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Posted 7/22/2013 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
http://www.tiredoflyme.com/feeling-worse-after-a-shower-or-bath.html

Do any of you have this problem? My daughter does, but only when her head is in the hot water too (washing her hair). It will leave her feeling lousy for the rest of the day and sometimes the next day. This is the first time I have ever come across any info. on it, so it's good to know it can be lyme related.

I failed to mention this is when showering, not soaking in the tub.

Post Edited (Garden Peace) : 7/22/2013 1:05:35 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/22/2013 8:02 PM (GMT 0)
I don't have that reaction. Does she react to the heat on a hot summer day too?
Posted 7/22/2013 9:59 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know. I think this started over the last year and she hasn't been outside much this summer. We have long, rainy winters. She likes it when it's 80 or above. I get sluggish when it's hot, but I think it has to do with the fact that I don't sweat much. It's a puzzle with her. She does do worse when it's muggy and hot.

She thinks there's a chance that it could just be from the weight of her hair when it's wet, putting a strain on her neck. She has stiffness and headaches, but she didn't used to have this problem, so that makes me think it's more lyme related. Who knows!

It must be a more rare symptom since this is the first time I've run across it.
Posted 7/22/2013 10:09 PM (GMT 0)
Actually, hot showers cause problems for a lot of us with Lyme! The heat can kill off extra bacteria, sending us into a herx if it's bad enough. It's best to lower the temp of the water until she is detoxing better. I know that I couldn't take a shower(don't have a tub) any warmer than skin temp for a long time - not much fun, but the alternative was herxing all the time!! Since we know that herxing for extended period of time or a bad herx slows healing, I was ready to make the compromise!
Posted 7/22/2013 10:31 PM (GMT 0)
She has started to keep it cooler and take shorter showers when she washes her hair. She will still react some even with that

I feel better after a hot soak in the shower, followed by a cool rinse. I usually feel better all day, but only if I have my head under part of the time too. I think it just loosens up muscles.
Posted 7/22/2013 10:54 PM (GMT 0)
One of my first symptoms a long time ago, is I would get a headache whenever I drank water. It was really odd. I knew something was really wrong.
Posted 7/26/2013 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
That was strange. I'm glad my daughter didn't get that since she has a hard time drinking enough as it is.
Posted 7/27/2013 1:08 AM (GMT 0)
Garden Peace, perhaps we can try some things. She could wear a swimming cap with all of her hair in it while she showers. The hair inside will act as padding so the shower stream doesn't impact her head. It will also keep the hair from getting heavy and it would cover her ears in case water entering the ear canal is the issue. Many of us with LD have ear issues. The shower cap will prove the wet hair and water hitting the head theory. if it helps, she could wash her hair separately every other day while allowing her to shower every day. If she continues to feel sick, we'll know that is not the head or the ears.

We can then move to the pulmonary system. Because during a shower steam and vapor is generated, I wonder if this "steam" is limiting her oxygen intake while in the shower. This would explain why she is OK bathing. On a humid day some people have trouble breathing because of so much humidity in the air. If she has a pulmonary issue, she may not be breathing enough oxygen for the duration of the shower and this weakens her brain and body thus the symptoms. She could shower using a hand-held shower spray which would limit the steam being generated and test out the breathing theory.
Another benefit from using the hand-help shower spray is that she would be in control of the shower experience which would then act and a calming effect on her. Sometimes when we have a bad experience while doing something, we associate that task with the bad experience. This often causes a panic attack each time we are put in that situation thereafter. With her having to manually control the shower head and direct the spray, it would take her mind off of the "situation" and it may be enough for her to do OK while showering.
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