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A few Qs: Meds working? Mood boosters? Insomnia?

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Posted 9/15/2011 5:55 PM (GMT 0)
I am nearing the end of 2 weeks on biaxin (with at least two more to go) and I am feeling so unmotivated.  I just want to sit and do nothing all day.

Any thoughts of things to do to boost my mood?  I know exercise is one; what else?  Are there safe supplements to take? 

Also, how will I know these meds are working?  It seems the same pains are still coming and going.  I'm doing detox baths every other day for 30 mins.  How will I know those are helping?

Lastly, I know Lyme can cause insomnia.  I am finding that even if I fall asleep okay, I am waking a few hours later to tossing and turning and will do this for a couple hours before I finally fall back asleep (and the alarm goes off).  I think this might be contributing to the fatigue and lack of motivation.  What can i do for insomnia?

Posted 9/15/2011 6:54 PM (GMT 0)
This may sound counter productive, but I actually take a short nap or rest around lunch time.  And actually sleep better in the evening.  When I don't rest in the day, I am up and down all night.  Your body is working very hard fighting these things off, so don't over do it.  It's okay to be a little "unmotivated" for a little while. I also find getting in a pool or cool bath feels great.  worth a try.  I'm in Month 3 of treatment, and just now realizing that this is not a quick process, no matter how much I want it to be.  Just be patient, other's here will say keep a journal.  Hang in there.
Posted 9/15/2011 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
Sam E is a supplement that can help with mood, energy and sleep cycles. My Lyme doctor recommended it. Start with a small dose and work up to get the balance of energy and ability to sleep.

Are you taking a B complex supplement, that also helps with energy and mood.

I have found that different antibiotics effect me in this way. Right now I am on Flagyl and while I am herxing I am really ill and then become a totally unmotivated zombie good for nothing but watching TV shows. It passes once the medicine has done its work, honest!

Also keep in mind that sometimes you don't feel like doing anything because your body is healing and needs rest.

Feel better.
Posted 9/21/2011 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
L-Tryptophane and L-Tyrosine are nuerotransmitter builders. a bit of a bio lesson here...

Nerves are not connected together but have small gaps between them. Neurotransmitters are the messangers between the cells. Theres transmitters affect everything from mood to sleep. L-tryptophan works on the same transmitters that prozac. Seratonin controls mood. Prozac works as a reuptake inhibitor. As the nerve releases seratonin the other nerve picks it up what isn't picked up floats around and then is picked back up by the first nerve. Prozac makes the recieving nerve pick up more seretonin making you happy. L-tyrtophan works by allowing the body to create the right amount of seretonin and other neurotransmitters such as melatonin wich controls sleep. Together L-tryptophan and L-tyrosine give the body the building blocks it needs to create all of the neurotransmitters in the body. 5HTP is a form of L-tryptophan that must create seretonin but can not be used for other nuerotransmitters. There is more than goes into it biologically but this is a quick overview.
Both can be found at health food stores. These are the two supplements that I will take over any of my other pills if forced to choose. I can feel the difference if I skip just one dose. It may be worth while to give it a try if you depressed and have funny sleeping patterns.
I have friends that have suffered from depression or other mood problems that don't have Lyme that now take these and are relieve that they no longer have to take Rx drugs anymore.
Talk with your LLMD about it next time you go.
Posted 9/21/2011 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
I have found magnesium helpful for sleeping. As I recently have had restless leg muscles at night, it has also helped this. Deep breathing has really helped me relax as has reading a good book or listening to my ipod.

While it may take some time before you feel better, it is feeling better that will eventually lift your mood. You will get there but it will take patience and positive thinking.
Posted 9/23/2011 7:30 PM (GMT 0)
Miss C,
If you don't get up to the full strength dosage, the only thing you will be doing is stopping the bacteria from reproducing, not ridding your body of them. So it would follow that if you only stay on low doses, when you do come off the abx - even for a short time - they will be willing and ready to reproduce asap!

Are you detoxing? If so, what all are you doing to detox? Maybe your body needs a little more help than just the basic detoxing we encourage?

I think we can all understand the lows, just hang in there doing what you know you need to do until you can get past this low! We are here to encourage you and to just listen if that's what you need!

How about a gentle (((hug)))??
Posted 9/24/2011 4:48 AM (GMT 0)
Yoga and rosemary tea are my 2 favorite mood boosters...and they're good for Lyme anyway. Try eating grapes or black cherry juice before bed for melatonin...helps me a lot (although I also take sleeping pills). Chamomile tea also helps. And even though it sounds hokey listening to nature sounds with binaural beats makes it easier for me to sleep. I think it just relaxes me.

I don't have experience with biaxin but I'm sure it's working. I tend to herx really bad so maybe you're "lucky" (I know that word seems insulting) and won't react much to treatment (in a bad way). The most important thing is to believe in getting better. I've also noticed I have zero motivation on all these antibiotics so don't be too hard on yourself. It's hard to be motivated to do much when you're body's busy healing itself. Hang in there!
Posted 9/24/2011 1:15 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, Miss C,

That is the Lyme! In particular, that is the toxins. I can tell when I have too many toxins -- I don't even want to brush my hair to look presentable. One week my hairbrush was missing (I think my grandson was using as a "car"), and I couldn't get the motivation up to go look for it. Boy, did I look scary!!!

As hard as it is to get over the hump of that resistance, the rewards are remarkable. The detox baths, the dry brushing, and keeping your bowels working at super efficiency (extra fiber, herbal remedies, magnesium supplements accomplish this); all this will literally lift this fog of ennui from your mind and lift the dead weights that are making you physically drag. So simple it seems almost hard to believe!
Posted 9/24/2011 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
Okay, Achievinggrace!! You have got to quit using those fancy-shmancy words!!! LOL! I keep having to go look them up in order to understand what you are saying!!! Giggle!!

Miss C~
You are sooo not alone in those feelings of non-motivation! Achievinggrace is right though - it's when I feel the ickiest that I find it the hardest to actually do something for myself! When - for one reason or another- I start skipping parts of my detox routine, it's not long before I quit doing most of it for some reason. I mope around the house for a day or two wondering what is wrong with me, then it suddenly dawns on my I absolutely must get back into the swing of detoxing! Once I get started again, it only takes a couple to three days before I start feeling more motivated.
Posted 9/24/2011 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
That is SO me. As has been said, non-motivation comes with the territory. But yeah, some days even the skin brushing and sitting in my sauna seems like, (use your teenager's voice here) 'whatever'. Even calling friends seems like too much. If I can manage a couple of push-ups it's a minor miracle. The only thing I manage to keep up with (mostly) is using my juicer and/or blender daily, so I'm getting my greens in. (Though I'm not even close to the 60% raw I was aiming for.)

Y'all are good motivators for me, though, so thanks for all the sharing people do around here.
Posted 9/24/2011 9:25 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for the sharing you do!! It takes all of us!
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