posted
Hello, a few years ago I was tested positive IGM via WB and treated with combo of abx and herbs for about 7 months total (with a few breaks in between). Most symptoms got way better, and I stopped treatment sooner than recommended because I felt so good. Severe panic, anxiety, and vision disturbances were main symptoms. Now, 3 years later the anxiety has come back with a venegence. I get so dizzy and faint feeling that I am scared to drive and need help watching my kids. I am taking 25mg Zoloft, a supplement that has L-Theanine, magnesium, GABA, and taurine. I also take Phosphatidylserine per my doctor's suggestion. I feel a bit better, but have many panic attacks anytime I need to drive or commit to a stressful task. (multiple a week). I have recently taken new blood tests and I had a positive babesia, as well as a positive WB (but less strong than the first test, it was IGG this time). So, in summary, how do I know if this panic attacks are lyme symptoms coming back, or babesia that was never treated, or just plain "unrelated" anxiety? My doctor seems to think this is bartonella (which it may be since my 5 year old has a positive bart test), but I have never had positive bart. I want to be thoughtful about treating the most likely candidate since i only really have anxiety symptoms (and get extremely tired middle of the day and need to suddenly lay down--but also have thyroid issues so not sure its related). Can anyone tell me the most likely candidate for this anxiety symptom? I get anxious with antibiotics, so I will need to go the herbal route but want to target the most likely cause. Sorry for long winded question!
Posts: 28 | From Los Angeles | Registered: Jun 2016
| IP: Logged |
TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
Breaking up the above post so all can read it:
Hello, a few years ago I was tested positive IGM via WB and treated with combo of abx and herbs for about 7 months total (with a few breaks in between).
Most symptoms got way better, and I stopped treatment sooner than recommended because I felt so good. Severe panic, anxiety, and vision disturbances were main symptoms.
Now, 3 years later the anxiety has come back with a venegence. I get so dizzy and faint feeling that I am scared to drive and need help watching my kids. I am taking 25mg Zoloft, a supplement that has L-Theanine, magnesium, GABA, and taurine. I also take Phosphatidylserine per my doctor's suggestion.
I feel a bit better, but have many panic attacks anytime I need to drive or commit to a stressful task. (multiple a week).
I have recently taken new blood tests and I had a positive babesia, as well as a positive WB (but less strong than the first test, it was IGG this time).
So, in summary, how do I know if this panic attacks are lyme symptoms coming back, or babesia that was never treated, or just plain "unrelated" anxiety?
My doctor seems to think this is bartonella (which it may be since my 5 year old has a positive bart test), but I have never had positive bart.
I want to be thoughtful about treating the most likely candidate since i only really have anxiety symptoms (and get extremely tired middle of the day and need to suddenly lay down--but also have thyroid issues so not sure its related).
Can anyone tell me the most likely candidate for this anxiety symptom? I get anxious with antibiotics, so I will need to go the herbal route but want to target the most likely cause. Sorry for long winded question!
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
| IP: Logged |
TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
I would like to call your attention to the following quote from Burrascano:
"Undertreated infections will inevitably resurface, usually as chronic Lyme, with its tremendous problems of morbidity and difficulty with diagnosis and treatment and high cost in every sense of the word." (page 3)
When you were previously diagnosed with lyme, you treated for about a total of 7 months with some breaks. That just wasn't enough lyme treatment.
You also stopped treatment sooner than recommended.
Two of your lyme symptoms back then were lyme anxiety and panic attacks. You now have anxiety and panic attacks again plus lack of stamina and severe dizziness and feeling faint. You also have a positive babs test.
(Your lyme test can stay positive for years since the WB is an antibody test. So, all it indicates is that your blood still has lyme antibodies in it. That does not say that you still have lyme--but you might.)
I got rid of lyme and cos over 11 years ago and 8 years ago my lyme test was still positive. I have been symptom free for over 11 years.
There is no doubt in my mind that you need to get back to the best lyme doctor you can possibly afford. Get the babs treated and see how you feel.
It is nearly impossible to sort out these diseases, so let the lyme doc treat you for them one by one until you are totally symptom free. Then, stay on treatment for at least 2 more months.
You really DON'T have just anxiety symptoms. You say so yourself. So, you need to face the fact that you did not complete your treatment, may also have bartonella, and there is no shortcut to getting rid of these diseases.
The coinfections all help the lyme and one another stay in your body. They all compromise your immune system. So, see it as a package deal. You treat them all and get rid of them all to get rid of any of them.
If you fail to treat a coinfection that you have, you will relapse again. It may take time, but as Burrascano says, it "will inevitably resurface."
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
25 mg of Zoloft seems really, really low- even for a petite person. just my 2 cents🤓
Posts: 82 | From New York | Registered: Aug 2012
| IP: Logged |
posted
It does sound like you were undertreated. For me, psych symptoms were the first symptoms that were severe enough to debilitate me, along with fatigue. I was undx'ed and untreated for well over 10 years.
I went through lots of psych meds at many different dosages and got next to no relief from those kinds of symptoms. I am currently 2 years into treatment, the bulk of psych sx are gone or tolerable but some depression crept back in recently.
I went on a low dose of Zoloft, 25 mg. It was very effective! In less than a week I had full relief. I've since tapered down to a quarter of that dose, 6.25 mg, and it has been doing the job for me.
I think psych drugs can be very powerful and quite effective once the symptoms of TBD's have been controlled. If psych drugs and supplements aren't working for someone with TBD's, it's probably a good idea to look at lyme and co's.
(breaking up a paragraph for easier reading for many here)
[ 10-19-2016, 05:59 PM: Message edited by: Robin123 ]
Posts: 474 | From US | Registered: May 2014
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic