good news:( . The dentists that do amalgam removals in my area either aren't covered by insurance or aren't covered by my policy. We don't have the $5 - 8,000 to get this done. (Not a matter of not wanting to spend the money, we absolutely don't have it and no chance until all 4 kids are grown and gone and hopefully going to college on full scholarships.)

So, what would you think is better? 1) Leave all 7 of my amalgam fillings alone and wait 10-12 years before we could possibly have the money to get them removed. 2) Have my current dentist, who isn't specially trained, remove them and deal with the problems of improper removal, but get them out of my mouth.

I'm currently not horribly sick. I actually feel pretty good most of the time, but I'm more tired than I'd like to be and still don't feel completely "right". One of those hard to pin down feelings that make doctors think you're crazy. Going gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free and egg-free has been nothing short of miraculous for me, but I still think I could feel better. (And I would like my psoriasis to go away and my thin hair to thicken up.)

Any thoughts?

No worries...we do move fast but we always come back to mercury since it's an issue for many of us. Yah, I was going to say what noglurigl did...do the dentists do any kind of payment plan. You could do one at a time on a payment plan. Also, if you don't need crowns, the cost may not be as high. I would definitely not have a regular dentist do the work--even if they were to take some precautions like using a dam, I doubt they would take the safety precautions seriously since they don't believe mercury is harmful. Breathing the vapors is what is really harmful so if they don't have a huge ventilation hose right by your nose and mouth you'd be breathing that vapor in. And, if they don't use a dam you'd probably actually swallow a little.

I had to chuckle (not that it's funny) at the "not completely right" comment. I said that for years and the doctors looked at me like So I sort of know what you're saying I guess.

Not to lonewolf specifically, but on the mercury subject. I caught an older episode of Grey's Anatomy Friday...this guy was in the hospital cuz he ate his novel, lol. Ended up he had mercury poisoning from it.

[CarlaB]

Wow, you all move from topic to topic really fast here.

I'm sorry to go back to the mercury thing, but you're all more knowledgable than I am. I've been doing some research and it's not good news:( . The dentists that do amalgam removals in my area either aren't covered by insurance or aren't covered by my policy. We don't have the $5 - 8,000 to get this done. (Not a matter of not wanting to spend the money, we absolutely don't have it and no chance until all 4 kids are grown and gone and hopefully going to college on full scholarships.)

So, what would you think is better? 1) Leave all 7 of my amalgam fillings alone and wait 10-12 years before we could possibly have the money to get them removed. 2) Have my current dentist, who isn't specially trained, remove them and deal with the problems of improper removal, but get them out of my mouth.

I'm currently not horribly sick. I actually feel pretty good most of the time, but I'm more tired than I'd like to be and still don't feel completely "right". One of those hard to pin down feelings that make doctors think you're crazy. Going gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free and egg-free has been nothing short of miraculous for me, but I still think I could feel better. (And I would like my psoriasis to go away and my thin hair to thicken up.)

Any thoughts?

Liz, can't you get any coverage if they're out of your network? My policy will, fortunately, but they cover more if the doc/dentist is in the network. If they're old amalgams, they are probably old enough to have the removal covered ... they naturally need replacement after time.

Anyway, I would leave them in. I would also take things that help to remove the mercury from my body on a consistent basis. I'd have to do research to figure out what to take, but I'm thinking along the lines of antioxidants including vitamin C, garlic, MSM, etc. Something to prevent you from absorbing so much of the mercury all the time.

I'm sure Rachel will have some scientificness on this, if she hasn't already, this is a premature post.

[Clark Bent as Stupor-Man]

thanks for the replies I got about 10 pages back... haven't had a chance to respond lately but I've skimmed most of the pages..

a few questions for those of you with lyme or familiar with it... is ordering the Igenex test the best way for me to go about getting tested? I was tested for lyme (among a lot of other things) through Labcorp a year ago but knew to some degree even at that time the innaccuracies of lyme testing.. I know that even Igenex may not pick up an infection but they seem to be the best testing method, right?

and if I do order a test from them, which test (I think I saw a few on their website but I might be wrong) and should I get it ordered through a doctor (either my primary or an LLMD) to try and get it covered by insurance? any of you get it covered?... I want to get this done as soon as possible so I'm planning on just ordering it this week but I should be able to schedule an appt with my primary relatively quickly and get the test ordered if I thought I'd have a good shot of getting it covered by insurance that way...

Rachel, the lyme and mercury connections are interesting but somewhat confusing to me... at least that you can't have lyme without mercury... are you talking about chronic or persistent lyme infections or simply an acute case as well? I'm gonna try and do some research on lyme and mercury in the next week or so as I'm planning on getting tested for both regardless

also, as a sidenote in regards to thimerosal, apparently thimerosal was (and may still be, I don't know) in at least certain allergy shots... I had allergy shots for 5+ years when I was a kid and have no idea if they had thimerosal but found this interesting.. granted, if I got any thimerosal from allergy shots and mercury turns out to be a problem for me, it wouldn't have caused the onset of my ear infections/allergies in the first place but could have served to further toxify my system

[Rachel--24]

Duplicate post.

I messed up.

[Rachel--24]

Just a quick drive-by..

Hope everyone had a good weekend.

I really dont like Monday's.

So, what would you think is better? 1) Leave all 7 of my amalgam fillings alone and wait 10-12 years before we could possibly have the money to get them removed. 2) Have my current dentist, who isn't specially trained, remove them and deal with the problems of improper removal, but get them out of my mouth.

Liz,

Definately dont have your current dentist remove them! Better to leave them in then to have them removed unsafely. Is it possible to get them removed slowly over time?? Even if it was only 1 per year you would have them all out in 7 years...rather than waiting 10-12.

If you already have mercury toxicity an unsafe removal (of even 1 amalgam) can be enough to push you over the edge.

I'd have to do research to figure out what to take, but I'm thinking along the lines of antioxidants including vitamin C, garlic, MSM, etc. Something to prevent you from absorbing so much of the mercury all the time.

Garlic and MSM can mobilize mercury but they cant bind with it to remove it from your body. There are certain things you can take with these things that will bind....like chlorella. I would have to look more into it. The NDF that I'm taking can be used while still having amalgams in place....unlike most chelators....however its pretty pricey stuff.

[CarlaB]

Clark, the IGeneX test is very highly regarded in the Lyme community. As you said, any test can come out negative while you still have it. They don't test directly for the bacteria, rather for the antibodies. Do you have your other test results? They may not be as negative as you think. Most non-LLMD's go by CDC standards. LLMD's study which bands you have along with your symptoms. Certain bands are specific to Lyme.

The minimum tests to order are the two Western Blots ... you need both of them. I ordered the complete test. Even if you have the kit sent to your house, when you take it to the doctor is when it's paid for, so if you're going to do it, I'd go ahead and order the kit.

I did not turn in my blood tests or LLMD appt. to insurance. All other treatment I have is within Network, and I have a $1000 deductable out of network and I have to pay 30% of "usual and customary" expenses, then 100% of above usual and customary. The LLMD was about $1100 (with a LOT of blood work) in January, and the IGeneX was about $400 in December. It wasn't worth alerting the insurance company to what I have when I wouldn't get anything back anyway. Right now they're paying for my prescriptions, which is the really important thing right now.

I would guess that with an acute Lyme infection you may not have a mercury problem. My mercury level was borderline -- supposed to be 4 or below, and mine was 4.1. I was supposed to go a week without fish prior to the testing, but I think I messed up and ate sushi 6 or 7 days prior to the test. So, mercury, though it's there, is not a HUGE problem for me. That may be what's enabled me to live so long with this in relatively good health.

On the other hand, LEAD is a problem, and when I am feeling better, they're going to address it.

[dlp252]

also, as a sidenote in regards to thimerosal, apparently thimerosal was (and may still be, I don't know) in at least certain allergy shots... I had allergy shots for 5+ years when I was a kid and have no idea if they had thimerosal but found this interesting.. granted, if I got any thimerosal from allergy shots and mercury turns out to be a problem for me, it wouldn't have caused the onset of my ear infections/allergies in the first place but could have served to further toxify my system

Okay, this is interesting!!! I'm wondering if my allergy shots contain it. I meant to ask last week...I had another reaction to the shots even though they reduced the amount by 30%. This certainly might explain a few things. If they have thimerasol it would sort of make sense that I would be reacting NOW as opposed to any other time since I've just had my amalgams removed...I think I started reacting to the shots around the same time I had my root canal (not by a biological dentist) in October and then still reacted in November, December, January, February and last week--my amalgam removal (by a biological dentist) started in November.