When presented with my first treatment plan for Lyme disease, I knew little about the mysterious world of supplements and nutrition. To be honest, I’d never bought them and didn’t know whether they had any true benefit or were something of a marketing gimmick, but when the doctor told me they’d help, I was all in.  What I hadn’t bargained for, however was how complicated it was to actually buy them.  

As my plan was antibiotic heavy, the first item on my list was a probiotic to try to provide some balance.  It sounded easy enough so I hit the internet and quickly learned that Acidophilus might be what I was looking for – but that’s when my problems started as my first search returned options for;

• 60 capsules containing 20 billion friendly bacteria at £10
• 100 capsules containing 3 billion friendly bacteria with added pectin at £12
• 240 capsules with 250 million organisms at £4.25
• 30 capsules with 12.5 billion friendly bacteria and bifidus with digestive enzymes thrown in for £17
• 120 capsules with 100 million organisms for £6…the list went on and on

All of a sudden, it appeared I needed a university degree just to buy acidophilus – and that was only the first product on my list. Certainly 20 billion sounded better than 100 million but was it too many? Was less than £0.02 per 250 million capsule better value than £0.12 per 3 billion capsule?  Did I need added pectin or bifidus – it didn’t say so on my plan but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t help?   

To make matters worse I soon discovered that the best site for one product wasn’t the best site for another and if I wanted to save money I’d have to set up accounts at half a dozen sites. It was exhausting – and I’m sure you’ve all experienced something similar.

One of the aims of my site is to try to make life easier for patients suffering from long term illness. Ideally I’d like to be able to provide links to suppliers who will not only provide the full range of products that patients require but also provide the best prices / discounts.  To be able to do that, I’d like to know what you need and it would really help if you could complete this short survey (please pass it round to anyone you know who is also a regular buyer).

As you can see on the “Buy Treatments” page, I’ve provided a few links to some sites that have been recommended by other people – I hope they might help whilst I try to negotiation better deals for you. By completing the survey, I hope you can help me make it easier for patients to get the best deal.