Crippling anxiety- part of herx?

This is week 4 of antibiotics, two on doxy, then switched to omnicef and my anxiety is out of control, causing panic attacks and really interfering with my daily life. It started to get worse on the antibiotics and is now at critical mass and I feel crippled.

Any hints to get through this or words of advice on how long this might last?

Hi Kak282 -

Agree w/ Girlie - you might need to step down your treatment just for a little while, allow your body to adjust and recover a bit, then resume optimal doses. You might need to work up to optimal dose a little more slowly.

Anxiety can be VERY tough and scary. It's a "neurological-psychological" or neuro-psycho symptom that results from neurotransmitter imbalances. Several components of the infections AND/OR the treatment of the infections can cause the imbalance and it's sometimes a trial-and-error to figure out what it is and how to address it.

I suffered greatly with neurotransmitter disasters at several points in my treatment and this is what I've learned over the years:

Detox is key, so try covering the following bases -
- Pinella and Burbur tinctures by Nutrimedix help detox the brain
- detox the gut (remember the gut-brain connection science finally proved when they found the blood vessels directly connecting the two) and this generally requires gut binders
- skin is the largest detox organ - try gentle soaks (slowly work up to optimal detox soaks with epsom salts, sea salt, hydrogen peroxide, heat, duration)

Bacterial imbalance in the gut also exacerbate neurotransmitter imbalances and with all the antimicrobials we're on, most of us end up with problems. Make sure you don't have a yeast/fungal overgrowth and have a near-perfect diet. You should explore probiotics or eating good, fermented foods.

Make sure your bowel movements are VERY regular - binders always help me with this.

Hope that's helpful -

-p

Girlie said...
Ugh - anxiety - so sorry! I know how that feels...it's the worst!

Can you cut back on the omnicef - do half dose....or even stop for a few days.

And concentrate on detoxing....see what else you can add in to your daily regimen.

Thanks for the support and advice!

Kak, here is a past thread where dosage is discussed:

www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3496350

kitty - starting dose is 20 drops? Wow. That is interesting.

The bottle says 10. I have ALWAYS used only 10 drops in a dose and a max of 3 separate doses per day. When I was herxing considerably in the past I asked my LLMD if I can add more drops and she advised that it probably wouldn't be helpful, but instead to increase number of doses per day from two to three.

I agree that it shouldn't cause a herx.

Kak282 -
Good OTC binders include bentonite clay (it's a liquid, you add it to water), activated charcoal capules, psyllium husk. ALL binders should be taken with LOTs of water and drink water throughout the day, as well. Make sure you're getting the optimal amount to avoid constipation. Binders always help me stay regular but I know others have had problems.

For those who have GI damage or GI problems, I'd stay away from psyllium husk until you heal - it can be a little too rough.

You can also combine binders (chase charcoal with a bentonite shot!) and take doses a few times a day if you can fit it into your schedule. Binders are used to help eliminate everything in the GI and will also drag out food, medications so using them requires strict TIME BUFFERS before and after using binders:

- wait a minimum of 1 HOUR (preferably 2 hours if you have slow motility) after consuming anything orally or by IV before taking a binder.

- and wait a minimum of 2 HOURS (preferably 3 hrs if you have slow motility) after using a binder before ingesting anything or doing IV

The best binder I've ever used is PURE cholestyramine (CSM). You can get cheap manufactured versions by Rx but they are FULL of fillers and even sugar and very little of the CSM. The pure version is rather expensive and generally found only through specific compounding pharmacies, but I've found it's the most important part of my protocol. It's helped heal my gut and helps my body process all the antibiotics I've been on for 3 yrs w/out a lot of yeast/fungal overgrowth issues, which I'm very prone to. But I'll probably take it long after I'm done w/ tx.

-p

If you have the combo burbur/pinella then it is 20 drops. If you have the individual tinctures then it is 10 drops of each mixed together in 1/4 glass of water and wait 2 minutes before drinking. I just called NutraMedix to confirm my dosing on the combined tincture and they also stated that you can combine all their products. I had no problem with the recommended dosages.

I, too, am experiencing overwhelming anxiety and it is very debilitating.
Some members have resorted to taking benzodiazepines (Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, etc). I took Xanax in 2008 for 4 months and the last month I tapered off it but had horrible withdrawal affects for months. Just a warning. I take Motherwort from Buhner's protocol, Source Naturals' Theanine Serene with Relora and Avena Sativa from gaia organics. They take the edge off but, for me, not a total calming effect.

IMO, the only way to resolve this issue is to lower the bacterial load with treatment. Many here have endured the anxiety problem.

Best wishes and a big hug.

Patty