posted
I am still trying to understand exactly what "herxing" is, and if "neuro" lyme has specific herxing symptoms.
Out of the past 6 weeks of treatment, I have had maybe 2 weeks of feeling good and the rest of the time ranging from feeling bad to feeling almost like I am having a breakdown.
Althout my symptoms are sometimes physical, they are mostly neuro. I just got back from a cross country trip and felt seriously like I was having a breakdown yesterday. Crying, difficulty remembering, couldn't organize my thoughts at all, neck pain, headache etc.
I had this before I left, as a matter of fact I have been feeling crappy for 2 weeks or more. Yesterday I really felt like I almost needed to check myself into a facility. I am better today but it took two weeks of feeling worse and worse until yesterday.
Does that sound like herxing for neuro lyme? I can't stand it anymore, I can't plan on anything. I can't count on being able to function.
I just don't think I understand what to expect during recovery, and I am losing hope.
Thanks
-------------------- Tick bite in 2006, bullseye rash, treated with 2 rounds of 2 weeks of doxy. (once in 2006, once in 2009) Dx with chronic Lyme May 2011. LLMD April 2012, Treating with omnicef/zith Lots of supplements! Posts: 640 | From Connecticut | Registered: Apr 2011
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posted
That is exactly how my herxing went for me. It was horrible for days at a time and while on treatment I began to have more good days. Eventually, you will get back on track and feel "normal" again.
Posts: 157 | From connecticut | Registered: Feb 2007
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philly78
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 31069
posted
I still don't really understand herxing all that well. I didn't think I really experienced it but looking back over my symptoms chart and how I was feeling during the past few months, I think I did experience psychological/mental herxing.
It does appear to happen every four weeks where I will get extremely irritable and very emotional. I also get very tired and my back pain worsens.
During the month of may, this lasted approximately 2 weeks. But then I felt pretty good for the next two weeks. Then, 2 weeks later, in June, I had the same thing happen. Emotional, irritable, short tempered and a very low frustration level with some depression. Lasted almost two weeks again....12 days.
It is now July and the same thing has started roughly 4 days ago. I'm extremely moody and am crying for no reason. I went to see my LLMD on Monday and he asked me how I was doing and my eyes filled with tears!
This disease can be rough, especially the mental/psychological aspects of it. I have days where I feel like I am going crazy.
You should try to keep track of your symptoms. As time goes on, you may start to notice them lessening in severity and on the bad days, you can look back over your chart to see your progress.
Progress is slow for me, but it is there and that keeps me hopeful.
Feel better pme!
-------------------- When faced with pain you have two choices....either quit and accept the circumstances, OR make the decision to fight with all the resources you have at your disposal. Posts: 1000 | From PA | Registered: Mar 2011
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desertwind
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 25256
posted
Well any sort of chronic illness can lead to these feelings and may or may not be related to lyme/herxing.
Some mental/psych. things are cyclical in nature and the stress of dealing with chronic lyme places so much stress on us that it takes it toll.
I have a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and have seen this in my practice many times with chronically ill clients. Chronic pain syndrome can and does cause many emotional symptoms to wax and wane. Some have a illness /biological component and some do not.
Bottom line is there are many secondary losses to having lyme and some days your defenses just can't hold it in and it comes out in various forms.
I have neuro lyme and after a 4 month abx. break and feeling normal I am back on meds - the lyme and my emotional reaction to it is what makes up my emotional gestalt. I do not think it is just one or the other. The two have a somewhat symbiotic relationship.
Posts: 1671 | From Tick Infested New Jersey | Registered: Apr 2010
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posted
My son is recovering from severe psychiatric and neurologic Lyme and Bartonella.
After he started abx, he had periods of such severe herxing that if I hadn't been prepared, I would have taken him to the ER.
Specifically, with the worst of it, he was so confused, so tremulous, so "out of it", so shaky, that I had to help him bathe. He's 21! At the time, he couldn't even hold a glass to drink from.
He also suffered increased agitation, confusion, lethargy, exhaustion in waves that came in hours, and sometimes days. He had full blown panic attacks, agitated periods, mood swings, disorientation....the works.
I'm happy to report that he is in his sixth month of treatment now and has not had a panic attack in weeks; has much more energy; lower overall anxiety; more stable mood; clearer mentation; no more tremors or shakiness.
For which I very grateful to the good Lord, our good doctor, and this good community.
Susie
Posts: 234 | From albany, ny | Registered: Mar 2011
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I have neuro-Lyme and haven't started teatment yet.
Already have frequent panic attacks that are hard to take.
I still have no diagnosis even (my regular doc won't give one, after years of neurological problems, joints, aches, stiff neck, insomnia, colits, and now the memory loss, double vision, panik attacks, mood swings, plus sweats and sore feet after coming of the short doxy dose for my EM rash - Babesia and Bart...) and have to got to work every morning at 4 am.
This forum is keeping me going and helps to reduce fear by knowing where to go and what to expect.
-------------------- Persistence, persistence, persistence!!! "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence... Persistence and determination are omnipotent." attributed to Calvin Coolidge Posts: 599 | From USA | Registered: Jun 2011
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