Hormones and Lyme

Has anyone out there improved with hormone therapy?

The reason I'm wondering is that a few days before my period I feel great. And during my period I feel great.

It's when my period ends that I take a dive.

Is this coincidence or hormone related.

How do I know for sure?

Thanks Martha's Vineyard for inspiring this post.

OK!
Just a little input, for what it's worth from the male side of the gender tree.
I have been battling LD for many years. While very ill I moved back to Sth TX w/ family, not knowing it is a region where LD is simply not an acceptable diagnosis. Reason I say that is often my symptoms are up/down/all over the map & the treatment I get locally is strictly symptom based w/ no one asking the why ?s. about a year ago I started railing at my Dr.s about something profoundly changing. Not just fatigue that I've always battled, but but 10x worse. Finally in some blood tests I remebered my brother once saying he had taken oral testosterone so I asked my Dr. to run that. The normal parameters are 270 -> 430. I should be in the 350 range. My level was 19. That's NINETEEN. He didn't believe it & reran it, twice. (to this date, some dozen or so Dr.s have never heard of that low a level - from a LIVE body anyway. It's a statistical 0 ) First we did the oral pills - barely moved. Then a gel I had to slather all over myself - barely a # budge. Then shots every week! Dr. was excited when my # crept up to 160, then last week a periodic test showed my # back down to 86. Despite the shots, my body is not retaining the hormone. Simply, something is eating it up.
So now I have to wait the weeks to be referred to an Endocrinologist.
Now I know this has been of little help. Maybe somebody has some input for me. Any input I could give would be to go to an endocrinologist or a Women's Health specialist. My experience (possibly not everyone's) is that sometimers my GP holds onto an issue longer than he should feeling he knew the basics well enough. Often to find myself w/ the proper specialist shaking their heads, then on to suitable treatment.

Because I got so severely worse (lyme symptoms exacberated before during and after period) I felt i really had two herxes a month I know a girl who has MS she said she was better during her time. In NO way am I suggesting you have MS. I just wanted to share because my brother was double diagnosed lyme and MS (drs were fighting) I just think all avenues should always be explored. My faith is my best friend please don't be offended if I pray for your healing. I was low on estrogen so maybe that contributed to the terrible time I experienced on my period. This disease will try one's soul lisa

peacesoul, I am looking forward to hearing what you come back with. I have always had hormone/period issues. Lyme has made it 1000 times worse, or at least the combo if it is crazy.

I feel so EXTREMELY Horrible and worse the day of my period and during it.

I have had all hormones checked and I am told I am GOOD. There was a tiny bit low on testosterone. :) Had a little compounded. I did not feel better or worse on it but upon new labs it shot through the roof. So high it must have been a lab error. I did not continue because of no benefit.

I had actually hoped I was on that road towards menapause and it would be the answer to some of these horrible times. At least to give me some hope that I could treat and feel better.

I have never heard anyone say they felt better during their period? So interesting. And if I feel so much worse .. why oh why?

So do the opposite of what is happening to me and I should feel better? Yeah right. If only.

KeepHope said...
I feel so EXTREMELY Horrible and worse the day of my period and during it.

I have had all hormones checked and I am told I am GOOD. There was a tiny bit low on testosterone. :) Had a little compounded. I did not feel better or worse on it but upon new labs it shot through the roof. So high it must have been a lab error. I did not continue because of no benefit.

I had actually hoped I was on that road towards menapause and it would be the answer to some of these horrible times. At least to give me some hope that I could treat and feel better.

I have never heard anyone say they felt better during their period? So interesting. And if I feel so much worse .. why oh why?

So do the opposite of what is happening to me and I should feel better? Yeah right. If only.

I hear ya! I feel horrible on at PMS and on my period. I never used until up until 2 yrs ago.

There really is no solid way to check hormones. The FSH test is not reliable and that's the test dr's go by. It's as reliable as the ELISA.

Were you on bio identicals? If so, who gave them to you?

 

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/no-index/physician-resources/7157.shtml

I think at times we forget the whole endocrine system

Adrenal glands
Divided into 2 regions; secrete hormones that influence the body's metabolism, blood chemicals, and body characteristics, as well as influence the part of the nervous system that is involved in the response and defense against stress.

Hypothalamus
Activates and controls the part of the nervous system that controls involuntary body functions, the hormonal system, and many body functions, such as regulating sleep and stimulating appetite.

Ovaries and testicles
Secrete hormones that influence female and male characteristics, respectively.

Pancreas
Secretes a hormone (insulin) that controls the use of glucose by the body.

Parathyroid glands
Secrete a hormone that maintains the calcium level in the blood.

Pineal body
Involved with daily biological cycles.

Pituitary gland
Produces a number of different hormones that influence various other endocrine glands.

Thymus gland
Plays a role in the body's immune system.

Thyroid gland
Produces hormones that stimulate body heat production, bone growth, and the body's metabolism.

KEppHope agreed x 100000000000000000000000000000000000!!!!

I got some GREAT info on bio identical from the clinic. They send a great package before the appointment.

Hi hoping to find a cure. I am exactly like you and have been on this path of wondering what the correlation is as well. I too, feel so good the days leading up to my period and then I crash about 2 days in and the week following. It is on point every month and I end up looking forward to those days leading up as I know I will feel great. I also felt great after giving birth last year and the months following when I had no period at all. So I know for a fact there is a connection. I just don't know what it is or how to go about getting my hormones to whatever level they were during those times (or if that is even possible). But, I am in the process of finding a good ob/gyn (my doctor was good, but knew nothing about lyme) so I can get my hormone levels tested and start down this road. My lyme specialist also knows there is a strong connection between hormones and lyme and symptoms flaring up, he just doesn't know yet why, but is researching it so the community is onto the connection, but who knows how long it will take for something to come from that.

If I learn anything on my journey, I will post it here. If you do as well, I hope for the same, but I am in the very same boat as you.