posted
For many years I have had a flu feeling without any fever or the other things that go with a real flu. My body just had a all over weakness and flu achiness. This is not a pain type of achy but it is very miserable. I didn't know I had lyme until about a year ago. I have been on antibiotics for about 6 months and the last round seem to be what helped the most. It was 10 days of quinine and clindiamycin then 10 days of plaquenil and biaxin xl. The bixian xl made me feel very weird at first and then it helped the most. I was under a lot of stress because of my husband changing jobs and selling our house and all the moving stuff. It should have set me back but my energy was better and the flu like weakness didn't bother me any. Now for the past three weeks it is back. I thought I had gained some ground and now I feel very bad. I get herpes on my tailbone and it is recurring and the all over weakness is very bad.
I was to start flagyl next but I had been putting it off until a few days ago so I started a very small sliver of a pill.
I just need to ask if this weak feeling is something that others feel very often?
I know that flue like is mentioned sometimes but for me this is something that started in 1987 and sometimes will last for weeks. Ultram will give relief for the achy but not much with the weak feeling.
Does this sound like it is from the lyme or something else? I have all the virus that are mentioned with chronic fatigue syndrome but most of them are IGG. These are Epstein Barr, Cytomegalovirus, and HH6.
My western blot had 10 bands on both the IGG and IGM when it was done a year ago.
Please reply to this. I have ask before but I don't know if others feel it like I do.
travis
Posts: 29 | From south | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Absolutely! I have had this "flu" since 1984. It is horrible and you can't really define it..My dghters tell me it's the thirty year flu cause they've heard me complain of it since they were old enough to understand speach.
Mine has progressed to almst complete disability. I blame babesia for a lot of it, but the flu is always there....
Posts: 740 | From BC Canada | Registered: Mar 2003
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SForsgren
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7686
posted
Post your Western Blot results or message me privately with them. They should be pretty telling.
-------------------- Be well, Scott Posts: 4617 | From San Jose, CA | Registered: Jul 2005
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HEATHERKISS
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posted
Feelin' flueish right now.
-------------------- HEATHER
Posts: 1974 | From ABERDEEN, NJ 07747 | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
if your feeling bad three weeks after finishing a course of abx, ask your doc if this could be a rebound of your immune system. this could be a manifestation of an immune syst. clean up, and residual side-effects of abx. i'd go with the former statement on imm. syst. rebound.
ask your doc if taking flagyl and any other imidazole abx, if these would cause an outbreak of herpetic, and other viruses. check drug lit. for this. also, which, if any abx that you've had would cause viral outbreaks, and what you can do about it; in some, if not many cases, valtrex and other anti-herpetic meds. would be of great benefit, the degree to which one is infected. this is what i read. i have no experience with anti-herpetic meds. if an outbreak now, and you take an imidazole abx, ask your doc if this would exasperate existing herpetic infections. my opinion is yes, but i'm not a healthcare person.
Posts: 2708 | Registered: Feb 2005
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riversinger
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4851
posted
The kind of flu like achiness and weakness you are describing can be seen in many chronic illnesses, and is certainly commonly seen in Lyme.
They believe it is due to a cytokine response to pathogens, which can be bacterial, viral, or chemical in nature. Your body responds, but the chemistry causes symptoms.
I have had this for many years, sometimes for months at a time. getting overtired would intensify it, as would chemical exposures. It is also something I feel sometimes when starting a new antibiotic.
Sometimes, when stress levels are very high, like during the time that you were moving, and the hubby was changing jobs, your cortisol levels go up, and you feel better. Cortisol is natural prednisone, and it has antiinflammatory effects, reducing pain. This is how nature designed us to escape from dangerous situations.
But it doesn't last, and once the cortisol levels drop, then you feel the chemistry it was protecting you from. All of the sudden, you realize you pushed yourself too hard.
Just a possiblity of what could have happened. If this is the case, you will get back to where you were before the move, it will just take some time.
posted
Thank you all for letting me know that this is not just me.
I know that when I was being told Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (I know that is a catch all) that flu like would be mentioned.
I just never knew if what I feel is the same as others.
I don't know if I can say just how bad this feeling is. When I try to read about immune system things it is to complicated so Riversinger when you mentioned the cytokine response is there any ting to take that feeling away?
I see articles that mention cytokines but I don't understand what they are.
I had a phone appt with the nurse and I am going back to the previous antibiotics. There was something in the Biaxin XL that made me feel better after the first few days.
It was a strange drug for me but I think it was the most helpful. After having this since 1987 it is so hard to have hope. I have many other symptoms and through the years some things passed and new ones came on. I know pain is a problem for most people but this flu weakness is more unbearble than the pain.
Thanks again for letting me know that this is a lyme thing and I am not the only one.
travis
Posts: 29 | From south | Registered: Dec 2005
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riversinger
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4851
posted
Travis,
Most therapies for cytokine change is somewhat complex, but there are a few easy things.
Epsom salt baths, vitamin C, and magnesium are all known to help bring things back into balance. Some people get Meyer's push, which is a nutritional IV.
Rest is the most important thing you can do for yourself. Take care, i hope your recovery doesn'ttake too long.
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