posted
This morning when I got out of bed and had my usual terrible head-rush (I lose vision for about 5 seconds), I realized that what I've been interpreting and tracking as fatigue, is actually feeling faint, like I'm going to lose consciousness, which I actually have a lot of experience with. It was kind of an "AH HA!" moment.
I've had extremely low blood pressure, a slow heart rate, and been prone to fainting ever since college (LLMD thinks I may have been initially infected around that time, and then again last year), but it has become significantly worse since I began treatment, which was a couple of weeks ago.
Mornings are the worst. I feel like I constantly have to breathe deeply to get through the beginning sensations of fainting. My heart pounds, I think to compensate. It feels terrible. Even standing up from a sitting position triggers a headrush with dimming vision.
I've been hoping to see some indications of herxing, just to prove to myself that I'm on the right track, and also to discover what co-infections I have since my LLMD didn't do testing, and would love to know if this faint feeling is possibly related to anything specific, or shared by anyone.
I have also been having frequent bone and shin pain, so I wonder if this could be Bart, or if it's the Lyme or maybe even something else.
I know fatigue and whatnot can be side-effects of the drugs (nystatin, plaquenil, biaxin and doxy right now) but I've also read a bit about Dysautonomia and POTS, which sound really familiar, and would love to hear from others with these conditions if this sounds similar to their experience...if this is just beneficial herxing, or if it's "of concern", and I should really go bug my LLMD.
Thanks! Posts: 63 | From Catskills, NY | Registered: Mar 2012
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posted
You may want to let your doctor know about this. But do realize that a herx means you will have an intensification of current symptoms or the popping up of new Lyme (or co's) symptoms.
Sounds like an intensification to me.
Get up slowly and keep a check on your BP!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Hypoglycemia?
Try eating a healthful snack about 9 pm - something like a cup of zucchini or other green vegetables - with olive oil and SEA SALT.
Garden herbs to season, rather than any hot spice for that time of day.
If a drop in blood pressure from standing, that can be a few similar things (ortostatic, NMH, POTS) . . . A 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in a full glass of water first thing in the morning should help.
Adrenal support also helps with blood pressure stability. Ashwaganda, B-5, Eleutherococcus, . . . -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
I have this really bad right now, and thought it was my usual POTS/OI (which I'm diagnosed with), but then the other day I ate a quick sweet carbohydrate snack in the midst of it and suddenly felt a lot less faint. So now I'm thinking sometimes it's blood sugar-related, and wondering if the meds could contribute to blood sugar fluctuations somehow?
Posts: 929 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
Yes. I was thinking this too. It definitely started being much worse than usual when I began the drugs. I'm fine when I'm moving (I guess when my heart rate is keeping pressure up), but when I sit I feel like I could easily pass out at any moment.
Plus, there's the diet. I've nearly cut all carbohydrates out, and I think this might very well be affecting blood sugar. If you take someone with naturally low blood pressure and add low blood sugar, it makes sense we'd be feeling a little faint!
I'm hoping to increase my intake of fresh vegetables now that the summer is under way. Hopefully that will give me good, healthy carbs and the jolt I need.
Posts: 63 | From Catskills, NY | Registered: Mar 2012
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posted
I was diagnose wit POTS by a tilt test about 10yrs ago and have taken a small dose of fludrocortisone 2x per day. My LLMD thinks that I have had the lyme for so long that it started the POTS.
The only thing that helps me is to drink 1/2 my body weight in ounces,don't drink just h2o because you can have h2o intoxication.
You can replace the carbohydrates you stopped by eating any type of winter and summer squash and fesh corn. If you eat them you are getting plenty of natural carbohydrates.
SO DRINK DRINK AND DRINK IT REALLY HELPS !!!!!
Posts: 109 | From Western Massachusetts | Registered: Aug 2011
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posted
I never got to the point of fainting really, or at least I don't think it was a real faint.
But these two times, I got out of bed (on different days) and I had a terrible faint-like feeling and dizziness and I passed out in the bathroom, banging my head against the door. I though it wasn't a real faint. (when I got up from the floor, both times, I felt as if I stayed there only for one or two minutes maximum.
posted
Alex - that's fainting! Most people are only out for a few seconds, even being out for a whole minute is very rare and I believe would indicate some sort of emergency. It typically means that your blood pressure has gotten low enough that there isn't enough blood (and therefore oxygen) in your head to maintain consciousness. Lying down fixes it, which is of course what automatically happens when we fall down! Then things equalize and we wake up.
My fainting spells began after a curious, unexplained bout of Bell's Palsy in college. My LLMD thinks (and I agree) it's extremely possible that I was first infected then.
Last year I also had a bathroom episode, I was propped up against the wall (never fell over), so I was in this awful state of suspended agony before I came out of it, covered in sweat with strong tinnitus.
Interesting that 'manybites' found this to be related to babesia.
Yes - TTLav - I believe dehydration definitely contributes. I've had one doozy of a day (fourth day of doxy, and I overdid activity yesterday, so I am really feeling it), I've been so out of it I've barely drank anything, so I'm definitely going to go grab a couple glasses of water.
Posts: 63 | From Catskills, NY | Registered: Mar 2012
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