Whenever i herx i always get severly deppressed. Right now i am in my second week of levaquin and its hitting hard. It just comes on and i cant to anything about it. Does anyone else have this problem , and is there anything you do that helps.I am just getting so sick and tired of this. Im 18 and i feel like my life is over.
Posts: 82 | From Northeast WI | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
Probably every one of us has experienced what you're feeling! I found levaquin a very hard drug to take. Herxing is the pits, and you can feel really awful. There's only one good thing about it....you know the drug is working and killing off those bugs!
Part of what makes us feel so awful is the fact that as these critters die off, they produce toxins. My Lyme doctor always told me to drink lots of water with fresh squeezed lemon in it, AND to stay away from the sweets. (hard to do, but you do feel better without them!)
Your life is far from over and there will come a day when you know you feel better because you start to have good days mixed in with the bad. Gradually, the good days increase and then you begin to feel like you are going to lick this disease!
So...hang in there,and I hope those good days will soon start to happen for you!
Try that lemon juice in water...
-------------------- nan Posts: 2135 | From Tick Country | Registered: Oct 2000
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Tracy9
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7521
posted
Arrgghh...I've been struggling with depression the last two weeks or so myself. I hate it more than anything. The biggest manifestation of it for me is that EVERYTHING feels totally overwhelming, every little task. I feel hopeless, feel waves of despair wash over me, and have to say stupid little things to myself like "just put one foot in front of the other" to get myself to complete the smallest of tasks. I keep telling myself it is just the Lyme Disease, but it's disheartening to feel as if my medication isn't working. I take 60 mg of Cymbalta, and it REALLY helped the depression so much for months. I hate to feel like it isn't working right now. Do you take an antidepressant? I can't recommend it highly enough; why suffer with this feeling? The Cymbalta also helps with pain; it has been incredibly effective for me with the pain. What a huge difference I felt after a week or two of taking it! Please consider an antidepressant if you aren't already on one. I just added Wellbutrin 100 mg to try and boost me a little. I think if you are depressed, it's just that nothing else works for you. I have also for the first time since I've been sick (15 months) been experiencing quite a bit of anxiety the last two weeks. Today is one of the first days in a while I felt a little better physically, so I took a brisk one mile walk. That has always helped me so much in the past with depression and anxiety, if I can do it everyday. That is my goal right now. Hang in there, it will pass; but do yourself a favor and get some meds if you aren't already taking them.
13 years Lyme & Co.; Small Fiber Neuropathy; Myasthenia Gravis, Adrenal Insufficiency. On chemo for 2 1/2 years as experimental treatment for MG. Posts: 4480 | From Northeastern Connecticut | Registered: Jun 2005
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Andie333
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7370
posted
Hey, Stuck!
I have to say I agree with Tracy about the antidepressant. At first, I told my LLMD I wouldn't take anything but here's what she said:
Depression is an actual symptom of Lyme Disease, and you need to treat it actively. You need every part of you working toward your recovery.
I agreed, and now I'm really glad I did. I'm also on wellbutrin -- a fairly low dose. Even with that, Stuck, I still struggle sometimes with depressed feelings. I can't imagine what they would be like if I didn't have the medication.
I hate seeing so many young people with Lyme, but you've gotta believe your life isn't over...even on those days when it feels like it is.
In just five months, I've gotten a LOT better. In fact, I was out with some friends tonight (something I couldn't begin to do for the first two months). Anyway, they hadn't seen me since June and couldn't believe how much better I seemed.
So there's hope. Read the success stories if you're feeling like this will never get better. Talk here about how you're feeling. And just know you're not alone.
If you want, feel free to send me a pm. It would be great to hear from you!
Andie
Posts: 2549 | From never never land | Registered: May 2005
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lymeHerx001
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6215
posted
Wow,, this first line is all me!!!
Right now Im taking host defense comprehensive mushroom complex.
I herxed really good,, or bad on it.
Ive been taking it every day now this week. The second day I got really tired then the third day I was at work. I just got SOO depressed.
Everything seemed EVIL and I felt as if I was serving the DEVIL. MY life had no meaning and I just felt toxic. I wanted to die in that moment.
Pretty drastic change huh? The bad part is Im still herxing from this stuff. Does the herxing ever end? Its so strange.
It seems that there are(were) 3 things that I herxed on,, maybee 4
Biaxin Samento Mushrooms Sauna Excersise?
You get the picture
Posts: 2905 | From New England | Registered: Sep 2004
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lymeHerx001
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6215
posted
Oh yea,, did I mention that I stumpble my words like a drunk when I herx,, and I cant remember anything even what I just read a line before??
Id rather be in a coma then half functioning.
Posts: 2905 | From New England | Registered: Sep 2004
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trueblue
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7348
posted
quote:Originally posted by StuckonLyme: hey everyone,
Right now i am in my second week of levaquin and its hitting hard. It just comes on and i cant to anything about it. Does anyone else have this problem , and is there anything you do that helps.I am just getting so sick and tired of this.
I'm right there with you kiddo. I'm 34 days on Levaquin. I'm on a fairly low dose but am taking a beating. (Ok, that's good it's working but yikes!)
(Depression for me is usually directly proportional to how bad I feel.)
I have noticed in this month of Levaquin the depression seems to come and go. I'll have a few bad days and then my mood will lift.
I spent Thursday crying and ranting like a maniac (having built to it from the beginning of the week). I woke up Friday morning with my sense of humor returned. Yay! I'm still in an awful lot of pain. Boo!
I'm sorry this sucks so bad. Hugs and know you're not alone, k?
-------------------- more light, more love more truth and more innovation Posts: 3783 | From somewhere other than here | Registered: May 2005
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lymeloco
Unregistered
posted
Sorry to hear your going through depression, but a lot of us can relate. It will get better with time. I also take wellbutrin xl. I tried many other antidepressants and it made me worse.
Hang in there, and keep telling yourself it'll pass! Good Luck! We're rooting for you!
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Nal
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6801
posted
I am right there with you on this one!! Im so low today I could just lose it. Im having problems getting onto meds that don't cause horrendous side effects. Right now I am on Rifampin. Very low doses and flagyl and diflucan. It all sucks, I agree with you there totally!!! My depression only comes on when I am having a bad flare. How were you diagnosed with Lyme? Feel free to send me a private message any time you need a shoulder to lean on. Ive been sick with this crap for 5 years now. I have 3 young kids and man is life hard sometimes. Please hang in there!!!!!!
Nancy
-------------------- Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it!
-Chuck Swindoll Posts: 1594 | From Colorado | Registered: Jan 2005
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My theorizing is that depression is definitely part of herxing and here's why:
The die off causes strain on your eliminative organs such as the bowel/intestines in particular.
Since 80 percent of serotonin is produced in the intestine (yes, you read right!), if the intestine gets clogged up/compromized, then a natural outcome of that is depression.
What has helped me immensely (since depression for me used to be so bad I was hospitalized for it) is totally focusing on bowel health. Doing bowel cleansing, colonics, and bowel detoxing.
I have not had but a whisper of problem with depression since I started doing this stuff.
Best of luck to you ...I know how debilitating and awful it is. Hang in there!
Also, cognitive therapy helped, but was much more effective after I addressed the physiological causes of depression.
Alison
--------------------
The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer. --- Edward R. Murrow Posts: 923 | From California | Registered: Aug 2005
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Thanks for starting this topic Stuck. I'm dealing with depression, too. I can't even tell what's a herx anymore. Have an LLMD appointment tomorrow and I'm going to ask about Cymbalta. A Lymie friend says it's helped her a lot.
Everything has been looking gray and I see the negative side of most everything. When my family calls and asks how I'm doing, I just cry. I'm tired of Lyme and so many have it for so much longer and so much worse than I do. Good cries have helped me regain some perspective and there are always those kind LLMDs to listen to my woes. Isn't it strange to have the best days be the days you get to see your doctor?
Here I am ranting on. I looked back at your message and saw that you're 18. Lyme is a rough road. I'm sorry you have to travel it so young.
Hey, Stuck, are you out there? There are lots of us dealing with depression, too, and we can support each other.
Hope you've found some relief.
Posts: 261 | From San Mateo, CA | Registered: May 2005
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posted
5-HTP doesn't interact with any other drug. It works in about 20 minutes and there are no side-effects. At approx $14.00 for 60 caplets, it's cheaper than most prescription anti-depressants. AND it doesn't make you gain weight.
You can start off with one per day and add more if you need them. I've used it on and off for years and everyone I've told about it raves about it.
It works great even for those dark & dreary blue days, but the best part is that it works so quickly. Most prescription anti-depressants take about 20 days to start working. I highly recommend it! Don't wait, please.
-------------------- Nancy Posts: 963 | From N. Olmsted, OH USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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I found levaquin a very hard drug to take. Herxing is the pits, and you can feel really awful. There's only one good thing about it....you know the drug is working and killing off those bugs! ![[hi]](graemlins/hi.gif)
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