Lyme Disease and the Hair Stylist

Hi Everyone!

I haven't been on the board very much lately because I am very busy with work and planning my daughter's wedding.  

I know my title for my post seems unusual, but yesterday while at the hair stylist for four hours (yes...four hours because I was getting my hair highlighted and god blessed me with huge amounts of hair.  ha ha).  Anyway, I had major sound sensitivity and everytime my stylist or her assistant would talk, it sent my nerves out of control.  I am noticing that this is happening a little more lately....and I'm telling people to turn down the tv, and things like that.

Anyway, next time I go to the hair stylist, I think I may have to take a valium or something.  ha ha.  

I've been feeling pretty good this last week (except for this heartburn from the ABX).  My leg symptoms have really settled back down.  My ring finger on my left hand has been itching like crazy again though.  This sounds like a crazy symptom and I don't know that it's typical for lyme, but it itches SO bad and drives my crazy.  It's my ring finger on the inside part of my hand.  This has been on on and off symptom for the last year.

Anyhow, excuse the crazy post....I'm running off to work and just wanted to check-in before I left.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Carrie

[drsdonthelp]

Carrie,
I can relate. I hate certain sounds, very noise intolerant, tv, phone, dog barking. I also get the itch on the left hand, sometimes the ring finger starts it and then it spreads to the rest of the knuckles. Horrible feeling.( 3 yrs. of it now.)

I still dont have an answer, just wanted you to know that I get the same thing.

Hope to chat soon,
Pam

[wonko]

Hi Carrie,

Your experience doesn't sound unusual at all!

Lyme causes a lot of widespread inflammation, which, for lack of a better term, "jangles" the nerves.

I went 1.5 years without a haircut because I couldn't handle a hair salon and didn't know anyone with a steady hand for an at home job.

From the smell of the products, the pressure/temperature of the washing station, the pain of someone combing/brushing too roughly, to the noise and heat from the dryers, the whole experience was way too much to handle for me.

I also totally gave up things like going to movies, live music shows, etc., because of the problem of sensory overload from the light and sounds.  One activity I kept up throughout was grocery shopping (someone's gotta do it), but there were many times when I had to abandon my cart and leave (I'd try to return perishables before doing so) or I'd have to leave without everything on my list.

I was living in an apartment complex during the worst of my illness, and sometimes I couldn't open my windows or leave my apartment when the landscaping crew was at work, due to the noise and fumes.  

I was precarious to the point that many normal circumstances would push me over the edge.  For example, if I went into work and there was painting being done in the building on the way to my office, the fumes from that work would affect me so much that I'd have to turn around and go home and use a sick day.  

Before getting sick, I was thoroughly robust and never ever had these types of problems, and in fact probably would've laughed at the thought of it.  So it was all very humbling.

It has all slowly gotten better over time, and I'm much better now.  I still am very cautious about exposure, but I'm less susceptible.

And yes, the strong itching sensations come with the territory.  I've had paresthesias for years, from mild tingling to painful burning and crazy strong itching.  It has slowly improved with treatment but is an ongoing issue.  I can say that it becomes less distracting over time, and I get less anxious about it.  (At first, it was really consuming, because such sensations really are a constant reminder from your body that "something is wrong.")

The heightened sensitivity also affected my personality.  I experienced panic attacks and at times was very short and irritable.  Emotionally, this was all outside of my pre-Lyme experience.  

I'm glad to hear that you're doing pretty well this week and keeping up with what sounds like a busy schedule.  I think I'm down for the count today, but have had some good days recently, too.

[carrie235]

Thanks Drsdonthelp and Wonko.  Glad to know that I'm not the only one irritated at people for speaking. ha ha

My sound sensitivity is pretty random.  I usually only have it for a day and then it goes away.  My itching finger...still itching.  I'd rather have an itching finger than a pulsating leg or numb foot though....so, all is good!


Carrie