My main symptom at this point is depression/anxiety. What should I do?

Reba…

So sorry you are struggling with feeling this way. Sooooo many of us are in the same predicament. I'm going on my 18th month and my brain is so polluted and I've had so much reaction to what I think is oxidative stress from all the meds and herbs, that I backed WAY off my treatment and I'm hyper focused on detoxing right now…

Also, have you tried any herbal protocols for lyme? Have you ruled out coinfections? I believe Babesia can cause depression as well...so it might help to do some investigating and exploring of other issues to figure out what layer of the onion needs to be peeled next.

But regarding depression:

First, I caution you from exploring "mental health treatments". In most cases, mood imbalances are treatable without seriously problematic medication. Most often meds like psychotropic drugs do much more harm than good because they only treat sx, not underlying problems and cause a very wide range of side effects…

Your mood balance and neurotransmitter balance starts in your gut, believe it or not. In fact, there was a report recently issued indicating researchers found blood vessels linking gut and brain… I wonder why it took them so long because nutritionists and naturpathic specialists have known about this connection for a very long time.

Anyway, when you're on abx or some herbals to treat the lyme, without supportive measures (good probiotics and antifungals) you can develop a yeast/fungal imbalance because the antimicrobials kill all of the good bacteria, which helps control y/f overgrowth. Some people are more susceptible to this than others due to preexisting levels of y/f or a genetic issue. I am one of those people.

A very common sx from y/f is depression. In fact, some antidepressants are actually antifungals. Y/f overgrowth causes buildup of neurotoxins that cross the blood brain barrier and cause the mood disorders and various other problems. So, this is one area to consider, particularly if you've been on abx w/out taking probiotocs or implementing antifungals (natural or otherwise).

Other things cause neurotransmitter imbalances are hormone disruptions, which are also tied to gut health. How is your thyroid doing? Do you have any signs of adrenal fatigue? An imbalance in one often causes the HPA axis (hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal) to get out of sync.

Let me know if anything rings a bell…

p

OK, so you have definitely covered bases.

A few more q's:
1. Do you have any GI problems?
2. What is your diet?
3. Have you explored DNA mutations for methylation, detoxing and neurotransmitter issues?

Also, please note that if you're on Nystatin tablets, liquid or anything other than pure nystatin powder, you are likely not on a high enough dose. Now, this is only relevant if the depression is caused by y/f overgrowth.

So, if that is not an issue, I would recommend finding a good Naturopath who can do a saliva test for your neurotransmitters. Imbalances can be complicated but there are good supplements that can help you find a good balance for your specific needs.

p

Reba…

OK, that helps rule out GI issues. So what i would do before you see an NP is to have your DNA data interpreted through one of these sites and then take results to NP. Data itself is meaningless w/out interpretation. And then the NP can help you figure out how to supplement. Here is more info:

23andme
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3413587&g=3414439#m3414439

Also NP can do a saliva test to figure out where your neurotransmitters are off balance.

Another suggestion (besides sayyadina's herbal suggestions, which are good) is to seek help from forum member Georgia Hunter, who has been doing some really fantastic investigation into specific mineral and nutrient deficiencies common in our diets, which impact certain symptomatic responses. He might have come across depression/mood imbalance/ neurotransmitter imbalance specific information:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3419155
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3422168

p

I know exactly what you're going through. I got bit a few weeks after college graduation 2 years ago and slowly developed symptoms over the next few months. I struggled through a year of grad school until I decided it was time to drop out and treat this all the way. I now have massive student loan debt with no way to pay it back, am unable to work, and have a 2 year employment gap on my resume. It'll be hard to get a decent paying job with that. This is all very frustrating. I know exactly how you feel. All my friends have moved to the city and party every weekend while I'm still stuck in the burbs living with my parents. I know this is a frustrating disease but particularly so for people our age, who should be out starting our careers and having fun.