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Tips for air hunger while exercising?

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Posted 2/9/2016 1:35 PM (GMT 0)
DK is an athlete and is so lucky to be able so far to continue training and sports while in antibiotic treatment. DK wants to know if there's anything that can help with air hunger/gasping that is the worst right after finishing an aerobic activity. DK has not passed out but evidently has come close and sounds terrible with the rapid loud breathing. As a parent it is concerning. DK is super active and really needs the physical activity after feeling so lousy most of the time. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Posted 2/9/2016 3:22 PM (GMT 0)
Is DK treating lyme disease? What is DK taking? Had DK been diagnosed with Babesia along with lyme?

Personally, I applaud DK for staying actively fit. Kudos!! I so remember days where all I did was be a slug on the couch.
Posted 2/9/2016 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,
Yes, DK has a strongly positive Lyme test, main symptoms of Lyme knee swelling (mostly gone), classic babesia drenching sweats (none currently though just daily fevers), air hunger, cracking joints, sometimes with pain, extreme fatigue at times and always a need for sleep - a teen after all - and started taking a pulsed antibiotic regimen last month, but no anti-malerials yet - that will be a bit further down the road after we see how it's going on the current protocol. There may be a bit of coverage on the babesia from some of the antibiotics but not much from what I recall hearing because they deal with it by giving anti-malerials. We have a followup appointment coming up soon so it's definitely on the list of questions. DK definitely has the slug days on the couch but it's not been bad on the pulsed, rather than like it was while on the steady month of doxy that started this all off.

My dad who has asthma suggested an inhaler but I'm not at all sure about that!

Post Edited (yancync) : 2/9/2016 9:28:30 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/9/2016 4:30 PM (GMT 0)
Those inhalers are usually steroids and steroids can make things worse. I have bad knees and before I knew I had lyme my knees ached something fierce so I went and got steroid injections in both of them. Then all heck broke lose and I was in full blown lyme disease symptoms. I think those steroids just riled all the bugs alive and moving.

I am not a doctor, so make sure you ask DK's doc. Also, what is helpful is a list of questions. Sometimes you have a symptom and by the time the doc appt comes you don't have that symptom so you don't ask. Sure enough, a few days after the doc visit, you will get that symptom back.

If the majority of his symptoms point to Babesia, ask the doctor when will he address that and how.
Posted 2/9/2016 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
I've read that exercise can stimulate an immune response in that it raises the body temperature, stirring the bugs up, angering and even killing some of them off, which in turn provokes a herx.

This can be a good thing, if your detox pathways are open, you don't push it, and allow time for repair. It can also be a very bad thing, if you don't do these things. It's just like people herxing, not doing enough for the toxins, ending up with clogged detox systems, etc. It can cause all new problems for the body.

The bugs love/hate stress, if that makes sense, physical and/or mental. They love, when you are sad or mad. They hate, when you do things like exercise to try and better your health.

I don't suggest stopping the exercise, because it's something they enjoy doing. It makes them feel better. Just take care to not overdo it, because it also seems to be making them feel bad.

As others have said, consider Babesia or Babs-like infection.
Posted 2/9/2016 5:06 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the suggestions/advice about steroids - I've read about never using steroids with tick diseases but it didn't occur to me they are in inhalers. We aren't big medicine users until now so I'd better keep some mental notes on this.

DK's symptoms have stayed pretty consistent before and throughout treatment so far other than continual fevers and the joint pain coming and going which is new. We do update DK's list weekly to see if there are any changes/additions. Starting a Lyme spreadsheet was one of the best pieces of initial advice I got. DK is just past the first month of at least 15 months of treatment they suspect.

We will definitely go over DK's current protocol and what's to come when we go in, including when he may start anti-malerials - maybe this summer when he's out of school? I've been advised by other parents that the babesia treatments are really tough to handle and DKs need to be monitored for side effects. They wanted to see how DK is handling it so far since a goal is to keep school up if at all possible which seems likely thus far with DK.
Posted 2/9/2016 5:38 PM (GMT 0)
It is really good news that he can go to school. This has to be so very hard for a parent to watch. I think it is easier to be the loved one going through it, than the loved one that is watching your loved one go through this. Hang in there and DK is so very lucky to have you as his support and team player!
Posted 2/9/2016 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks NotQuiteAntonio for the reminder about herxing and exercise and what Lyme loves, and for the words of encouragement PeteZa. I give thanks every day DK is doing so well especially after seeing/reading so much online about how bad it can get. Even doing well, as you know, every day is different, especially getting DK up in the AM and seeing if that day's a sofa day.
Posted 2/9/2016 6:28 PM (GMT 0)

yancync said...
Hi,
My dad who has asthma suggested an inhaler but I'm not at all sure about that!

Inhalers are of several types. If you have bronchodilators like Ventolin, those are fine, you can use them because they do not affect your immune function, it is a powder that opens the lung tissue involved in respiration (Salbutamol). No action on the immune system. But for lyme disease this is totally useless. The problem is with your heart and/or your blood. You actually have infection in your heart (bartonella/borrelia) and/or infection of your blood (usually Babesia) and these are severely decreasing your oxygenation. Lungs are not the problem here...

I was diagnosed with asthma before lyme and they gave me Ventolin. As i said, completely useless, i kept telling them i feel nothing. Spirometry also was negative for asthma...

Then some wise doctor had this great idea to give me inhaled corticosteroids... That's when my lyme went into full force. My chlamydia pneumonie went berserk just two weeks after i started the steroids, i developed a small pneumonia, and Bartonella/Borrelia have found the perfect moment to take over... I had to spend two years to undo the damage and im not yet 100% ...

Under no circumstances should you accept any kind of steroids, inhaled, injected or oral, unless the doctor prescribing that to you is lyme literate and knows what is doing.
Posted 2/9/2016 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
Honestly? If DK is having that much trouble with air hunger, that's called exercise intolerance. We are supposed to only exercise IF we DON'T experience exercise intolerance. The body is fighting as hard as it can, and by inducing the exercise intolerance, DK is only making it harder on their body while it is trying to heal by overwhelming it with toxins each time.

And, I'd like to reiterate the caution about steroids and Lyme. Steroids are in many things and should be avoided if at all possible as they lower the immune function.
Posted 2/9/2016 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
This bothers me too. I can never get my breath to sync up during yoga 'inhale upward down, now exhale downward dog' etc I'm always just standing there, hand on my chest, trying to get a breath. and running? Forget it, I always have to stop and concentrate just to get a breath!
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