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Posted 7/26/2014 3:38 PM (GMT 0)
OK guys I have just totally hit the wall emotionally as far as treatments. I am just so sick and tired of the buckets of pills on my countertop, stinking detox, dr.'s appointments, mess all around me, etc. etc. I am taking a break for a week OK?
Posted 7/27/2014 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
I totally understand where you are. Just don't let yourself go too low.

After you take the break you need, do your best to find supplements that will help improve your mood; Vitamin B Complex, and Sam-E, for example.

Also, focus on what and why you are working to get better. Think about what you want to do once you are well.

Your dreams are worth the fight.
Posted 7/27/2014 4:02 AM (GMT 0)
I know exactly how you feel. I got up this morning and said I will not put any pills in my body this weekend. I caved and took 5 out of 30 of the smallest and most important pills around noon. I dream of the day I can go pilless!
Posted 7/27/2014 12:31 PM (GMT 0)
I hear you. I dropped everything until I can regroup with a plan. I don't want to be this person stuck in this nightmare any longer.

Do your best to see how far you have come and keep going. Maybe find a liquid or powder version of stuff and cut all the pills down. Or take everything two times a day instead of three. Or just once a day for a week and give yourself a mini break.
Posted 7/27/2014 12:41 PM (GMT 0)
I totally understand you... Happens to me every now and then. If your body is indicating it needs a break, take one. But inform your dr about it.

I too am on a break right now...
had a bronchitis, now some kind of intestinal/gastric infection. I felt I needed a small break.
Posted 7/27/2014 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
I so relate!! Have been on antibiotics for 2 years now and adding a lot of herbals. I'm starting to have this fear of herxing as I'm so tired of living in pain for so long, and any intensification of pain I just don't handle as well as I used to... My 3 kids are waiting for me to get better and have their mom the way they used to have so I feel like I can't take a break. But I am coasting through this summer even though I really want to intensify my treatment just so I don't have too many really bad days in the summer.

We're leaving for vacation on Tuesday. Teasel tincture just came in that I want to start and Serrapeptase/systemic enzymes as well, but am holding off on starting them till after vacation and even then I'll take it really slow until the kids are back in school. Even though I want to kick Lyme and Bartonella's butt!! The Bartonella treatment is making me feel more depressed and anxious and that's hard enough to deal with!

Do what you feel you need to do for yourself. I wish I could be more helpfull... But I completely understand. Sometimes after a little break, you can get more strength to fight even harder.
Posted 7/27/2014 2:56 PM (GMT 0)
UGH! Dealing with this myself! Although I'm no longer treating tick-borne infections, I am in treatment for Addison's, hypothyroid and for intestinal food allergies.

My first tick-borne treatment was in January of 2007 - 7 years ago. shakehead, so it's been a long haul for me too. I just get tired of it all, like you said.

It's really good to reevaluate where you want to be, and remember that life can be so much more once we are healed.

Thinking of all of you right now.......and hanging on!!
Posted 7/27/2014 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
Treatment fatigue ...describe s perfectly where I am. So weary of the battle.
Posted 7/27/2014 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
omg… 7 yrs….
I…just…started…

-p
Posted 7/27/2014 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
Pirouette - don't forget that this is a life-long battle for me. I was first infected - that we can pin point - at the age of 7. I was on abx for 1 year in 2007( I was 44), but I was finally in a treatment that worked for me in 2010 - at the age of 47. So I had accumulated a lot of infections and they had plenty of time for the bacteria to burrow deep. It takes a while to unravel all the damage and figure out what to treat, even with the infections being healed now.

In December of 2011 I ended Lyme treatment and Bartonella treatment- and have not had any active symptoms of either infection since. In December of 2012, I ended Babesia treatments and have not had any active symptoms of that infection since.

I had a good period followed by waaayyy too much stress, which brought my adrenals crashing down, my thyroid with it (with swelling on the back side only), and increased my intestinal issues - which I'm finding out that it was due to intestinal food allergies. These are all things that are fairly common for Lyme patients to deal with, so this is not too surprising.

As far as I know, this is not typical, although I have not researched this much - I'm not sure that I really want to know just how "special" I may be!! turn LOL!
Posted 7/28/2014 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
Lymebabe and others,

I totally know how you all feel. I went through treatment fatigue 3-5 times during my 3 years of treatment. You feel overwhelmed and under supported. You feel like no one understands how you feel but still expects much of you. You feel unorganized at home, work and in life. I wish I had all the answers but each of you are different. Take a break. If you feel that way then do it. Regroup. Stop all the pressure to get well and focus on living in the moment. Don't think about what you have to do, think about what you are doing. It is a process and it will pass. There were many times I wanted to give up on treatment. But instead I allowed myself to take a break and after about a week or two I was ready to fight again.
Good luck in your healing!
Posted 7/28/2014 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
Here's what has helped me.

I've accepted that taking pills and tinctures is just a regular part of my life now. It's as normal as eating, sleeping, talking, working. It's built into my schedule like anything else.

When you look at it that way, it's not so bad anymore.

The good news is, one day when you don't have to take so much stuff anymore, it will be a big relief. In the meantime, I've found it's best to accept the regimen and see it as "normal."

Hope this helps.
Posted 7/28/2014 4:28 PM (GMT 0)
WOW Traveler…

Let's be clear: you ARE special!

But I have been reading quite a few of your posts since joining the forum and I guess I didn't realize how similar our stories are. I'm 45 now but was bitten at 29 or 30 I think, given the history of my symptoms. I am treating Borellia, Bartonella, and Babesia (doc thinks I might have other infections—not testing for them yet). I had a highly stressful childhood and I'm in a high-stress profession and I've never really known anything different.

First system to start breaking down was thyroid back in my 30s but couldn't get an accurate diagnosis. Then adrenals, again couldn't get a diagnosis. My HMO docs didn't "do" adrenals. A couple more years go by. Then intestinal problems/food allergies knock me out and I couldn't eat. Finally found a naturopath who linked the endocrine/HPA/intestinal issues but attributed everything to stress. So that was a $20k+ adventure with her trying to "control stress", which eventually led to a total breakdown last year (because we weren't really treating the root cause). The following year I was in/out of emergency care with chronic fatigue, chronic sinusitis, bronchitis, flu. BUT all the crap they gave me (abx, steroids) over the year really brought out lyme-specific symptoms and only then did I finally diagnose myself (in part due to amazing forums like this) and got myself to an LLMD.

Anyway, you're right—so many years of damage takes a long time to correct. But as I'm sure so many also feel, I've already been on a pretty horrible journey of being sick with no help, and looking forward to such a long journey of getting healed is sometimes too much to accept. I have really down days, like others do. On my good days, I focus on what I know and can do and I JUST LOVE my LLMD—I know how lucky I am. You would all love her too.

I just hope I don't have a lot of damage when all is said-and-done. All my labs (cholesterol, hormones, neurotransmitters, etc) are getting really bad. I mean BAD. It's hard to watch so much breaking down. Curious how you would compare your progress in terms of how much you have recovered vs. your total health level—but don't want to trash such a great thread!

-p
Posted 7/28/2014 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
Good advice agent9ner. Never considered giving myself permission to take a break. After this round may do so....

I so appreciate everyone here and alk the genuine sharing and understanding. I know yiu people truely understand what I am dealing with when I read your posts. There is so little understanding from others but im beginning to realize others just cant relate, they have not walked through this valley. We have so many different valleys we walk through, some more difficult than others.
Posted 7/28/2014 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
If you need a break, then it can be good to take one! Just let your doctor know what's going on.
Posted 7/28/2014 6:36 PM (GMT 0)
I would suggest that if a person really needed to take a break from treatments, that they coordinate with their doc to be sure that you are in a 'spot' where you can take a break and what you can take a break with.

As for me, I'm not in that position where I can take a break from meds - I need to get an attitude adjustment!!! LOL! No stopping adrenal, thyroid, arthritis meds or the herbs that stop my intestinal cramping - but I will be soooo glad when the elimination diet is over with!!! By that time I'll know what foods don't make my intestinal issues worse, and will be able to stay away from those foods that make my inflammation/arthritis worse. So that will be a very happy day! yeah

And Pirouette - there are a few people that will happily tell me that I'm 'special' - LOL!!! turn but thank you. It's been a long haul and the prize is great - a life that I can live without the boundaries I've had most of my life.

We just have to take these things one step at a time. I can't even begin to look at the whole time this part of my healing may take - I don't want to risk saying "forget it! I'll find a way to deal with it." I've spent enough of my life "dealing with it" - and so have you by the sounds of it.

So we must put one foot in front of the other, and just keep at it. Some days are just hard and we have to accept that, but remember humor can make the road easier to travel - and friends that understand!!!

Something to keep in mind - cholesterol levels can rise with thyroid issues. Also be sure that you are looking at all if the cholesterol numbers, not just one or two. My numbers are very high, but it's all of them that are high - even my "good" cholesterol (HDL & Triglycerides) are high, not just the LDL. Most docs just look at the LDL numbers.

You should talk with your doc about getting your hormones balance back out though. Depending on just which ones are out of balance, it is likely making your body work harder to try to overcome that instead of just concentrating on healing.
Posted 7/28/2014 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
Traveler—
Good points, all around.
I had a full cholesterol panel done and the overall number is good but the individual numbers are all bad—HDL is too low and the LDL is too high and they 'type' of cholesterol is the bad, sticky kind. And they keep getting worse from normal levels just a yr ago. I am taking naturethroid— and doc just increased dosage, so hope that helps a bit. I don't want to go on cholesterol meds.

Doc also prescribed bio-identical hormone cream that I am picking up today. I am really really confused by the hormone levels—they're so bad they indicate I'm PAST menopause—estrogen didn't even register, but I still have normal periods and ovulation and don't have other menopause symptoms other than night sweating, which LLMD & I attributed to lyme & co. Frustrating but I will start the Rx—you're right, my body is fighting enough as it is and it's best to support it now, understand it later. heh!

-p
Posted 7/28/2014 6:55 PM (GMT 0)
I wish you the best with the new dosage of Naturethroid!! I'm on Armour thyroid, although I had hoped to use Naturethroid, but it's working for me, so no complaints! I can now swallow more than one pill at a time!!! turn woo hoo!! LOL!

I hope that the bio-identical cream works well for you. Interesting about your hormones - I'm the same way, absolutely no estrogen and I'm not sure when I went through menopause!! I had the night sweats from Babesia, but I have only just started the anytime sweats from hot flashes due to menopause since about 2 months after stopping Babesia treatment - which I thought was quite odd!!

BUT, my Mom had an easy time with menopause, so I assume that's part of why I never realized that I was in menopause before this - I was too sick to notice something like that.

As you said, best to support things now, and understand it later!!!
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