Can ABX and any of these meds age us???? I know drinking, drugs, etc wil make you look older and as if you've had a hard life. What about ABX? I swear I have been looking much older and run down in the last few years than ever before.
Posted by coltman (Member # 21272) on :
I seriously doubt most abx can have that effect to significant degree. Drugs which interfere with DNA/RNA though I think will(and there is some data pointing that its indeed happening with long term use)- those are mostly anti-retrovirals though and fluorquinolones
Posted by richedie (Member # 14689) on :
How about pain killers.
Posted by xoxoxox (Member # 18778) on :
It sure as heck feels like it! It looks like I aged 10 years in just three!
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
I agree, I look like all of the vitality has been sucked out of me....
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
Me too! I look and feel 10 years older.
Posted by Ocean (Member # 3496) on :
How many of you have lost weight??
For me this is the biggie. When I can gain 10 lbs back (I'm only about 5'5") I look younger. I'm just barely underweight again (due to in law stress I think), and just the other day I was telling my husband that I feel like I look 'old'.
I'm 31. My mom tells me it's because when you loose weight in your face, the wrinkles show up times 100!
I know my SIL who is anorexic and has been for over a decade. We were at a family reunion and SIL and I are 3 months apart in age. Her aunt asked her if she was 34 (we were 27 at the time).
I know SIL was offended, but I think it's due to being way too thin.
Anyhow...that's just my 2 cents!
Ocean
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
I hope we are not aging! In many ways we take better care of our health, eating right, avoiding sugar etc and exercising to the best of our ability so we protect ourselves that way. I think it is the free radical damage that excellerated aging. Take antioxidants. Alpha lipoic acid and acetyl L Carnitine are both supposed to help with aging and they are both highly recommended for lyme patients.
Posted by canefan17 (Member # 22149) on :
My hair is grey, falling out, and my face has no personality now. I've lost 20 lbs and probably 10 years of my life.
I still don't think I'm gonna live to see 30.
Posted by btmb03 (Member # 18394) on :
A resounding "yes" to your question richedie - Ocean is right, when you lose weight you tend to look older, hair has lost its lustre, no more radiant skin, 'bags' under eyes..perhaps for the lucky few who *can* function and are improving it may be different.
I keep telling myself its only an exterior, we're still the same before Lyme..and that when I'm better I'll return to that 'radiant' self. Don't give up!
Posted by AnnaL (Member # 18464) on :
I definitely look MUCH older. I think I've aged about ten years in the last two.
I think a lot of this is simply because I'm sick. When you're sick, you never look your best. In part, I know that I simply don't spend the same amount of energy in looking good (doing hair, make up, etc.).
When I have a good day, it's like I've turned back the clock. So I'm hoping that after I kick Lyme's butt, I'll be my young, radient self again.
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
I think being sick for a long time can stress our body and cause pre-mature aging.
Some meds, too - I know that whenever I'm on Mepron my hair tends to fall out, and grow back in silver. At least it's a nice silver.
My mother is almost 70, and has just gotten her first noticeable grey hairs... I sure as heck never imagined I'd be turning silver in my 30s. Bummer.
Also - all the little things we do to take care of ourselves can sort of slide when we're sick... and that can add up to looking older, too.
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I agree that I look older partially due to loosing weight.
And of course your not gonna look your best when you are fighting a chronic illness every day of your life.
I would actually be glad to accept the aged look, if I could just feel good again.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I think being sick can make you look older.
Now, I look at least ten years YOUNGER than I am. I was on abx for 2 years. Also, pain and sleep meds. Now I do alternative stuff for detox and I exercise. I am done with Lyme treatment. (my picture is on my blog, I'm almost 47)
So, the meds and condition may make you look older NOW, but I'd say as you get better, you shouldn't be looking older. My face used to look drawn, but it's filled out again. My hair used to look ragged, and it's grown back in nicely.
Posted by 22dreams (Member # 17846) on :
I've aged a lot too.
On a cellular level, we are older because of the disease. Well, on a cellular level, we are diseased.
It's the whole "what is your real age" question that is all the rage.
When the symptoms started becoming noticeable to me, I went to the doctor, and she told me it was 'stress'(of course), and that my cycle was every
11-14 for a couple months because of rapid weight loss from eating a lower carb diet. Not that it was such a marked departure diet from before, mind you.
She told me my "real age" was 16 years younger than I was. that of a kid.
Great, right? not.
Why did she say that? coz I ate right, my vitamin/mineral panels hadn't plummeted yet and were "excellent", all other Labs were "within normal limits" and well, you know, I well, "looked good".
My lifestyle was exceptional too--yet she diagnosed stress-related insomnia. Made no sense. The fatigue was b/c of the insomnia of course.
Later, it turned out I had Hashimotos (and lyme) and had been in a hyperthyroid period. Hence: skinny.
Insomnia from thyroid and/or lyme.
It was the beginning of the decline, or a good chunk into it, and she couldn't see it.
What is our REAL "real age" with this disease... Whatever I wind up looking like, I just want to get better before I am too old to get on with living life instead of just surviving.
Posted by Sick Tick (Member # 23003) on :
Many told me that the suffering I had endured showed in my face....heck, I was even asked by one lady at a retail store, "Will we be using our senior citizen's discount today?"
I am 48!!!!!
Now though, as I am improving each week and can do nearly everything now that I did prior to the disease, folks are saying how great I look....I think I look like I did before Lyme, and that tells me just how icky (and OLD) I looked during it!
My skin didn't look good at all. Icky color, looked like tiny clear pock marks or something under my eyes.....oh, and my poor legs! The RMSF caused little spider vein looking things all over. I may be done with shorts forever!
I think it is the disease....at least in my case it seemed to be. Hate it!
Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
Hey SIx, I looked at your pic on your blog. You look healthy as can be. It's hard to imagine you were even sick!!
quote:Originally posted by sixgoofykids: I think being sick can make you look older.
Now, I look at least ten years YOUNGER than I am. I was on abx for 2 years. Also, pain and sleep meds. Now I do alternative stuff for detox and I exercise. I am done with Lyme treatment. (my picture is on my blog, I'm almost 47)
So, the meds and condition may make you look older NOW, but I'd say as you get better, you shouldn't be looking older. My face used to look drawn, but it's filled out again. My hair used to look ragged, and it's grown back in nicely.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Thanks, seek. I definitely look healthier than I did!!! It's proof we all can bounce back from this .... I was as sick as they come (yeah, some are sicker, but some aren't as bad ..... I was probably sicker than average).
Posted by Lymeorsomething (Member # 16359) on :
Yeah, it's often just the stress of being constantly ill. If you look at most presidents, they age like 15 years in 4 Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
Ive aged 10 years at least since being on abx's it happened in 3 year period.
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