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Peri/Menopause with Lyme/co & Herbal Tx

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Posted 8/19/2017 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
Anyone else going through menopausal transition and dealing with chronic Lyme/ coinfections?

The hormone fluctuations make everything worse and far more confusing to sort out whether symptoms are from Lyme/co, mold, or hormones.

I used topical progesterone for a year and then switched to Estrosense. Then added Vitex 2.5 months ago. Now I feel like I've swung too far the other way and I've been having hot flashes and night sweats. Some of the coinfections can cause those symptoms too, so it's confusing.

I want to start Ashwaganda, which is in the bartonella protocol, but I'm worried it's going to throw a hard kink in my hormone imbalance.

Any thoughts?
Posted 8/19/2017 4:22 PM (GMT 0)
I am in the perimenopause age, and was diagnosed with lyme relatively recently. Even though my gynecologist says otherwise, I'm convinced the changes I've experience were caused by the lyme, or if nothing else, exasperated. I have ashwaganda, but haven't tried it yet. I haven't really done anything about the hormonal issues because I'm already taking so much do deal with lyme and candida.
Posted 8/19/2017 4:40 PM (GMT 0)

WalkingbyFaith said...
Anyone else going through menopausal transition and dealing with chronic Lyme/ coinfections?

The hormone fluctuations make everything worse and far more confusing to sort out whether symptoms are from Lyme/co, mold, or hormones.

I used topical progesterone for a year and then switched to Estrosense. Then added Vitex 2.5 months ago. Now I feel like I've swung too far the other way and I've been having hot flashes and night sweats. Some of the coinfections can cause those symptoms too, so it's confusing.

I want to start Ashwaganda, which is in the bartonella protocol, but I'm worried it's going to throw a hard kink in my hormone imbalance.

Any thoughts?

Have you thought about doing the 4 point saliva hormone test? ZRT labs has one.

Then you could see what your estrogen and progesterone levels are (along with cortisol)

But, I think lyme is responsible - at least in part - for your hormone issues.

When Lyme hit me - periods stopped...almost 0 estrogen and 0 progesterone in my system.
I guess I skipped the perimenopause stage. I blame lyme and co's.

Here I am 4 years later and still sweating - but I'm pretty sure now that it's Babesia.
Posted 8/20/2017 3:54 AM (GMT 0)
I also am going thru menopause. Like Girlie, Lyme ate everything and I had 0 estrogen and 0 progesterone, plus no B-12, Mag, Vitamin D. I also have had a hard time discerning what is lyme and what is menopause. For example, all the vibrating and buzzing, people on the menopause forum complain about that all the time. So, I got my hormones levels fixed, no more hot flashes, etc. so that i could be more certain that the neuro stuff was lyme & co. related. Then I did mega supplements and got a Spectracell micronutrient test to make sure I wasn't deficient anymore in the vitamins. Anything left, I'm assuming is a messed up neural responses/habit/regrowing of nerves. While you are treating, its very hard to figure out symptoms. Do you best and take it one step at at time and hopefully you will figure it out. On the other hand, don't go crazy if you can't. It is just added stress you don't need right now. That was hard for me to learn because I am type-A and a fixer and a researcher.

I also take Ashwaganda and I don't feel like it messes up my hormones. I'm on the estrogen patch and natural progesterone.
Posted 8/20/2017 7:05 AM (GMT 0)
Interesting about the vibrating/buzzing cr3ativegirl -

After having Lyme symptoms for about 4 months (not knowing what was causing them)- I started getting sweats and some anxiety - so my Dr checked my hormones and suggested I go on the bioidentical est/progest - I reluctantly agreed.

Soon after starting it was when I got the vibrations.
When I told her she told me to up the dose as I was only taking about 1/4 of the dose.
I did raise the dose to 1/2 recommended amount and the vibrations got worse and I also got muscle twitching.

I went back to the Dr office - mine was away, but the locum I saw said to take the full dose.

When I did that - the second day on full dose - the vibrations got even worse AND I also got tremors.
My husband could feel them that night when he put his hand on my leg.

I stopped the hormone therapy but the vibrations and tremors stayed.

I don't know why the hormone therapy triggered them.
Posted 8/20/2017 1:27 PM (GMT 0)
That's odd, Girlie. I don't know why adding hormones would cause vibrating.

Hey, I totally forgot and was gonna post about this. I listened to a podcast on CBD oil and its neuro-protective effects so I decided to try it. After the second dose, my night vibrating was gone and hasn't returned. I just take 5 drops under the tongue. I've been doing it for 3 weeks and they haven't returned. I would try it!! I forgot it one night and it came back, so I don't know if its permanent. Its just alarming because you start thinking about Lyme again and I've been back to (almost normal) for a while now...

I'm still fighting some stuff, I think. I've got some joint pain here and there, ear ringing, weird spelling issues, but, again - all of those are what the woman complain about on the menopause forum!!!! Just choosing not to get stressed about it like I used to. I mean I've done everything I can, right?

Hey, everyone, does your vibrating come and go?
Posted 8/20/2017 2:06 PM (GMT 0)
I had menopause symptoms way before I got lyme. I don't think I will ever quit the hot flashes. If I drink a glass of wine or a cup of tea or coffee, I can feel the bright red slowly coming out of my chest and up until it covers my entire face. Not a real lovely thing.

Hubby laughs and says I'm a chameleon.

When I got lyme my mental issues were so like menopause. As were my anxiety and night sweats. I was so used to those that I think many of my lyme issues I thought were menopause AGAIN.

I think lyme changes your hormones. I think it changed mine enough to give me menopause symptoms again.

Eventually my body leveled out. Just like it leveled out when going through menopause. Other organs and fat storage started helping with my hormone level. Eventually the lyme symptoms that really seemed like menopause symptoms diminished.

Treatment? or did my body learn to adjust to the hormone level?

I still can hot flash but thank the Lord I don't have the mental stuff. That was scary!!
Posted 8/20/2017 4:44 PM (GMT 0)

cr3ativegirl said...
That's odd, Girlie. I don't know why adding hormones would cause vibrating.

Hey, I totally forgot and was gonna post about this. I listened to a podcast on CBD oil and its neuro-protective effects so I decided to try it. After the second dose, my night vibrating was gone and hasn't returned. I just take 5 drops under the tongue. I've been doing it for 3 weeks and they haven't returned. I would try it!! I forgot it one night and it came back, so I don't know if its permanent. Its just alarming because you start thinking about Lyme again and I've been back to (almost normal) for a while now...

I'm still fighting some stuff, I think. I've got some joint pain here and there, ear ringing, weird spelling issues, but, again - all of those are what the woman complain about on the menopause forum!!!! Just choosing not to get stressed about it like I used to. I mean I've done everything I can, right?

Hey, everyone, does your vibrating come and go?

I don't know how the hormones could cause the vibrating either.
I do know that after that very short amount of time on them - I did a blood test after being off them for about three months and my estrogen was very high - my GP was puzzled.

I already tried the CBD oil - for about two months I think it was - over a year ago.
I guess I could try it again.

Is 5 drops a really low dose? Mine is in a paste form measured by size of a grain of rice.
Posted 8/20/2017 5:11 PM (GMT 0)
The bottle says 15 drops and its a liquid. I started at 3 drops, up to 6 and I think I will just stay there since I feel good. You put them under the tongue for 30 seconds then swallow.
Posted 8/20/2017 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
Ashwaganda is an adaptogen and should not alter your hormones in any way. It is great for helping your body deal with stressors such as infections, hormonal shifts, day to day stress etc...

I see a naturopath for hormone related issues and he has said that its a waste to do any hormone level testing during this time as hormones can change hour to hour. Better to treat the symptoms as they come along with Black cohosh, vitex, bioidentical progesterone cream, phytoestrogens etc..

I find that perimenopause symptoms are quite mild in comparison to the lyme and confection symptoms. A hot flash is literally a flash, lasting a minute, whereas sweats from TBI's last longer.

Mood swings are very distinct swings and I know that they are from hormones so with awareness I push them aside and don't let it affect my day. Anxiety from Bart is much different.

It can be confusing for sure. Things should level back out. I have found that I'll be hormonally off with symptoms for a month then back to normal for a few months.

Take good care!
Posted 8/20/2017 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
My estrogen was low every time I tested - must have been three or four times over several weeks.

I do think it was from the Lyme and co's in part anyway.

The progesterone cream didn't help at all. I had high hopes it would.

My sweats only last minutes but pretty sure they're infection related - as they got worse during treatment for Babesia.
They usually come with anxiety.
Posted 8/20/2017 6:40 PM (GMT 0)
cr3ativegirl - my vibrations do come and go. I thought they were Bart related - not sure

They have increased lately with Babs treatment - not sure tho if it's because I'm treating Babs - or if it's because I've backed off Bart treatment.
Posted 8/20/2017 10:30 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, everyone for the replies.

I was going to a doctor who did bioidentical hormone therapy, but I turned it down. When I asked questions and told her my concerns, I was not comfortable with her response. She seemed kind of irritated and couldn't give me good answers so I had no confidence in her ability to do that. My gut instincts were telling me NO. That stuff costs money and they formulate it based on your test results. I was sure that whatever she did based on my tests would probably be too much for me and would give me worse symptoms than what I had (which was breast pain and irritability and worsened IBS/reflux). If you get the hormones and they aren't right for you, then they have to be adjusted and reformulated and who's paying for that - YOU ARE !!! I'm glad I didn't do it. After all that, I stumbled across a very informative article from Gordon Medical that confirmed my suspicions: http://www.gordonmedical.com/unravelling-complex-chronic-illness/lyme-neurotoxins-and-hormonal-factors/

cr3ativegirl - I'm a fixer and researcher, too. Not understanding what is happening in my body when I have symptoms and why and how to fix it drives me crazy. I try to remind myself periodically of the big picture - that it's all about the immune system, but then I go off again and get super bogged down in the details.

sunny - thanks, you're info was very helpful. I took my first Ashwaganda last night and no ill effects so far.
Posted 8/20/2017 11:27 PM (GMT 0)
WalkingbyFaith - you can do the bioidentical hormone therapy with a regular Dr.

The estrogel is considered bioidentical (it's topically applied) and the Prometrium as well...or you can get the progesterone cream compounded at a pharmacy to add to the Estrogel.

Then just test via ZRT Labs...where you spit into the test tubes and send them off.

Then up or decrease your dose depending on the results.

I have a friend (she doesn't have lyme) and she says the estrogen saved her.
Posted 8/21/2017 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
I'm on the peri/meno cusp. I get very hot at not and if I don't kick off the covers then I'm sweating. When I do have a period, lyme symptoms are worse. I've tested with ZRT and my LLMD is willing to use bioidentical hormones, but I wanted to focus on the lyme for now.

I may bring it up again next visit as I don't know if optimizing hormones will help in lyme recovery. I do use a progesterone cream - when I remember!
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