posted
It seems as though I ifected my son during pregnancy. He is now 13, and although he's had symptoms since birth, nobody has caught it! I was just diagnosed 2 years ago. He tested positive 2 months ago and has started Doxy. He was diagnosed with ADD, Anxiety disorder and Bi-polar! After doing much research, I found that this mas be a result of the Lyme. His symptoms are MUCH worse while on treatment! I take him off for a week; he's much better. I have to try to keep him on him treatment. I was told by the Dr. that this is part of a herx reaction. Has anyone else experienced this???? It breaks my heart to watch him go through this! Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreiciated!
Thank You
Posts: 351 | From Georgia | Registered: Feb 2008
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posted
Hi Dans' mom, thank you for replying, but I checked my private messages and there isn't anything there. This is frist time I've used this. Am I doing something wrong???
Thanks
Posts: 351 | From Georgia | Registered: Feb 2008
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My son (age 5) has had lots of neuropsych symptoms as well. I'm not suprised to see what your son has been diagnosed with, as they are consistant with what we have seen in my son.
For my little one, the symptoms have improved over time, but it has been a slow, very challanging process.
I can't tell you if the symptoms got worse after treatment started due to a herx, as he is so young, it is hard to diferentiate "lyme behavior" from normal preschooler/toddler behavior.
We think he first got bit around the time he turned 4, and possibly got bit again the following summer, at which time he started running high fevers and developed multiple em rashes.
What I can tell you is that for us, what started as daily episodes, has dropped down to about once every five days. The severity of the episodes has also diminished. Instead of 2 hour screaming tantrums, he now tends towards 15 minute crying jags.
His ocd symptoms have gone from scrubbing floors with a toothbrush for 3 hours, to well, developing a household cleaning schedule, and miracle of miracles, organizing the playroom in a manner that allowed for PLAY. (he used to insist on setting up little tiny work stations that grownups couldn't enter.
(I know it's hard to sympatize with someone who's kid gets into cleaning fits!) But seriously, OCD stuff isn't just about cleaning, it's about randomly throwing things, hitting, pinching, hoarding, rigidity in daily routines, ect.
So back to you, I would follow the LLMD's advise, because it can help your child get better. At the same time, it is very important that you build up a support network for yourself.
The healing process is not easy, and it is not quick. Your child is older, and presumably larger and stronger than mine, which means that if aggression becomes part of his symptoms, than he will be more difficult to manage.
I'm guessing that with the diagnosis' that you have mentioned, that there are mental health providers involved. Do your best to educate them, but in a nice way. (like, oh by the way, I found out that there is a lyme research center at columbia in new york, and look, they say that all of this stuff is, well, lyme causes it. And oh check this out, they're funded by the National Institute of Health....)
I can only speak for the mental health providers in my state, of which, prior to motherhood, I used to be one of. Most of them know NOTHING about Lyme having neuropsychiatric symptoms. But, I am willing to bet, that some would be receptive to learning about it, as long as you didn't make them feel ignorant and/or incompetant in the process.
posted
Yes - neuropsych symptoms can be part of a herx reaction. Any of the Lyme symptoms can get worse with treatment. I have bipolar from Lyme & it is one of the symptoms that wax & wane with treatment.
You may need to adjust psychotropic drugs to manage the symptoms better. Keep in touch w. your dr. who prescribes the bipolar meds to try to manage the psych symptoms & remember that the brain is just another part of the body that suffers from the infection.
I have to have my bipolar (geodon) & depression (prozac) drugs adjusted on a cyclical time frame. I attribute this to the Lyme. There are many good psychotropic drugs out there. The good news is that once the Lyme is fully treated, you may find you don't require the drugs any longer!
My son, age 11+ has also shown signs of neuropsych involvement from Lyme but has not needed drugs to control them to date, knock on wood. His neuropsych symptoms also wax & wane.
[ 13. March 2008, 05:36 PM: Message edited by: MaryL ]
Posts: 81 | From Iowa | Registered: May 2007
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You might obtain the ILADS pamphlet "What Psychiatrists Should Know About Lyme Disease" for further information on what to expect. Go to www.ilads.org. Also, www.lymetimes.org can be examined online and is excellent for articles on Lyme Disease; they provide a well done quarterly journal. It should help you learn more about herx reactions.
Posts: 81 | From Iowa | Registered: May 2007
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posted
Since herx reactions are from toxins from killed spirochetes, might doing some detox stuff with him help?
I don't have any specific protocol to recommend for a child, but it might help alleviate the herxing. I know some take milk thistle, drink lemon water, etc.
I have a 5-y-o dx with lyme and babs, and what lead us to the lyme dx was that she was bi-polar. I agree with others, we've seen improvement of sx with tx, but now we're plateauing. Sigh.
Posts: 524 | From Hudson Valley, NY | Registered: Jul 2007
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