Brain Recovery -- Only After Stopping Antibiotics?

I've seen several accounts of people saying their brain symptoms only really resolved either after most other symptoms got better or 6 months or more *after stopping* antibiotics.

Has anyone had a different experience?

Or has anyone had *that* experience and can explain more how that worked for them and if they were doing any specific strategies to get meds or herbs or other across the blood brain barrier?

And does anyone have a reference/link for an LLMD saying something similar? I believe I also read/heard an LLMD say the same thing (that the "brain restore" period often happens after people stop their antibiotics and over the next 6 months -- or more?).

I know nothing is the same for everyone, I'm just really curious why this "brain delay" phenomenon happens, and I suspect it's because the brain just often *can't* restore itself if there are actual spirochetes in brain cells. It would also be nice to get my brain back one of these days!

You don't need to stop abx for the brain to heal.
It just needs to be fully treated along with time to recover.

My brain is much better now and I'm still on abx.

I still have some short term memory issues but they are better than before.

JustPiccd - Depend what you mean by "brain healing". This is not easy to answer. As far as stopping ABX, you are aware of the need to monitor liver function, right?

Keep in mind diifferent people will have different treatment experiences based on the hidden details of their illness and genes.

**If the ability for you brain to function better is what you mean by "brain healing", then yes, the fact you've read about delayed "brain healing" is in fact true for some people for various reasons.**

Not all brain symptom issues are from lyme actually in the brain. Many other parts of the body effect whats going on in the brain. The symptoms you feel can be the same. It can take the body a long time to heal, if you've been sick for a long time.

If by "brain healing", you are referring to possible or actual lesions/scar tissue ect in the brain physically healing, this could take time, as it is actual debris ("bug" poop and dead protein parts ect) from many possible "bugs". I attended a seminar on this about the MS/Lyme similarity, it was an eye opener to say the least.

In treatment you have to remember the body as a whole. There is no coincidence places like the Hansa center and the whole Functional Medicine approach follow this in varying degrees.

Detoxing is widely mentioned in lyme forums, but this occurs in many different ways. There are direct mind/organ connections. Example, the liver and gut are obviously neighbors, but are also connected to and influence the brain as well. Some peoples "toxified bodies" from all the eradication simply do not detox enough to keep up, time is needed. Some people have no issue here, so they might not know this.

Note: Even something as simple as thyroid can totally make you brain and nervous system complete toast if the levels are a little low. At least 50%of Drs leave patients in a hypo state. A hypo persons brain will not work right, its nearly identical to "lyme brain". Some peoples thyroid heal after lyme. Two years after ABX and Diflucan my thyroid is very slowly healing per lab testing. Candida can also take its tole on brain function.

Post Edited (astroman) : 12/31/2017 11:59:34 AM (GMT-7)

From Astroman's post:

"Note: Even something as some as thyroid can totally make you brain and nervous system complete toast if the levels are a little low. At least 50%of Drs leave patients in a hypo state. A hypo persons brain will not work right, its nearly identical to "lyme brain". Some peoples thyroid heal after lyme. Two years after ABX and Diflucan my thyroid is very slowly healing per lab testing. Candida can also take its tole on brain function."


I think everyone with lyme should have their thyroid tested - not just TSH, but FT3 and FT4 -as Astroman pointed out - it can cause brain issues.

I was fortunate that mine was fine..although I had thought maybe I was hyperthyroid before I was tested.

astroman said...

Girlie said...
From Astroman's post:

"Note: Even something as some as thyroid can totally make you brain and nervous system complete toast if the levels are a little low. At least 50%of Drs leave patients in a hypo state. A hypo persons brain will not work right, its nearly identical to "lyme brain". Some peoples thyroid heal after lyme. Two years after ABX and Diflucan my thyroid is very slowly healing per lab testing. Candida can also take its tole on brain function."


I think everyone with lyme should have their thyroid tested - not just TSH, but FT3 and FT4 -as Astroman pointed out - it can cause brain issues.

I was fortunate that mine was fine..although I had thought maybe I was hyperthyroid before I was tested.

Hmm, my brain appears to not be working today. Ha ha...

"...something as some as thyroid can totally make you brain and nervous system complete toast.."

Change to:

" ..something as SIMPLE as thyroid can totally make your brain and nervous system complete toast...."

LOL - I didn't even notice. So, I guess my brain isn't working either...

1000Daisies, that's great HBOT made such a diff in the end -- it makes sense really. I'm curious how many "dives" it took for Kid #1 before his brain started to come back? And were you doing HBOT during antibiotics as well or just after?

Girlie, it must be a huge relief to have that overload symptom gone: that one to me is a real doozy. It also in my opinion makes decision-making impossible, b/c when everything is just flooding in, a decision is way too overwhelming/confusing too.