Is the common cold any different with Lyme?

[wonko]

Hi All,

I am pretty sure I am coming down with a cold.  (Though to be honest, it is hard to tell with the range of symptoms that I have.)

I've been on minocylcine for just under two weeks, and had some ups and downs so far, but only have gone down since Thurs or Fri.

I feel rather unwell right now, and was wondering if people have advice in general about coming down with common ailments when they also have Lyme and are on antibiotics.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

[wonko]

Yes, it is just a cold!  I think the cold caused my normal symptom load to increase, so it felt like it was all related.  

[patsy10]

I can't tell you for sure but it sounds like you may have a cold.  The sneezing, runny nose and congestion sound typical.  I had a bad one a few weeks ago.  It's the cold and flu season.  Hope you feel better.

[wonko]

Hmmm, bringing this back up because again, I can't tell if I have a cold, or just more Lyme stuff going on.

So, around the time I started my first antibiotic (Mino), I thought I was getting a cold.

Last Tuesday, I added Zithro.  When I started to feel sick with a cold, I ignored it because I'd been down that road before!

I managed to exercise early on Saturday, but did not move much except between the coach and the bed all weekend.  I'm sneezing and congested.  So maybe this time it really *is* a cold?  If so, I can testify that a cold hits me a lot harder than it did in my pre-Lyme days.

I have a follow-up at my LLMD's office today, I wonder if they can help me dissect if this is a Herx or just a cold?  I was also uncharacteristically emotional, and had many other heightened symptoms the past few days.

Whatever it is, I hope it passes soon.

[PlateletGal]

One thing that I do that Dr. David A. Jernigan (author of Beating Lyme Disease) recommends is detox baths. It is very inexpensive and yet it really does help with my herxing symptoms.

Add to your bath water:

4 cups Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate)

32 to 64 fluid Ounces of Hydrogen Peroxide (3%, as found in grocery stores)

2 Tablespoons of Ginger (fresh grated preferably, wrapped in a thin piece of cloth or in a tea ball)

Soak at least 20 minutes. According to Jernigan's website, "through medical studies, this therapy has been shown to relieve pain that did not even respond to narcotic medicines. Recommended taken for at least seven consecutive days, or as recommended by your doctor. Continued use daily, or as needed is fine."

Happy Holidays Guys !

[cindy903]

I've come off of antibiotics when I'm sick with something in the past. And then restart when I feel better.

I hated the break in treatment, but resumed it as soon as it made sense. There's no point in taking something that upsets your stomach -- when your stomach is already churning.

Check w/ doctor to be sure. Serious herxing could be more than just herxing.

[JackieCalifornia]

PPS -- one more comment:  my Herxes can last a week, with a slow ramp up and fade at the end, with the worst ones coming when the drugs are new to me.  Then the Herxes are shorter and less intense and even sometimes almost (ALMOST) pleasurable in a masochistic way, because I know the drugs are working.

I've never taken minocycline, so can't speak to it, but doubt that your Herxes will get worse over time, only less intense and shorter.  

[JackieCalifornia]

PS, try a shower when you're Herxing -- start out warm, then gradually increase the temp to as hot as is comfortable for you.  I find this works really well for me, esp when I wake up feeling crappy in the morning.  ("Unwell" is your word, and says it perfectly.  Not always totally sick, but certainly unwell.)

I never understood why the old Roman baths had three pools:  cool, warm and hot ... now I do:  your body adapts to the higher temp as you move from pool to pool.  So I start with a warm shower and when it doesn't feel warm anymore, I turn up the hot water a bit more and keep doing that till I start feeling better.  10 minutes is usually enough for me.

My constant body temp since I've had Lyme has been around 94-96 degrees, and Lyme hates heat ... so using a hot shower to warm up also annoys the bugs, which is a nice side benefit.  I actually got up to 97 something a few times recently, and not after a shower either, so this is progress.  I don't like saunas, because I feel like I can't breathe, but a hot shower works.  I've also read that letting the hot water beat on your thyroid helps stimulate it, and that thyroid is sometimes suppressed in Lyme.  

I've read some recommendations of Epsom salt soaks, whole body or just feet, because it is magnesium your body can absorb through the skin.  I bought some but haven't tried it.  If anyone has and finds it helpful, please post.

[JackieCalifornia]

I agree with the posters:  better to keep taking the meds than not -- but your doctor is the one to make the call.  

I have had Herxes of varying strengths on different drugs, but nothing as bad as the initial infection itself, and I'm VERY sensitive to drugs generally.  Sometimes I get scared when I'm Herxing that I'm getting sicker again, but it passes, and I've come to recognize the pattern and it doesn't freak me out as much.  Chills, anxiety, depression, fogginess, aching where my ribs reach my breast bone -- those are the most bothersome to me; the acheing joints and muscles I can put up with.  But they all pass eventually.

I did develop a reaction to one antibiotic after several months, still don't know why, but the dr switched my meds.  I've been on three different sets of drugs now over the past year, and each set has different side effects.  

Do consider taking vitamin supplements, because antibiotics can deplete various minerals and vitamins in your body -- I think that may have contributed to my antibiotic reaction/problem.  I am careful now to take a multivitamin and potassium and magnesium supplements (but timed 1 to 2 hours before taking the antibiotics to avoid interfering with the drugs.)  I've read that Lyme bugs love magnesium, and without it (so I understand) they are more likely to encyst and wait for more magnesium to arrive.  So I keep them well fed with magnesium, with a 'chaser' of antibiotics to kill them right after their snack.  BANG!  Most doctors don't think vitamin/mineral supplements are necessary with a 'well-balanced diet' -- but I find I really need them, and I've never been one to take vitamins.

After a year on antibiotics, I am so much better, and hope to continue in that direction.  Good luck to you to:  hang in there.  Keep us posted.

[patsy10]

If you don't have a runny nose or cough other other typical cold symptoms then it's probably not a cold.  It's up to you but I personally don't think missing one dose of the antibiotic will make a difference either way.

[kitty9309]

I just started mino over 3 weeks ago. I have felt worse as well and I am still on a low dose once a day. I react to many meds, so my doctor is going very slow.

I have had mild fevers and also low body temps of 95.2. I feel flu-ish. I have a headache and stiff neck the last 3 days.

I had one instance of tachycardia with a heart rate of 131 just sitting here. It only lasted minutes, thankfully.

I have been sick off and on since a bulls eye rash, swollen knees and the first of my vertigo attacks in 1994. 14 years...

I would love to keep up with your progress/experience with the minocycline. I mostly have neuro symptoms, do you?

~Kitty

[PlateletGal]

Hi wonko,

Sometimes if you stop your antibiotic all of a sudden... you can have uncontrollable herxing. That happened to me anyway when I was taking the mino.

Happy Herxing !  

[wonko]

Thanks for the replies.

I should clarify that I don't intend to stop my antibiotics all togehter, just skip one pill.  My LLMD told me that I can/should do that if I feel too sick.  I'm normally taking mino twice a day, today I'm going to just take one.

I thought I would Herx while on the abx, not if I stopped them?  Either way, I do think it would be bad to stop treatment at this point.

I had a really good initial reaction to the abx, so I think I was unprepared for them making me feel sick this week.  I think I'll adjust, at first I thought maybe I would be really luck and get better right away.  I've been sick since summer '07 and went around in circles with a lot of doctors before I decided to pursue Lyme treatment.

Thanks, I'm sure I'll have more confusing days as I go through this.

[PlateletGal]

I agree with Deligirl.... if you stop your medication all of a sudden, you may have uncontrollable herxing symptoms.

You might want to consider trying some things to help you ride out your symptoms. Let me know if you'd like me to PM you some links and things that I do. It is very cheap and easy.

[Deligirl1]

dont stop the antibiotic treatment.  it has to get worse before it gets better.  The antibiotic helps the spirocites of lyme react and die off.  The first month after being on antibiotics was the worst for me.  I had many HERX reactions(die off) and I thought I could not make it through but I did.  I am better now.  I even got to the point of thinking I was beyond the point of needing my Doxy, about 3 months into it, and posted my question, those that know better told me not to stop.  I had missed 3 days and felt so much better, but by that 4th day I was regressing.  Always Check with your Dr, you could have an allergy to the meds or otherwise, but if he says stick with it plesae do so you will be much better in the end.  Depending on when you contracted the disease it can take a long time to make it dormant.  I have been on doxy for 4 months now, much better but I know I am not yet ready as I still have HERX episodes, and daily symptoms.  I will also say that when I am on my period and/or head cold my LYME symptoms increase.  Take care hope this helps.

[wonko]

As of this morning, I don't even think it is a cold anymore.  

I had a gross, generalized feeling of being unwell and it reminded me of how it feels at the onset of something like a bad cold or flu.  But I'm pretty sure now it is just more of the ups and downs I've been getting since starting antibiotics.

I have worse nausea than usual and my joints are very stiff and painful, there is a lot of pressure and feelings of heat in my head, my thinking is muddled, my face is tingling and periodically flushing, my back aches from sitting for just a moment, I have pain down my legs when I walk, and my legs feels like they are made of lead.  Well, I could go on.  It's stuff I usually have, it just feels like it is all on the "high" setting.  

I think I'll skip my morning antibiotic and see if I notice an improvement, which would also help me get through the workday.  At least it is a short day--today is my first day at part time status, a measure I've taken due to my health.

OK, I'll put away the world's smallest violin now!