posted
I have been treating my lyme disease for the past 4 months with antibiotics and vitamin therapy....of course I am not as active as I was prior to getting sick, but I cannot figure out what is causing me to gain weight. Has anyone found that taking some of their meds has caused weight gain? I'm thinking maybe it's the Lyrica - any ideas?
-------------------- FINALLY diagnosed 4 months ago Zithro for 3 months Monocycline - current Valtrex - current Cymbalta - 3 months Lyrica -current Posts: 4 | From Monmouth County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2009
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Betty's suggested POSTING GUIDELINES . many of us have neuro lyme where we can NOT read long solid block text and be able to comprehend and read it as is.
please edit your post by CLICKING PAPER/PENCIL ICON to right of your name. that opens up BOTH subject line and body text.
now please break up your WORDY SENTENCES into one sentence paragraphs. Then hit ENTER KEY ``TWICE`` after each paragraph; we need that space for comprehension.
then go to left hand corner and mark box to receive ALL REPLIES, and click EDIT SEND
we thank you for helping us; otherwise, we will SOB, SCROLL ON BY, since we can't read to help you. If I see posts like this, I SOB them; to hard on me. ----------------------------------------------------
I found Turn the Corner Foundation through the website for the Under Our Skin movie. Here is the link for their website. At the bottom of their webpage there is a link to click if you are interested in getting help finding and LLMD.
I emailed them for help and got a response with the names of over 10 LLMDS in two states in less than a days time. What an incredible blessing! Thought I'd pass it on. By member Aimee, 7.11.09 ------------------------------------------------------
People seeking doctors might be able to get help from their state online information and support group. Nearly 3,400 people belong to state groups. Some of the groups are small but more than 20 of them have 50 or more people and seven have over 100.
The groups are moderated and you have to apply. Most don't allow doctor names, but once on the group, you can ask for doctors in a certain area and ask people to email you privately. *******************************************
This explains the medical politics around lyme WHY you need an ILADS-educated or ILADS-member LLMD (and there are also some ILADS-member LL NDs (naturopathic doctors):
You should also be evaluated for coinfections. Not all tests are great in that regard, either, but a good LLMD can evaluate you and then guide you in testing. One of the top labs is:
"With most infections, your immune system first forms IgM antibodies, then in about 2 to 4 weeks, you see IgG antibodies. In some infections, IgG antibodies may be detectable for years.
Because Borrelia burgdorferi is a chronic persistent infection that may last for decades, you would think patients with chronic symptoms would have positive IgG Western blots.
But actually, more IgM blots are positive in chronic borreliosis than IgG. Every time Borrelia burgdorferi reproduces itself, it may stimulate the immune system to form new IgM antibodies.
Some patients have both IgG and IgM blots positive. But if either the IgG or IgM blot is positive, overall it is a positive result.
Response to antibiotics is the same if either is positive, or both. Some antibodies against the borrelia are given more significance if they are IgG versus IgM, or vice versa.
Since this is a chronic persistent infection, this does not make a lot of sense to me. A newly formed Borrelia burgdorferi should have the same antigen parts as the previous bacteria that produced it.
But anyway, from my clinical experience, these borrelia associated bands usually predict a clinical change in symptoms with antibiotics, regardless of whether they are IgG or IgM." ===========
ILADS The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) provides a forum for health science professionals to share their wealth of knowledge regarding the management of Lyme and associated diseases.
UNDER OUR SKIN dvd LYME DISEASE documentary, www.lymediseasefilm.com go to this site to view trailer of UNDER OUR SKIN 5 min. Clip! Premiering 2008!! on big screen 09 in 10 LARGE CITIES ONLY!
* Please note: What you are about to read below is NOT meant to scare any of you from any lyme testings done; it's meant to be informed PRIOR to going into having various tests done and then be told what the costs will be! * Mine was sticker $$ shock on various testings done by my 2nd LLMD/new to me in 4=06. Those tests/results are found elsewhere in my links/advise.
* Igenex's charges for these below things cost $905, which I figured up the last 2 days for 2 other folks includes
* The below tests were done for ME; you MAY NOT NEED them all ok! :
* western blot IGM & IGG, this is MANDATORY for you which costs $200 total for 2 tests done; 6.09 same prices still. * * ******************************************************* * OPTIONAL ONES ARE:
* co-infection panel for YOUR AREA OF COUNTRY; * PCR WHOLE BLOOD...this is what my LLMD ordered!
It's PREPAY! unless you are on medicare; IGX will file the paperwork & it's FREE to you.
go to www.igenex.com and read over their info. Prices go up twice a year: MAY and NOVEMBER!!
* * have blood drawn MON. or TUES. only; you don't want your blood sitting in post office over the weekend; will ruin the results!
* Also, call 1-800.832.3200 for CURRENT PRICES! * They will also send you a ``test kit'' with their required form, all the test vials, & box to ship it in! OUT OF USA will take longer to receive!
* You need to DOWNLOAD IGENEX's required form.****************************************************** * * MD, DO ,ND, AC, DC are all fine** must sign, date, and show DIAGNOSIS CODE on there why he's ordering the test.
Make sure you show to FAX results and SNAIL MAIL PAPER COPY! My results were lost for 4-5 weeks! Bettyg * * When you get your results, please post them in MEDICAL; * Post ONLY the POSITIVE & IND ones .... not the negative ones!
GET COPIES OF ALL YOUR SPECIAL BLOOD TESTS: western blot igm/igg and/or co-infection tests always!!
OVERSEAS INSTRUCTIONS FOR SENDING TO IGENEX/FRY LABORATORY! 2-23-08
posted
Sorry to hear it -- but a lot of us have the same problem! I gained about 50 pounds during the course of this illness, the last 20 or so since Feb when I started antibiotics. I think a lot of stuff goes into it -- lowered activity levels, metabolism affected by inflammation, swelling and edema, GI bloat from yeast going crazy in the guts...
Also for me, I was so sick that I couldn't work, couldn't get out to see friends, couldn't even take a nice walk around the lake or read a good book -- losing so many pleasurable things in life meant that I was going to have some damn ice cream or whatever if I felt like it! I don't regret that.
But the good news is that now that I'm starting to recover and be active again, I'm naturally eating better, exercising more, and losing some of the weight.
Focus right now on what you need to feel healthy and good. I would stay at this weight forever if it meant that I felt well again -- a new perspective on weight for me. Being thin ain't as important as being healthy! (And they are not automatically the same thing.) Don't beat yourself up, be kind to yourself.
-------------------- Wildlife biologist working in tropics since 1997; tick bites in Nicaragua in March 2007, started getting sick May 2007; diagnosed with Lyme based on serological testing in Jan 2009; treatment starting Feb 2009. Wish me luck! Posts: 116 | From Seattle | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
I had the same issues, and finally am seeing the weight leave...only after detox.
Found there is a relationship with a poor gut absorption and these lyme and co- illnesses.
Start working on cleaning, healing, and eliminating parasites now...while doing you abx.
I only did a small part of this, and was not absorbing my nutrients or supplements properly. Now I know and will tell others, that this is a vey important step that is not addressed by most LLMD's.
I tested negetive for parasites originally, and now find that I was full of them! Also, the abx gave my body an imbalance of candida and yeast.
so I now find that the majority of my symptoms were not necessarily from lyme, as my lyme is now in remission, but my symptoms all eminate from the gut (whee our immune system is) and are mostly from toxic depris, die off, parasites, heavy metals and candida/yeast!
These do not always show up on the tests! But as soon as you start a natural protocol for releasing them, you see the results!
I recommend adding a good ND along with your LLMD! The people I Know who are better have eventually done this! Go to someone who understand leaky gut and healng the gut, along with killing lyme!
Start to work on these and you will not accumulate unnecessary weight during treatment. And your brain fog will leave, and you will finally get y our energy back!
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Shosty
Unregistered
posted
Just to add that food allergies can also cause a lot of fluid retention and inflammation, that results in weight gain. They are often related to the leaky gut syndrome mentioned above.
Treatment includes doing an elimination diet, then rechallenging individual foods. This new diet regimen can be accompanied by a liquid med called gastrocrom, and anti-inflammatory, as well as treatment for yeast.
Thyroid could also be sluggish.
But first, I would consider the Lyrica as a cause of weight gain. Here is a site with a phone number if you want to talk to the pharmaceutical company that makes Lyrica, as others have done, about this side effect:
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!
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otherwise, we will SOB, SCROLL ON BY, since we can't read to help you. If I see posts like this, I SOB them; to hard on me. 
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