Interesting watch.

Thanks, here’s the i-player link and it’s only a half hour long.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000640l/disclosure-series-1-9-under-the-skin

Being repeated on the BBC news channel at the weekend also.

Some interesting background info on Lyme, and some of the ongoing effects, including arthritis:
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/possible-clue-lyme-arthritis-found-patients-inflamed-joints-n1018476

Would also mention that a private doctor who was featured in this program closed his waiting list some time ago. He is not the only practitioner to have done this. Bottom line is that the NHS considers that antibiotics will have treated the infection and any other symptoms must be due to SOMETHING ELSE. You can DIY or pony up for a private practitioner in which case you’ll need deep pockets.

Are the DIY blood tests for £50-60 worth the money? Seems NICE tell GPs they can’t prescribe based in them, but would it push a GP to pay for getting ones done through the NHS if the DIY one was positive?

I have a history of ME/CFS, joint pains and undiagnosed heart issue (Not CAD and still waiting for an MRI). I have wondered about Lyme’s as I’ve always spend time in tick environments walking and camping and removed them from dogs, but I’ve never actually noticed one on myself. Some times a tick bite could be hidden in all the other bites, cuts and scratches though lol!

When I’ve mentioned it to my GP and cardiologist they’ve never taken it as a possibility

No, I would suspect that they’re exactly the same as what the NHS offers. In my case my blood went to a US lab for a large number of tests, including co-infections, and which the NHS would not test anyway. The NHS will not accept lab results for Lyme disease from overseas labs and too many NHS doctors are unaware that the NHS tests are at best 50% accurate.

Hope that makes sense!

longdog Here’s a link to a questionnaire developed by Dr Richard Horotwitz, one of the world’s top Lyme disease doctors. You may find it useful to complete.

http://lymeontario.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Horowitz-Questionnaire.pdf

No it doesn’t really do anything than confirm what I thought about the uselessness and difficulty of getting the testing from reading on various sites lol!

I’ll have a look at that questionnaire, thanks.

longdog there’s some pages in Dr Horowitz’s book that may be helpful, am happy to scan them for you.

If you decide to go for non-NHS testing then it’s worthwhile thinking ahead to what you would do with the results. For example, some doctors insist on tests from a particular lab so bearing in mind that you could easily spend upwards of £500 on testing you need to get it right.

Important to remember that Lyme disease needs a clinical diagnosis.