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Debilitating Sporadic Mental and Physical Fatigue; Lyme, Bart, Babesia, Mycoplasma

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Posted 8/21/2017 11:34 PM (GMT 0)
So, I've been on and off antibiotics for a little over a half a year. My neurological symptoms have greatly lessened due to IV antibiotics, however the pains still remains and might actually be worse compared to first starting antibiotis.

What is really annoying me is the sporadic fatigue. I can do plenty of things, like bike a few miles; cant run much though because of joint pain nor can I do anything anaerobic like weight lifting without feeling like I'm going to faint. I'm still very young and in decent shape. However, despite everything I do I still sporadically get massive bouts of fatigue where I can't even walk up stairs or it will be too burdensome to move my arms or head. It feels like I have zero oxygen in my blood, my arms and legs also feel extremely heavy as if they're water logged.

It's hard to describe this kind of fatigue because it is both physical and mental. It's not like the fatigue you get after working out, it's different and comes about randomly. I'm thinking it has to do with a cytokine cascade of some sort.

I hope others know how this fatigue feels and what you do to combat it because it literally stops me in my tracks. If I drive somewhere I'll have to just lie on the side walk or get a hotel.
Posted 8/22/2017 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
Hi not sure if you are aware that in Buhner's 2nd edition book there are some herbals he recommends for fatigue. Might be worth checking out.

I understand what you are describing, I had that only a few times in the last 9 months but when it hits you are correct you just have to lay down. Its not something I ever experienced before, not even from extremely hard work for days and days.

This feeling just overwhelms you with fatigue in your mind and body.

Others should be along soon,take care and I wish you the best of healing., Jo
Posted 8/22/2017 2:34 AM (GMT 0)
Hey birthdaysuit, glad many of your symptoms have lessened...But sorry you're dealing with this type of fatigue!

I totally know this specific fatigue ( among others) and you did a really good job of explaining it ! This was one of my major symptoms for about 6 years, and only began to lessen ( replaced by other kinds of fatigue) when I became so ill that I stopped doing almost everything... Your description of how the fatigue sometimes hits you when you're out really resonated with me! There were times I would be out driving & have to park somewhere & just lay in my truck- literally unable to move-often for hours. I actually had people call the cops on me for this- more than once...it's incapacitating!

The only other change I made prior to seeing a reduction in this kind of fatigue was a diet change- specifically a whole foods ketogenic diet with a few more restrictions,& no caffeine ... I know that's had some positive effects on all of my symptoms, but even so, I believe that if I were to try to increase my activity level I would experience that same crushing fatigue again.

I don't have any suggestions except just making sure you aren't overdoing it as it sounds like you are fairly active now that you're feeling a bit better... and making sure your diet is one that is right for you...

I'm interested in seeing what other people have to say, and in your idea that maybe it's a cytokine storm...Hopefully someone will come along and have some ideas or suggestions!
Posted 8/22/2017 2:37 AM (GMT 0)
I've experienced my limbs being really heavy. Like I just worked them out hard when I clearly didn't.

It last happened to me in the shower. I couldn't even lift my arms to wash my self they were so heavy and dead.
Posted 8/22/2017 4:20 AM (GMT 0)
I forgot to ask;how are your stress levels & sleep? I dont think eaither high stress of lack of sleep truely cause this kind of fatigue, but i do wonder if they sometimes exasperate it?
Posted 8/22/2017 11:11 AM (GMT 0)
DS has the same 4 infections and your utter exhaustion is exactly what DS experiences. This has been his lingering symptom along with breathing issues/tight chest. I wish I had specifics about how to get rid of it.

DS has treated for a little over 1.5 years. Both this summer and last he had pretty much no days of it but during the school year he had it one day weekly (typically the day after restarting his pulsed antibiotics/malarone). The school year before was when he started treating and he was tired like that constantly.

We have thrown every detox we can do at home at it and nothing seems to work much. At one point it seemed activated charcoal helped so you could try that. He's a teen and confessed to smoking pot 2x when he woke up with the fatigue and said that cleared it up in 10-15 minutes. We have obviously discouraged that for many reasons especially due to his age and it's illegal. If it's legal in your state and you are willing to try it, it may help. He called it 'pretty miraculous'.

LLNP thinks it's because he rests and sleeps more in summertime and isn't overdoing it. I also think being in the sun helps. DS goes shirtless all summer and is outside a lot and gets really tan. Winter here is cloudy and chilly/cold.

It was less frequent last winter with treatment so hopefully he is even better this winter. We are switching his start day to have the "tired" day hit on the weekend when he can sleep in. He feels sleeping in can help him avoid it.

I will say he has struggled with mycoplasma with a reinfection last winter so that could be part of it too but the fatigue started in the fall before the reinfection... so who really knows.

We've told DS he may want to live in a sunnier, warmer climate as he gets older if this doesn't go away.
Posted 8/22/2017 6:06 PM (GMT 0)
Totally relate. Fatigue, both mental and physical were monumentally crushing for me. I was misdiagnosed for many years and I basically spent several years in bed (and I was young, 23, and athletic/fit)! Honestly, the things that helped me has been aggressively and continuously treating the infections and then finding the right supplements and detox to help support everything. This includes adrenal support, LDN (low dose naltrexone), magnesium malate, etc. Many of these things helped for my sleep and to manage pain. Diet has also been helpful for me (I eat plant-based but much more important for my health I think is I cut out all refined sugars and processed foods. I also tend to avoid dairy and gluten but my intuition is this is less important for me and I do that more as a hedge especially the gluten deal).

As treatment has proceeded fatigue, both mental and physical, have continued fading into the background. For a long time the mental and physical fatigue, along with pain, acted like a continual pall over my life smothering me completely. It was so frustrating because I couldn't transcend the fatigue, normally before I got sick, like I mentioned before, I was very athletic and was the type of person who just pushes through everything, and in these cases anytime I tried to push it would make all the fatigue and pain issues even worse. I really learned to listen to my body.

I think Buhner and Horowitz's books are great resources for information and strategy for treatment, if you haven't checked those out yet I'd def recommend looking into them.

Post Edited (sebreg) : 8/22/2017 12:13:20 PM (GMT-6)

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