He talks about bartonella patients having a lot of irritability, as well as seizure activity and CNS involvement. I don't know that the word irritability exactly describes what I have, but I have a level of hypersensitivity that has gotten so extreme over the years it has been almost impossible for me to find patients with similar symptoms.
I go into seizure-like states of feeling like my whole system has shorted out -- sometimes to the point that I literally can't move or speak for a period of time because I'm so neurologically taxed or having myoclonic seizures -- from being around people even for any length of time. The stimulation is just too great on my system.
Because of this, I have to be alone almost all of the time, can't have a roommate, can only see the person I'm dating every 2 weeks or so, and can't have any social life because human contact is so exhausting and makes me so sick. I hate this as I used to be a very social person.
It feels like a really extreme level of CNS irritability. On a lesser scale, I'm just so irritable almost all of the rest of the time. The irritability feels really seizure-y in my brain.
Does anyone else have irritability that also includes a broader complex of hypersensitivity (really extreme reactions to light, sound, stimulation, human contact, etc.?). What happens?
What are other manifestations of irritability in those with bart?
Have treatments helped with these symptoms?
Posts: 929 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Oct 2007
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Clarissa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4715
posted
I have a very low threshold for other people but in more of a Jekyl/Hyde kind of way.
I'm either super nice, sweet, kind, caring, funny, social OR
reclusive, angry, bitter, impatient, rageful, depressed and anxious.
It was these symptoms that caused me to revisit my TBD's. I treated Lyme 5 years ago and was doing really well except for the symptoms listed above.
Cut to 2007: Diagnosed with Bart. I've been on abx for 3 months and have had total exacerbation of all of the negative emotions. I can barely stand being around people.
The ringer on the phone makes my skin crawl...I walk my dogs at night to avoid other people because I have inappropriate feelings of rage and insecurity.
It is slowly getting better but I'm happy to finally be addressing these issues because they've always been an under current in my life and have effected many of my personal relationships.
I'm looking forward to having a more balanced and reliable personality (for myself and others).
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