I've read numerous articles about the LYME spirochetes turning into cysts. I will be speaking to my Dr more about this in detail next week, but in the meantime, I would appreciate more input.

Does anyone know how soon cysts can form? Is Flagyl usually recommended? I am currently only on Doxycycline. I have read that people have made complete recoveries from being on doxy alone if the disease is caught early enough. At this point, I am 85% better.

I am on my 5th week of doxy, and started treatment roughly four months after the bite. Anyone else who caught it this early on any anti-cyst meds? My LLMD said it wasn't a concern when I brought it up to her on my first visit.
But I just don't want to be "cured" and then months down the road, the spirochetes break out of their cysts to have a party!!

Thanks in advance!

Ok. Thx for the tip. So it can start that soon? Wow. I don't think I want to treat for any coinfections if I may not have them though....

Rather than suggesting an abx that you "should" use, as this varies for each person depending on so many different factors, here are some articles that you can read to better understand what the purpose is and how to combat cystic forms:
www.lymeinfo.net/lymefiles.html

This is a link to the first article on cyst forms in LD, and the best place to start in my opinion:
www.lymeinfo.net/medical/LDCysts.pdf

There is ton of information on these pages, for both the "beginner" and the more "advanced" reader. Please take the time to educate yourself, then you can talk with your doctor better to find out what is right for you.

Chapelle,

I'm not sure if anyone can actually recover completely with doxy alone. I caught my tick bite early and saw a Dr with two days of the appearance of the EM rash. I took the recommended 30 day dose of doxy and had no apparent symptom until around three years later.

See the attached paper by Evi Sapi comparing ABX effectiveness against the different forms of Lyme. I'm not sure if it was in this article, or another one of her research papers, where I picked up the reference to how fast lyme can change itself to cyst form when exposed to a hostile environment.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3132871/

Lyme can lay dormant in its cyst form for many years and even decades.

Also for the few lucky people who treat early and put Lyme into remission, they may also have dodged the other co-infections.

I've often wondered if the bite that left the EM Rash was my first bite, and I got bit again to trigger off the symptoms; or if I was bit even way prior to the bite that caused the rash.
Who really knows.

When my real strange neuro symptoms started I saw my PCP, who sent me to a Neuro, who found nothing and sent me to PT. I discussed Lyme with both the PCP and Neuro but they quickly dismissed it. My PCP thought my sx were caused by depression or Fibro.

It was I then started my own research and got to a Lyme Clinic, but that was a joke, and they sent me to a Rhymi. The Rhymi acknowledge inflammation in most all of my joints, and thought it was gout, then some strange form of arthritis. After two years of this I got myself to an LLMD. You know how it goes wasting time with traditional MDs

There are many people that get bit and show no immediate symptoms, and the disease stays dormant for years until some traumatic episode (physical or mental), or another bite wakes it up.

By hostile environment I meant caused by an ABX or anti-microbal herbal remedy that attacks the bacteria, so they hide in deeper tissue or biofilms, or simply change forms.

Yes, this disease does effect everyone differently depending on many, many health factors, and genetic disposition.

I am actually seeing a pediatric llmd today for my daughter so I plan to discuss this issue with him.