I don't post here often, but I'm not really feeling up to filling everyone in on my history. Let's just say it's a long one, including lyme, babesia and bartonella, and I'm once again on heavy duty treatment.
Last time I posted was about recurring bouts of meningitis. I got a little feedback from you guys but not much...hopefully that means not many of you have had to deal with this??
The responses I did get suggested Babesia was the culprit.
I had a visit with my LLMD ten days ago and he agrees we need to step up my treatment for Babesia. I HAVE NOT YET CHANGED MY REGIMEN. It literally takes me days to recover from a trip to my LLMD, then my local MD, who writes all my orders, went out of town, blah blah blah...I just want to say this up front for those of you who will first ask is this a herx.
Anyway, to finally get to the reason for my post. Beginning 3 or 4 days ago, i began having episodes where I was not in control of what I said. It's like the communication center of my brain takes a short vacation, and while it's gone, the rest of me doessn't feel so hot either. These episodes last anywhere from ten to around twenty minutes, after which I usually sleep (or pass out?)
Sometimes I am aware of what is happening at the time, sometime I don't remember at all. But one strange thing is uncontrollable laughing. I don't feel amused when I'm laughing, I can remember looking around and thinking what the hell am I laughing about, my husband is scared to death, he's talking about calling 911. I honestly can't help it. I am totally out of control.
I can't get in with either of my doctors till the middle of next week, and I'm feeling pretty freaked out by this new development.
Can anyone help?
Posts: 962 | From Charleston | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
Dear Maryland Mom,
My experience with "inappropriate" emotional responses such as uncontrolled laughter
when there is nothing funny, and uncontrolled crying for no apparent reason
are linked to my years spent as a Speech Pathologist working with Closed Head Injury as well as Traumatic Brain Injured.
Often I would see what you would call inappropriate speech, laughter, etc. in patients who had sustained injury to the frontal lobe of the brain.
Is it possible that this area has been affected by babs/Lyme?
It is a neurological symptom.
Often these patients were aware that what they were saying and doing wasn't consistent with the current situation (often sexual remarks),
but they were unable to stop or control this.
Have you had a Spect or MRI done of the brain?
That may help pinpoint specific lesion areas.
The frontal lobe also is responsible for sexual behavior, personality, higher level problem solving as well as some motor skills.
I am sorry you are experiencing this change in your behavior.
It must be scary to not be in control of your emotions (although when I experience Lyme rage,
I realize how out of control I am, but just can't stop it).
Antibiotics have helped me "even" out.
I think you need to call your LLMD/MD as soon as they are available.
Tell them this latest "symptom".
Sending you positive thoughts and healing prayers to you and your family.
Hope this helped....even a little.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
I know exactly what you mean (although it was not quite so severe in my husbnad). He would laugh very inappropriately for longish periods--it is unsettling to say the least. He would also cry.
The one thing I can say is it has lessened greatly with continued treatment (for lyme and babs so far). I don't think it is a symptom that is here to stay.
Posts: 554 | From Naples, Italy | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
Somehow its comforting just to know you are not the only one to be going through something!
Geneal, your explanation was pretty much what I'd thought.
I guess I'm most discouraged that this is developing months into heavy duty IV abx treatment. I feel my doctors are floundering, trying to figure out just what will work for me, and I am trying not to lose hope!!
Posts: 962 | From Charleston | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
Since this can happen it seems like it could also do the opposite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! **************************************From Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 160 No. 16, September 11, 2000, American Medical Association
Loss of the Sense of Humor
In mid-May, my 94-year-old father and I were discussing the significance of 0 and its impact on theoretical mathematics. Four weeks later, he was totally demented. He was taking no medication, and all routine blood and urine studies, brain imaging, and a spinal tap yielded no diagnosis.
One week later, a high titer of Lyme antibody was found in a cerebrospinal fluid specimen, and the diagnosis of neuroborreliosis was unequivocally substantiated by Western blot analysis. Eight weeks after a 28-day course of intravenous ceftriaxone sodium (1 g/d), his mental function returned to an estimated 90% of his premorbid intellect.
That was when I gave him a short vignette written in a humorous vein, relating to the purchase of a ballpoint pen.
I awaited his response with interest. To my disappointment, all he said was, "Where is the pen? May I see it?" I was disappointed, but replied "I'll get you the pen, but what do you think of my article?"
"It was a cheap pen" was his response. "Was there anything else that occurred to you about what I have written?" I persisted. "No," he replied, "it was a cheap pen." It seemed to me that a more direct approach was needed. "Did you think my article was humorouswas it funny?" I asked.
"No," he said, "I didn't think it was funny."
That was when I realized that he had lost his sense of humor. This did not make any sense to me, until I read an article on humor appreciation in Brain.1
Humor is not needed for day-to-day functioning, but its absence undoubtedly dampens social interaction. A person who does not appreciate humor may feel left out of the conversation. Most of us have read a joke or seen a cartoon the "point" of which escapes us. If realization does not dawn upon us or the humor remains unexplained, it can lead to frustration and irritation. I imagine that this may well be so with persons who have lost the ability to appreciate humor because of an illness. To speak of a "center for humor" may be an oversimplification of the psychopathology involved. Loss of humor as a sequel of illness is poorly recognized, and an appreciation of this impairment is needed in the treatment of such patients.
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
Cobweb
Unregistered
posted
Don't quote me on this but I think I've heard that uncontrollable laughter can also be seizure related.
I was prone to "outbursts" of both laughter and rage. Either case would result in anyone around me stopping what they were doing and staring at me like "What the H is that all about?"
I have been diagnosed with complex partial seizures and my Spect scan states; "Frontal Lobe:right side, high parietofrontal defect; midline anterior frontal defect" among other things.
Anyway-one of my meds is Keppra, an anti-convulsant, which has helped a great deal. Once my Lyme is considered "under control?" the neurologist has said maybe we can consider going off the Keppra.
For now, when life with lyme gets to be too much for me I take it out on Lymenet. I need to laugh at myself-otherwise I would be hosting a very lonely pity party.
It just occurred to me that i did start a new drug in the last few weeks, a new anti convulsant called Zonisamide. I am currently slowly ramping up my dose to help control neurogenic pain.
Anticonvulsants are often used to treat neurological sx; there isn't a chance it could be causing them, is there?
Posts: 962 | From Charleston | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
i did this, a few times, and wondered why, but it lasted for a few minutes, at most
fwiw, years ago, i read a blub somewhere that said inappropriate laughing, is supposed to correlate with liver problem(s).
check literature for other liver manifestations, physical, and otherwise that may happen coincident in time with teh laughing.
waiting in the hallway of an infectious disease clinic, i witnessed a male teenager, attended by his mom and sister, breaking the silence of the waiting area in the hallway, with sudden outbursts of almost gut wrenching laughter, then silence for 5-10 minutes, then another outburst, like it was a roflmao.
i didn't know what to make of this, except that it eased my fears for 5 seconds, that accompany a visit to the doctor....a little "hebephrenia," to distract from my own "lyme terror." Posts: 2708 | Registered: Feb 2005
| IP: Logged |
Marnie
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 773
posted
I'm sorry...not a great sign, and can be a cause for some concern, your husband was correct.
Research this:
Neurodex.
Do you have a really good neurologist who is up on the "latest" re: balancing the neurotransmitters? It is VERY tricky!
The seizure drug blocked Na and Ca channels and is believed to impact oxygen levels also for the better.
That would definitely change things!
P.S. Author of story mentioned above, Sundaram V. Ramanan, MD
is quite an interesting person.
Apparently he likes Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allen Poe too and weaves them into his medical interests.
[ 23. March 2007, 07:14 PM: Message edited by: Marnie ]
Posts: 9481 | From Sunshine State | Registered: Mar 2001
| IP: Logged |
lymeladyinNY
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10235
posted
Hi - just wanted to add my two cents.
Last summer I went on anti-seizure meds and I ended up suicidal AND laughing hysterically over nothing. When I was taken off the meds and it metabolized out I returned to my "normal" self.
The name of the drug was carisoprodol, I believe. I really lost my mind with it. I had bad all-body muscle spasms so my primary doctor thought I had partial seizures - that's why she prescribed this medicine.
Testing didn't show any true seizures and the neurologist doing the testing thought I had "conversion disorder". Oh, brother!!
Strangely, since I stopped carisoprodol, my seizure-like muscle spasms have decreased considerably! I'll never understand this disease!
-------------------- I want to be free Posts: 1170 | From Endicott, NY | Registered: Sep 2006
| 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!
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[lol]](graemlins/lol.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic