i went to my non-llmd PCP today ( i have medicaid, im in college, no family, no money, best i can do for now)
and i was hoping to get some help or point me in the right direction with the persistent body pains still, as well as my concentration and mood swings..
she knows my pos. lyme test/history, treatment me for a month with oral antibotics (highest possible doses on amoxcillin and doxy), infectious disease doc diagnosis as Post-lyme Syndrome,
wont give me antibotics cause she said last month she was thinking Fibromyagia..gave me amitriplyine for nerve pain..took it for 2 weeks and it made me dizzy so i stopped..
this month, she says that i am basically psychologically screwing myself, i had a tramatic event, i am suffering from residual effects from that, but that i am OCD, A CONTROL FREAK(with my own life/body), and a diagnosis of mild to severe Bi-polar disorder, and mild to severe depression..
basically shes chalking all my phsyiological sypmtoms to psychological impairment.
i dont get it. im so confused, i was sent on my was with ativan and another script for wellbutrin xl which i take. i dont understand.
we talked about acupunture and chiropractic work, neither of which she recommends for my budget..pay without insurance.
oh, and shes leaving in june and will no longer be my physician.
whats the dilly yo?? am i bi-polar? this is insane. do i have a bi-polar diagnosis on top of lyme? should i be treated for that too? any suggestions?
i dont think physical thearpy is covered by wv medicaid either..im 22 i dont want to go thro summer hurting.i do bruhner protocol by the way. never been treated for any co-fections, she wont test for them.
Posted by Lisianthus (Member # 6631) on :
Good thing shes leaving in June maybe you'll get a doctor with a brain! Just me hoping, but I doubt the new one will be any better.
Bi polar is caused by lyme. One month of abx is NOT enough to kill Bb completely. Maybe you can print out Dr. B's guidelines and give it to the new doctor.
If not there are other ways you can treat yourself (HERBS) --- Cats Claw, Sarsaparilla, Rhodiola, Olive leaf Extract, and others.-- Opps sorry I missed that you were doing Buhners protocal. At least thats something.
Also it helps to have a healthy diet... No MSG, Aspartame and chemicals.
Good luck, Lisi
Posted by wilsongal22 (Member # 11210) on :
Funny you should ask. We talked about Bi-polar disorder in my Psychology class today.
I don't know anything about you, but from the pst I woulnd't say you are bi-polar. From what my teacher described it is much more than mood swings.
But, I am not a doctor. I hope you get better and hope you can find a better doctor! Feel Better!
[ 30. April 2007, 08:22 PM: Message edited by: wilsongal22 ]
Posted by Cobweb (Member # 10053) on :
If you've been hanging around lymenet then I think you probably already know one month is not enough. You should also know that going to anyone but an LLMD is a waste of time and money when treating lyme. My LLMD says she's heard every possible psyche diagnosis for her lyme patients, when it all boils down to lyme. You're also going to need a heafty dose of patience, especially since your current doc seems to be a bit closed minded about lyme.It may be a blessing she's leaving. Look at Dr. B's guidelines, and with Pos. Lyme test in hand-try to educate a new doc, if you cannot get to an LLMD.
Carol
Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
I have a son with bipolar disorder, so I'm pretty familiar with it. However I would need to know more about your mood swings, how far they go, how you feel, what you do, during those periods.
Do you stay awake for days on end, seeming to not need sleep? That's one sign of mania. Do you have grandiose thoughts that are not realistic? Do you think you are capable of super human things?
How long do your mood swings last? Is it hours, days weeks, months? What about your depression. How bad does it get? How long does it last?
In my opinion you really need a mental health professional (psychiatrist) to make this dx, not a PCP. There are too many nuances for someone who isn't a specialist in the field.
Posted by pattilynn (Member # 8065) on :
She's not a psychiatrist so IMO she is not qualified to diagnose that condition no matter what the cause is. That's not a diagnosis to be taken lightly. It stays on your permanent record forever and can affect the way your physicians care for you. I would get an opinion from someone who is qualified to tell you.
Posted by shazdancer (Member # 1436) on :
And bipolar-like symptoms (esp. rapid-cycling) can be from Lyme. Treat the Lyme, and the symptoms will go away.
Posted by savebabe (Member # 9847) on :
One month of abx is not long enought to treat lyme disease. It took IV treatment for my psych symptoms to go away. Before aggressive treatment I had severe anxiety, depression and OCD. This disease hits the brain hard, and only abx treatment will help. I agree with other lyme posters that you need to print out Dr. B's guidelines and have your doc read them. Maybe then they will understand and try to help. Feel better.
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
Hope, you may have OCD and/or Bi-poloar disorder, but don't let your doc fool you into thinking they are the CAUSE of your problems. Just the opposite is true.
This is a great 2-page brochure put out by ILADS. I printed it out for my psychologist. I could tell by the look on her face that she was shocked to find that a phsycial disease like Lyme could cause all these psychological disorders....
One of the few fun things about Lyme is that every now and then you get a chance to "enlighten a professional".
Tracy
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
A bi-polar presentation is also the classic presentation of late-stage alcoholism as well as possibly Lyme-related!!!
But you sound very Lymey!!!!!!!!!!! And one month of tx? She is clearly not a LLMD!!!
Find a LLMD*)!!! Get better*))!!! Best wishes, Sarah
Posted by Hope4Better (Member # 10075) on :
for the last 3 years i have felt an overwhelming 3 months on 3 months off...by that i mean, 3 months of what i thought was "good luck" i was in a good
spot..then 3 months of "bad luck"..not feeling so great, depression, things in life not going so well, finacial problems..
i just thought this was the pulls of the universe, the seasons, my life.
ive been relapsing that long. and also got reinfected last summer, when all my symptoms reaally came out.
like i said, i have nnnnnnnoooo money, i have no finacial help. so medicaid in the best i can do for now while in college.
i applied for SSD and got denied because i can work a cash register.
i dont believe im seriously bi-polar.
i think i have lyme induced adult ADD and depression...would that manfest like bi-polar?
also, how do you FIND doctors in your area, i cant seem to find it through google or anyhing like that, do u need a referel?
Posted by Truthfinder (Member # 8512) on :
Hope, there are no LLMDs or Lyme-friendly docs near you in WV that I am aware of. You would probably have to look in Maryland or VA.
Post a thread in the Seeking Doctors section of this forum - be sure to put what state(s) you are in or close to.
Yeah, the money thing is an issue for a lot of people, and perhaps others have suggestions on that.
Is there any "mental health" counseling available though the college? I just wonder if it might help you to talk to some kind of counselor about what your PCP said about the bi-polar issue. Obviously, it has you concerned....
Tracy
Posted by hopeful123 (Member # 3244) on :
just to repeat what has already been said. i pcp has no business diagnosing a mental illness unless it's a relatively common one like "simple" depression. otherwise, the only thing you need is how to figure how to better work the system so you have more choices about your medical care. i wish i could be more specific, however, you seem to know that bi-polar illness is not your problem.
i wish you luck in finding someone who will aggressively treat your lyme and still be in the medicaid system. i was on medicaid several years back and i know it's quite difficult to find someone.
DON'T GIVE UP!!!!
Posted by yourtroubl (Member # 11087) on :
Hope4better, please call Dr. here in Hurricane that I told you about. He believes in Lyme. He first started his career as a Psychiatrist, so if he thinks you have mental issue he can tell you that too.
I feel so good after seeing him. He is calm and patient and knows what he is doing. He wont ignore your physical or mental well being.
Posted by bejoy (Member # 11129) on :
From Lymednv: "Do you stay awake for days on end, seeming to not need sleep? That's one sign of mania. Do you have grandiose thoughts that are not realistic? Do you think you are capable of super human things?"
Ditto.
Check with someone you are close to and find out their thoughts about you and the above. If you don't have the above symptoms, then I'd say its probably cycling lyme symptoms.
Doctors are famous for labeling medical issues as purely psychological in nature when they don't know how to diagnose or treat the problem.
Posted by perplexed (Member # 1913) on :
Well, this is certainly an interesting post. I have bipolar ll, which was diagnosed in 2003. I would seek the help of your mental health department within your community where you are living. Let a professional diagnose you and not this physician.
Yes I suffer with this and depression, panic and anxiety attacks and other non mental issues. All these are the result of Lyme disese which I contracted in 1972!!! I have late stage lyme now, and it is important for you to seek treatment and advice as soon as possible. See a good LLMD.
Good Luck
Hugs Perplexed Posted by Hope4Better (Member # 10075) on :
yourtorubl
how far is hurricane from shepherdstown?? and do u know if your doc accepts wv medicaid??
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