After trying to heal my gut for the past year and just living with my symptoms hoping that it's not active infection, and trying to avoid abx, I have been feeling much worse lately.
I have been having thousands of heart palpitations, neck stiffness and pain, headaches, dizziness, neuro stuff etc. Almost went to E.R. this morning.
To make things even harder to figure out, I was just bitten by another darn tick six weeks ago and haven't taken any abx. If a friend asked me what to do I'd be telling them to treat just in case. But I'm really trying to keep my gut healthy so I can gain some weight back.
I guess I'm just venting and feel like I need support. I'm in one of those not knowing what to do next type of traps.
My Dr wants me to get the ispot test and then treat if needed.
Any thoughts?
Posted by SacredHeart (Member # 44733) on :
Personally, I have accepted the fact that my gut might get ruined through this process of treatment. Gut health is important.
Unfortunately we can not control everything, nor have all the answers. All we can do is our best.
You should be more concerned about the lyme killing you, than focusing on your gut. We can always rebuild our health to a certain degree.
Think about heart attacks and strokes. They are very real possibilities for people that do not treat.
Posted by SacredHeart (Member # 44733) on :
I'll keep you in my prayers. We face difficult choices for sure.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Your symptoms scream lyme.
What else do you think could be causing these symptoms? Why are you basically trying to ignore them?
I don't think that trying to ignore them is going to do any good. I think you better take some action of some kind.
Posted by improver (Member # 8380) on :
Thanks so much for responding.
I have been taking herbs on and off but my main llmd was feeling that I didn't have active infection and that we needed to now focus on healing the body. The problem is that I now realize that I probably do have active infection but dont know whether to treat naturally or with abx.
I know that this has been a question for many over the years on this forum. I do have a script for doxycycline and am tempted to get it filled today and start it right away. Also feeling like I might have babesia with the heart and neck symptoms.
Posted by WPinVA (Member # 33581) on :
Agree with Sacred Heart. Lyme comes first, then gut repair. Please get to an LLMD!
Posted by improver (Member # 8380) on :
It's just hard after so many years of abx but I will do whatever I have to. I do have a good llmd. I guess I just need to let him know how bad things are getting. It always stinks to get worse on the weekend when dr offices are closed. My cardiologist even said a couple of months ago that he thinks it's something else affecting my heart and is open to it being Lyme.
Do you think I will need to go the iv route since it's causing heart symptoms? That's one thing I haven't done and hope I don't need to.
Would you start the doxy right away?
Posted by SacredHeart (Member # 44733) on :
Does your LLMD know you got bit again?
Posted by improver (Member # 8380) on :
Yes, he said to get the ispot test.
Posted by SacredHeart (Member # 44733) on :
Oh ok. I'm not familiar with that test.
Can you get a blood smear to check for babs? I'm considering asking about doing that myself since spirit walker came up
positive on his.
Posted by SacredHeart (Member # 44733) on :
I would start antibiotics without hesitation if I was having heart symptoms.
I recently read that IV is the go to right away with heart issues.
Posted by improver (Member # 8380) on :
I'm going to ask about the babs smear. I've had it done before but that was a while back and before the new tick bite.
Posted by lymenotlite (Member # 33166) on :
I haven't had lyme or babesia drugs for two years and I continue to improve very slowly. Since my last dose of mepron, I have pretty much continuously used herbs or essential oils, etc. and I'm sure that is why I continue to improve. I learned how to make my own tinctures and that saved a lot of money. They never caused my intestinal damage and that was a big issue.
You might check out Buhner's new book on healing lyme. That would probably be a good place to start if you are interested.
When I was having the heart palpitations, I was always wondering whether I would wake up in the morning.
Posted by WPinVA (Member # 33581) on :
In addition to seeing your LLMD about all your symptoms, have you had your magnesium checked recently? I'm currently dealing with low magnesium and I think that may be the cause of my own heart palpitations.
It sounds like you have more going on than just low mag, just wanted to throw it out there as perhaps part of the mix.
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
I'm with you on the gut concerns. The last time I was bit abx did nothing for lyme but wreck my gut further (lyme actually dodged it for some reason).
Have you thought about alternative treatments? There's rife, mild Hbot, ondamed, and other pemf technology that are worth considering especially if you don't want to tear up your gut further.
Posted by improver (Member # 8380) on :
I am very open to alternative treatment, specifically antimicrobial herbs and the like. The only thing is that with my heart symptoms I'm not sure that I should take any chances and avoid the usual abx protocols for cardiac involvement. I like Byron White formulas and Nutramedix herbs but I don't know where to start.
I go for the ispot test this week. It's supposed to be the latest in lyme specific testing and supposedly can determine if active infection is present. By my symptoms I say that it is but I guess it can't hurt to have it supported by a test. From there my llmd will decide what we need to do. It's just scary waiting while having scary heart stuff going on.
Again, thank you all for your responses.
Posted by improver (Member # 8380) on :
Oh and I did have my mag checked fairly recently but only serum level which was in normal range. However llmd just gave me script for rbc mag test.
Posted by Nula (Member # 38409) on :
improver,
Like Catgirl, I am TOTALLY with you as far as gut health is concerned. A wrecked gut is nothing to sneeze at. Neither is Lyme and co, of course.
After years on antibiotics, my gut was wrecked. I had diarrhea 8 times a day for six months.
I fixed my gut (I had SIBO) with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, peppermint oil capsules, and loads of digestive enzymes. Of course, gut issues can be varied ... candida, parasites, etc.
I am on herbals now. I *strongly* suggest you read Stephen Buhner's coinfection books on Bartonella and Babesia.
His "Healing Lyme" book is old (2005) and the revised version isn't due out until early next year.
But his new co-infection books are brilliant!
What kind of herbs have you been taking?
Posted by improver (Member # 8380) on :
Lately I have just taken oregano oil, a-bab, and some supplements that i was taking had cats claw.
Years ago I did the cowden protocol for six months. I did see improvements. That was after a year and a half of bicilin injections.
I am thinking that I will get more a-bab this week and start ramping it up. It has several good herbs for lyme as well as babesia. I might also start doxy this week. The last few times I took it though I couldn't handle the head pressure and pain and had to stop it after a few days.
I know that some people have this issue. One thing about gut health is that it plays a huge role in immune function which we desperately need to overcome lyme.
Posted by Nula (Member # 38409) on :
quote: One thing about gut health is that it plays a huge role in immune function which we desperately need to overcome lyme.
I agree. A messed up gut = no immune function.
I couldn't handle A-BAB - not even half a drop. If you can, I'd try ramping up :-) Head pressure is also one of my most debilitating symptoms ...
quote:I'm in one of those not knowing what to do next type of traps.
I'm always in one of those traps. I practically live there .... I can relate.
Posted by Brussels (Member # 13480) on :
Me too, I'm with your for gut health. I had 20 years of candida and fungal in my gut and skin BEFORE I got lyme.
A destroyed gut is like going downwards. That was the MAIN reason I tried to avoid abx, because I knew how hard it was to heal my gut.
Destroy the gut, then get allergies, leaky gut, then no abx, no minerals, no food, NOTHING CAN COME INSIDE YOU.
I love the theory take abx first, even though your 'gut feeling' says it may be dangerous.
Some people with better gut health have NO IDEA what it is to struggle with food allergies, gut inflammation, and continuous candida and fungal infections, plus current diarrhea, and continous loss of weight.
I don't think everyone here has the CHOICE to go abx instead of herbs and other treatments.
I second Buhner's herbs, Cowden, homeopathics, photons, the tesla violet ray, anything that kills but preserves your gut as much as possible.
It is a frightening experience to keep loosing weight, still gaining new allergies and despite eating, lacking nutrition.
Good news: many people heal without abx! I did, my daughter did, and many do (read the success stories thread).
The problem is to find the good combination and keep changing the protocol.
Of course, in an emergency, I would go abx. But I know the amount of MONTHS it takes to heal from 2 weeks abx.
If you have a lot of gut health capital, of muscle and weight capital, you can take the chance, I suppose. I didn't.
Energy test for me, would be one of the best answers. Like ART from dr. K or another experienced LLMD.
You can test herb by herb, till you make a whole protocol for your symptoms, for example, without risking too much with your gut (on the contrary, it usually helps the gut, I mean, something like Buhner or Cowden for example).
Posted by Nula (Member # 38409) on :
I agree, Brussels. Not everyone has the choice between herbs and antibiotics. And it is very scary to keep losing weight.
quote:Destroy the gut, then get allergies, leaky gut, then no abx, no minerals, no food, NOTHING CAN COME INSIDE YOU.
Yeah, that's it in a nutshell!
Posted by Sammi (Member # 110) on :
To me many of your symptoms sound like Babesia. It sounds like you need to be treated.
Posted by tulips (Member # 44773) on :
I think taking doxy if you have gut issues might be difficult. I had slight gut issues and started taking Minocyclin and developed
gastritis so severe that I had to stop taking anything including herbs for about 3 months. Meanwhile the Lyme got worse and worse. Then I
did some research and started taking Marshmallow Root and Slippery Elm, both of which are healing for ulcers and gastritis. After my stomach got a
little better I added 1 Cats Claw in the a.m. and one in the p.m. which got rid of a lot of my Lyme symptoms. I still take that small dose of
Cats Claw which I find very gentle and easy to take. I use a powerful cats claw: NOW Cats Claw Extract which is a 10:1 concentrate and contains 1.5% Alkaloids. I follow Budners protocol as
described in "Healing Lyme" but I only take 2 herbs for Lyme M/W/F, 2 herbs for Babesia T/Th and 2 herbs for Bartonella on Sa/Su and I take
smaller quantities than recommended. I also take a lot of supplements to rebuild myself. You can PM me if you want to know which herbs I
take for each one. They work for me and I'm slowly getting better and better.
Everyone is different and that's what works for me. To stop diarrhea, I use Metamucil (half of what is recommended) and probiotics.
And by the way, NOW Saccharomyces Boulardii, supposedly, heals C-Diff - when you look it up under the Saccharomyces Boulardii customer feedback.