I wish I knew what on earth is going on in my head. I have been awfully anxious for about 2 weeks already. Sometimes the anxiety is so bad that I feel my head is about to explode. Feel fearful and like I'm going crazy. It all started after I tried Artemisia Annua. Could that really cause this?
Any ideas?! Can't stand this much longer. :'(
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
Does your doctor have you on any other treatment for babesia? Have you spoken to your doctor, and stopped taking the Artemisia?
My understanding is that anxiety can be caused by both lyme and babesia, so it is important that you are treated by an llmd.
Posted by BartonFink (Member # 10818) on :
I stopped taking artemisia right away. That was 2 weeks ago. I doubt that I even have babesia, it's not common in this country. My ND (we have no llmd's here) wanted to try artemisia because of other parasites I probably have.
Posted by kitkat32 (Member # 9682) on :
Hello,
Sorry to hear of your anxiety issues. I have dealt with them before also.
Anxiety/panic attacks were one of my first symptoms in 1996 when this all started. It was really severe. I really thought I was losing my mind.
Anxiety also is a herx for me. When I first started treatment with tetracycline my anxiety got out of control again. I only took that med for maybe 3 days. The anxiety lasted for at least a month after I had stopped it.
Do you take anything to help with it? I ended up having to take a prescription for it. I am not a pill pusher nor do I believe taking something for it is the answer for everyone..but it was for me.
Do you have bartonella? I have this plus lyme and that is what my LLMD believes to be the cause of my anxiety..the bartonella.
All I know is it feels just awful. I was scared all the time.
I hope you get relief from it soon.
Hugs, kit
Posted by butchieboo (Member # 12063) on :
you will probably have to go on some sort of ssri or at least some ativan for awhile....
You should probably get some flagyl...in as much as that medication causes lethargy..it may calm down your anxiety.
Anytime a human has a chronic ailment...the mind kicks in the innate flee or fight response!
This helps create a cycle of lowering the humans immune system and heightening it as well.
Unfortunately this is one of the lyme symptoms as I have never tested positive for either babs or bart.//which does'nt necessarily negate that possibility.
BB
Posted by BartonFink (Member # 10818) on :
Thanks for your thoughts
Kitkat, that tetracycline experience of yours is interesting. You see, I started a herbal "antibiotic" (for mycoplasma) that my ND gave me a few days ago so and she said that it is even more effective than tetracycline... so who knows if this is a herx after all.
Did you ever try that tetracycline again after that incident?
I'm taking Xanax right now and it helps a bit. I hate to take it but it's the only option now.
I don't know if I have bartonella.
Posted by kitkat32 (Member # 9682) on :
Good morning,
I never did try the tetracycline again. The anxiety I experienced was to much out of control. I ended up checking myself into a psych hospital.
That wasn't any fun but they quickly started me on medication. It was a tough decision for me to make but it was sooooo bad.
I couldn't let my kids see me like that anymore. My husband was also pretty stressed over it. I wouldn't let him leave the houses for work or anything...I had such overwhelming fear.
I wouldn't doubt that it is a herx. I can tell when something is stirring up with my lyme/bartonella. I wake up really early and feel anxious. It is easier for me now because I know what it is. During the tetracycline I had know idea what was happening to me...I had never heard of a herx at that time and neither did my PCP duck.
Take care, kit
Posted by Marcie (Member # 10070) on :
I am suffering from anxiety, nervousness, paranoid, and being scared over little things. For me it is the Babesia, because I did not have
these symptoms until I started treatment for it. I'm going on almost two months now w/
malarone and zithro and it has gotten a little better, but the herxes are terrible and last for a week.
You may have stirred somthing up w/ the art if you do have babs.
Posted by Beverly (Member # 1271) on :
Hi BartonFink,
For me, the anixety was Babesia and my worst herxes with Babesia were panic attacks also.
Treating for Babesia with Malarone, Zithromax and Plaquenil helped me. And I also take a herb called Rhodiola which helped some.
Good luck to you and I hope you feel better soon.
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
Hope you are feeling better. Doxycycline (400mg/day) helped alot with my lyme-anxiety, reducing it significantly even after just a short time.
I have not seen research on this, but is it possible that ticks in europe carry babesia too? Anxiety is a symptom of several TBD's, and the art you took may have caused a die-off reaction (of spirochetes, other bacteria or protozoa) and the resultant anxiety. Just a speculation.
Eating well, resting, and taking magnesium supplements and binders like chlorella helped me with these symptoms, and time. The herbal traditional remedies like chamomile are calming also.
Posted by BartonFink (Member # 10818) on :
quote: You may have stirred somthing up w/ the art if you do have babs. [/QB]
Yep, I just wish I could undo that something now... :/
Posted by BartonFink (Member # 10818) on :
quote:I have not seen research on this, but is it possible that ticks in europe carry babesia too? Anxiety is a symptom of several TBD's, and the art you took may have caused a die-off reaction (of spirochetes, other bacteria or protozoa) and the resultant anxiety. Just a speculation. [/QB]
I'm not sure but I think babesia hasn't ever been found in Finland. But like you said I guess it might be either Lyme or some other coinfection that is causing this.
Posted by Health (Member # 6034) on :
Hi BartonFink,
I had really bad anxiety, all the time, before I found out I had lyme, I felt stressed out, and any kind of stress would leave me just collapsing on the bed. STRESS would trigger the lyme/anxiety,
I did not know that this was a symptom of lyme for me, but it was, it completely went away after 2-4 months of the Biaxin and Flagyl.
However when I first started this combo, I started off with 65mgs of the Biaxin, I broke in half a 125mg tablet of the Biaxin and this little amount left me with WORSE anxiety, it was herxing.
I also got anxiety from light, 2 years later, and had to treat babesia then,.
Hope this helps,
Trish
Posted by Kendrick (Member # 10990) on :
I don't know, it usually gets blamed on babesia. If that's the case, then I don't think anyone should ever 'treat babesia' in their life. I'd rather die 5 years from now from babesia, than tomorrow from treating it. I've been hospitalized twice, and to ER 5 times now. Finally 4.5 months later of not taking it, I actually can drive down to the closest gas station. Original symptom was only vertigo from 'sick building'. Now its having someone to take care of me, many times(more in the past) barely able to walk to bathroom, anxiety attacks that would continue for days.
Search Polar blast--artemisinin... he's a lot better after several months now. So hold on, because it's not fun.