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Anxiety advice/minocycline herx question

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Posted 9/1/2019 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
So I have been on minocycline for about 7 weeks now. When I first started taking it I was very dizzy and felt high for about a week. The next week I was brain dead for most of the week- meaning I started into space and couldnt manage to make thoughts. Then for another almost week span I was horribly depressed. Then I had headaches for a few days in a row. As if all this isnt enough I started getting anxiety a few days ago and it's still here. I have a constant knot in my stomach like I'm nervous. School is starting up on Tuesday so its usual for me to be a little nervous the night before the first day of school. This however started on Thursday of this week. This is my 7th year teaching so there is no reason for me to be this nervous. Yet I have this horrible anxiety that wakes me up in the middle of the night and keeps my stomach in a knot all day long. This is not normal. Is this yet another minocycline herx? The depression has def returned along with this anxiety. I have thought about killing my self numerous times this week. I have been sick for 3 years and dont see much hope anymore so I know that isnt helping my situation.

Anyone else have this many types of head herxes with minocycline or I guess any other med? What is happening to me?

Also what do you do for anxiety. I'm going to make an appointment with my regular doc soon so I can get some antianxiety pills but untill then I dont know how to survive this. I dont know how to start the school year feeling like this.

Please please help me guys!
Posted 9/1/2019 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
Wisco - Hate to hear you are going through this. I've posted a lot about similar symptoms, especially anxiety/depression.

The starting of school is usually no big deal, but with Lyme, it could be messing withbyou more about starting back. Lyme, co-infections and meds or herbs can all cause this and make one have irrational fears. I've been living it.

Mine hits more in the mornings, but it has gotten so it hangs on longer in the day with the new treatment I am on with herbs. I have not taken mino, but I've had anxiety/depression for a while that won't shake.

One thought: If you do see a doctor about this, you might try to avoid benzodiazepines. I recently posted about concern for those as I have been on a low dose for years. Miserable to try and ween off them and could cause other problems.

Hope this resolves for you and it backs down. Others will have better information and experience with herx possibilities.
Posted 9/1/2019 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you running wild- I reall appreciate it. As far as antianxiety meds go do you know of one that is easy to wean off of at some point?
Posted 9/1/2019 6:03 PM (GMT 0)
Minocycline caused head stuff for me - dizziness, light headed. But it did resolve after a week or two on it (when I was taking it daily a few years ago)

I get the morning anxiety - and I also get sweating with the anxiety.
It was getting better but last few days it’s worse again - Even tho mine lifts after I get out of bed - pretty much right away - it still is unbearable when it happens.
You’d think I’d get used to it and it wouldn’t bother me as much - But it does. It’s a horrible symptom.

I’m on my second week off of meds so I can’t even blame the antibiotics. That is really upsetting if this is my baseline.
Posted 9/1/2019 6:46 PM (GMT 0)
Wisco - The benzos work instantly, or did with me. I was first prescribed it 16 years ago for ringing in my ears. Was also dizzy. It was when Lyme symptoms first started happening. Took 11 years to finally get a diagnosis. In the meantime, I still used Klonopin at a lower dose (1 mg) because anxiety had developed from Lyem, unknowingly.

I was put on a couple of SSRI meds. They take weeks to make a difference for a lot of people, and I have heard debate if they help if you have Lyme. Others can have input there. One, Exxexor, was horrendous, for me. Then tried Cymbalta and stayed on it a couple of years. SLOWY weened off and had a few years feeling better, still not knowing I had Lyme Disease.

Guess the point is it seems there is no easy answers. Some people respond to natural anxiety treatments. I did not. And there have been a few studies that indicate long term use of benzos, like Valium, Klonopin and others, can be linked to dementia. Some dispute that, but I wish I had never started them and will work to get off. It's not easy to just take it for a little while or situational situations.

Hopefully, others can add their experiences with anxiety and handling it. I had anxiety/depression before for a couple of months, but this time it has hung on for at least 8 months or more. Wears one out, as I know you can feel. I feel herxes make it worse, but also believe Lyme and con-infections can cause it.
Posted 9/1/2019 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
I’m so sorry.

I only took mino for 7 days as a trial in the very beginning. After 7 days, I told the doc symptoms were getting worse and she told me to stop. I stopped, but symptoms continued to snowball as I got caught in what apparently was a cytokine storm.

What I remember the most of the aftermath was that my head felt much more clear while my body felt awful. It was like the mino had killed some stuff in my head and dumped all the debris into my body. Mino crosses the blood brain barrier, so that makes sense.

Are you detoxing and taking binders?

Maybe talk to the doctor about reducing dosage or taking breaks periodically so your body can keep up with the debris removal.

Are you taking herbs or supplements to support liver, kidneys, lymphatic flow? Are you able to sweat?

As for the depression and bad thoughts, know that you are not incurable and this situation is not as hopeless as it seems right now. Sounds like you are herxing significantly, mainly with brain, head, and psych symptoms. I would talk to the doctor about what you are experiencing. Treatment should be done in a tolerable manner.
Posted 9/2/2019 1:16 AM (GMT 0)
Pleeeeease don't go on benzos. Withdrawal is what caused all my Lyme symptoms to emerge in the first place. The year I spent in withdrawal (it took 15 months total to get off of them) was absolute he** and I was suicidal. Don't do it if you can avoid it.
Posted 9/2/2019 2:41 AM (GMT 0)
Wisco

Your story sounds familiar, mino though cut through my brain fog, was worth the discomfort.

I control symptoms with loratadine, once a day in am. It really made the difference between taking mino and being forced to discontinue. I think it is either a herx with cytokine or histamine components, either way the loratadine relieves symptoms for me.

YMMV
Posted 9/2/2019 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
What carlnpa said sounds like a good idea. I’m planning to try that tomorrow. I’m already taking Xyzal at night, but i’m havIng increasing MCAS symptoms again. I’m also having increasing brain and cognitive problems, difficulty word finding, bouts of anger and irritability in addition to the allergic type symptoms. I think I need to try an additional antihistamine. I have some Claritin and set it out tonight so I will remember it in the morning.
Posted 9/2/2019 5:01 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you everyone who responded.

Carlnpa I'll try taking a daily claritin and see if it helps. It makes sense my old lyme doc told me to do it for a skin reaction she thought was from histamine issues.

Jb1994 are benzos any type of antianxiety? I dont really know what a benzo is. I'd like to do an antianxiety med if there is a "safe" one with no withdrawal issues.

Walkingbyfaith is take activated coconut charcoal but not every day due to having to take it two hours away from everything else- sometimes I forget and miss my window. I try to detox. I drink lots of water sometimes with lemon so.sometimes with burbur pinella in it . I take at least one emspm salt bath a week. I try to dry brush multiple times a week. I do alkaseltzer gold sometimes. It's a hard game to keep up with though. Especially going back to work.
I def feel the drug in my head I just hope it doesnt leave me in a mental home by the time I'm done. I have stopped the mino two separate times (once for 2 days and once for 1 day) due to symptoms. I didnt ask my doc I just did it cuz I knew my body had to back off a little. WBF thanks for your kind words. If I remember right from your other posts, you have a way with words that is just soothing.

Girlie I'm sorry you have experience this too. I know what you mean with thinking you could get use to it. But everyday is hell waking up to that.

Runningwild thank you for all your info. I have s lot to think about. I went out and bought some CBD oil today. I dont know if its coincidence or what but I finally dont feel like I'm in panic mode. about 2 hours after taking it I felt good and have been ok since. I hope this can work for me!
Posted 9/2/2019 7:29 AM (GMT 0)
“...are benzos any type of antianxiety? I dont really know what a benzo is. I'd like to do an antianxiety med if there is a "safe" one with no withdrawal issues. “

Benzos (Benzodiazepines) are a class of drugs used to treat anxiety.
There are several - you’ve probably heard of some of the more commonly used ones:

Xanax (Alprazolam)
Klonopin (Clonazepan)
Valium (Diazepam)
Ativan (Lorazepam)

I think Valium has a longer half life - it used to be (still is ?) used for alcohol withdrawal.

Some anti depressants have anti anxiety effects too -
If you’re thinking you’ll need anti anxiety meds every day - then maybe an anti depressant with anti anxiety effects would be a better choice?

Although it can be difficult weaning off anti depressants too.
Posted 9/2/2019 2:50 PM (GMT 0)
large doses of holy basil helped when my bart anxiety was at its worse . zanax is addictive but panic and terror is worse than microdosing it ...
Posted 9/3/2019 1:22 AM (GMT 0)
Yes what Girlie said about benzos - they're the first line of defense basically for anxiety. Only over time they just make it worse and when you inevitably have to wean off them you are worse than when you started. Of course docs will just tell you that's because you need them but I think we can all agree docs don't know much when it comes down to it.

I also agree an antidepressant would be a better choice. They can be hard to withdraw from too but not nearly as much because they aren't addictive (meaning you don't need more and more for the same effect). The only thing is it takes trial and error to find a good one. You could also try an antipsychotic or mood stabilizer off label for anxiety. Those work for me. Mostly because they keep my mind from racing.
Posted 9/3/2019 1:54 AM (GMT 0)
Pure ginger tea helped mine and now it is all gone with dr best curcumin 3 time a day this works amazingly well and all pain gone too. Goodluck
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