posted
I was wondering if anyone here has experienced gyno and gastro issues due to lyme, or at least since lyme symptoms started.
I have had for the past few weeks some strange gyno issues. Period cramps but no period, pain in pelvic region, bloating back pain, severe gas, stomach growls and rumbles really loud, pellet like stools with mucus and undigested food in stools, and strange vaginal discharge (clear with a bad odor in the region).
Also burning while urinating, and general discomfort. I have taken ibuprofen to no avail. I see a gyno in a week but i am not sure if they will be able to find much.
It is so hard to pinpoint issues, especially gastro vs gyno as some overlap, and i just feel so disheartened. I am seeing a new LLMD and the wait is 3 months.
I feel like my health is declining and i will never get better, or something really bad is going on in my system.
I also got recent lab tests back which show excessive b12 in my system. This concerned me as i know it can point towards liver and kidney problems or some cancers. I just feel so down right now, and i feel constantly in pain.
Any feedback or support would be greatly appreciated. I don't know why i always think the worst when it comes to a symptom but i do. Cancer runs in my family and i am convinced i have it.
I don't know if the lyme can cause exaggerated fears but i am always feeling this way.
I also did 23andme testing and got recommended supplements for mutations, but the s-acetyl glutathione i take seems to give me severe stomach pain.
I am not sure if this is just a coincidence of timing, but it seems like since i have started taking after i do my stomach pains get worse.
I also read 23andme is no way to really tell if genes are expressing in your system and supplementing them can cause more harm than good and other genes to turn on that can cause problems. Does anyone have any feedback on this?
Sorry to write so many overlapping topics, i just didn't want to write different posts on different topics, and i just really would love some support right now. I feel helpless.
bluelyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 47170
posted
Sounds familiar...i had b12 absorption issues too...the stomach makes the precursor enzymes...it maybe pancratic involved also this disease jacks hormones enzymes ...i had done a short course and some herbals amd candida is raging.have you been on abx?..started parasite cleanse omg.saw one llmd she did look at hormones ,thyroid etc etc..i would say its probably both gastro and gyno..have you done a stool test...? I feel for you .you are not alone
-------------------- Blue Posts: 1539 | From southwest | Registered: Dec 2015
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posted
I haven't really treated at all. I was on antibiotics for maybe a week and had to stop due to side effects. I did a stool test almost 2 years ago now. It showed slight yeast but that was it.
Posts: 53 | From Texas | Registered: Apr 2015
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bluelyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 47170
posted
Same here...start with herbs...sf722 for yeast ...fire tree bark .coconut oil... get on good probiotic...kefir, sourkrout. I heard of allicin .some say borax down there?...have you read buhners book...how long have you been ill ? Welcome btw it is a daymare but you are on your way...are you going to do abx? Dmannose and cranberry for uti..no sugar and lots of water...can you see gp for some nystatin?
-------------------- Blue Posts: 1539 | From southwest | Registered: Dec 2015
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
Gyn and gastro issues are common with lyme. See these symptoms on Burrascano's list:
Unexplained menstrual irregularity Unexplained milk production; breast pain
If lyme attacks you gynecologically, it can cause your ovaries to stop producing any hormones at all. So, you could have zero estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. So, you may want to ask your gyn to test your hormone levels.
If this happens, your ovaries will also shrink consistent with menopause. You will be told your ovaries are very small.
If lyme causes your ovaries to produce too little hormone, you will have missed periods, no periods at all, a false menopause, or just spotty, irregular bleeding. You can get premenstrual symptoms but no menstruation.
Lack of hormones will affect vaginal health and can lead to vaginal atrophy, no vaginal secretions, and therefore no protection from all of the various infections and irritations of the outside world. Then, yeast infections and other irritations will become common.
If the vaginal tissues atrophy, ask for an estrogen pill that you put into the vagina to restore the tissues. That is much preferred to the messy estrogen creams that gyns often prescribe if you don't know any better.
Overproduction of hormones will cause some women to begin to get milk in their breasts.
Once the lyme is properly treated, the ovaries, etc. will go back to normal and you will no longer need hormone supplementation and will no longer have symptoms.
Regarding gastro pain, that is quite common with bartonella. See p. 26 of Burrascano. No normal gastro testing will find anything. Not colonoscopies, etc. But, once the bart is treated, the issues go away.
You will also see irritable bladder or bladder disfunction on Burrascano's list of lyme symptoms.
Any system or organ that lyme attacks will not function properly. That is why hundreds of symptoms are possible.
Lyme totally shut down my ovaries so that I was diagnosed as post-menopausal. I had extreme vaginal atrophy and many vaginal problems as a result. I went on hormone replacement for at least 5 years to compensate for a lack of all hormones.
I also suffered with horrendous bouts of abdominal pain. My gastro never could find anything wrong and neither could my gyn.
Everything went away when I got good treatment by a good lyme doctor.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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MichaelTampa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 24868
posted
Are you taking b12? I have been told that taking it can lead to higher levels than the lab results would say are normal, but that it's not anything to be concerned about in those circumstances.
Posts: 1927 | From se usa | Registered: Mar 2010
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posted
And for the Lyme itself, you could take Cats Claw. (NOW has some concentrated types - concentrated 10:1). I like the strong formulas because that means I can take fewer capsules with the same result. Or, a lot of people take Samento and Banderol. Samento is a strong formula of Cats Claw and Banderol is a good anti microbial. Together they are powerful Lyme fighters. Buhner has some great books on herbal remedies for Lyme.
Posts: 653 | From Northern Virginia | Registered: Oct 2014
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ukcarry
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 18147
posted
My serum B12 is off the chart, yet I still have B12 deficiency, shown by high urinary MMA (methylmalonic acid). Serum B12 testing is not very helpful because it does not differentiate between active and inactive B12. It might be an idea to have an MMA test yourself, as you may need to supplement B12.
Did your 23andme testing show FUT2 mutations, which are often connected with high serum?
Posts: 1647 | From UK | Registered: Nov 2008
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posted
I've stopped having a period and been in the hospital four times for gastro issues. My b12 is high but I take injections.
I'm not looking forward to having a f'ed up vagina, but sounds like that's on the Lyme bucket list. I'm sorry for your suffering.
Posts: 27 | From Nor Cal | Registered: Jan 2016
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Just a little note on the bladder discomfort...ruling out any type of uti of course first. Interstitial Cystitis was one of my first symptoms and came raging back years later. One Pepcid 20mg in the morning takes care of about 80-90% of the pain as it is a H2 blocker. You could try this and see if it helps, of course making sure it doesn't interfere with any of your meds etc. IC can also cause discomfort in the lower abdomen.
-------------------- Ill since 1998 DX 2005 Posts: 93 | From tampa, fl, usa | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
Gastro issues and IC are common to have together as well.
-------------------- Ill since 1998 DX 2005 Posts: 93 | From tampa, fl, usa | Registered: Apr 2007
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me
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 45475
posted
Gastro issues and severe interstitial cystitis were some of my first symptoms. Then gyno issues like vulvodynia and bartholin cysts. Uterine fibroids that had to be removed.
Posts: 1431 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2015
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