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Lyme and the heart

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Posted 5/17/2015 7:04 PM (GMT 0)
I'm just curious, since my heart symptoms seem to be bothering me the most and are my most concerning.. Is there anyone out there that have had heart issues from lyme or the co-infections..?

It's really scaring me and I'm wondering if my heart symptoms are acting up because I started treatment last week. I know I've been checked by a cardiologist but there's something in the back of my moms saying "your hearts not supposed to beat so hard it shakes your shirt" or "you're not supposed to feel your pulse/heartbeat throughout your entire body, especially in your head".

I'm scared I'm going to have permanent damage from this. My hearts been bothering me since the first week of march.. I just turned 25, it seems so surreal to be dealing with all of this. It's like I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore..

Sorry for being so panicked or worried but I'm scared. & honestly it helps to hear stories or hear advice from people who understand and have gone through it as well..
Posted 5/17/2015 8:53 PM (GMT 0)
I guess I'm the only one. Yikes!
Posted 5/17/2015 9:14 PM (GMT 0)
No, we've discussed heart sx several times in recent history.

I found this thread helpful:
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3407444

Last Feb my heart sx started to get pretty intense. I saw a cardiologist and not only did he dismiss my bad EKG from an ER visit, he declared me, convinced by all of HIS tests, completely fine, I was just fat and lazy (I'm a size 10 and bike miles multiple times a week) and not really his problem…

My LLMD is going to continue monitoring me during my monthly visits, will do EKGs in her office while we find a better cardiologist.

Multiple heart sx are unmistakeable and should be considered. I'm also convinced that the heart takes a huge burden when we are ill, the one commonality that affects every organ and geographical area of our body is our blood supply, which carries everything… anyway, there is more to be learned than there is known about how lyme & co affect heart health. When people die from lyme, it's usually from a heart issue.

I received great advice from a fellow poster here (sorry, I do not remember who) who suggested that my very complicated and heavy treatment protocol could be causing oxidative stress, triggering the heart issue. Once I stopped most of my tx protocol, the heart sx subsided significantly. I am grateful for this insight. It was time for me to slow way down and recalibrate my body, and listen to what it was trying to tell me.

Not sure where you are in your treatment but the heart sx could be a sign of overload. Have you spoken w/ your LLMD about your sx?

p
Posted 5/17/2015 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
Alyrose, lots of us have cardiac problems with Lyme, you are not alone. That was one of my main concerns when I became my doctor's mystery patient in 1988. My heart was racing and would wake me in the middle of the night doing around 160 bpm. It was also irregular and would pause then have a huge beat to follow. I did wear a heart monitor for 3 days.

Mine became mostly normal with treatment but since I was undertreated, it would return every few months. I would ask my MD for more Doxycycline and after 2 weeks or so it would return to normal. I spent years with this pattern, and now am taking longer cycles of antibiotics and hopefully get this under control.

Your treatment will be much more effective than I had back in those years. They knew so little about Lyme then and did not give multiple antibiotics and herbals like they do now. No support groups or anyone that I could talk with who also had Lyme. I was still able to work, go back to school and live a normal life. I just knew when I needed to ask for Doxy and that I would feel bad for a month or so.

It sounds like you have a good LLMD and are in good hands. I think you will do really well and be able to get back to your baseline, and you will have renewed strength and will never take your health for granted. Being ill for a time is not fun but it does help us understand just how precious our health is and what we need to do to maintain it.

Linda
Posted 5/17/2015 11:36 PM (GMT 0)
Pirouette- I just started my antibiotic last week. I'm on day 5 of taking Cefdinir x2 a day 600mg total. It just started last night. I've had the complete cardio work up minus an echo and my cardiologist (not LLMD educated) doesn't seem to think my hearts affected but obviously it is. He did have me come back in for another EKG last Friday to check for heart block and they said it was fine. I wore an event monitor for 30 days before I knew I had lyme and they didn't find anything out of the ordinary on it. I wonder if this is just a herx from the medication... Idk I'm just scared

Lighterbeing - I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. Since 1988??? That's crazy! My First LLMD wanted to overload me with 4-5 antibiotics all at the same time and I wasn't comfortable with that since I'm a mom to a 4 year old and currently still working.. But my new LLMD is taking a very slow approach with only one antibiotic right now. I'm just concerned that I should be on at least 2 antibiotics or maybe herbs and other protocols too. I don't know, this is all so confusing. I feel overwhelmed..
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