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A few weeks of antibiotics and noticing changes
After a few bad weeks, I am now seeing the benefits of the antibiotics. I had what's called a neuropsychological herxheimer reaction, and it was the scariest weeks of my life.
Lately, my heart hasn't been acting up, and I am not nearly as fatigued. I feel physically ok. I make it through the day without needing naps, and the night before last I was feeling so good that I had insomnia. I found out that taking 100 mg of COQ10 at night was probably causing the insomnia though. Oops. :)
Mentally, I am progressing a litter slower. The memories of the week long panic attack with a constant feeling of doom are stuck in my mind a little bit. I haven't had a panic attack lately, but I am taking drugs to prevent them. My brain is becoming clearer and clearer each day, and I am hoping pretty soon I can start tapering the anxiety drugs. My panic attacks were completely random physiological and were not triggered by any abnormal amount of anxiety. Now, after the torturous attack, I think I have developed some anxiety about them (psychological). I have a little bit of what-if thinking now. The attack prompted me to see a psychiatrist, a neurologist, and a therapist. I saw the therapist today, and I think it's helping a bit.
Yesterday, I walked my dog twice, for a total of about 2 hours. No, the exercise didn't make me feel better (just the opposite), but I really want to get back on my feet. I was sore after, but it wasn't too bad. I am back to driving the car short distances, but it is still a bit hard for me to concentrate on the road. I feel fine doing some chores around the house and simple things. Right now, I don't think one would perceive I am sick by how look and how I act.
If it weren't for the strong reactions to the antibiotics, I'm not sure I would believe for sure that I had Lyme or a Lyme-like infection, even though I tested IFA/WB CDC positive through Igenex. If it weren't for my mom (I am living at home right now), I would have completely stopped taking antibiotics. I could not handle one of those megaherxes on my own. It also helps having a great doctor that will return my phone calls right away when worse comes to worse.
Thanks to everyone here for your input. I think I am starting to turn the corner.
Lately, my heart hasn't been acting up, and I am not nearly as fatigued. I feel physically ok. I make it through the day without needing naps, and the night before last I was feeling so good that I had insomnia. I found out that taking 100 mg of COQ10 at night was probably causing the insomnia though. Oops. :)
Mentally, I am progressing a litter slower. The memories of the week long panic attack with a constant feeling of doom are stuck in my mind a little bit. I haven't had a panic attack lately, but I am taking drugs to prevent them. My brain is becoming clearer and clearer each day, and I am hoping pretty soon I can start tapering the anxiety drugs. My panic attacks were completely random physiological and were not triggered by any abnormal amount of anxiety. Now, after the torturous attack, I think I have developed some anxiety about them (psychological). I have a little bit of what-if thinking now. The attack prompted me to see a psychiatrist, a neurologist, and a therapist. I saw the therapist today, and I think it's helping a bit.
Yesterday, I walked my dog twice, for a total of about 2 hours. No, the exercise didn't make me feel better (just the opposite), but I really want to get back on my feet. I was sore after, but it wasn't too bad. I am back to driving the car short distances, but it is still a bit hard for me to concentrate on the road. I feel fine doing some chores around the house and simple things. Right now, I don't think one would perceive I am sick by how look and how I act.
If it weren't for the strong reactions to the antibiotics, I'm not sure I would believe for sure that I had Lyme or a Lyme-like infection, even though I tested IFA/WB CDC positive through Igenex. If it weren't for my mom (I am living at home right now), I would have completely stopped taking antibiotics. I could not handle one of those megaherxes on my own. It also helps having a great doctor that will return my phone calls right away when worse comes to worse.
Thanks to everyone here for your input. I think I am starting to turn the corner.
Are you taking magnesium (Mg) supplements? Something I figured out finally from reading and experimenting on myself is that Lyme bacteria apparently use Mg in their reproductive cycle, but blood tests don't show that you are falling low on Mg until you are severely depleted, because most Mg is inside your cells, and the cells keep sending Mg to your blood stream to keep a steady level ... but the cellular warehouse gets lower and lower, and blood tests only show what's in the blood stream not what's in the warehouse. Heart irregularities and deep fatigue and confusion were my first Lyme symptoms, and once I got some Mg from an IV in the emergency room, I was good to go. For a while.
Mg also helps with sleep and mood. I take Mg malate, and it does help me sleep. I have had to move the dosing to evening, because taking it morning and evening was making me sleepy during the day. But I'm very sensitive to all medications, so maybe that's just me.
I've read that if you are taking too much Mg, you get diarrhea, so just lower the dose. I've been taking about 125% of MDR of Mg, and no diarrhea but I do feel better.
Just a thought -- I'm not medically trained, so don't rely on me for medical advice.
Mg also helps with sleep and mood. I take Mg malate, and it does help me sleep. I have had to move the dosing to evening, because taking it morning and evening was making me sleepy during the day. But I'm very sensitive to all medications, so maybe that's just me.
I've read that if you are taking too much Mg, you get diarrhea, so just lower the dose. I've been taking about 125% of MDR of Mg, and no diarrhea but I do feel better.
Just a thought -- I'm not medically trained, so don't rely on me for medical advice.
What's most important for me is a good night sleep. I couldn't imagine holding a job with a time schedule. When i wake up too early I feel freezing cold and just awful. A couple more hours of sleep and I am fine.
I could have written much of your post from my own experiences, especially doubting Lyme were it not for the reactions.
I also has some scary neuropsych reactions, and I didn't find them much fun, either.
I hope you contune onward and upward. For me, I did have a lot of ups and downs and it wasn't until 8+ months that I felt lasting improvement.
I also has some scary neuropsych reactions, and I didn't find them much fun, either.
I hope you contune onward and upward. For me, I did have a lot of ups and downs and it wasn't until 8+ months that I felt lasting improvement.
Bless your heart! So glad to hear you are making progress.
If you have a set back, don't take it too hard -- it happens sometimes, but not to everyone.
Just keep plowing ahead and do keep us posted.
If you have a set back, don't take it too hard -- it happens sometimes, but not to everyone.
Just keep plowing ahead and do keep us posted.
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