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Exaggerated startle reflex - anyone have it?

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Posted 7/16/2015 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on an antibiotic break, pretty much since end of April.

Past couple of days, my startle reflex is exaggerated.

This morning, I was awake in bed, not sleeping, and my husband who had gotten up earlier, came back into the room for something, he just opened the door quietly and I just about hit the roof...

Then later on - after I was up for awhile, the phone rang, and I jumped.

I wonder if it's my hypothalamus affected by lyme...as I've suspected it for other symptoms - one being my heat dysregulation.
Posted 7/16/2015 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
I do this. A bird flew past my window and i almost died of fright lol. I jumped out of my skin and got a huge adrenaline rush. My heart rate went crazy fast for about 30 minutes. I felt like such a baby!

No idea why. I blamed Bart.
Posted 7/16/2015 7:42 PM (GMT 0)
You mean this is not normal? LOL

I just thought it was me and never associated it with any body process.

This happens everyday. Someone comes in a room when I am concentrating on something, the movement startles me. My kids hate going to the movies with me because I startle easily.

It would be interesting to know what causes it. I never thought is was unusual. I have the heat dysregulation too. Wonder how many other symptoms go to gather like this?
Posted 7/16/2015 7:56 PM (GMT 0)
Yes I had this really bad when I first started antibiotics. For example my daughter was lightly swinging a 10 lb bag of potatoes on the other side of the kitchen when I caught her out of the corner of my eye and ducked. She wouldn't even be able to throw them half that distance. The thing is I never scare. The jumpiness lasted about 3 days.
Does this relate to the hypothalamus? I have secondary low-T, i.e the pituitary isn't telling my body that my testosterone is low and the hypothalamus controls a lot of the what the pituitary does.
As for heat dysregulation that was one reason I initially went to the Dr. many years ago before being diagnosed. I was having a hard time over heating and was very sensitive to being out doors.
Posted 7/16/2015 9:30 PM (GMT 0)
Wow - I'm glad I'm not the only one with this...

So what I read is heat dysregulation, exaggerated startle reflex - all hypothalamus

It also regulates blood pressure.


The hypothalamus affects your thyroid, too. It's the "H" in the HPT axis. The hypothalamus sends a signal to the pituitary to produce more or less thyroid hormone....
Sorry, it's not the technical explanation...just what i'm trying to remember.
Posted 7/16/2015 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
I've had had this, I had forgotten about prior to this post. Mine was even touch, brush against something or the cat touch my leg without me seing it. It's gone away for now.

Interesting on the hypothalamus.

Iheartx
Posted 7/16/2015 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
Ohhhh, how I hated this!!! Everyone thought it was hilarious to scare me like that, but it literally hurt me. The buzzing in my body (body wide!) would ramp up to all time highs when I got startled. So it was quite painful, but no one believed me.

I'm not nearly as bad now, I do startle fairly easy, but I don't jump and it's not usually painful at least!!

Interesting that it's tied to the hypothalmus - I mean you assume that everything's messed up in your body, but it's different when you get confirmation of it, even if it's after you've healed. I had a lot of trouble with regulating my body temp too.
Posted 7/16/2015 10:31 PM (GMT 0)
Some of you guys said you noticed it after being on antibiotics, is that everyone's story? I've had it for ever and have not even started treatment.

The hypothalamus thing is interesting to. I, along with many others have problems with Thyroid hormones. Might this mean we should also be looking at the Hypothalamus and the pituitary gland?
Posted 7/16/2015 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
No, I had it forever too - long before I ever knew I had Lyme disease and company.

To be honest, if you have had a long standing chronic Lyme infection, the likelihood of it having affected literally every organ goes way up I believe. Don't assume that things haven't been affected by your infections - at least that way if you find out that you have organs that haven't been infected, it's a pleasant surprise rather than a disappointment!
Posted 7/17/2015 3:19 PM (GMT 0)
I think it's an adrenal issue, no? As your adrenals are taxed, you are startled easily. I have it too.
Posted 7/17/2015 3:59 PM (GMT 0)
I had this before treatment and noticed again yesterday after I posted, haha who know! It had gotten better.
I have a dr appt on 27th and we are going to talk about adrenals because it takes me so long to get going but at 9 or 10pm I'm ready to go and then I know I need to go to bed.

Iheartx
Posted 7/17/2015 4:03 PM (GMT 0)
I've had this since being infected. I think someone mentioned its a HPA imbalance issue—your sympathetic nervous system gone awry. I hate it.

-p
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