New to Lyme Horrible headaches & Severe Depression

Hi Everyone,

Seems that eversince I found out I have Lyme and Babesia it has become my every thought.  Probably like many of you I saw 30 drs. before i was diagnosed.  Six of those devils were neurologists!

I have read so many things that it is so overwhelming and I just go in circles.  I am seeing and Infectious disease dr.  He started me out on doxycycline for 3 weeks and I couldnt tolerate the stomach problems.

I was having a good herx reaction to it though.  Now im on Ceftin for 2 weeks.  I have read that this is a bad drug choice because it is a cell wall in-hibitor.  I have been symptomatic for over 4 years with  Headaches, depression, ear ringing. anxiety,flu symptoms , fatigue and this last years with joint pain.  The depression is so overwhelming sometimes I want to die.  But of course I dont really want to,  just want this pain to end. Does anyone know how long it takes before you notice any improvement?  Probably a dumb question

My Dr. says that he isnt going to treat me for babesia because he doesnt think I have the symptoms and its just along for the ride. Im on an anti-depressant but its not working,  tried them all.  I really try hard to stay positive but some days are just so hard.  I could cry at the drop of a hat.  How do you get this awful disease out of your brain?

 

 

Thanks for any comments!

Nanabutterfly and Woodswalker,

This disease and the journey that you are on to get well is so very difficult. If you have read some of the posts recently you know that you are not alone and that your emotions as well as physical pain comes with the infection. The combination of brain fog, pain, and depression make it very difficult to sort through all the information that is discussed. You need to go easy on yourself and understand that you may need treatment for a while to start feeling better, including being able to just manage your treatment and keep track of things. I don't know how old you are or what your situation is but I imagine that you are juggling a lot - as we all are.

Obsessing on the disease is also fairly common. I mean - it is a pretty strange disease - it sometimes seems like science fiction. As you get better and get part of your life back you will find that you think less about it. I found that taking a break from information is important to do - especially if it is getting overwhelming. But, believe me, I had notebooks of information and I bet a lot of people on this site do too.

I remember so many tears and nights in pain and I would say that I just didn't know if I could go on much longer. I knew I could never act but it did make me understand those people who talk about "quality of life" being an important factor in their medical care decisions. The migraines and the medicine I would have to take for them made me feel even stranger. I hardly ever have one any more. My pain is almost gone and my mind is clearer. To get there took a while. I laugh now and can take walks and accomplish lists of things I need to do and feel hopeful about the future. It is an incredible change.

I remember one neurologist who thought I was crazy because I couldn't stop crying - I just was having a melt down. Of course, that was after he starting asking me why I didn't have any children and if that might be why I was depressed (I am 57, for gods sake!). I saw so many doctors and none of them got it. I went through so many tests and they took away a lot of years from my life. Having said that though I now know that I can't change what happened but I can put up a good fight to get better. In the last 5 years the amount of information available to patients has increased dramatically. We still don't have enough doctors to treat us but it is better than it was. The financial aspect is also a little better for some, not many. I am fortunate - my insurance company has not argued once over my treatment. I guess they believe I was ill and needed extensive treatment.

I have also shed some tears with my LLMD because I was discouraged. My doctor is not all warm and fuzzy but deals with difficult cases - and that is what I needed.

You can get better - you just need to get a good doctor who knows how to treat all the aspects of Lyme any co-infections that you have, and is willing to treat pain, depression, or whatever you are struggling with. You also have to be willing to stick with the treatment and not give up. I cannot advise you on what route to go in treatment - mine has been a combination of antibiotics and some supplements, and medications.

Forgive me if I have said too much but I really felt you asking for some help and I don't want you to feel alone. Many people on this site will help you along the way.

Sincerely,
Beth

Hi woodswalker! Welcome to the forum. I am sorry you are sick, but you have a good plan--research natural meds, eat right, keep yourself healthy. Your doctor did you a favor by being honest and saying he could not help you. He would be a waste of time, money and energy. By his own mouth and suggestion, you are now FREE to find another, better, doctor----a good lyme literate medical doctor. You can get references from your state's lyme association, or email our veteran member Ticker, and ask for suggestions. Let her know what state you are in. Also, you can start a new post and ask people to email you with their thoughts if they are from your state. Keep fighting for your health, you're worth it!
Lyme docs are often good diagnosticians, and can help you find out what is wrong even if you do not have lyme. They see so many sick people that they are more experienced at thinking "outside the box".

You may want to read the topic at the top of the first page of this forum entitled, "Newbies, check this out". It will start you learning.

There are "western, drug therapies" as well as alternative, natural therapies. There are drugs lists on some of the lyme sites when you "google", and some examples of natural approaches often use the name of the doctor that created it, such as Dr Cowden, Dr Zhang, Dr Jernigan, Buhner, Shoemaker.......the list goes on. Unfortunately, each person seems to have to sort through lots of methods to figure out what they want to try. Sometimes it is just trial and error. Sometimes the doc gets "lucky" and picks the right stuff. It 's a long , tough, journey but it can be done! This forum will be a huge help. So will the internet. Lots of info available.

I hope your return to health is swift. Best wishes. bablymers mom

Dear NanaButterfly,

You're not alone in your pain, physically and mentally.

This journey is difficult, but people do have a life after Lyme Disease.

I am also struggling with poor mood lately. I don't know why. But it will pass. I know I do not enjoy life right now and feel that living is for the healthy and spiritually intact. Lyme is shattering and unfair in ALL respects, made all the more difficult by the askance looks and inane comments we must endure from doctors and family.

But there's only one thing we can do is turn this depression and anger and funk into a positive force and search for our own unique treatment plan.

Keep faithful and vigilant during this time. Don't give up.

This too shall pass.

Butterfly,

Something I thought of after reading this post and thread is that "minocycline" is apparently the drug of choice for headaches (head symptoms).  I'm on my 2nd 8-week round of mino, and I believe it is working (very slow though). 

chief

Keep Hope,
Thanks for the onfo on the Meds. I know that My antidepressant isnt doing the job, but I have tried them all. I THINK THE lYME IS MAINLY CAUSING IT. i AM KNEW TO THE lYME MEDS SO i WILL BE AWARE OF WHAT i AM FEELING AS THEY GIVE ME NEW MEDS.

tHANKS AGAIN,
bUTTERFLY

Hi Cheif7,

Glad to hear your head pain is getting better!  I have had terrible stiffness in my neck , especially when I bend my head backwards.  I am going to ask my dr. for minocycline next week.  How was it on your stomach?  I hear it isnt as bad as the doxy!

Take care,

Butterfly

Lyme is in every oran in the body. But I think that the darn bacteria may not be able to defend itself against collidal silver. Because it does not view it as a threat in the first place. So therefore it does not wrap itself into it protective shell.
I have my health back, but have 6 more weeks of therapy to go. I am very weepy about all of the time it has taken, all that I have lost, but guess god gave this to me for some reason. My whole family for that matter.
I am going to be rather dismayed if in fact the stuff that could have cured me from this disease was sitting on a counter in a health food store this whole time.