Scott–I have to start with a disclaimer here–I live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland–a Lyme endemic area where Lyme disease is not a “maybe” it is a likelihood if you are bitten with a tick. Granted, you are also likely to have the tell-tale symptoms and you are likely to be treated prophylactically, especially if you have more than one deer tick on you that has been attached for more than 24 hours. I am also very aware that Lyme debates around the world are much less “black and white” as there is much debate as to whether or not the Lyme infection occurs after travel to a Lyme endemic area, whether there are “other” Borrelia variants, whether it is Lyme at all, and whether Lyme can manifest as a latent disease etc. etc. etc.
In this particular case, I am prone to thinking that Lyme is a possibility, though, as I’ve said more than 100 times in the past, I am not a doctor, I don’t know the poster personally, I don’t know specifically what his exposure to Lyme prone areas may have been, and I don’t know where he lives (UK, AUS, or US–though once I get out of this reply I may look to see if I can tell the answer to that part :oops: ). That there are symptoms that are aligned with Lyme infection (joint involvement AS WELL AS the neurological symptoms) along with a positive test that is based on WB banding patterns which are the best test we have (iGenex or otherwise) at the moment gives decent evidence that there is an ongoing inflammatory response involving the joints and CNS (common to both Lyme AND Autoimmune disorders) and that there is a spirochete similar to Lyme (Borrelia b.) in his system. Now–if he’s been to an area (stated clearly in my response) where it is likely that he could have been bitten by a Bb infected tick–then antibiotic treatment is warranted–and, okay–if he doesn’t want to do 6-8 months–a course of at least 4-8 weeks IS warranted with Lyme disease (as it is with syphilis) because of the the life cycle of the bacteria–not a “normal streptococcal or staph” type organism"–
In order to kill the Lyme bacteria with antibiotics, you have to catch it at the right point in its life cycle, and if you’ve been infected for longer than a few weeks it is quite possible to have several “generations” of bacterial in the system. The life cycle actually takes approximately 4 weeks, so to kill the bacteria–all of them, and not have a new infestation later–you have to be certain to kill not only the currently active generation, but the soon to be active generation. This is true of any spirochetal organism–they are difficult to treat with antibiotics beyond initial infection, unlike short spanned bacterial infections/organisms like the coccidia and bacillus cells.
KennedyLane–the cervical lesion is not “asymptomatic.” I lost all feeling in my left arm and have had transient neuralgia in my left chin–along with Lhermitte’s sign. These were the symptoms that sent me back to the neurologist for a new MRI–they thought I had a herniated disc due to carrying heavy feed bags on the farm–low and behold–not the feedbags.
Small “dots” on the brain are pretty typical findings on most MRI’s of normal people. They aren’t really sure why–but life seems to leave a lot of us with brain scars from this or that–and most people never know about them because they don’t even have an MRI. But those of us with migraines etc get MRI’s and those stupid little dots scare us. If they are in certain spots–they are often noted to be due to migraine. If not–they are usually considered “incidental findings.”
The lesions have a certain “look” about them if they are active. Mine was active at the time of the MRI–witht the Gadolinium (SP?) they could literally see the inflammation reaction typical of myelitis. They diagnosed me with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) which nowadays many describe as the “first” attack of MS and treat it as such in order to “nip it in the bud.”
Here’s to keeping the bud tiny 
(**She’s have been edited to he’s due to updated information 
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