If you know anything about Lyme disease, it is that there are conflicting opinions on how to treat the problem. In fact, this has been a sticking point for many years and it does not seem that things are going to calm down anytime in the near future. Many doctors, scientists and Lyme disease sufferers feel that long term antibiotics are the best way currently available to treat Lyme disease.
On Wednesday, February 17, 2010, New Hampshire House lawmakers approved a bill that would make it easier for doctors in the state to treat Lyme disease through the use of long term, prescribed antibiotics.
Why is this such a big deal, you may ask? In the past, doctors have been reluctant to prescribe long term antibiotics because many were skeptical of the existence of a chronic form of Lyme disease, primarily because of the flawed guidelines issued by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) who has consistently ignored scientific evidence that does not agree with their position. In addition many doctors are afraid that the IDSA will go after them and try to revoke their license to practice medicine, as has happened in several cases. With the passage of this bill, New Hampshire doctors will be able to treat their patients as they and their patients feel is best, without any intrusion by the IDSA.
Rep. Jen Coffee (R) of Andover had this to say about passing the bill: “Any medication has the potential to have a problem, but we allow long-term antibiotic use for treatment of acne — acne of all things.” She added, “Why wouldn’t we allow it for Lyme disease?”
Many people don’t think Lyme disease is a big problem, but once they take a closer look at the statistics they find out differently. Believe it or not, more than 25,000 new cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed across the country every year, and since Lyme disease is so frequently misdiagnosed, the true number of cases is most likely much higher. This has led to New Hampshire, as well as several other states, passing legislation to protect doctors who actually try to treat this debilitating disease. The states that have yet to have done so are holding back because they feel that long term treatments need to be studied in more depth, no doubt the result of the confusion caused by the controversy with the IDSA guidelines.
Lawmakers and doctors are not the only ones supporting the bill. Many Lyme disease sufferers have been actively lobbying for such bills to be passed in their state. They are tiered of being told by doctors who follow the IDSA guidelines that it’s all in their heads and they should just go home and suffer. Furthermore, because of these guidelines many insurance companies have began to refuse to pay for antibiotic treatments for chronic Lyme disease, adding more problems to the lives of those who suffer from this disease.
Kathy Kettmann a Lyme disease sufferer and supporter of the New Hampshire bill said: “I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t talk,”… “I was very sick, and to be put in a car for five hours to go to the doctor because we couldn’t get treated in New Hampshire was hard.”
It yet remains to see if the New Hampshire State Senate will pass the bill. It will also be interesting to see if more states follow suit with similar legislation.
I live in NH, my girlfriend is battling Lyme disease as misstreated for 10 years. She needs a new doctor. The doctors she has seen leave it to the nurses to do everything. She is not given attention from a doctor to fully work towards a treatment. Does anyone know of a reliable doctor for Lyme disease around Manchester NH?
I too had a tick bite three years ago and have felt same symptoms, could my Lyme test of been incorect? We just need to find a doctor that will attack this 110%. What happened to hope?
No, but I know a doctor who has the AMA breathing down their neck for treating a Lyme disease patient with long term antibiotics. There is probably no doctor in the area who will treat your girlfriend for Lyme disease, for fear of loosing their medical license.
NH House Bill 1326 passed the House. It is imperative that you, your girlfriend, and anyone who knows and cares about their medical care write to your senators and Governor Lynch, to vote on, pass and sign this legislation.
Please note this legislation does not require insurance coverage of this disease, only allows doctors to treat this condition as they see fit without fear of reprisal. Until then your only other choice may be to seek out of state care.
If you google NH Lyme statistics by county, you should be able to access a list of all the support groups and there is one in Manchester. They just had their monthly meeting on Wednesday. A bunch of us will be at the state house on Monday, 4/26, for the hearing on HB1326 which will allow our doctors to treat us with long-term antibiotics without worrying about losing their license. I am being treated with long-term antibiotics and went many years undiagnosed. I find ticks every day on my dog and crawling on myself. I was bit in Nov and again 3 weeks ago. The lymediseaseassociation.org is a great website for Lyme info, too.