posted
I've been treating Lyme Disease with oral abx for 7.5 months
with no improvement at all. I have become extremely depressed
through this battle. I am not working because my body pain
becomes unbearable very quickly in the day, and when my body
goes, so does my mind.
My dad has been diagnosed Bipolar for 30 years and has lived a
very miserable life--doesn't enjoy anything and is basically
waiting to die. He never put any effort into trying to get better,
so he is partially to blame for his misery.
My biggest fear in life has always been becoming like my father.
I feel like some of my symptoms lately are reminding me of
bipolar disorder--this scares me a lot. I've read a lot about the
similarities between BP and LD and that alleviates some fear but
my lack of progress keeps that fear alive.
I'm rambling. Does anyone have any stories to share about their experiences with the two?
Posts: 124 | From Toronto | Registered: Aug 2009
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sutherngrl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16270
posted
I actually have symptoms of a mood disorder and have even discussed this with my LLMD. We think it is possible that having to deal with chronic illness day in and day out is causing this weird fluctuation in my moods.
I don't feel that it is severe enough to consider it a problem at this time and really believe that when my physical health improves that I will be better able to determine if it is truly a problem or not.
It makes sense that it would be mostly related to the roller coaster ride that LD takes you own. When I feel better physically of course I feel better mentally. Then when the ball drops and I feel awful physically, the mood drops with it.
I hope I am making sense. Anyway, I have been ill for over 3 years, so honestly I can't remember if my moods were back and forth this much before then or not. Then or course there is the possibility of Lyme being in the brain and who knows what kind of disturbances that could bring.
Unless a mental issue is really disrupting your life to an extreme, I don't think you can diagnose it correctly in the middle of a really disturbing physical illness.
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
This has been a battle for me as well. I was diagnosed with bipolar, after being diagnosed with lyme. Everytime i've been diagnosed with BP is after having experienced a major manic as driving and perpetuating factors(stress, alcohol, smoking, late nights and some creative outlet that gets out of hand)...
So i've have clearly been manic, and depressed. However, the mania is at first arrested by antipyschotics until i can't stand the side effects anymore....i start to feel ill (lyme) again and get back on antibiotics....then i really come back into mty old self more so than any antipyschotic....if anything they do induce some depression - but i feel so much more like myself while treating my lyme.
right now i am treating. I would admit to having miserable days, but for the most part people around me are seeing that i am returning to my old self. So i believe i had a predisposition to a bipolar manifestation of lyme disease. Keep lyme in check and this will keep the "BP" away.
Questions for you knobs: What ABX are you on right now?
I am positive for Babesia and suspecting that I have Bart as well. Targeting these two coinfections will relieve the worst of pysch symptoms since they are responsible...(beware herxes though because they can induce mania and depression - but you can tell that the culprit lies in the infection and not in some organic disorder. (no clue what causes these disorders)
This question is tough - but before lyme were you relatively stable?
-------------------- Bit in March 2005. Posts: 58 | From Jersey | Registered: May 2008
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Before Lyme I was stable. Always very athletic, in good shape and worked a lot. I always had a fairly negative outlook on life but I didn't let it drag me down. Over the last 5 or 6 years I started having chronic body pain--First started in my lower back, then knees got really bad and finally ankles and feet started hurting unbearably. Got all kinds of tests done and no doctor could figure out the pain.
I fought through it until coming home after a 2 week job out of town. I got extremely dizzy one day and flu-like symptoms came on like never before for several months. Couldn't work at all, eight months later got diagnosed with Lyme. Probably had it for years.
posted
You may want to look into IV or more aggresive coinfection treatment . i think your more vulnerable to an emotional pull from this disease given your previous disposition. we both have long roads ahead... but you won't turn out like your pops if you don't want to...
-------------------- Bit in March 2005. Posts: 58 | From Jersey | Registered: May 2008
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posted
Bipolar can be another symptom of KPU Pyroluria. 80% of lymies have this. Do a search here for Pyroluria,KPU,and Kryptopyroluria. http://drrandy.org/article.htmlPosts: 905 | From Santa Cruz,Calif | Registered: Aug 2005
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Cass A
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11134
posted
I would also add that pharmaceutical drugs and also antibiotics tend to eat up the body's supply of B VITAMINS. These are crucial for emotional sanity! Even if you get weird emotions sometimes, they don't hang on and hang on and hang on if you've got enough B Vitamins in your system.
This is my personal experience and also my observation of others.
Brewer's Yeast (mixed in milk with chocolate, or whatever you can do to make the flavor not revolting) works best because it's a complete food. But, B Complex tablets plus extra B 1 also works very, very well.
Hoping for your better days ahead.
Best,
Cass A
Posts: 1245 | From Thousand Oaks, CA | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
thanks for all the feedback. Seeing my psychiatrist on Tuesday and am scared of the outcome.
Posts: 124 | From Toronto | Registered: Aug 2009
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