Anabolic Steroids to fight lyme's? Get healthy with tons of energy

I agree with Gracie's Mom. Steroids (of any kind) can induce a feeling of euphoria (known side-effect) and can give you energy initially, but long term are very destructive to the body. The ONLY time someone should take steroids if they have Lyme is if they are 1a) taking a biologic dose to correct a deficiency in adrenal hormones OR 1b) using steroids to help treat autoimmune and/or other inflammatory symptoms AND 2) are taking something to keep the Lyme from going bonkers from having immune suppression from the steroids. In other words, there are only 2 reasons to give steroids to someone with Lyme - hormone deficiency (from adrenal burnout) and inflammatory symptoms that can't be managed another way. To use hormones as the primary treatment protocol for someone with Lyme Disease would be like putting gasoline on a fire...

In addition, steroids interfere with various metabolic processes and block certain nutrients from being absorbed, thus tearing down the body instead of doing what those with Lyme need - building up and strengthening the body.

Just my very humble opinion, augmented by some personal experience with steroids given for misdiagnoses prior to finding out I had Lyme...

Forest call...
You do know that your lyme can be sexually transmitted to your wife...right?

Thanks for the nice and thoughtful posts!!

I have read similar info for HIV+ (I do not have HIV) and I was wondering if a similar result will occur with Lyme Dissease. From what I understand in both Cancer and HIV+ there are similar issues regarding the immune system, hormones, etc.

I think getting the body really strong and healthy seems like a logical path for treatment. However if the Lyme is going to grow and present more side affects then clearly steroids would not be good.

One thing to point out is that not all steroids are the same in how they affect the system.

Im really happy to have this opportunity to discuss this with you all.

Thanks

Yes, it can be transmitted from mother to fetus.

When I stumbled upon my first rhuematologist (during my long fight for a cure from Lyme) I was placed on 21 different medications including several steroids. I completely deteriorated... I lost all ground gained. I am positive that the detrimental effects of being mis-diagnosed with RA and being placed on all those medications was the end to my immune system.... completetly wiped out. I know that's why I'm still struggling to recover.

There was another study being done about the effectiveness of giving a small dose of the flu vaccine twice a week to build up the immune system. I actually participated for a few months but didn't continue because I had some people telling me it might be dangerous to mess with the immune system like that. I'm still curious if indeed it does work but haven't heard much more about it.

I had knee pain, went to an orthopedic dr, got cortisone shots in both knees without having any blood work done. I felt great for two weeks, and then BOOM, the pain became so intense that I was in tears and could barely walk. I later found out that steroids and lyme don't mix well without first taking an antibiotic.

I had a positive Lyme test a month and a half later. 

Post Edited (mallo1999) : 2/18/2013 8:16:02 PM (GMT-7)

There is some good and some not so good information on this thread. Steroids are a huge issue. I don't even know where to start.

You will die without certain steroids, and you will suffer terribly or maybe die if you misuse other steroids. There is a happy and desirable middle ground that benefits lyme sufferers, if they can obtain it.

Your adrenals produce cortisol which is absolutely necessary for glucose metabolism and energy production. It also has important immune functions. Your adrenal glands produces elevated cortisol levels in response to stress on your body- whether emotional, physical, or infectious. If a person has sustained stress on his body, then his cortisol will be elevated for a sustained period of time. A person with lyme will usually have elevated cortisol levels until the infection is brought under control. Elevated cortisol may be unhealthy and can cause a lot of damage in the body. When the infection goes on beyond a certain point, then the adrenals may shut down and produce little or no cortisol. This is also very unhealthy and can even be life threatening.

Steroids have gotten a very bad name for several reasons. We all know about anabolic steroids- because of the abuse in bodybuilding, professional sports, Lance Armstrong, etc. Anabolic steroids must not be confused with the "catabolic steroids" such as cortisol. Catabolic steroids do not build up muscle. They tear down muscle tissue and collagen to use it for energy production when there is an excess of cortisol in the body.

There is a certain group of catabolic steroids which are known as corticosteroids. They are produced by the adrenal glands. Within this group are the glucocosteroids and the mineralcosteroids. The glucocosteroid is cortisol, which I already described. The mineralcosteroid is aldosterone which regulates electrolytes and fluid balance in the body. The most important steroid in the body is the cortisol, and you cannot live without it.

The man that discovered and synthesized cortisol won a Nobel prize. It was viewed as a miracle drug. Initially physicians cured a lot of illness and saved many lives because of their usage of cortisol. Then, eventually patients started to become very ill and many died. It appeared that cortisol was not the panacea that it first appeared to be. Consequently, cortisol was ostracized and got a very bad name among physicians and in the medical literature. That situation exists to this very day.

There have been a few physicians and researchers that have had a different experience with cortisol. They have used it safely on many thousands of patients without any bad side effects. The physicians whose patients experienced dangerous or deadly side effects used "pharmacological" (high) doses of cortisol. The physicians whose patients received beneficial or life-saving results used "physiological" (low) does of cortisol. Acknowledging and maintaining this distinction makes a universe of difference in the patient experience when treated with the cortisol.

A patient's cortisol levels should almost always be tested before cortisol is prescribed. A lyme patient who is early in the illness cycle may (probably) has elevated cortisol that is already damaging his body and suppressing aspects of his immune system. He is already above the physiologically normal range. It would be very dangerous to administer any amount of any corticostesteroid such as cortisol. The problem with cortisol is when there is more free cortisol in your system than your body is utilizing for constructive purposes. That is when the symptoms arise.

A lyme patient who is in the latter chronic stage may have very low cortisol production levels. He should also be tested to see whether this is the case, and to get an idea of how large the deficiency is. The saliva and urine tests are best, and the blood test may also be useful to an extent. Cortisol doses are determined by symptomology. There are well known symptoms for low cortisol levels, and there are other symptoms for elevated levels. It took accurate knowledge, honestly, communication, and discerning scrutiny to get the dosage levels right. Heather has experienced a degree of symptoms from both having suppressed and elevated levels of cortisol. We have gotten it right, and it has been revolutionary for her. The use of physiological, replacement, low dose, bioidentical cortisol is not at all dangerous for the properly vetted patients. It would have been unhealthy and maybe eventually dangerous for her not to have received it. I have to give Dr. Jernigan credit for referring Heather to a knowledgeable LLMD who is licensed to prescribe the hydrocortisone.

I have to give some latitude and tolerance to the several comments on this thread with which I strongly disagree. They have made their negative statements about steroids because of their knowledge of very bad patient experiences, and they are partially correct. When cortisol levels are above normal parameters, then unhealthy effects can be expected, just as they have enumerated here. Very few people-even many doctors- have knowledge of the entirely safe usage of low dose hydrocortisone for low cortisol level patients. The goal is to bring the cortisol level up to normal levels, but not to err by going beyond it. The result has been revolutionary for many people with serious illnesses. I would advise AGAINST any other usage of steroids outside of the parameters that I have stated.

One of the major proponents of the low-dose cortisol approach is William McKnight Jefferies M.D., P.H.D. who wrote the book "Safe uses of Cortisol". I strongly recommend reading the book. It is not inexpensive however.

Don

I would suggest that you do a lot more research on how steroids will lower the immune system and what that means for infections - they will spread out of control. We have tick-borne infections which means they are very complicated infections.

The only reason this thread stays up is because people need to see that steroids are not a good choice when one has these infections.

Forestcall has not been on this forum since 2009, Damian. I'm sorry.

We use low dose bioidentical progesterone cream to help with adrenal fatigue.

When the adrenals are exhausted the body will produce cortisol using the progesterone cascade. Which tends to make people (both men and women) progesterone deficient; which of course means estrogen dominant.

Several of the top LLMDs recommend resistance training as part of their comprehensive treatment protocols. Stimulation of endogenous production of HGH and testosterone is likely their reasoning.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2796409