I have been taking rifampin since Jan 27th. Slowly I've noticed a ramping up of emotional volatility that are now pretty pronounced---notably overreactions of deep and profound saddness and crying. Also some increase in anxiety and reduction in self confidence.
This is very unlike me. I have considered one of my personal strengths to include emotional stability and self assurance.
Now I feel a little nutso.
I read up on rifampin and see that it can reduce thyroid and adrenal hormones, that it can increase parathyroid hormone, that it increases follicle stimulating hormone.
So it seems that this might explain my extreme crying bouts and profound sadness.
Anybody out there experienced anything like this that you can say was related to rifampin?
Anybody ever try doing anything to stimulate thyroid to help the situation? What about adrenals?
Any thoughts at all on this....
All help, suggestions or commiseration appreciated!
Weepily~ Pomegranite
Posted by liz28 (Member # 4946) on :
Yep, it's normal. In fact, it's a good sign, as long as you warn everyone around you that you are herxing. I ramped up on rifampin for two months, then went to the full dosage and had the herx you have described here. Several people talk about the same experience, if you do a search on bartonella and rifampin going back two years.
The first herx lasted six weeks. I went into remission, then relapsed and went through another six week herx. I was on rifampin at a low dose for two months, and the normal dose for five months. And still have a hidden stash, just in case.
There are so many prescriptions and vitamin supplements for anxiety, inflammation, and moodiness, you can just do a search and come up with more than you ever wanted to know about. But definitely don't just suffer, because sooner or later, you are bound to have to leave the house, and bring the herx with you.
Posted by pomegranite (Member # 3339) on :
Liz~
Thanks for the reply. Its remarkably reassuring to know that others have experienced the same thing.
As for searching...I actually performed 5 or 6 searches to try to see if I could find anything....
then finding nothing w all that I searched just bartonella...and found many things but nothing about emotional volatility.
Oh and I had found one post that mentioned that Auntybiotic had posted a lot on Bart, so I searched Auntybiotic too...still nothing much on emotional stuff.
Can you recommend more specific search terms for me to use? I would so love to find those old posts!
Thanks for any guidance you can offer and for the validation of this phenomenon.
Wishing you health and wellness~ Pomegranite
Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :
Hi, Pomegranite,
I've had the impression that Bart symptoms are primarily neurological / psychological.
I've dealt with a profound lack of confidence and sadness (more than emotional volatility) since starting treatment for Lyme last June. I also had depression, but these things were different. For example, I would tear up with little or no provocation.
Those symptoms didn't improve on antibiotics.
In Dec., I started taking rifampin for Bart, and since then, I've seen a gradual reduction in those symptoms and (thank God!) some return of self confidence. In fact, my SO was just commenting on this yesterday.
Things haven't returned to normal, but at least they're better.
Hope this is helpful.
Andie
Posted by pomegranite (Member # 3339) on :
Thanks Andie!! Yes it is helpful. Wishing you wellness~ Pom
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