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Posted 2/19/2016 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

I know this has been discussing in this forum over and over but I can't help but want to reach out and see the stories/opinions of others.

about 7 months ago I had I guess a severe anxiety attack and since then I've not been out of the woods with extreme anxiety and depression.

In November I was tested for lyme and then tested again in Feb with a stronger lyme test.

So, now this whole world of lyme has opened up as a possible explanation for the effects I'm experiencing.

I don't remember having a bad fever or such or even a rash (and I know that this isn't always the case with lyme).

I guess I'm just wondering if others have experience with the psychological aspects of lyme and if this doesn't sound out of the ordinary. I'm currently almost on my second week of Doxy and am thinking of going to an llmd to really get comprehensive testing. I guess I'm just afraid that because (maybe) the lyme has crossed to my brain, that treatment is going to be that much harder. It's gotten quite bad to the point where I'm not sure how much longer I can continue working.

Just wanted to see others stories and thoughts on this.
Thank you, all.
Posted 2/19/2016 7:46 PM (GMT 0)
No, it's not out of the ordinary - with Lyme and co's.

My first Lyme symptom was in April, 2013.

A few months later...i started to get a mix of anxiety and bouts of depression - would start as soon as I opened my eyes in the morning.
What was weird...was in between the bouts of anxiety and depression - I would have parts of the day when I was totally fine...positive, happy.

It actually started to get somewhat better even prior to diagnosis and treatment...and continued to improve after treatment started. I can say now that it is more than 90% better...I get 'twinges' of anxiety when my symptoms flare.

It was a very dark time in my life...

Just know that it does get better.

I had to stop working...and still am not well enough to go back.
Posted 2/19/2016 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
...and no rash or fever either.

Hang in there....and please don't hesitate to post when you need support...that's what we're here for.


Also....make sure you are doing enough to detox your body....it's something I have to keep assessing on a daily basis for myself...'did I do enough?' "What else can I do today?"
Posted 2/19/2016 8:14 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you, the fact that you know of it is really helpful.

Thankfully, my family has quite the holistic background so I've been detoxing with different supplements.

I've been on doxy for almost a week now and haven't had any severe herx symptoms - my anxiety/depression is still there though. I'm not sure how much of it is due to what cause. I suspect I might have had lyme dormant for a long time until it flared 7 months ago.

You say you had to stop working and still aren't yet still are 90% better? I do think that if I could just get the psychological issues under control there would be so much more energy reserved to actually dealing with the illness.

There's also just so many protocols and so much information on how to treat it with different methods that I don't even know where to begin.
Posted 2/19/2016 8:51 PM (GMT 0)
RSima - My psychological problems are more than 90% better...but I have many other symptoms that are not better yet.
Chipping away at them, hoping to continue to improve..
Posted 2/19/2016 8:54 PM (GMT 0)
Ok, i got ya.

So you're saying it is possible to get psychologically better despite having lyme or a longer period?

I sure do hope so. It's tough just deciding what doctor to go to
Posted 2/19/2016 9:15 PM (GMT 0)
Definitely!

My treatment didn't start until almost a year and a half after symptoms started.


Many people who have had lyme for many years...some since childhood...have all their psychiatric symptoms resolve with proper treatment.

Have you found a LLMD? or LLND? You want someone who has experience treating lyme following the ILADS guidelines.
Posted 2/20/2016 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
Yes I believe I found a few in NYC and received suggestions from some members - it's just a matter of price at this point and potentially waiting till my deductible for out of network insurance goes away.
Posted 2/20/2016 4:42 PM (GMT 0)
It certainly is possible to get better from the psychological aspects of Lyme - they were some of my biggest symptoms and although they have been the most persistant and difficult to over come I am certainly making good progress here :)

I am using Buhners protocol and have recently added what I like to refer to as his 'brain herbs' (Kudzu, Tryptophan, SAMe, etc, etc) though I have had to deal with some detox gene mutations to make real progress, these herbs are really helping me, and I was in a real mess.

I hope that you find some guidance and support here, no matter which protocol you go for, and it is a matter of finding the one that works best for you.
Posted 2/20/2016 10:21 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Silly Sheep,

Thanks for the message.

There's just so much information and I've been moody since I was a teen - so it's hard to recognize what's lyme and what's not.

I'm glad that you're out of the real mess stage, though.
Posted 2/20/2016 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
I too had serious psychological issues from these infections. In this thread I went into them a bit - and I think most anyone that even read a few of my posts would agree that I no longer seem to be dealing with these things any longer. Here is that thread: www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3585679

While we do need to use medications or herbs to help us get through, there are actually quite a few Lyme patients that deal with anxiety and/or depression. I've been "lucky" enough to go through bouts of each, sometimes it got pretty serious.

I was infected for 37 years before I even got a diagnosis - 40 years before I found an effective treatment for me.

Hang in there!! We are here to help you through this, so you are not really alone in this. We understand that the learning curve for these infections is incredibly steep, so we encourage you to ask lots of questions. We will do our best to help you find good answers, articles or whatever we can.
Posted 2/21/2016 7:22 AM (GMT 0)
I too had serious anxiety and/or depression issues. While I can't tell you if it had to do with dealing with the symptoms of Lymes (they were pretty serious and life threatening) or if they were a symptom itself, I couldn't tell ya.

I'm normally a pretty emotionally stable guy. I've seen my share of gore, and tend to have a calm attitude when it comes to injuries. I had a friend put an axe into his foot once, and a co-worker collapse on the floor in front of me and it was no big deal. I've put a drill bit straight through my hand, and have suffered from severe food poisoning that put me in the hospital. I also run three restaurants totaling 125 employees. No biggie. However, when I was really sick with Lymes, I'd just be driving down the road and break down in tears all of a sudden, or walk in to work so depressed I wouldn't say a word to anyone for the whole 10 hour shift.

It was pretty bad, but I no longer have any of that anxiety or depression.
Posted 2/21/2016 11:19 AM (GMT 0)
Not out of the ordinary. My family literally thought I was just having a nervous breakdown about 7 months ago. Severe anxiety, depression & memory loss. Can't deal with anything stressful. Feel like I've acquired severe adhd at times. Reading & writing was affected. Now pain has started in my joints, eyes, etc. But most of mine started in the head... Which I feel is the worst part. I started treatment a couple weeks ago, and the symptoms have gotten worse again. Don't know if it's from the treatment off the cycles.
Posted 2/21/2016 1:14 PM (GMT 0)
Here are some links about the psychological effects of Lyme:

www.ilads.org/lyme/lyme-brochure-psych-2014.pdf

/www.psychologytoday.com/blog/why-can-t-i-get-better/201311/are-my-anxiety-and-depression-due-lyme-disease-0

/www.holtorfmed.com/lyme-disease-psychiatric-disorders/


I hope the following words copied and pasted from the ILADS brochure provide some comfort:

" Even severe neuropsychiatric symptoms in this population can often be reversed or ameliorated when antibiotics are used along with the indicated psychiatric treatments."


And, after reading the following link that was shared on another thread, I know I'd be researching niacin as a possible treatment for depression if I was dealing with it:

articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/02/20/vitamins-healing-potential.aspx

RSima

Clearly you are not alone and I hope that's comforting for you. I know I dealt with crippling anxiety as a herx on Babesia herbs. Thankfully, I was able to detox the symptom away.

You might want to take a peek at the following link to get ideas for detoxing methods that you will do daily:

www.tiredoflyme.com/detox-methods.html

Hope you feel better soon!!!
Posted 2/21/2016 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
I get terrible anxiety and depression and sometimes that is the only symptom, with all the memory issues, drenching sweats, some leg muscle aches. Having a very difficult time with it now, in the darkest place. It's been coming and going for years,sometimes I can be so optimistic and cope well with stress. Maybe I will have anywhere from 2-6 years without psych issues. But getting very tired as I am not sleeping either. This can be torture as I can't seem to get off myself.
Posted 2/22/2016 12:05 PM (GMT 0)
I have had Lyme for most two years..and have been on an herbal regimen developed by a MD, Dr. William Rawls, who also has Lyme...You can contact him through his website or order from it. He put me on what is basically good "nutrition" to help the immune system. Go to Vitalplan.com . I take daily in the am. ( I am not good about taking nightime capsules, etc.) and it has helped me a lot. I also do a smoothie daily with the Spirulina powder alternating days with the Chlorella ( I order from Vitacost).
These are the most highly recommended green algaes on the planet..loaded with great vitamins...the Chlorella helps remove the heavy metals...I also take these herbs recommended by Dr. Rawls :
Joint Care, Abiotic, Preventative Plus..I also take every day Tumeric, Vit D, Milk Thistle, and Pea Protein (powder in my smoothie). I have been told I need to get off any fruits, sugars, and am having hard time with that...I love pineapple and banana in my smoothie with yogurt for my gut..and coffee with honey and black strap molasses...I do take almonds to help offset the sugar, but need recommendations on what can satisfy the fruit and honey. I tend to get exzema and light rashes have developed on my arms, back and face due to Lyme I am sure. If anyone has any dietary recommendations...I would appreciate!
Posted 2/22/2016 12:18 PM (GMT 0)
RSima, it is funny you should say that, taht you have been moody since you were a teen, as I have had bouts of this forr as long as I can remember. Now, it was nothing like, and no where need as bad, as I have been with Lyme, but interestingly as part of my attempt at treatment I got my genetics tested and came back as Homozygous for a number of mutations. I have been addressing these problems recently and it is only after 'fixing' them that I have gotten any where serious with regards to the psych issues.

Now I am wondering, purely speculation mind, how much of these same mutations could have played a part in my life in general, since I cannot attribute any 'issues' then to Lyme. Could it have simply been something I ate, for example, or an environmental exposure to something I wasn't aware of, or couldn't detox well??

Just a though :)
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