I have realized that when I go back home to Maine, my lightheadedness and vertigo w/o the spinning feeling disappear. However, I am currently living at 7,000 feet and this feeling comes and goes quite often.
I am guessing this might be an inner ear thing, and if so, is there anything I can do about it?
Also, ski season is just about to start up. Is skiing an appropriate form of exercise for Lyme?
Posted by Marnie (Member # 773) on :
Move to Florida.
I'm not joking.
Posted by tickalert (Member # 7033) on :
I live in the Denver area and am able to ski. Altitude has never been an issue for me with lyme.
Everyone is so different..you need to go with how you feel.
Hope your able to ski...Steamboat Springs is one of my favorite places to ski.
Posted by mixxster (Member # 22765) on :
If you feel much better when visiting another area/building then you should also consider the possibility that your house has a serious mold problem.
Maybe your symptoms improved not because of altitude, but because of lower exposure to mold in the building in Maine?
I read this in the Lyme Disease Solution Book. But your improvement may very well be associated with altitude, its just not a pattern of improvement I have heard much about.
[ 11-09-2009, 02:52 PM: Message edited by: mixxster ]
Posted by frank789 (Member # 22505) on :
I haven't noticed any signs of a mold problem in my current place, also Colorado is very dry compared to a very humid Maine.
I am pretty sure it is an elevation thing. My ears and dizziness do some crazy things when I am driving over passes with frequent changes in elevation.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Elevation bothered me when I was sick. My grandmother lives in the highest area in the East in NC, which is nothing compared to the West, but it would still bother me. I'd start feeling bad just driving into Knoxville.
My Lyme symptoms would flare, for me, that meant I hurt more and was more fatigued.
If you can ski, I don't know why it would be a problem. If you're tired for the next couple days afterward, then it's probably not the right exercise for you. It just varies for each person.
Posted by btmb03 (Member # 18394) on :
Interesting thread - a prominent CFS doc felt the
opposite - that living in high altitudes was
actually *good* for CFS patients as the body
fearing less oxygen would release more of the
enzyme 2,3 DPG (released at night while sleeping)
which is why, he hypothesized is why runners from
higher altitudes always did better at the
Olympics. More oxygenation = less brain fog, more
oxygen to the brain and muscles (less pain). Of
course only theory.
Posted by IckyTicky (Member # 21466) on :
I don't know. But we are moving to Colorado to a town in the mountains that is at 9500 ft elevation.
From Texas. It's going to take a lot of getting use to, I know that for sure.
Posted by aliyalex (Member # 6976) on :
I'm at 8000 ft and love it. South cent Colorado. there is a house down the road from me that had to be torn down b/c of black mold. there was a major water leak.
the mt air invigorates me.
Posted by JamesNYC (Member # 15793) on :
Lyme shouldn't be an issue with high alt. But it is a VERY big issue with babs. But one's body will adjust, just more slowly with a babs infection.
Moving to low altitude should not have a negative effect either way.
I'm moving to CO in a few weeks.
James
Posted by springshowers (Member # 19863) on :
I want to move... !!
I have been in low altitudes and high altitudes and did not notice a difference.
I think too that if anything the mold and environmental issues would be much more noticable and concerning. For me anyway.
But.. I can see.. once again.. we are all different with different loads of infections and different body chemistrys and different differences. : )
Posted by aliyalex (Member # 6976) on :
springs...
"differences" that is what makes these "autoimmune" illnesses so hard to treat. nothing simple about the path of body yoga.
Posted by frank789 (Member # 22505) on :
Back to my question, is there anything I can do about the inner ear issue? I have heard that ginger capsules help?
JamesNYC and IckyTicky, good luck with the move. I'm sure you'll love it. Summers here are hard to beat, warm dry days and cool nights. Winters aren't so bad either. Posted by tickalert (Member # 7033) on :
Have you called your Dr. about the inner ear issue? What is there response?
Posted by kareamber (Member # 20110) on :
I am from Colorado and miss it HORRIBLY! What a beautiful state. I grew up near Steamboat Springs in a small town called Meeker. Anyone heard of it?
Posted by btmb03 (Member # 18394) on :
frank789 - there are some important links re: inner ear stuff on my previous post titled "I woke up dizzy and nauseous...anyone else".
Just click on my name and look for that post. I'm not good at copying/pasting. Great info on that thread.
Posted by frank789 (Member # 22505) on :
tickalert, I have an appointment with my PCP this week. I should try giving my LLMD a call this week as well.
Posted by JamesNYC (Member # 15793) on :
Actually,
I move (migrate?) there every winter. Then migrate back to NYC in the spring. So I have lots of experience with lyme and cos and high and low altitude.
I live and work in Aspen in the winter.
Sure, it's a beautiful state, but I miss NYC. You cannot get good bagels or pizza in there!
James
Posted by frank789 (Member # 22505) on :
James, yes it is always the little things. I miss all the good seafood and microbrews in Maine. Also, I heart Aspen Highlands.
Posted by tickalert (Member # 7033) on :
Kareamber yes I have heard of it. I think it's near Rifle correct? I know I've been through there.
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
pigwit may chime in here. he has been in the Andes and having some trouble with altitude. everyone's different tho. we all have different histories etc. (but now i am wondering...what if it is sort of a herx? but that doesn't make sense, does it? Bb doesn't like 02 so less O2 would make the Bb happy...)
i know its not so simple.
frank-does it bother you to fly?
[ 11-11-2009, 01:34 AM: Message edited by: lpkayak ]
Posted by frank789 (Member # 22505) on :
lpkayak, I have only flown once since having symptoms and it didn't bother me. I flew back to Maine and felt pretty well. It could have been a coincidence though.
Posted by lymetime (Member # 21054) on :
I have issues at high altitude, its one of the first triggers I noticed. I know of one other lyme patient with the same issue.
Posted by lymetime (Member # 21054) on :
I have issues at high altitude, its one of the first triggers I noticed. I know of one other lyme patient with the same issue.
I actually got an oxygen generator to help.
Posted by Truthfinder (Member # 8512) on :
I can't believe it. I've been on the LymeNet forum for close to 4 years and never met anyone from the Western Slope of Colorado. And on one thread I meet 2 people from my own back yard.
I'm from Craig and grew up here - about 40 miles west of Steamboat Springs and about 40 miles north of Meeker.
When I was a kid, we had a small place in Aspen and spent most week-ends and vacations there skiing during the winter. (That's back when Aspen was still just a small, uncomplicated community, James.)
Hi, neighbors. Posted by frank789 (Member # 22505) on :
Small world. I talked to my LLMD and he actually told me that spirochetes thrive at higher altitudes since there is less oxygen... If this is in fact true, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to move back east.
Posted by JamesNYC (Member # 15793) on :
Frank,
I do not believe that to be true. The body compensates very quickly to the lower 02 content in the air. The 02 carrying ability to the tissues is just as good at altitude as at sea level, that's what is important.
The 02 content in terms of % is the same at altitude, however it's only the density of the air that is different. So actually, there really isn't less 02. Just less density of air per breath.
Does that make sense?
Posted by kday (Member # 22234) on :
I was living in high altitude (about 7000 ft), and I did better when I would come to visit my parents at 580 feet. I flew from CA to TX for doctors appointments as I lived in a rural area and was unable to drive long distances for doctors appointments. All the appointments I scheduled, I missed as I wasn't feeling well enough to drive 100 miles+. At that time, I also had no clue what was wrong with me, so I'm sure having my mom as a "caretaker" again had something to do with feeling a little better.
My blood oxygen was 100% at high altitude, but I felt short of breath and had air hunger.
Posted by JamesNYC (Member # 15793) on :
Kday,
your blood ox will always be close to 100%.
It sounds like you have babesia. If you felt much better at low altitude, I'd bet on it. Were you tested?
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