lyme disease - what is best to eat?

ChrissyChickie

I was at my orthopedics for knee pain and he was reading my records (same hospital system so he could see history). He asked if I had ever been tested for lyme disease (I had not) because I have so many symptoms. My insurance doesn't cover lyme testing so I need to see what I'm going to do next. In the meantime, I ordered some books from my library, but in the meantime I searched google and found I should take certain vitamins and antiflaming foods. Anything specific anyone has found? Thanks.

harper16

Why don't you wait to find out if you have Lyme disease, or ask your doctor for advice?

Mithridites

‘Eat’ the antibiotics you will get prescribed. I wouldn’t delay doing the testing and getting treatment. Lyme is difficult to treat even when caught early, then becomes more and more difficult as it progresses.

ChrissyChickie

harper16 wrote: »

Why don't you wait to find out if you have Lyme disease, or ask your doctor for advice?

I'm asking for advice from people who have lyme disease and what may have helped them. My doctor is pretty sure I have it. Although he is an orthopedics doctor (I was there seeing him for my knee), he said he is pretty much an expert on lyme disease because he had it also and read through my records prior to me coming. He did not have time to go into everything with me because I was there for my knee and this was his first day back and he had a packed office. I can't even get an appointment with my primary care doctor for over 2 weeks. If I could have gotten this information from him right there and then I would have. Please don't come on my thread and be condescending to me.

AnnPT77

Generally speaking, the best baseline in any scenario is to get good nutrition. That means an adequate minimum of protein and fats, preferring healthy fats (MUFAs & PUFAs, rational Omega-3/Omega-6 balance) . Eat plenty of varied, colorful veggies and fruits for micronutrients and fiber. Five daily servings (80-ish grams per serving, generically) is a minimum, 10+ is better if you can get there within your sensible calorie goal. Pursue a healthy body weight, with a moderate (not extreme) weight loss rate. If you're not there yet, work your way gradually (not exhaustingly) to 150 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise weekly minimum (or half that of intense CV exercise, or a combination), plus at least 2 days weekly of strength training. More is fine, as long as not fatiguing. Over-exercise for your current level of fitness/conditioning is not fine, because it's a physical stressor. Work up to it.

Those are mainstream minimums for health. If you want more tailored advice, ask your doctor for Lyme-specific advice, or for a referral to a qualified registered dietitian who can provide that guidance. Those will be a starting point. Anything Lyme-specific will be additional. Get to those goals first, in anticipation: That would be my advice.

For clarity, for others: Most of the above is not required for weight loss, which is all about calories, especially in the short run. Health targets are a further issue, beyond just calories, though adequate (but not excessive) calorie are the foundation for health, too.

wilson10102018

I'm getting that the OP did not get tested for Lyme Disease because her insurance did not cover it.

kimny72

The treatment for Lymes is a course of antibiotics, and the longer you wait to be treated, the longer it will most likely take to resolve. Lymes disease is not yet well understood, but for people who have symptoms that last after the infection is resolved, the theory is that it's an autoimmune reaction.

While you're fighting the infection, your best bet is to eat as healthy and varied a diet as possible, like AnnPT77 outlined. While on antibiotics, many people like to eat probiotic rich foods, like yogurt or fermented foods, to counteract the good gut bacteria being killed off by the antibiotics. If you end up with a lingering auto immune disorder, a Registered Dietician would be your best bet for dietary advice, as different foods seem to help/hurt different people with autoimmune issues, if they factor in at all.

I've never known anyone with Lymes who followed a specific diet that helped, including an elimination diet, though lord knows there are plenty of people who'll try to sell you one.

Does your doctor think you have an active Lymes infection now, or does he think you had an infection in the past that resolved itself but now have post-Lymes autoimmune disorder? If that's not clear, call the office back and find out.

Hopefully folks who have had Lymes will be available here soon, but in the meantime get as much further clarification as you need from your doctor and eat a healthy well rounded diet. The internet will sell you on vitamins and specific foods for just about anything, but it rarely has any actual evidence basis. Best of luck, I hope you can get reliable info soon.