Sudden increase in cognitive symptoms! So scared! Please help!

Hi everyone,

I'm suddenly having an increase in cognitive functioning problems and wondering what it could mean....like maybe due to not treating coinfections? Are any of the coinfections know to cause cognitive problems? Or just Lyme?

Examples: I left out a half of a bi container of yogurt last night. My son found it this morning and I said "that's empty baby" and he "said no mommy I think there is yogurt in here." Sure enough I had left out the whole half container o go bad overnight!! When reading my husband's text yesterday I thought it said to keep our son out of the garbage and I asked my husband "what garbage?" And he said "I wrote garage." One day when getting gas I forgot to put my emergency break on (I drive a manual transmission car)! I didn't realize until I was leaving! Thank God I was on a flat surface so the car didn't roll! I keep opening wrong cupboards again when in the kitchen lookin for things!

I'm so scared!! None of those things are like me at all!!! In addition to all of my other symptoms I'm so scared about this!!! I feel like my mind and my body are not my own.

Additionally, I went back to my primary care as that was recommended because of my continuing daily fevers (99.5-100 f) and they referred me to a hematologist/oncologist!!! Oh my God, they want to make sure I don't have cancer!!! I'm so scared!!!

Has anyone else noticed an increase in symptoms despite taking an antibiotic?

My main symptoms now in case it helps are: cognitive problems, daily fever, daily sore throat, swollen glands in neck and sometimes in groin, seeing sparks of light in my peripheral, severe fatigue/exhaustion/lifeless feeling, sighing a lot and yawning to get a deeper breath, muscle spasms and vibrating feelings under my skin, numbness on my foot, lower back pain which makes it hard to squat/crouch down & stand back up, pain in my finger and toe joints (and occasionally my knees), pain in ankles and feet, heart palpitations, depression, anxiety, reacting to things more strongly than usual (example: I was talking to a neighbor and felt extremely embarrassed about a few things I said and couldn't stop talking about it to my husband for an hour. Not like me! It's like my emotions are turned up!), smelling random smells/heightened smell, getting overstimulated by things like trying to be in a store grocery shopping, weakness, sleep disruption. These symptoms rotate except for the fever and sore throat - those are almost constant except that the fever goes down to almost normal by 11 pm. I have also noticed a tiny cut in the inside of my right nostril that healed and then came back again. I wondered if that could be from the disease or being on an antibiotic??

Do these sound like another disease than Lyme or a coinfection?? Also, I know my LLMD thought bartonella and babesia as well as Lyme, but how do I know it's not anaplasma, ehrlichia, or Rocky Mountain spotted fever?? Has anyone on here had those? Do my symptoms sound like any of those? I'm sure I'm forgetting to list some of my symptoms. I am starting to realize I may need to wean my son so that I can treat more aggressively and treat for coinfections if I have them.

Also if it sounds like Lyme, does it sound like acute lyme or a later, more chronic stage? Do people with acute Lyme have cognitive issues like what I'm having?

Thank you so much for your thoughts!!!!

Post Edited (H Mommy) : 9/21/2016 1:04:26 PM (GMT-6)

H Mommy you got a lot in your mind with the kids and lyme. it is normal to have cognitive gaps without lyme....think about it!!

It happens to all of us. Do not over analyze it....however I agree that you could be having herx reaction as well.

Sorry you are going through this! Your symptoms, minus the sore throat, sound exactly what I experienced last month (my first month on abx). Definitely detox!

First of all, I'm so very sorry! I know how scary those symptoms are.

At this point, I would have to agree as well, please increase your detoxing. If you are doing a lot to detox already, you should talk with your doctor or get tested for the gene mutations that can make it difficult to detox well enough.

Hmmm, I am just going to try to ease your stress over the neuro symptoms... twice this week (2 days out of 4), I have made coffee without putting the pot under the grounds bucket. I made coffee all right. All over the counter, the floor ... big freaking mess. Sigh. and my attention span at work stinks right now.

Thank you all so much!! I had horrible cognitive gaps before I was diagnosed and began antibiotics. I couldn't remember our address, was opening wrong cupboards, couldn't understand my husband, misspoke, couldn't remember what I was talking about. It got better after I started the antibiotic. Now it's getting worse again! That's why it's scary!

Can cognitive issues happen to people with acute Lyme though? Or is it more common in chronic Lyme?

Thank you all again so much!

Yep, and worse. I have finally figured out those symptoms get worse if my stress increases, whether I'm feeling the stress or think I'm handling it. First the vibrations start or increase, I lose complete track of what I'm doing or saying. I may start crying uncontrollably. This can come on from just trying to start to fix dinner, all the way to having a disagreement with someone, or something expensive breaking down.

Try as best as you can to remember that stress is your enemy and try to do what you can to keep calm, rest when you need to (hard when you have children) and try to get people close to you to cooperate and understand this is crucial to your getting well.

julymorning said...
Yep, and worse. I have finally figured out those symptoms get worse if my stress increases, whether I'm feeling the stress or think I'm handling it. First the vibrations start or increase, I lose complete track of what I'm doing or saying. I may start crying uncontrollably. This can come on from just trying to start to fix dinner, all the way to having a disagreement with someone, or something expensive breaking down.

Try as best as you can to remember that stress is your enemy and try to do what you can to keep calm, rest when you need to (hard when you have children) and try to get people close to you to cooperate and understand this is crucial to your getting well.

My vibrations and shivers start/increase when I'm under stress and then my nerve pain ramps up....and some things I wouldn't even think as stressful pre-lyme - like just doing my own income tax...crazy..I've got such a low threshold now.
My husband used to say that was one of my strengths - handling stress...lol...well look at me now...

Also remember this is a roller coaster ride.....you get better....then you regress...get better....regress....until you reach a point where there are bumps, but you're getting better and better.

I definitely would not fret. Every last one of your symptoms sound either like a herx or just a change in symptoms (but related to Lyme and co's).

Breathe.........

julymorning - i am on my week off abx. I don't feel better....or worse...really.

I have never had distinct patterns...so very difficult to gauge (other than some obvious herxes) what is working..or not.

The heat really gets to me as well, Julymorning. I'm so glad that we are finally cooling down some here!!

Happyjo, my FIL had end stage Alz when he moved in with us - and you're so right! I could understand what he was going through a LOT better than even the doctors that we dealt with!! Best of luck with your Dad!

I'm so glad that we have been able to help you make sense of this, H Mommy!!

Have you ever tried using Lysine for EBV? It's all I have used for the last 6 years to keep all of my herpes viruses under control.