I have MS, which I've had for a few years now. But all of my other symptoms (not MS-like symptoms) led us to question what else could be causing it. Turns out (after a very in-depth blood test) that I have Lyme disease, and I probably have had it for years.

Next week (when I get back home), I'm going to visit the specialist, and they're going to insert a shunt in my chest into which I'll be self-administering high-dose IV antibiotics for an indeterminate time period (potentially years).

My question is what are the long-term effects of high-dose antibiotic therapy? I can already infer that it will "kill every living bacteria in my body, good or bad," but beyond that, what will it do, or what could it do, to me?

First, let me ask you if they are absolutely certain that you have MS? MS is one of the diseases that Lyme disease is known to most often imitate. It's not called the great imitator for nothing.

Before I go into the risks of long-term antibiotic treatment, I want to say that the dangers of continuing with Lyme disease far outweigh any danger that will be posed by a treatment. Untreated Lyme disease will damage multiple body systems including the nervous system and the heart and can progress to death. With antibiotic treatment, you are monitored for potential dangers and your doctor will discontinue treatment at the first sign of danger.

I imagine that you're likely going to be treated with either ceftriaxone (Rocephin) or imipenem/cilastatin (Primaxin), because at this point they are the most effective intravenous treatments for Lyme. Both have a great deal of side effects including nausea and stomach upset. But long-term use of any antibiotic (or most any medication) can lead to liver or kidney disease, which is why your doctor will draw blood usually on a biweekly basis to check your liver and kidneys to make sure you are not being affected in a dangerous way. Rocephin is mainly excreted by the gallbladder so there is some danger of gallstones forming and possibly losing your gallbladder.