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This is my brain on Lyme...

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Posted 1/26/2017 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
Does the brain fog ever get better? My memory is improving but I can't shake the hazed, drunk head feeling.

I did a google and forum post search for people who say yes, yes and some say mostly yes. I guess, as my most dibiliating symptom along with fatigue, I have never wanted anything gone as much as this!

Please don't hesitate to discourage me if you have to honestly voice your true experience. Just don't let me catch up with you, because I'll kick ya in the tush!😊 Okokok j/k!
Posted 1/26/2017 2:26 AM (GMT 0)
I'm beginning to realize how many people actually have this. I see so many people on this forum saying they have neurological symptoms.

I've had neuro issues from lyme for about 4 years now. I haven't had any real improvements, although I've only been trying to treat it for a year. I do have good days and bad days. But pretty much always have brain pressure, brain fog, whatever this is. I guess there's different flavors of it, and I think it changes over time. Seems to be worse in the morning.

The one thing that does seem to alleviate it is sleep and lack of stress. When I quit my job for 6 months, it cleared up quite a bit. Now that I'm back at work, it's back. But I've learned techniques to deal with it. I don't allow myself to get stressed out anymore. I can't physically handle it, so I just don't. I learned there are only a few circumstances in life that really require you to get stressed out about, and I reserve my energy for those scenarios that require a stress-filled response.

Rocephin seems to combat it. Spooky2 seems to invoke a pretty severe herx. Saunas will make you feel good for a little while, and may kill off bugs. I've been taking Ecological Formulas - Sphingolin, although I began to question how that's manufactured. I haven't been able to find much. I'm just concerned that the animal mylein that they use for this product could be infected with spirochetes. That would NOT be cool. I don't know if they heat treat it or if the freeze drying kills potential spirochetes. I'm probably paranoid, but I blame that on the lyme. The lyme and our government. smile
Posted 1/26/2017 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
A short answer is yes. With a proper holistic treatment it does eventually go away. A lot of us have been there.

I experienced multiple months of feeling off, head foggy, weird hangover feeling. A swimmy, not balance feeling. It can be disheartening when you are treating lyme but symptoms are very slow to go away.

BUT, it does go away. Overcoming symptoms can take several months. But what keeps you going is slowly but surely, one by one they do go away. Just stay discipline on your treatment and don't stop.
Posted 1/26/2017 2:29 AM (GMT 0)
I can't answer you yet. But brain fog isn't what I'm trying to target right now. I have it bad enough a neurologist told me last year she "wouldn't rule out Alzheimer D", which is a crock IMO.

I'm working up into inflammation/pain relief and then I'll be targeting lung function, if that's possible. Dire for me.

Many sympathies though. I don't have the drunk head feeling unless I've eaten/drank something wrong, so maybe you could separate that symptom from the fog and work on that? Unless you're referring to dizzyness. which I have part of the time and don't know why.


I know, I am no help!
Posted 1/26/2017 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
Also, it's not irreversible.

At it's worst, my thinking was slowed. Couldn't think clearly. It took time to recall thoughts and memory. Sometimes when I talked it felt like my tongue was in quicksand where sometimes my speech was slurred.

I just felt "dumber". And then the fear is am I going to have the mind of a 90 year old forever? No. The neurological fog and funk does dissipate and go away. And you can get back to your mentally sharpe self.
Posted 1/26/2017 2:39 AM (GMT 0)
Hahaha dacarte! I had to read your first comment 3 times, before I could accept it. Brain fog prevented me from sorting out your double negative! You're fine, and correct.
Posted 1/26/2017 2:48 AM (GMT 0)
I have a daily devotional (without dates) like dah ....perfect for some one who doesn't even know what year it is. I rely on the ribbon page marker to take me to my daily read.

A month ago, I would have read the same page over and over not recalling what I had read the day before. Kind of like a 50 FIRST DATES movie scenario. Recently, however, even though I forgot to move the page marker, I realized I remembered what I read the day before. That was exciting for me. Guess that is some kind of progress. 🙄
Posted 1/26/2017 2:59 AM (GMT 0)

gfields said...
I'm beginning to realize how many people actually have this. I see so many people on this forum saying they have neurological symptoms.

I've had neuro issues from lyme for about 4 years now. I haven't had any real improvements, although I've only been trying to treat it for a year. I do have good days and bad days. But pretty much always have brain pressure, brain fog, whatever this is. I guess there's different flavors of it, and I think it changes over time. Seems to be worse in the morning.

The one thing that does seem to alleviate it is sleep and lack of stress. When I quit my job for 6 months, it cleared up quite a bit. Now that I'm back at work, it's back. But I've learned techniques to deal with it. I don't allow myself to get stressed out anymore. I can't physically handle it, so I just don't. I learned there are only a few circumstances in life that really require you to get stressed out about, and I reserve my energy for those scenarios that require a stress-filled response.

Rocephin seems to combat it. Spooky2 seems to invoke a pretty severe herx. Saunas will make you feel good for a little while, and may kill off bugs. I've been taking Ecological Formulas - Sphingolin, although I began to question how that's manufactured. I haven't been able to find much. I'm just concerned that the animal mylein that they use for this product could be infected with spirochetes. That would NOT be cool. I don't know if they heat treat it or if the freeze drying kills potential spirochetes. I'm probably paranoid, but I blame that on the lyme. The lyme and our government. smile

. How true about stress and being tired. I had 3 days of prepping for medical tests and couldn't relax. Slept about 4 hours last night, and my head is fogged and buzzing. Some nights it is much better, or so it does seem..
Posted 1/26/2017 3:38 AM (GMT 0)
My brain's had it the worst, as compared to the rest of me. Fog, thoughts, personality disturbances, and then the more physical manifestations of dysfunction, like the slurring of words. I've been playing around with language lessons lately, in spite of my memory, just for the sake of trying to grow, even though I am so overwhelmed with life - health and everything else.

Back to topic, it's shocking just how much my speech is affected. I'm normally not one to talk a whole lot, and when I do, it's not much - not anywhere near what I have to with the language instructor. My brain thinks one thing, my tongue does another. She keeps correcting me, and I am like... I know.

Just one experience.

It gets better, for sure. It's just the act of getting there.
Posted 1/26/2017 4:12 AM (GMT 0)
I hated brain fog. I am a talker so it was really hard for me to be unable to carry on a conversation with anyone.... including myself.

Hubby is now going through it. He says the brain fog is better than the anxiety, which he just got done with. It is weird how this disease makes you dopey.

Treatment was all I can say is how mine went away and we shall see how hubby does.
Posted 1/26/2017 7:18 AM (GMT 0)
Mine has cleared some with bvt ..on some sting days i have even multi tasked ...lol..probably just thins the blood for the day...
Posted 1/26/2017 12:34 PM (GMT 0)
PeteZa - what did you use for treatment?
Posted 1/26/2017 1:36 PM (GMT 0)
My brain fog was debilitating. I didn't know what day it was, couldn't read, couldn't find the words when talking, driving was impossible. I actually had a coworker take me home in the middle of the day and I couldn't give her directions to my house (!).

It was always accompanied by neck pain and stiffness, and pulsing on the "outside" of my head. Not necessarily headaches.

At the beginning of my treatment, the "pulsing" was always there. Some days were pretty bad, and in some days it was less intense.

about 9 weeks into doxy, it started to lift. about a month after I added flagyl, I had two full weeks of no symptoms at all (heaven).

Silly me, I went back to the gym and the symptoms returned for 10 days but with much less intensity. It goes away after I sleep.

My personal opinion, and I am not well versed on this, it's just how it feels to me - the symptoms are caused by bacteria coming out of hiding to the blood stream. They come out of the tissue when the immune system is low (hormones, exercise, injuries). It generates an immune response where they are hanging out (blood vessels and nerves around the brain). If the load is low, the immune response is less intense.

Thus, as the abx kills more and more bacteria, the response is less and less intense. One day the bacteria will be all gone smile and there will be no inflammation.

Sorry about the long the post. I am just very passionate about getting well.
Posted 1/26/2017 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
The brain fog will go away when you get to that point in your treatments is about all that can be said. No one knows when that will be though. My brain fog comes and goes right now. For me, it has to do with toxins levels in my body and brain inflammation mostly.
Posted 1/26/2017 4:25 PM (GMT 0)
I can't wait for these symptoms to go away! This morning, for the fifth time, I stopped at a four-way STOP SIGN and waited....and waited....and waited...for the light to turn green. Total LymeBrain.
Posted 1/26/2017 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
I am waaaaay better! I needed to desperately address the ammonia issues. I have definitely turned a corner. I can remember things now that I want to tell someone. My work is better, and I am not fumbling over words or names like I did before. Also, we addressed the anxiety and insomnia. I am far calmer and sleeping at night... it's wonderful.
Posted 1/26/2017 6:24 PM (GMT 0)
It's bad, it has turned me into a mega introvert. It's kind of sad so I try not to think about it. When I am out and about I don't talk much anymore. I used to be quick witted and funny, now when I'm in social settings I feel like I'm drugged and slow and stupid. And I don't think my "friends" enjoy being around me anymore. Oh well. I get the slurred speech, the stupidly annoying can't find my words thing. And the head pain. I go to sleep knowing I will wake up with a pounding headache.
What I don't get is why it has gotten worse fairly recently. I mean, I've had this stupid disease for ages unbeknownst to me. But this winter the pains got worse. And then I was on abx for like 7 weeks and now I can't think clearly at all. I will be on an abx break for a total of 6 weeks, been off for 2.5 already.
Posted 1/27/2017 2:35 AM (GMT 0)
What I have is way more than brain fog. It's brain pressure. It feels like my brain is a balloon that's constantly trying to expand but it has no where to go.
Posted 1/27/2017 4:24 AM (GMT 0)
The fog has subsided for me, though it can be hard to tell how much is actual aging and how much it is due to the critters. The four way variable tinnitus is still annoying. It is the lack of balance at unexpected times that is most aggravating.
Posted 1/27/2017 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
I have been taking Gou Teng hoping to get my memory glitches fixed. This morning when the coffee maker finished, I poured a cup and tasted it. It was horribly weak!

I soon realized that last night I put the water in the back, ground the right amount of beans, set the coffee for the right time, but never put the coffee in the coffee maker! the grounds were still in the grinder and the water poured over yesterdays grounds!

At my worst, my mom was visiting and I pulled out a utensil to slices some cheese. I said, I sure don't know what this tool is, but it slices the cheese well. When the fog cleared, I realized I was using as potato peeler. My mom had never seen one like it because it was a European style one that I got used to living overseas.

These are comical on one level be unnerving on another. I need to keep going with the Gou Teng.
Posted 1/27/2017 5:39 PM (GMT 0)
Purple tulip, check into supplementing with Ginkgo Bilboa. Buhner suggests it for brain hypoperfusion, but I've also found it very helpful for clearer thinking. But, I also know that I had brain hypoperfusion for a while, and may still have it.

Kudzu root has been working really well for my brain pressure symptoms too.
Posted 1/27/2017 5:49 PM (GMT 0)
Ginkgo with Gou Teng? Ok.
Posted 1/27/2017 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
Gou Teng (cat's claw) is part of Buhner's core protocol, and he's the one that suggests the use of Gingko (sheesh! I'm having a LOT of trouble spelling that right today!), so they will be safe to use together as long as you tolerate each of them okay.
Posted 1/27/2017 6:08 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks! Gou Teng is a different part of the Cats Claw than regular the cats claw, right?
Posted 1/27/2017 6:57 PM (GMT 0)
3humpedcamel...how exactly did you address the anxiety and insomnia? I have the exact same thing....please help
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