Just wanted to ask/share a thought...I think I now officially believe in Lyme rage...I get bouts of uncontrollable anger; I try to coach myself out of it...But the weird part of this is that when i experience the rage, the physical symptoms (pain) are less severe. And when the physical pain kicks in, the rage lessens...am I dreaming this? Any ideas? Please help; I feel like I'm losing it...
Posted by smiles (Member # 5635) on :
No, I don't think you're imagining it. I don't get the rage very often, but when I do, it's the same thing.
I look at it as all the yucky, crummy physical feelings manifesting into this toxic mood explosion.
If I feel the irritation beginning to 'boil' I try to go somewhere off by myself.
If I'm at work, I hide in my office for a few minutes, with the door closed, put on some soul-food music and take a couple deep breaths.
Hopefully others will give you some more coping techniques.
Until then, as I once learned in an anger management class: Breathe in, breathe out and count to 10.
Posted by lymemomtooo (Member # 5396) on :
My daughter has severe rages and suicidal depression. She has lyme, bartonella, a mold infection, a virus and type 1 diabetes..One is never sure what is causing which symptom..I do think the worst of it might be bartonella.
The only thing that we have done that helps with the rage and episodes is to take Valium prophylacticly. I give her a half pill a couple of times a day and more if she starts to get those feelings!! Hope this helps.
[This message has been edited by lymemomtooo (edited 08 July 2004).]
Posted by lifewithlyme (Member # 4557) on :
Thanks so much for the helpful replies...
anyone else?
Posted by lymeinhell (Member # 4622) on :
Bartonella. Classic symptom. Comes outta nowhere.
It may be that you only really notice the worst thing at one time? Hide if you can when it happens. Read a book, hide out in the bathroom, avoid contact with others until it passes. A mild dose of valium does help keep you on even keel.
This too shall pass with proper treatment.
------------------ Julie G. ___________ lymeinhell
Posted by Stella (Member # 3119) on :
I can relate to your situation.
The rage was so bad, especially when I was overwhelmed with activity and pushing my body too far, that my dad called me "grouchy" for a while.
It's not like I went nuts on people. It was more subtle on me - I would be bothered by EVERYTHING and kept complaining.
Like most people, I don't like those who complain all the time, so I decided to write things out in a journal. I felt much better after venting words on paper. It helped me incredibly. So the journal combined with yoga and quiet time for myself helped change my attitude and calm the rage.
Maybe one of these things will help you out!
Best wishes, Stella
Posted by lymie tony z (Member # 5130) on :
You mentioned that you thought the other symptoms lessen whenever you vent your anger....I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this phenom.
I'm no chemist or doctor but it seems to me that the adrenal gland has to have something to do with the lessening of the symptoms. Too bad we can't stay in that mental or emotional state too long or find out exactly what part adrenalin plays in our symptoms...it must reach way back to our ancestorial days of fighting or fleeing.
I try to pray a little sometimes...my wife now knows whenever I get like we get that it will soon pass so she just stays out of my way until it passes. I don't have to work anymore but it still happens even if we're out socializing so it is a problem for those that don't know all there is to know about me. I have been put on 10 mgs of lexapro twice a day and it seems to keep me from going too high and too low. It's an ssri seritonin reuptake inhibitor(mind masking drug) but it seems to help me.
the zman
------------------
Posted by lifewithlyme (Member # 4557) on :
Thanks so much; I will start writing in my journal again. I was taking lexapro as well; thought it was working and tried to wean myself off but maybe now isn't the time to do that... Thanks again, guys! Sara
Posted by docdave130 on :
the phenomenom of rage is directly related to the amount of stress on your system. in saying this the rage causes an increase of epinephrine( adreniline) in your system( fight or flight mechanism). with increased epinephrine the pain of everything else goes down. the body moves all its energy to get away, hence flight, and the epi increases body flow to the brain and decreases to the extremities. you hear about peopple lifting cars in an emergency, this is from increased epinephrine, they feel no pain, yet energy is funneled into the task at hand.
Posted by TheCrimeOfLyme (Member # 4019) on :
I highly doubt youre in a constantly level of anxiety hence ephedrine rush.
Sound like bartonella to me. I go through it too, and bad at that.
I have kicked people, ( mainly my ex fiance) slapped, punched and my window that I threw my pan through is still broke. I've snapped at total strangers
got in fight with two young punks in walmart parking lot for hitting that stupid alarm beeper one too many times when I was walking by.
Maybe i need more zoloft.
No seriously- have you been checked for bartonella?
Posted by panther (Member # 5348) on :
hey crime, are you ever going to email me? As far as lyme rage goes, I've experienced similar phenomena as outlined by others above. I haven't been able to control it well, because I've found that there are certain things which incense me and cause me to fly off the handle quickly and sometimes violently. I've cursed out in the most awful language most of my relatives, some more than once (sometimes they deserved it though); I feel bad later, but at the time it feels good, like an orgasm of anger. Once I was so irate that I sat down and typed out a vicious 5 page letter directed toward a couple of my relatives who had involved themselves in an atrocious plot aimed against me (really, this is not paranoia speaking); they happen to all 3 be MD's at a major university (one was the med school dean) who doubted the nature of my illness, and were trying to prove to themselves that I was a hypochondriac ( I had earlier been evaluated by docs at their university at their invitiation and been terribly misdiagnosed, a failure which they couldn't accept). They failed miserably, later recieved in the mail copies of positive western blots, spect scan, MRI's, etc., from me without comment. I haven't spoken to them in 2.5 years and probably never will again. Sorry, I went off on a rant. I hate lyme disease.
quote:Originally posted by TheCrimeOfLyme: I highly doubt youre in a constantly level of anxiety hence ephedrine rush.
Sound like bartonella to me. I go through it too, and bad at that.
I have kicked people, ( mainly my ex fiance) slapped, punched and my window that I threw my pan through is still broke. I've snapped at total strangers
got in fight with two young punks in walmart parking lot for hitting that stupid alarm beeper one too many times when I was walking by.
Maybe i need more zoloft.
No seriously- have you been checked for bartonella?
Posted by lifewithlyme (Member # 4557) on :
Thanks guys..I've been tested for bartonella; tested negative...what is the treatment for it?
