posted
The rashes keep coming as I continue to take Dr. Z's HH. They started on my legs, but now they are on my back and next to my armpits. I have a patch of hair missing on my left leg that lost hair since starting treatment (I'm a guy). There were sores up my shins too, but these look to be healing. The rashes are still on my shins, but harder to spot. This is all good news, but the anxiety chest pain is absolutely terrible. I woke up at about 7 AM this morning shivering and in extreme chest pain. 600 mg of Ibuprofen took away about 70% of the chest pain, and I was able to sleep for a few more hours after taking a hot bath to warm me. I can only take 2 HH pills a day right now. 3 just made the whole day way too stressful. Dr. Z's herbs really do work. I herxed with a fever at my non-LLMD's doctors office before these rashes started appearing. The fever went away within a couple hours.
Now is there anything better than benzos for anxiety? I took as much as 8 mg yesterday and I was still crawling out of my skin. Of course if I had none I'd be having never ending panic attacks (which happened in the past on other medications).
I do feel I need something stronger. I am on 3 brands. Xanax works the fastest, and Ativan works the best. I don't particularily like Klonopin (it sedates me to much, and makes me more anxious at higher doses) but I take .5 mg at night. It's unstoppable anxiety. For whatever reason these bugs like to play tricks on your gaba, especially during treatment. I take as much as I need to feel safe and panic free (although I am still getting minor ones) for now. I know all about benzo addiction, so I don't need a lecture there. I am taking my meds as prescribed.
I was prescribed Geodon (an atypical anti-psychotic), but I didn't like the pharmacology and dangerous side effects of the drug, so I never tried it.
"Typical symptoms in those with Bartonella and Borrelia (unlike the Bartonella that results from Cat Scratch disease) include ice pick-like headaches, major photophobia, anxiety or psychiatric issues, and even bi-polar symptoms. Neuropathy, reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) or autism may also manifest, as well as significant cardiac or gut problems. The non-blanching ``streaks'' that some people find on their skin may also be a telling symptom. Some argue that plantar fascial pain is found in both Babesia and Bartonella, but I think that it is more related to Bartonella. In any case, whenever extreme anxiety is patients' overriding symptom and is found in conjunction with neuropathic symptoms, such as burning pain, then I suspect that a Bartonella-like organism is causing these symptoms."
I've mentioned my ice pick headaches on this board before, and to my doctor, but I never connected it to Bartonella. The headaches are short (a few seconds usually), and feels like someone stabs you in the head with an icepick at random times. It's horrific pain that only lasts seconds. Gut issues are terrible too, but a gluten-free sugar-free diet helped some.
I don't have burning pain or neuropathy. However, after starting treatment I had a couple bouts of stabbing pain in my heels that only lasted minutes. Otherwise, my feet have never bothered me.
I never heard of anyone here having such severe bart, and I questioned it myself (since all tests negative) until I started breaking out in bart rashes.
I am the only one that I can find doing solo treatment for Bart with Dr. Z's HH. If you have what I have, believe me, it's powerful stuff. The rashes are fascinating.
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
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karenl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17753
posted
I was on 15 HH for 2 years, never got any rashes or anxiety. Who diagnosed the bartonella? Do you have any bartonella IGG or IGM? Or the Fry bug? I have little red and black dots. Did you call Dr. Z?
Posts: 1834 | From US | Registered: Oct 2008
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posted
kday, i just skimmed your post because I'm feeling rotten today BUT I hear that rifampin (abx) can really help Bart anxiety. Also my LLMD gave me inderal (a betablocker) for anxiety. Performers often use it for stage fright. Licorice root tea has a very calming effect on me but not sure if it works on panic. There's a breathing exercise by a group called Coherance. Slows breathing down--do for 20 minutes 2 x day. And of course, no caffeine or stimulatory substances, right?
I had a crawling out of skin feeling caused by an abx i was taking because I have a sensitivity to it. Maybe you're adding more panic/anxiety with some pill you're taking? Or could be some other food or other sensitivity/allergy.
Posts: 702 | From North Eastern USA | Registered: Dec 2009
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posted
PM me your email if you want to see the various rashes I've had since treatment. If it helps my symptoms are:
Extreme bottom foot pain (like walking on mush) Burning/tingling neuropathy in hands/feet/lips Twitching Mental disconnect/radical mood changes
But again I would be happy to email you or anyone else my pics, see if they help.
Posts: 501 | From Cleveland Ohio | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
I had a clinical diagnosis of Bartonella. Maybe the 15 HH didn't cause any rashes or anxiety because you do not have what I have or you were treating the wrong thing. It's mostly non-toxic so if you had no reaction, most likely it would do nothing. Rifampin sent me into hypothermia at 93 degrees with extreme confusion. I won't touch that stuff again. Doxy and Cipro caused extrene panic. When starting antibiotics, the fever (herx) and the panic came around the same time. I stayed on Cipro for maybe 1.5 months, but I believe it caused neuro/cognitive side effects that lasted a few months.
I called Dr. Z last week and he told me to take 1 pill a day if I can't stand it. I have been taking 2, and bumping it up to 3 today. Dr. Z sells the double potency stuff, but he told me that if I have the pathogen, regular HH should suit me well. I believe he sells the double strength because a doctor in (Florida?) wanted him to.
If you are taking 15, I think you are taking the wrong medication. Did you initially get short fevers like I did when taking HH?
I am on no stimulatory substances, and breathing exercises don't help much at all. When the effects of the HH wear off and I if I am not floating around with leftover neurotoxins, there is a sigh of relief.
At this point, I don't need a lab to confirm my diagnosis. I am developing stretch marks and weird rashes, and along with the fever I initially had, I think that's enough of a confirmation. Don't get me wrong, my anxiety may be more intense, but my hope is way up now.
[ 01-31-2010, 08:28 PM: Message edited by: kday ]
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
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posted
Oh, and by the way, when this all started.....
HUGE swollen lymph nodes in my pelvic area with an open swollen lesion. I became tachycardic for months with a heart rate over 100. Pelvic area initially very sore to touch so I could only wear pajama bottoms. Previously I was mountain biking 20-30 miles a day in California (amongst other outdoor activities).
Serology: Bartonella panel PCR negative through LabCorp. Tested for tons of infectious diseases by LLMD through LabCorp, most negative and some positive IgG's weren't a concern. Current CD57: 42
Igenex IFA and Western Blot CDC positive.
Never had a Western Blot through a conventional lab. Diagnosed by a local N.D. in California after 9 months (shoot, I forget but think it was 9 months). Didn't know anything about Lyme at the time, but that's what she wanted to test me for just by reading my first visit questionnaire. After someone told me to get tested for Lyme (a co-worker from the east coast), I actually asked for a Lyme Test at my previous doctor, and she ordered the ELISA. Negative.
I think Bart is a bigger problem than Lyme now. A lot of Lyme symptoms disappeared. I had depression earlier in my life, but really had no idea what anxiety or panic attacks were until after I got sick.
Some of my first panic attacks showed low potassium (out of range), elevated Bilirubun, and there were numbers that were slightly out of range that indicated a bacterial infection that I don't know off the top of my head. The E.R. docs didn't mention anything about my labs. The worst panic attacks I had were a heart rate of about 200 bpm, and blood pressure of 240/160. They were actually concerned treated me like I was going to have a heart attack or stroke.... and I'm 23 years old. I had an X-Ray, an echo, aspirin, nitrates, and several E.R. docs telling the staff what to do. They evaluated everything in the matter of minutes.
Of course when I came back, they pulled out their anxiety flags and blamed it all on me.
Before starting doxy, I rarely needed a benzo. 1 mg of Ativan was usually enough to stop a panic attack that would otherwise last hours. I didn't take it very often at all. However, I was bedridden sick, sleeping about 16 hours a day. I had to drop my winter job at a ski resort even though I liked doing it. I had a free ski pass that I used 3 times because I felt too dizzy and winded to snowboard. The previous year, I went nearly 90 times and even broke my shoulder. I'd be working for an hour, and then tell my manager I needed to go home since I felt sick. This became repetitive, so I quit. I edited television shows, but eventually I had to quit that too. I couldn't sit for so long without feeling terrible. I tried to convince myself that I was ok in the summer and wanted to work for this rafting company again. That job lasted one day before I quit. Oh, and there was a time where I was feeling a little better so I bought a pull-up bar. Bad decision.
Now I live with my parents in ugly Texas (sorry to those who think it's pretty). The only time I ever remember being bit was here in TX several times walking my dog through tick-infested trails. I was bitten by a nymph as well in TX after I got sick (didn't know I had Lyme). For those in North Texas, the Grapevine Lake hiking trails are infested with ticks. My dog got a few at a time when hiking there.
-Kyle
[ 01-31-2010, 08:22 PM: Message edited by: kday ]
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
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posted
Woke up out of sleep this morning feeling extremely toxic and had the feeling of doom. Horrible feeling. Anyway, I took my antioxidants that get rid of the feeling of doom, and after the antioxidants got in my bloodstream, I easily went back to sleep. For me, if I am toxic, the antioxidants are as powerful as a couple mg of benzos, but the benzos don't get rid of the toxic feeling of doom. I tried to explain this to my psychiatrist, and I think I just look crazier and crazier.
Rashes on shins looking better. Rashes on my back are about the same. Rashes by my armpits actually disappeared.
I am feeling pretty sick today. I drugged myself more than usual mornings. I'm really trying to be tough though.
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feelfit
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12770
posted
kday-
Thanks for your reports....very interesting. You do know, and I assume that your psych told you that 'normal panic attacks' don't last for very long.....
certainly not an all day thing and are usually controlled by waaaay less than 8mg. of benzo's.
I can sympathize with you re: the gut wrenching anxiety....it is organic i.e. caused by your infection and not by a psychiatric component....
Keep up the fight, you're obviously hitting the Bart as evidenced by your rashes...good luck and Bart be gone!
Feelfit
Posts: 3975 | From usa | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
Turns out that I probably have food poisoning. Accidentally ate a raw piece of turkey bacon last night. When I noticed, I didn't let it bother me, but recognized there was a possibility of a bacteria infection. For some reason, I assumed it was pre-cooked. Nope.
Symptoms: Water diarrhea all day, more fatigue.
However, anxiety is down, and I was able to sleep much of the day. Wondering if I should see a doctor or just wait to see if it passes. Salmonella seems most likely from what I read. I live sick, and water diarrhea isn't much to complain about for me compared to everything else..
Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
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posted
Food poisoning is getting better I think. Water diarrhea this morning, but fatigue is better.
However, unrelated, my brain was tripping out today after noon. Extrea benzos didn't touch it, but thank god it only lasted 1.5 hours. Blood pressure 115/65, but I don't like bad trips. It felt like one side of my brain shut down. I've noticed more stretch marks, but all of them are very mild compared to the pictures you find on google images. My big rash is less noticeable, but it grew (left side of back). It's takes up half of my back snd left shoulder. I'm not sure what to call this rash. It doesn't hurt.
Have a bit of eczema now I think (but it doesn't itch so bad). Using coconut oil instead of steroids. I remember eczema as a kid itching a lot, but this eczema doesn't itch or only mildly itches (depending on the spot). Haven't asked a doctor, but I assume that's what it is, because I had a patch before the meds. I did use a steroid to make it go away that time.
The right side of my neck hurts and is a bit swollen. It feels like a muscle, and I think it may be from our car accident yesterday. We got rear-ended at a stop by a Pickup truck driving about 45 mph. I'm not sure. I think it might be worth getting it checked out for insurance reasons. I need help with medical expenses. Posts: 967 | From A deserted island without internet access | Registered: Sep 2009
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