Friday, May 25, 2012
Feeling Better
Well getting a little rest goes a long way. No kids to get dressed, fed, organized and to school on time really helps too. The logistics of getting the kids out the door (all four of them) and to school on time, makes this Lyme neurotoxin induced hurting brain of mine struggle big time. So a good nights sleep has really helped. Went to bed early and woke up 2 hours later than normal and I even woke up with a good dream that made me feel so happy when I woke up.
I did a little research yesterday and found that Lyme symptoms flare every 3-5 weeks which made me feel a little more assured that what I have been going through this past week was actually a Lyme flare and not an ongoing symptom. The fact that I am feeling a lot better today seems to indicate that as well.
I learned that when we are stressed (which I have been really stressed about some stuff at my kids school) that our cortisol goes up and when this happens it shuts the immune system down which causes even stronger Lyme symptoms as it begins to invade our body even more. Even though I knew this information in bits and pieces, I had never connected the dots as to why Lyme gets worse in times of stress. In light of this knowledge, I am ordering more Ashwaganda from the US and shipping it here. Ashwaganda reduces cortisol levels by 30%. I used it a month or so ago for the first time and it really did help to reduce stress. When cortisol levels go down, our adrenaline, fight or flight hormone and norepinephrine levels equalize. I had my neurotransmitters tested while I was going through this intense period of stress and when I received my neurotransmitter testing results back they indicated that my norepinephrine levels had tanked which was causing me to feel very anxious. The stress was putting my neurotransmitters in the gutter so Ashwaganda helped to shut down the stress response and turn down the cortisol that was doing this. Anyways, I know that is a lot of information, but reading it and knowing it now is a source of great encouragement to me.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Just wondering if you still get the nausea? This has been my number one symptom
ReplyDeleteHi there :-)
DeleteYou are the first person to post on my blog so thank you. I took a moment to look at your blog before responding and it's great! Excited for you to finally be diagnosed with what has been causing you so much suffering.
To answer your question, when I first started being ill (which was 4 1/2 years ago), I had nausea on and off throughout the week. I didn't know I had Lyme at the time. I began taking Vitamin C, B-Complex, Fish Oil and 90-100mg Zinc Piconolate. I think my nausea began to die down at this point although it is hard for me to say exactly what and when it did. (Side Note: I know that is ALOT of Zinc but I was diagnosed with a zinc deficiency from the Pfieffer Treatment Center and they recommended this amount for me and this type. Years later, in reading about lyme, zinc deficiency is quite common and the piconolate form protects the brain from QUIN which is a neurotoxin). I have read most people don't take over 30mg of zinc per day so I know this is high but believe it or not - my tests still show I am still low in zinc.
When bugs start dying off though, I can get nausea again. If you never had nausea before you began Lyme Treatment, I would think it is probably bug die off. They say chlorella and activated charcoal are good for mopping up toxins so they possibly may be of use to you in this area. My only concern with activated charcoal was that it seemed to be driving my neurotransmitter (tyrosine) levels down a bit and I read that it can bind with tyrosine. I think it is beneficial but not good on a daily basis as I wonder if it absorbs nutrients our bodies so desperately need.
I read a little of your blog. I hear you on nausea being unbearable - I can relate to it in a different way other than Lyme - as I was pregnant 6 times (lost 2 pregnancies) and was nauseous 100% of the time every day. Throwing up sometimes every 30 minutes to hour in the first few months and it lightened up a bit in the last trimester. I went on Reglan and Zofran during my last pregnancy but long term they were harder on me than the actual nausea so I discontinued (thankfully because Reglan can cause neurological issues for long term users).
Anyways, I am sorry you are feeling so nauseous. My doctor has me lined up to take Tinidizole which is an alternative to Flagyl which she says is effective but intolerable to most people. Tinidizole ranked the highest in one study for killing multiple forms of the Lyme spirochete. It is supposed to be gentler on the stomach than Flagyl as well. Lastly, I believe Flagyl and Tinidizole and both effective for treating C. Diff so when on these medications I would think one wouldn't have to worry about C. Diff because they are the medications that are used to eliminate C. Diff. Don't know for sure though as I haven't discussed this with my doctor. I haven't taken it for more than a day so I can't say what it feels like from a personal level but just want to put that out there as an alternative to Flagyl which was making you feel so ill. I probably am going to feel terrible once I have all my medications up and running again. It takes so much strength just to push through all that!
I know that is alot of information but I after reading though your blog and your posts on nausea I thought I would answer the question from a few angles.
Cheers!
wow thanks for the long post! I didn't even see the reply till now... lol
Deletemy nausea has gone... i may feel it like a 1% on a given day, but it usually dissapates in about 2 hours. I am now on tinidazole as Flagyl kicked my arse to the curb and I couldn't do it. if u have time, check out my updated posts... I will talk about tinidizaole next.