posted
Hi, I have had Lyme since 06. Treated for many years got well and after I had my daughter got sick again. I finally made it to maintaining on herbs for the past 3 years. The past couple of weeks I've had symptoms come roaring back and can not figure out why. I was doing a lot of running. Could I have taxed myself out? After relapsing does it take longer to get back to where I was?? This is very discouraging.
Posts: 323 | From Michigan | Registered: Sep 2006
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
Yes, you could have taxed your immune system with running to the point that it could no longer keep the lyme in check.
Did you have any surgeries or medical procedures or illnesses that could have caused this? or stress, or steroids or another bite? (Sometimes you get steroids as part of a colonoscopy, for example, and you don't even know it.)
If you only managed to keep lyme symptoms away by taking herbs, then you really never fully recovered from lyme and coinfections. You have been treating yourself for these infections continuously to the present.
The fact that you relapsed when you had your daughter tells you the condition of your immune system. It is not yet strong.
Rather than running (aerobic exercise), Burrascano says to do one continuous hour of weightlifting (a full body workout each time--working all muscle groups) every OTHER day.
This strengthens the immune system so that you will no longer relapse. See this quote:
"LYME DISEASE REHABILITATION
Despite antibiotic treatments, patients will NOT return to normal unless they exercise, so therefore an aggressive rehab program is absolutely necessary. It is a fact that a properly executed exercise program can actually go beyond the antibiotics in helping to clear the symptoms and to maintain a remission." (p. 31)
He goes on to say over and over that aerobic exercise is NOT permitted except for a very brief warm-up prior to doing non-aerobic activity such as weightlifting.
It worked so well for me that I completed my treatment over 10 years ago and never relapsed--not when I herniated a disc and had to get some epidural injections (steroids), not when I went through an extremely stressful time, not when I had sinus surgery, not when I took oral steroids for at least a month for a sinus problem, never.
My lyme doctor who cured me followed Burrascano totally. He told me at my very first appointment that I would NEVER get well unless I began doing the Burrascano exercise program.
Burrascano explains that aerobic exercise is not allowed as it lowers the immune system for too long a time (well over 24 hours).
Perhaps once you get into a full remission (where you don't need herbs or anything to remain symptom-free) and after about a year of that, then you could occasionally do some aerobic exercise like running and see how you do.
Right now, I would say to cut out aerobic exercise totally. It is not your friend.
If you are drinking or smoking, those weaken the immune system also. So does eating sugar such as in sodas. (A soda with sugar lowers your immune system for 4 hours.) So, don't do anything that weakens the immune system and do everything that strengthens it (garlic, the weightlifting, good diet, a full night's sleep every night, etc.)
Keep up the weightlifting once you no longer need herbs. And, I would recommend no heavy drinking for the rest of your life and no smoking for the rest of your life.
Wait for about a year after you are completely in remission before you have occasional alcoholic drinks.
I got another tick bite 3 years after I completed my treatment, and I only had to take antibiotics for 30 days to treat that case of lyme. I had the bulls eye, and I had a mild herx the 3rd day on antibiotics, so it was clearly another case of lyme.
You will have to judge how strong your immune system is by giving it small tests in the future and then go by the results of those tests. Everyone is different.
I don't drink or smoke and I don't drink sweet drinks at all (and no artificial sweeteners either), so that probably contributes to the fact that I have never relapsed in over 10 years. I still try to lift weights once or twice per week also.
So, don't be discouraged. Learn to love weightlifting. You will certainly love the benefits of it--you will have nice muscles in arms, etc., you will notice that you are stronger when it comes to carrying groceries or heavy objects, doing things that require strength (like scrubbing down your aluminum siding on your house) and you will look conditioned all over your body. No more flab or fat.
I hope you can figure out what set you back and eliminate that thing for now.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Thank you for your response. I have been doing weights as well, along with running. I ran a half marathon last year and did not relapse. I have been good for three years. It's just discouraging. But I will definitely halt on the running for now. I don't have the energy for it right now. I did not have any surgeries/procedures and no added stress to life. We did have a virus that went around the house that I did get. Could be a combination. I see a llmd next week. Thank you TF
Posts: 323 | From Michigan | Registered: Sep 2006
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