Posted 5/18/2017 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Lvg123 -
Sorry you're experiencing such great fatigue. I totally agree w/ Girlie - your adrenals are likely being crushed with the Adderall and coffee. That is a very questionable action by the LLMD...
I think you should talk w/ him/her about testing your adrenal functions. You also might want to test your thyroid. Many Lyme patients have trouble with endocrine functions since the Lyme & Co infections AND treatments can really tax our body systems, particularly endocrine. However, it doesn't sound like your LLMD is really up-to-speed with all that and you'd be better off with an ND unless you can tell your LLMD what you want.
I believe there is some info about this in the "New to Lyme?" thread - or you can do a search. We have conversations about adrenal and thyroid issues all the time. In short, you need to do a 24-hr saliva test where you spit into a vial a minimum of 4 times in one day that measures cortisol production throughout the day (most MDs will just do the 1 sample cortisol test - this is worthless) and you'd need to have your thryoid T3, T4 and reverse T3, T4 production measured (most MDs will just measure TSH - this is worthless). An ND is likely to help you with much more.
Also, in a nut shell, the adrenal glands operate in a resting or flight-or-fight response to whatever stress is going on in your body or mind. So, they can get kicked into high gear during a crisis, while you're running to catch a flight at the airport, or recovering from surgery, or ill from/treating Lyme & Co. The key is to move past the event so that they can recover - refill the reserves like reservoirs do inbetween droughts. But this recover is VERY difficult to do with this treatment as we're under so much physiological and psychological stress. That makes our adrenals stay in an extended state of "high stress" production, like the engine is idling way too high... you use up all your gas and oil and then you know what will happen. Same w/ our bodies.
Your body's natural response is to try to slow you down w/ fatigue, and if we don't listen it turns into exhaustion... and then we end up in bed all day.
The adderall and the coffee are like daggers into your adrenal glands - trying to fight them into performing at extreme levels that makes the situation even worse.
So, first, I'd stop both.
Second, I'd rest.
Third, I'd rest some more.
Fourth, I'd keep resting until you feel a little better. And when you feel a little better, don't overdo it and think you can go back to status quo (I don't know if you lead a stressful, busy, exciting life but you need to take a vacation from all that). You will need to give your body TIME to build up your adrenal reserves again.
There are supplements that people take - nothing ever really worked for me but I bet others will be along to share what worked for them to help support adrenal function, destress. But mostly, you have to control the stressors and energy drainers from your mind and body.
Slowly, you'll start feeling stronger and more energetic.
-p