Lyme disease and/or hypothyroid and/or adrenal fatigue?

[wonko]

Dear Prof.,

(Not sure I'm allowed two questions, but willing to try!)

Some background before my question:
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I'm a Lyme patient under the care of an ILADS LLMD.  For much of my illness, fatigue has been a major symptom.  I have had several rounds of bloodwork, and my TSH level has varied between 2.67 and 3.35 mIU/L in the past 1.5 years, and my last testing showed it at 2.91.  At one time, I tested positive for thyroid antibodies, but was negative for them a month later.

My LLMD is hoping that I do not have a separate thyroid problem, and that my fatigue and other hypothyroid-like symptoms will improve with Lyme treatment.  He also had me on supplements for adrenal support, though I don't recall the active ingredients.

Before my fatigue set in (Fall '08), I was losing weight intentionally.  However, I know struggle a great deal to not gain weight.  My legs feel like they are "made of lead," and I often wake up feeling exhausted.  This has been going on for over 5 months.  My blood work shows no vitamin def. at this time, though I was low in D for awhile.  Even when I do 1 hour of cardio a day and eat a proper diet, I can barely stop from gaining weight.  I wored very hard to lose 40 lbs in 2008, though I am still obese.  So I consider my weight to be an important issue.
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My question is, is there anyway to really tell if my thyroid is functioning proerply while I am still battling Lyme?  Do you have an general advice on how I can manage my weight in this situation?

Many thanks in advance.

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

I should add that we are testing a new OTC product that includes an all-natural, FDA-approved starch blocker with NTFactor for patients who are overweight but do not want to go on the drugs and stimulants that are in most weight loss products.  This new product (HealthyCurb) is made by Nutritional Therapeutics of New York, and we have been conducting controlled clinical trials on its effectiveness as both a weight loss product as well as a energy-boosting product (which is what NTFactor does). It was also based on our observation that patients that use NTFactor do not have the urge to binge on sweets and carbohydrates--it actually suppresses hunger.  In our studies recently presented at the recent 4th International Assoc of CFS/ME conference in Reno, NV.

We showed that subjects could safely lose weight without increasing appetite and fatigue and without changing eating or exercise patterns or using drugs, herbs or caffeine. In this 2-month clinical trial with 30 patients who used an oral mixture (Healthy CurbTM) of amaylase inhibitor (500 mg white kidney bean extract) plus 500 mg of NTFactorTM 30 min before each meal participants lost an average of 6 pounds along with 2.5 and 1.5 inch reductions in waist and hip circumference, respectively. Participants experienced gradual and consistent weight loss along with waist and hip, body mass index (BMI) and basal metabolic rate (BMR) reductions during the entire trial.  There was a 44% reduction in overall hunger with reduced cravings for sweets; therefore, notable appetite suppression occurred.  The test group showed an average of 23% decrease in overall fatigue.  Blood lipid profiles generally improved, suggesting improved cardiovascular health, and no adverse effects were noted clinically or found in blood chemistries. ProfGN

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

Your condition should improve with successful treatment.  However, you may want to increase your mitochondrial function. (Your cellular batteries which produce cellular energy are damaged during Lyme and other diseases by over-oxidation and damage of mitochondrial membranes)  We do this in patients with an OTC formulation called NTFactor.  NTFactor (www.ntfactor.com) is an all natural, membrane lipid preparation that slowly repairs mitochondrial membranes and restores mitochondrial function.  There is no known toxicity with NTFactor because it is just membrane lipids that normally occur in our cells.  The difference is that NTFactor is protected from damage during ingestion and transport to cells. On our website you can read about the clinical trials where we utilized NTFactor and found 40-45% reduction in fatigue in several sorts of patient groups.  It is certainly worth a try.  ProfGN

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

Unfortunately, steroids suppress the immune system, and when chronic infections are present, this can actually make the situation worse not better (although it may superficially seem better because many of the symptoms are associated with immune reaction).  Although symptom reduction is important, it should not be the sole criteria for improvement (for example, as I mentioned steroids can temporarily cause improvement in symptoms, but this is not a permanent situation and relapse usually occurs when the steroids are discontinued).  ProfGN

[chronicfatiguedoctors]

A related discussion, adrenal fatigue cure was started.

[wonko]

Thanks Prof., for all of your replies.

I know NOW that steroids were the wrong treatment, but my physician did not think I had Lyme or any infection.  I did feel amazingly better for about a week after the 15 day course, but then my symptoms all returned, and worsened.  The same physician who Rx-ed the steroids told me I could not have Lyme or another infection, or else I would not have had the brief period of improvement.  Thankfully, I reconsidered the possibility of Lyme and found a local ILADS LLMD.

Thank you also for the info about OTC fatigue remedies.  Not having normal stamina is a major complaint of mine.

[wonko]

an addendum:  

My inability to lose more weight began right about the time I finished a course of Prednisone Rx-ed by my regular physician, before I was under the care of my LLMD.  I was undiagnosed and had been assured many times that I did NOT have Lyme, so I was unaware of how the steroids would affect me.