When you get a virus--does it make your Lyme worse?

[dolfnlvr]

I've only been on ABX for about 4 weeks (2625 mg Amoxicillin and some azithromyacin + probenecid daily) and recently found out that my blood serum levels are nowhere near the level that LLMD expected, so she upped my dose to 3500mg Amox + others/day.  All I know is that since starting the high doses, my jaw is bugging me a lot, and my knee gets serious twinges, but nothing outrageous.  I guess I would wonder if they were "doing anything" or not, but it has only been 4 weeks so, we'll see.

Reason for the post is this--my kids were home for spring break last week and came down with colds--sniffling, coughing, one complained of headache and tummy upset, but no vomiting etc.  Well, on all the ABX I never got any of the phlegmy stuff, but BAAAMM I was more dizzy than ever, my tummy was topsy turvy, and I was just sooooo TTTTIIIIIIRRRRREEEEDDDDD.  It slammed me into a wall on Tuesday this week.  I actually stayed home and slept nearly all day long.  Then, went to bed at 8:30 and slept right on through the night.   Weirdly--I also noticed that my jaw is KILLING me this week.  And, no, I don't chew gum, I've barely eaten anything, and I don't grind my teeth (but I bought a $50 night guard anyway, because my jaw hurts--if the name wasn't taken I'd switch to "youvegottobekiddingme!!!")

This has happened a few times since all this hit me a few months back.  Like a freight train comes and knocks me over--and it is usually surrounded by my kiddos bringing germs home.  Does Lyme usually make us more susceptible to colds and such?  I swear--it's almost like I have Mono or something!!!  It's bad enough I feel "not great" most of the time, but when these bouts of down and out hit, it's really hard to pull yourself up by the boot straps.

[Ricobord]

My daughter is five.  For several months when I was my sickest, I tried really hard not to touch her hands.  I also tried really hard not to touch my own face.  With a dry nose, mouth, and eyes, that is very hard for me to do.  But being conscious about it helped me avoid catching her last cold. One day when she was dripping mucus everywhere, I actually wore some non-latex gloves for a couple hours to remind me not to touch my face.

Re: your jaw... Ask your LLMD for any suggestions.  Thoring's BST cream helped relieve my rib pain. (Like the jaw, ribs have lots of connective tissue and are close to the skin.) I used a heating pad a lot, too.  There's a natural remedy my PA highly recommended called a Castor Oil pack. (Google "Castor Oil Pack") I bought the ingredients but then never did it because the Castor Oil can stain fabric.  I would have had to put plastic down on my bed and ruin at least one sheet and then lie there topless for a while.  Holding a smaller pack up to your jaw would be much less messy.  Although, if it stains your skin, you'll scare other people afterwards!  ;)

Hang in there!

[dolfnlvr]

Last check showed my CBC and metabolic panel was okay.  May have been a bit low, but not "flagged as low" low.  Good news is, I have a vigilant LLMD--more blood work in 2 weeks with another CBC, metabolic panel, amox. blood levels, ASO titer, EBV (again) and HHV-6. Seems Lyme has a tendency to lower resistence and cause reactivation of old viral loads like mono and roseola--and my last ASO titer was very high, so I think she's mainly curious about that one since I've been on ABX so long.  

It's a releif to know that she's keeping a close eye on the bloodwork without me having to be "on her" about it.  But I have to tell you "youvegottobekidding" your description of being on the verge of sick for weeks--like you are "about to get a cold" but don't actually ever get it and then bammo you're down for the count--that is spot on perfect for what has happened to me on three separate occasions over the past 8 months all surrounded by germy kids and hubby.  

At least I'm not alone...

[mojogal]

My only worry about that was when I was living in San Antonio, TX. NO doctor there would help or even consider it, all the LLMD's were run out of town from the medical board but youvegottobe is right in most areas the regular doctors should know about it.

[youvegottobekidding]

Just to add to what Mojogal and I said earlier, if it is hard to get to your LLMD about the WBC thing, you can just talk to your family doc about it, they are fully up on that aspect of treatment and know how to interpret the results. You'd really only need the lyme doc if there was a real problem that warranted a change of abx.

[mojogal]

Yes, with our weakened immune systems, colds, flu and even stress bothers us much more. I caught mono from daughter last Christmas and I was almost put in the hospital.  It also could be that the higher dose of medication has caused a herxing reaction, I have always been told that you get much worse before you start feeling better.
As youvegottobe said above make sure that it is not the antibiotics that is the culprit. There are several out there to try so mention that to your LLMD and good luck,  It sure isn't fun.

[youvegottobekidding]

Hiya,
My jaw is killing me too today - I'm not kidding you!

I wonder if the jaw and knee things you're having are a herx reaction now that you've got the right blood saturation of abx?

Yes, my Lyme always gets much, awfully worse when I have a cold or flu. I get all the symptoms you are describing for a long time, it can last weeks, then finally the cold itself hits me. Apparently this is because the immune system is so hammered that it takes ages to react properly- you have the cold virus in you and feel awful, but don't get symptoms we all recognise as cold symptoms till your immune system eventually reaches the critical level in terms of reaction.

Since being on these higher doses, have you had your white blood cell count measured? In my case, the extremely bad/slow motion reaction to viruses was mainly linked to the antibiotics suppressing white blood cell production. They decided Azith was the culprit in my case.

There doesn't seem to be anything you can do about it, but it it is important to keep monitoring it if it does occur.