Okay, these weird "attacks" I keep getting are totally disrupting my quality of life. I'd say they are one of my biggest problems to date. They kind of resemble low blood sugar attacks, but they aren't. I get really shaky, weak, and kinda jittery and jumpy. It's almost like I've had too much caffeine. They come on suddenly and totally wipe me out. I've been getting several a day. WHAT ARE THESE??? I asked my LLMD and he didn't supply me with much info. He just told me to eat smaller meals more often. Well I have and it doesn't help.
the more I and researching, I've read other lymies get these same "attacks". I think it may have something to do with Adrenal problems which I've read are common on Lyme. Does anyone know much about this??
I asked my GP to test my adrenals and she said my symptoms don't match. But I think they do. She ordered a morning cortisol test, but I haven't been able to get in early enough to do it. I think I'll have my LLMD run some tests on it next appt to. I really think if these would go away or lessen I'd feel A LOT better.
Anyways, I'm hoping someone can help with this
Posted by gwb (Member # 7273) on :
I do experience what you have but normally it's mild and mostly it's just in the morning. Haven't been able to figure out what it is.
If you suspect your adrenal glands you should consider seeing an Endocrinologist as they specialize in the adrenal glands. They will give you a cortisol test and a few other tests to see if there's anything wrong with your adrenals.
Gary
Posted by kareamber (Member # 20110) on :
Thanks Gary. I see you are from OK. We don't live there anymore, but I beleive that is where I got infected.
I think I do need to see an Endo.
Posted by gwb (Member # 7273) on :
Yeah, we live in OK where the doctors here claim there's no Lyme disease. We used to live in Sulphur next to the Chickasaw National Park. That's where my wife got bit by a tick.
Many people who live near the park have been bitten by ticks and have gotten sick but their doctors all deny that they have Lyme disease.
We went to see the "top" infectious disease doctor in OK and he looked at her bulls eye rash and told her it was just "age marks".
This idiot couldn't tell the difference between age marks and a bulls eye rash and completely denied that Lyme disease existed here in OK. Pretty disgusting.
Anyway, I hope you get to the bottom of what's causing you to feel the way you do. Keep us posted.
Gary
Posted by MY3BOYS (Member # 17830) on :
fuuny, no lyme in OK or TX huh??? geez, and we have soooo many outdoors people in our states too
anyway, agree to see endo or can look at the
neruorelief.com website and locate practitioner. they test neruotransmistters and adrenals based on sytmpoms
tx is essentail amino acids to fit each pt needs, dependadant on initial labs.
for out son, the adrenal testing is collect saliva at am, afternoon, late afternoon and before bed.
hope that helps !!!
Posted by MY3BOYS (Member # 17830) on :
also, personally I have gotten most help, benifit from acupuncture personally.
think good acupuncturist can help you in MANY ways. is all based on balancing.
anyway- wish i had started there first !!!
lady i found that is best uses acupuncture, reiki and TCM all during tx's. stays with you entire tx..never leaves room. she does her own enrgy work..not saying i UNDERSTAND all of it, i am learning though ...but it works
Posted by massman (Member # 18116) on :
Even though symptoms may show as adrenal stress it may not be that simple.
The endocrine glands - hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, ovaries - should work together as a team.
So finding where it starts and why it is not working well is the key. Could be lyme, virus, nrrd for more saturated fats or other.
Posted by btmb03 (Member # 18394) on :
Kareamber - I could have posted this myself!! I get this too, it IS a very disabling and disturbing sx (amongst many others!).
You described it to a tee. I can't predict when I'll get them. I still can't get over the fact I was going to post the same question.
Calm energy is good, this is like you're "wired" but not "getting anywhere". I DO think it is related to adrenals.
My salivary adrenal cortex test was a waste of $$, there's not a whole lot they can do and frankly adding more supplements (at least for me) to the mix I felt would complicate matters (I'm super sensitive to everything) plus I've tried stuff in the past and never helped.
So...I "give in" to these "attacks" - yes, smaller meals, sometimes carbs does "calm me", deep breathing, stretches, "distracting" my mind with other thoughts/activities, laughing, waling (if you can).
Anything to help the ANS..getting the blood circulating I think does help somewhat to balance things in our bodies. As someone already said, HPA Axis, Gonadal axis, all connected. I also get this surge a day or two before my period.
I also tell myself..perhaps the abx is "clearing" something at a cellular level temporarily perhaps making the adrenals "fire" incorrectly??
Hope you find some answers, I'm sure others will come along with better suggestions. Just know I know EXACTLY what you mean!! Posted by kareamber (Member # 20110) on :
Thank for the replies.
Gwb, I never saw a dr in OK besides neurologists. But I have heard that dr's deny that lyme is in OK. We lived in Norman and let me tell you... at the lake we went to.. there was TICKS galore!! We never left there without finding ticks on us. I never had a bulls eye rash, but did have the bites. I can't believe your wife had the classic bulls eye rash and they still denied it??!!!!
My3boys, I'm actually starting acupuncture on Friday. I have a seperate post on that.
btmb03- Wow, I'm so sorry you are having these same episodes. They stink!! You also described it good .. "calm energy". Do you get all twitchy and jumpy? It's driving me crazy.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- There are so many things this could be and they can be interconnected. Pardon my shotgun approach but, as I've tried to solve this puzzle for myself over the years, much of what I've put here has helped me understand and manage.
Good luck.
----------
First (and I think foremost) this might be a sort of nerve system overload. Lyme really affects nerve tissue but also sets us up for neuro-overload from the simplest tasks, sometimes.
Avoid fluorescent lights, being over stimulated, if you can. Magnesium helps if this is what's happening. As MY3BOYS says, acupuncture, too, helps balance all this.
I don't have the energy to find the exact article I want but if you do a combined search with this, you may find the description of how a kind of "panic attack" is common with lyme - but it's not really a panic attack, non-lyme people might think so, but it is very different - and treating infection helps.
Search: lyme, panic, Nields, Fallon
Jenifer Nields and Brian Fallon are two authors in the articles I've read about this.
=============
Do you have any inner ear balance or hearing (too loud; ringing) stuff going on? That is all common with lyme, too, and if one has vestibular dysfunction (inner/middle ear stuff) these sort of adrenal attacks often go along with that.
What is your adrenal support? Singleton's book: "The Lyme Disease Solution" outlines some choices.
And, check everything you consume (even breath mints and toothpaste) to be sure you are not getting even a trace of ASPARTAME - or MSG - Google for all the names for MSG.
=================
Are you chemically sensitive? That will also trigger adrenal attacks, so to speak. A stressed liver could be involved. What is your liver support?
Read about secondary porphyria here. Your symptoms could be related - having enough complex carbs, and magnesium, again, will help:
[ 09-23-2009, 05:04 PM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posted by Kali Dhi (Member # 19686) on :
Taking Cortisol (the hormone) has helped me at times...
Posted by LittleLymie19 (Member # 15610) on :
Do you any of you get really faint with your adrenal attacks, and feel like your heart and breathing aren't right?
I measure my blood pressure during these episodes and it doesn't drop anymore like it used to when I felt like this. That's why I figured it was either my blood sugar or my adrenals.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- This could be much more than just adrenals.
Are you taking magnesium? That should help with heart rhythm. Hawthorn extract, too.
Some find help with a very low dose of Rx Propanolol (used to calm stage fright) - but Hawthorn also has some of that beta blocker effect without the side-effects (that's in the cardiac thread below).
Topic: To everyone with cardiac symptoms please read!
Posted by btmb03 -
Posted by Kali Dhi (Member # 19686) on :
I get incredibly faint, weak & at times pass out/black out.
My heart gets very pressured & feels like it either skipping or slowing or going so fast it cant keep up.
I also have trouble breathing with these attacks.
My eyes get blurry/flashy + my neck & shoulders tighten up.
I have had my blood pressure & all the tests come back normal too...
Posted by kareamber (Member # 20110) on :
My breathing, and heart rate don't change during these episodes. I just get really weak, heavy, and feel faintish. It's not anything like anxiety. It feels like that feeling you get when you have low blood sugar.
I had my am cortisol level checked this morning.
Posted by LittleLymie19 (Member # 15610) on :
Kali Dhi, that's exactly what I have been experiencing every day, at the same exact time! Have you figured out what's triggering it, or found anything that helps?
Posted by hezzer926 (Member # 17902) on :
ive had this EXACT things and have been eating much more often.. however, i still have it esp before dinner .. not as bad... i have no idea what it is.. first the endo checked my blood sugar.. then we will go from there
Posted by Kali Dhi (Member # 19686) on :
The number one thing that triggers it is being upright ie standing or walking for periods (showers too) longer than 5 minutes...
Seen way too many doctors & they all just get baffled or claim they are seizures. But my MRI & other tests came back totally fine...
Ive kind of given up at this point.
I just try to prevent them by always being down I sit in the shower & I sit on a stool when i need to cook......things like that
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Kali Dhi:
You said: " . . .The number one thing that triggers it is being upright ie standing or walking for periods (showers too) longer than 5 minutes..." ---
This sounds like NMH (neurally mediated hypotension) - have you had a tilt table test?
- or inner ear stuff going on, that will make it very hard to stay upright for long:
And, if this is NMH, a little increase in SEA salt may help. However, if inner ear related, salt can make that worse. I have both and have found a moderate level of salt helps. But licorice helps the adrenal/NMH fainting, too. Again, not too much, though.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
...but it works
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
I sit in the shower & I sit on a stool when i need to cook......things like that