My doc just added rifampin to my doxy for Bart treatment a few days ago. She said it should help with my brain/cognitive problems. She also said my headache may come back around now.
No headache, but Wow! I've been angry today. I have A LOT to be angry at. I just wonder if these are my natural emotions asserting themselves because I've been too sick to process them.
I forced myself to grocery shop and they had this vaporizing machine for sale pumping CLOUDS of essential oils into part of the store (you could actually SEE the cloud). I have all kinds of respiratory problems (MCS, allergies, etc...) and couldn't breath.
I complained. I tried to explain that essential oils have VOCs and can irritate someone's lungs, and that I also have allergies. The lady defended the device and said it should help.
I got so mad, I said people are probably making themselves sick with it.
I don't know if I've just had it with people trying to sell crap or if it's the rifampin.
Posted by LSG Scott (Member # 21624) on :
no but the bart its treating does
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
LOL. I was wondering if it was a Bart flare. I'm new to Bart treatment. Thanks.
I'm just really having to catch myself. I can't tell if I'm being assertive or just super-angry (or both).
I feel like when I was a defensive teen.
Posted by Tbrown2 (Member # 42446) on :
I also take rifampin for bart and find myself getting pissed at situations similar to that. Then on a good day I couldnt care less.
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
Bartonella.
Good news is the rifampin is getting it. Hang with it- going on/ off rifampin made it ineffective for me.
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
Bart makes one angry. Spitting fire angry sometimes. Warn your loved ones.
Rifampin hits bart but it will all tick off the lyme bacteria. So it could be 1-2 punch.
You are looking at months and months. Relapse of bart after just a few months on it can result if you stop it before it's truly gone and dead.
Pam
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
Welcome to the strange land of bart endotoxins.
Everyone posted sound feedback, I agree.
Rifampin won't make you angry, but bart sure will.
My serious advice?
Ramp up the dose of rifampin slowly. My bart anger lasted 10 days straight. Atrocious head pain. If I had jumped to 600 mg right away I would have quit or hurt someone.
Give your loved ones a heads up that your responses may seem overboard to them for a while, but will pass.
Stock up on migraine meds, if you use them, and make sure whatever you take for insomnia, you have plenty on hand also.
Wear only slip on or pull on shoes from this point forward.
If you have socks or underwear that keep slipping down, or bunch up-throw those out, get some new ones.
Avoid busy parking lots.
I needed to go on Effexor when I started bart treatment. it really helped.
Don't be ashamed if you need some pharma help to get you through the bart treating phase.
Also, I noticed the "assertive" part of this made my thoughts impulsive, as well as occasionally reckless.
Just something to watch out for.
Hang in there, things do even out, and you will start to feel better. Rifampin really is a good one for bart. (doxy/ mino/ zith accompanying it of course)
Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :
Bart is the pits. Hang in there.
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
Wow, thank you everyone!!!! I don't have the energy to respond to everyone individually, but everything said hits a nerve (in a good way).
My vision is more blurred this morning too. Is that part of Bart???
I had this earlier on my treatment.
Greta: How do these help? All my socks slip. LOL
"Wear only slip on or pull on shoes from this point forward.
If you have socks or underwear that keep slipping down, or bunch up-throw those out, get some new ones. "
Map - Yep, I'm related to this on more often than I like. I'm forgetting my non-violent communication training which is scary:
"Spitting fire angry sometimes."
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
Hi Judie
On one of the bart days, I had an incident with a pair of socks that kept bunching into my sneaker.
It took my annoyance with my day from a "1" to about a "11" in 5 seconds or so.
Same with underpants. Nothing more annoying than moving around, with underpants doing their own thing.
Neff had a bart moment (Hope it's OK I'm sharing this, Neff), with a lace up shoe.
Those are fairly benign (in a non-bart world), but in a bart world those things will/could take your agitation over the edge.
At least they do for me.
And busy shops do that to me as well.
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
GretaM, great story on Neff. LMAO!
Pam
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
Yes. Pull on and slip on shoes for me always now.
Too many mornings bent over trying to tie the laces, sweating, running late for work, cats chasing the laces. Argh!
Once and only once did I have a good experience with lace up shoes.
Running late for work, sweating.
Bent down to tie them up, rushing to get out the door.
When I realized I didn't have any pants on.
I was leaving for work in underpants socks and shoes.
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
"I was leaving for work in underpants socks and shoes."
Yikes! Sounds like a bad dream Greta! I'm so glad you caught yourself before you walked out the door!
I'm finding myself forgetting stuff all day today.
At least I don't feel alone in this. LOL
Weirdest herx symptoms today (I'm totally flashing back to earlier in this illness).
Blurry vision and I need to lay down A LOT.
When I walk, it feels like I'm on a boat with VERY choppy water hitting it.
Posted by BobG (Member # 39642) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)