I got the diagnosis for Lyme in October, I've had it for about 17 years. I also seem to have depression, ADHD, anxiety and some OCD.
Been to therapy (3 months when I was 12, then 1.5 years starting in January 2004), tried a few pills (Paxil, Xanax, something else I can't remember), therapy hasn't helped so far and the pills make me vomit or very nauseous (just like every other medication ever, from birth control to Advil).
My question is, for those who have psychatric issues with their Lyme, and hopefully for those who have been treated for Lyme--do the psychiatric problems go away after treatment with the rest of (or most) symptoms?
Or will I need to get treatment for those problems after I get rid of the Lyme, or... should I just begin psychiatric treatment as soon as I can?
I start IV Rocephin on Dec. 15 (finally!! so excited, wanted to wait for school to let out, can't believe I'm pulling through ).
Posted by lymie tony z (Member # 5130) on :
Hey there yikes,
Glad you're gonna get some IV ro.....
When you get it you may experience a feeling of a cloud lifting from your brain...and a clarity finally being experienced.
You may want to follow up with clarithromycin and then some Ketek...
Depends on coinfections you may have as to whether you backslide or still experience psych symptoms.
You should get a lot of relief but a lot of us relapse from the rocephin that's why I suggested the other stuff...plus flagyl for when the rocephin forces the chetes into cystic form...
Good luck....oh by the way...I'm still taking lexapro...it seems to keep me from having the power surges in my brain. It keeps me from going too low and too high in between abx treatments...
good luck.....zman
Posted by auntybiotic1499 (Member # 2998) on :
Z Man,
What dosgae of Lexapro are you taking? Do you take it in AM or PM? What antibiotics are you able to take with it??
Thanks a lot'aunty
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
The abx will help this. Some people need psych support in addition. Don't know how bad this is, but there are a couple good lyme psychiatrists. Maybe do a phone consult, if this is serious. Could cost some bucks. If not too bad, then could wait and see what the abx does in this department.
Posted by lymeloco (Member # 7192) on :
Yikes, I found that a lot of antidepressants made my depression much worse. So watch which ones you try.
I have been on wellbutrin xl for a few years. I'm going through some rough times right now with my head, and I have got to find someone to talk to this week.
I also was in therapy many years ago. Didn't help, and decided to try a different psychiatrist, who diagnosed me with a.d.d.. Put me on ritalin, and for two weeks I was so focused it was unbelievable!
Then the bomb fell! I was at work, and started shaking, and felt very aggressive, which is so far from who I am.
They took me off ritalin, and gave me prozac. Stayed on that for a year, and it didn't do squat!
It's not like I haven't called about five psychiatrists this year, but they either want cash or they don't take my insurance. I don't have that kind of money!
Makes you wonder what the hell these drugs are good for if we still have problems. This week has been tough, and I haven't seen a break in this herx like I used too! I guess if I wasn't on any rx for psych problems I'm sure I'd be a lot worse!
There will be times you when you feel better, and go out with friends or work in the house or yard, and then there are times like now.
I'm beginning to think that most psychiatric issues are from bacteria, but what do I know! Something has to cause a chemical imbalance!
It's tough, but hang in there. Yes I do go through the o.c.d.. I wish I was now so I could clean my house, and decorate!
My daughter's sister in law is being treated for lupus, and her o.c.d. is so much worse! She's so young, and I feel so bad for her.
Posted by Corgilla (Member # 4066) on :
Hi Yikes,
I'm happy to report that one of the first things that went away when I started treatment was my psychological problems.
I won't say that I never have problems but I can always attribute them to a herxing situation now. I had seen so many therapists in the past, it's ridiculus. Tried so many drugs too.
Prozac finally eased my ups and downs but then I had no feelings whatsoever. Took it for 3 years prediagnosis.
When I herx and have psych symptoms these days, I take SamE. It does the trick for me. I should start taking some now that you've reminded me. I'm herxing from new abx. Woke in the middle of the night Saturday with all kinds of irrational thoughts.
Hope you have great success with your treatment.
Corgilla
Posted by fatigued15 (Member # 6437) on :
My son has both auditory and musical hallucinations. Three weeks after he started treatment the auditory halluciantions have stopped and the musical have decreased. Yikes are you on any oral ABX now?
Posted by quic (Member # 5262) on :
I was on oral abx for over a year and they only marginally helped my psyche symptoms. I've gotten the most relief of psyche symptoms from using a rife machine. It was like night and day.
Posted by char (Member # 8315) on :
Hi,
Yeah, lyme causes terrible anxiety and depression and yes OCD.
I encourage you to go ahead and start treatment for these.
Incidentally, my psych told me that OCD often dissapates when anxiety decreases.
All this stuff can get worse during treatment, so I say best to get started. Rocephin makes depression and anxiey worse for some people.
Best Wishes, Char
Posted by Tracy9 (Member # 7521) on :
Wow, I have the exact same things you do! I will say I had them all pre-Lyme, but was totally functional then! Much worse with Lyme. I am now taking: Adderall, 30 mg 2x a day Cymbalta (saved my life) 90 mg a day Ativan, 1 mg at night to sleep as needed (my sleep switch seems to have broken since I've had Lyme)
Plus Tetracycline, 1500 mg a day for the Lyme. I feel much better with the above meds and can function so much more normally with this combination. Good luck to you, I thought I could have written your post! Tracy
Posted by gambler (Member # 8441) on :
I was wondering if adderall or ritalin made anyone's symptoms worse?
Posted by lymebites (Member # 6709) on :
I'm curious about the Ritalin too... Lymeloco, you said it was great but only for a short whie and then it all went south? I would give my two front teeth for clarity and energy - 'cuz then I'd be able to work again and pay for Hollywood-style dentistry - ha ha!
Yikes: I too have suffered from depression and anxiety - have had Lyme for ten years. I had symptoms pre-Lyme too but was still functional like Tracy9 mentioned.
The abx. have definitely made a difference in terms of lifting the depression. Hec, just finally having a diagnosis to "prove" to all my well-meaning but judgmental friends/family that I really am not innately unbalanced or a social miscreant or a hypochondriac was a big-time depression lifter! I'd been embarrassed for years that I apparently couldn't 'handle' LIFE. That validation represented my first steps on this road to recovery.
I do still have significant anxiety but I think that it's less psychological... it's more from my body and brain constantly trying to muster up energy and clear thinking when my symptoms will not allow!!
I used to take Wellbutrin but stopped a while back and have really been okay. May try SamE though as occasionally, with different abx., the depression flares up. When I first started taking Flagyl I experienced depression and insomnia. After a month or so on it though it subsided and, for the past three to four weeks, I've been feeling better than ever - real hope at last!
Neuropsychiatriac symptoms can be the worst part of Lyme... BUT! MY FIRM BELIEF IS THAT YOU TOO WILL GET BETTER!! Patience, patience... (I know, easy to say, hard to practice). Hang in there Yikes. You definitely sound like you belong to our "family". I personally am so grateful to have found my way to Lymenet.
Lymebites
Posted by pattiecake (Member # 6424) on :
have you and your llmd thought about the possibility of bartonella? my son had many of these issues with his bart. Rifampin took care of it. pattiecake
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