posted
I am again writing concerning our 27 year old daughter who has recently been diagnosed with LD.
It seems that she has more and more problems with her ability to think logically. I'm just not sure if its the LD or the medications shes taking from her Pain Management doctor.
I can't get her interested in reading about LD on this site or on any other. She doesn't seem to want to find out about the disease, the treatment or anything else.
Her speech is slurred, her short term memory is bad, her thought processes are just not right.
Can anyone speak to the difference between the symptoms of LD and the effects of pain meds like Norco, anti-anxiety meds like Colonopin, and anti-depressants like Zoloft???
Thanks in advance for your input.
Lyme Dad
Posts: 681 | From California | Registered: Oct 2005
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NP40
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6711
posted
Lymedad, may want to post this in the "Medical" forum, you'll get many more responses as it's heavy traffic in there.
She certainly exhibits symptoms of lyme, but, of the anti-depressent's as well. If she has lyme, abx will eventually fix the problems. Maybe a little more background would be helpful ?
How long has she been ill ? Symptoms ? Has she been diagnosed with lyme ? Is she being treated with abx ?
Posts: 1632 | From Northern Wisconsin | Registered: Jan 2005
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Oddly enough, I have Lyme disease AND have taken Norco, clonopin, and zoloft. So I figured I'd better respond!
My first and gut feeling as well as my experience with the meds is that these are absolutley Lyme symptoms foremost, but are probably exacerbated by the opiates, benzodiazapenes, and antidepressants she is taking.
I'm sure it must be frustrating to you that she doesn't seem interested in learning about LD, but I would bet her disinterest is just a symptom of the Lyme disease and the cognitive difficulties it causes.
I'm not sure what her situation is, but let me give you my opinion on pain meds and pain management doctors. If it is at all possible to treat her Lyme *without* opiates or Clonopin, then DO it.
And I am saying IF it's possible - I don't know what kind of pain she is in, but side effects from both meds can be extremely severe, especially in a body compromised by Lyme.
The opiates cause constipation, and if you are herxing, then the toxins have no place to go in your gut and they end up getting re-absorbed and it's a bit like poisoning yourself.
The clonopin in the long run can actually *cause* anxiety. Also both drugs are extremely addictive and can cause dependency or be difficult to come off of as I'm sure you know. Clonopin withdrawal can cause seizures, and I just think that's a bad combination with the neurological implications of Lyme. I speak from expereince.
Also, was the zoloft a prescription before she was diagnosed with Lyme? Since lyme has psychiatric symptoms I wonder if the use of the zoloft might be re-evaluated in the context of lyme.
I am just thinking out loud here based on my own experiences and again I know next to nothing about your daughter's situation so I may be way off base, but I wanted to offer whatever help I could.
I hope things work out the absolute best no matter what.
Cheers,
Alison
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The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer. --- Edward R. Murrow Posts: 923 | From California | Registered: Aug 2005
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I am so sorry to hear about all of the thing that your daughter is experiencing. My husband is the Lyme patient in our family, and I have had the same experience with him in regard to him not wanting to research and learn more about Lyme. Part of this is, I am sure, due to it not being the most uplifting reading, and when dealing with depression, it is tough enough without reading about all of this. So, I have done the research and learned for him, and he is extremely appreciative. If feel sure that when the depression is under control, when your daughter begins to feel better as a result of treatment, and when her thought processes improve, she will take more interest. Until then, do what you can to help, and she will love you for it.
Good luck, Dad. Nancy
Posts: 119 | From Southwest Florida | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
Depression is a symptom of lyme, and apathy results. Plus, if her brain is affected, her comprehension may be minimal. It can be very discouraging to try to read medical stuff when your brain isn't making heads or tails of it. Treatment may improve this to the point that she will go from no interest to lapping up every morsel she can find! Then you may have to pry her away from her computer.
Before I started treatment, I had a spell of brain fog so severe that I could not read at all. Looked at the page, couldn't figure it out, looked at individual words, couldn't figure out a single one. And I was so far gone that I said, oh well try some other time. Didn't even realize how serious it was.
As time went by there were other weird things, like seeing the wrong words, and spelling problems. These have all mostly disappeared now but my spelling is not as it used to be, and my memory not either. But then, I am still being treated and still infected.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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