Omg...i Might Be On To Something

[AndreaB]

OMG!! I'm so jealous--tell her hello for me

He's not here yet......T has been watching for him.

[jerseyangel]

He's not here yet......T has been watching for him.

I just read on the "Tickle" thread that he'll be there very shortly

[CarlaB]

I read that Lyme article, too. Wow. Just wow. But still there are some major symptoms I don't have, like joint pain.

I didn't have joint pain until five years ago .... not everyone has it. It's still not a major symptom for me, though I do have it once in a while.

Do you think I should have my regular primary doc test for lyme, and then look for a specialist? I think neurologists, etc., in this area won't see you without a diagnosis.

Also if they put you on long-term antibiotics, then that means the birth control pill won't work. I don't think that would go over too well.

You can have your primary doc test for it, but see if he'll use IGeneX (Western Blot). I had mine test me .... I had IGeneX send me the kit and I took it to my doctor.

As far as abx and the Pill, yeah doesn't work together. But, if you have Lyme, you need to treat! I use natural family planning .... it's as effective as the Pill .... Open Original Shared Link

I was feeling better on abx as far as the nausea went. My colon was crazy, though. I also belched more than usual on the Amoxy. I took it 4 times a day. The TMJ pain, neck stiffness and pain, and feeling like passing out decreased dramatically, though. I am not sure if that constitutes a herx or not, but the first few days, the neck stiffness and pain were worse, and I also felt like I was getting a sore throat.

I think it says something that you felt better on abx ... after initially feeling worse.

As far as fruit goes, I do better on it when it is fresh.

I mainly use organic frozen. I never use canned ... yuck!

Carla was my expert back then, lol

Now that's a scary though, LOL. But, yeah, my doctor had me on a special diet, rest, etc. back then for adrenal fatigue. As it ended up, my adrenals tested out fine, all my issues were actually related to Lyme.

Everyone,

I think I am going to try to reduce my sugar intake as much as possible. Someone said something about Nystatin...I'm waiting for it to come in the mail because Dr. H did order it for me. I don't know why he didn't say anything about an anti candida diet...I guess I will try to eliminate as much sugar as I can, although the more raw I am, the less I crave starch/sugar.

No allergic reaction so far to the abx...knock on wood!

Carla,

I only take the abx once a day...I started in the evening yesterday. I am feeling fine so far today!

I've never taken Zith, but Chloe only takes it once per day. I'm glad it's working for you.

Don't know why your doc didn't mention the diet.

[confusedks]

On a personal and off topic note, my brother actually left the house today after not leaving for weeks!!! We went to get my mom some more gifts for Xmas! He was actually getting freaked out by the end because oh my...we were gone for more than 10 minutes! LOL!

Offthegrid,

I have A LOT of joint pain, and it's pretty bad, but not everyone has it really badly like Carla said. Consider yourself lucky!

Andrea and Tom,

So jealous!

Kassandra

[mftnchn]

Hi everyone! We're getting settled into the new house and loving it, although I can't wait until all the boxes are gone.

I'm really happy and can actually *see* a day when the scale does say 189. You have no idea how big a deal it would be for me to be 189. Plus, the size 14 pants I wear to work, which were once waaaay too tight, are now too loose, and there are all these clothes that had been packed in storage because they were too small that now I can wear. It is so exciting!

Marvelous, Offthegrid!!! I too have recently been able to take some things out of storage to wear again. It does feel great!!!

[mftnchn]

Went out xmas shopping yesterday. OMG! Felt like I'd been hit by a truck by the time I got home last night. This morning, I only feel like I got hit with a couple of bicycles and a wheelbarrow. Guess that's an improvement. Now I remember why I had to quit my job at the florists earlier this year. After about an hour of walking, my knees and hip joints hurt sooo bad! Have to go out again today, but at least it'll be a much shorter trip. On the bright side, everyone was fairly pleasant which was a nice surprise considering how crazy people tend to get this time of year. I also managed to get a LOT done. Yay!

That is for sure what has happened to me, but usually also feet hurting, and all over aching/fatigue along with it. Stupid lyme. I am generally better now though.

[mftnchn]

Oh, my weight loss got me thinking: I don't know where to shop for clothes anymore! I used to buy virtually everything at Lane Bryant, but now I can't shop there because everything is too big. I know the size 14s there are bigger than size 14s in other stores, though. So it was frustrating at 205 pounds because I was too small for Lane Bryant, but too big for anywhere else. Maybe now I can fit into a regular store's clothes. Anybody have any suggestions?

My largest ever was lower 190's. I am 5'6, shorter torso and longer legs. I could usually wear 16W in many of the regular stores or plus size stores. 1X was usually okay too. Hope that helps.

I am celebrating the 160 mark, and wearing some 12's even.

[mftnchn]

TEST RESULT QUESTION

May 07 - TtG positive (58 - normal is <20)

June 07 - elevated IgG gliadin antibodies

*Started Gluten Free Diet*

October 07 - IgG gliadin antibodies HIGHER than in June

November 07 - TtG negative

Would would you say/do?

(

Kristina,

I may be off here, but my thought is: Your gluten-free diet is working, so that your TtG is now negative, and that is excellent. The IgG may be up because your immune system is now less depressed and is actually showing that you are more reactive/sensitive to gluten. This is what many celiacs report clinically.

I don't think it indicates that you are not celiac.

[mftnchn]

Sorry I don't know anything about olive leaf.

Oh, this is for everyone .... Dr. B recommends Prilosec with Levaquin, so I took it. My GI issues went away and I attributed that to bart treatment. However, I ran out of the Prilosec and didn't buy more when I started Rifampin. I thought it was the Rifampin causing the GI issues (pain, nausea), but I started the Prilosece a couple days ago and now feel fine again.

Just a comment on the acid blockers, again everyone is different. I tried a whole series of acid blockers through the fall a year ago before I was diagnosed with H Pylori. They all caused side effects. Prilosec helped with the nausea but caused horrible side effects--muscle pain like you wouldn't believe. I thought I was having major lyme symptoms but it was for sure the Prilosec. I did a second trial of it and got the same reaction.

[mftnchn]

I did olive leaf tea right after I was diagnosed with lyme. Had to cook it in a crock pot for 8 hours, then drink it every morning on an empty stomach. It upset my stomach so the doc had me quit. I was trying doxycycline which really really upset me, so he cut out the OL. I was happy to not have to do it anymore but don't remember if it helped. It was so early on in treatment I probably didn't know.

[confusedks]

Uh oh...I'm starting to get really itchy! Ahhh, I hope something just brushed my skin. That would suck BIG time if I was reacting.

Carla, does Chloe take her Zithro on a full or empty stomach? Also, did she post on here the other day...there was a ChloeB asking about lipgloss!

Kassandra

[confusedks]

Someone said something about me being on prilosec, and I'm not. I haven't taken it in a while...I don't remember why I stopped taking it...some side effect...can't remember.

Kassandra

[CarlaB]

Uh oh...I'm starting to get really itchy! Ahhh, I hope something just brushed my skin. That would suck BIG time if I was reacting.

Carla, does Chloe take her Zithro on a full or empty stomach? Also, did she post on here the other day...there was a ChloeB asking about lipgloss!

Kassandra

Chloe takes it after a meal.

That lipgloss post must have been an oldie ... she posted about that months ago.

[confusedks]

Chloe takes it after a meal.

That lipgloss post must have been an oldie ... she posted about that months ago.

Oh, okay. Is she gluten free still?

[CarlaB]

Oh, okay. Is she gluten free still?

No

[confusedks]

Andrea,

How did it go meeting Tom? Can't wait to hear!

Kassandra

[AndreaB]

Andrea,

How did it go meeting Tom? Can't wait to hear!

Great! The children kept him entertained with computer games in between us trying to talk.

He's put up a new avatar for you all to see.

[confusedks]

Great! The children kept him entertained with computer games in between us trying to talk.

He's put up a new avatar for you all to see.

OMG! How cute is that!!! I'm so jealous!!

[Nyxie63]

A non-issue? Good grief. You know, I'm pretty sure that low lipase can cause "spastic colon." (Along with CFS, food intolerances, and a bunch more crap.) Would that cause chronic abdominal pain?? In any case, I'm glad the enzyme supplements are helping. You're right, that's definitely proof enough!!

Yeah, I'm miffed about it too. I took some time and posted all of my blood tests in a spreadsheet so I could get an overall look. There doesn't seem to be anything glaringly wrong, but I did notice a few things. Like my AST and ALT are at about half of what they were a year ago. My BUN is low. And while my WBC count has been fine, there's been a gradual increase in granulocytes and a decrease in lymphocytes. Something's going on, just don't know what. It just seems like my whole body is slowing down. Hopefully the LLMD will be able to make some sense of all this.

And I screwed up. Thought it was both the lipase and amylase that were low on the tests from the ER. Turns out it was just the lipase. The other low number was the BUN:crea ratio. They didn't test the protease.

And thanks for posting the info on enzymes! I've been doing a little more research on this, but can't remember much more off the top of my head. I can look back at something I've read and go "oh yeah!", but to retain it is not really happening right now.

I'm glad you are only feeling like a couple lightweight vehicles hit you today. I hope you get some time to rest and recoup.

LOL! Thanks! Hubby and I ended up making a deal. I stay home and wrap presents and he goes out and does the rest of the shopping. Sounds more than fair to me!

I read that Lyme article, too. Wow. Just wow. But still there are some major symptoms I don't have, like joint pain. But so many others fit. Do you think I should have my regular primary doc test for lyme, and then look for a specialist? I think neurologists, etc., in this area won't see you without a diagnosis.

Also if they put you on long-term antibiotics, then that means the birth control pill won't work. I don't think that would go over too well.

For those craving KFC chicken ... try McCormick's Montreal Chicken seasoning. It's delicious! We put a little olive oil in a glass pan, then sprinkle seasoning (we like a lot). Then put down the chicken. Then rub a bit of olive oil and top and add more seasoning. Cover with aluminum foil Bake for 30 minutes at 375 or until chicken reaches proper temperature. It is SO YUMMY! Juicy and well-seasoned.

Is it common to be able to digest white rice but not brown?

Day-to-day, I don't have the joint pain either. It seems only to be during any kind of long-term walking or activity, like when I went shopping on wed. Regular trips to the grocery store don't do that to me. Most of my symptoms have been neuro. And while we're on that subject, unless the neurologist is educated in Lyme, they're probably not going to be a whole lot of help. Neuros seem to be to lyme what endos are to subclinical hypoT. There are alternatives to the pill while on abx. If you see a LLMD, they'll probably be able to suggest a few methods.

Thank you for posting the chicken recipe!

I have a problem with brown rice too. It gives me stomach cramping. I can tolerate white rice just fine. Go figure.

I tried digestive enzymes before, but that was quite a while before going gluten-free.

It probably wouldn't hurt to try the digestive enzymes. I've found when I take them, the pain goes away and I'm a LOT less gassy (both ends). I still have to watch my fat intake because even with the enzymes, my body doesn't seem to like anything with much fat in it. Or too many carbs either.

I love your friend's mantra. I may have to use that one! A guy my brother used to work with used to start saying "Go to happy place! Go to happy place!" if someone said something he did not want to hear. We still love to use that one. I saw a shirt the other day that said "I used to care, but I take pills for that now."

Aldosterone is something I have only heard of since you began speaking of it. I assume they use a blood test for it. Maybe I should try drinking Gatorade or something? That helps with electrolytes. Several years ago, they told me electrolytes were coming out in my urine. Can that be caused by adrenal fatigue as well? I have not done the test yet with the flashlight. I should try that today.

Gatorade is high in potassium, which is probably not what you need if you're craving salt. Your potassium's probably too high already. Propel is supposed to be much better, although I'm not crazy about the idea that it contains artificial sweetener. Did they recommend anything to do about your electrolyte loss?

There's a good, all-around adrenal panel that another board recommends running for adrenal fatigue. It consists of ACTH, serum cortisol, ACTH stim test, aldosterone, sodium, potassium, and renin. This gives an overview of what the adrenals are doing and how they respond to stimulation. By these levels, in addition to a 24-hour cortisol saliva test, thyroid, and sex hormone levels, it can also tell you if the problem is in the organs themselves or being caused by the pituitary or hypothalamus. I'm still learning about all this, but if you have more questions, I'll be glad to look more into detail for you. I know money's tight right now, but at least now you have the info.

Donna,

Thanks for sharing what you did for your adrenals.

Tom and Andrea,

I'm so glad you had a nice visit. How cool is that?!?!

[Nyxie63]

That is for sure what has happened to me, but usually also feet hurting, and all over aching/fatigue along with it. Stupid lyme. I am generally better now though.

I was actually surprised that my feet didn't hurt. When I worked at the florist's shop, I developed plantars fasciitis. It was agonizing! It cleared up once I stopped being on my feet all day. I do have a sort of generalized body ache, but its not really pain, its just sort of there if that makes any sense. Its kind of funny but not... by the time hubby came home, I couldn't even form complete sentences. I was fried! Tried to take a nap earlier, but hurt too much. Hips still hurt and I ended up taking a 3 hour nap yesterday. Aiming for only a 1 hour nap today.

Glad to hear you're better!

[CarlaB]

That is for sure what has happened to me, but usually also feet hurting, and all over aching/fatigue along with it. Stupid lyme. I am generally better now though.

Sherry, were you treated for Bartonella? Is it the bottoms of your feet? I wonder if Bart could be what's been missing for you.

[dlp252]

Grrr...been awake since 1:00 this morning. I DID doze off for a few minutes some time after 4:00, but unfortunately I have to get up before 4:40, so not much help. I even got up at 1:00 and took THREE more 3mg melatonin tablets (I take two at bedtime PLUS two droppers full of a liquid sublingual melatonin). I actually felt when it started to take affect (my whole body just felt like it was relaxing), but it didn't help me sleep. Then I was turning over to turn down my heated mattress pad and while I was turning I saw flashing lights. It was weird...I have a lot of floaters and sometimes the floaters are flashing lights, but this was a little different. Not floaters and they were in a stationary pattern.

So, here's my theory, lol. My sleep WAS getting better after starting the neurotransmitter supplements. Then it got bad again after starting the Humaworm. My doctor says that my body is working really hard detoxing, and the prime hours for detoxing are precisely when I'm waking up. So, my theory is that since the Humaworm is causing there to be a lot more that needs to be detoxed, I need to try to help it along a little more than I've been doing. I'm considering taking a hot epsom salt/baking soda bath right before bed every night, and taking more things to support the liver than I have been. I know there are some things in the Humaworm for that, but maybe just not enough for me. I used to give my poor little sickly dog milk thistle to help her liver and I'm thinking maybe I should get some for me, lol.

re the foot pain...yeah, I had plantar faciitis in both feet. My feet still hurt once in a while, and my stupid right big toe feels like it's broken at least two or three times a week. I supposedly do have bartonella, hum, maybe I'll look up some herbal stuff for that if any exist.

[Offthegrid]

Morning all. Got my Xmas shopping done, no problem. I have a sinking suspicion hubby is trying to get me a puppy for Xmas. I hope he doesn't b/c I'd like to pick it out, but I'd also love a puppy either way. (I bought a puppy two years ago who ended up having fatal kidney problems. He died at 10 months old.)

I forgot to do the spit test, so I will have to do that another day.

Hey, I was able to put on some Gap jeans that an ex-bf's mother had given me. I couldn't even get them over my thighs before, so that is major! I never had anything from Gap. I think I'll probably wear them all weekend. ha ha.

Hope everyone else is well and behaving. Or, at least is well.

Donna, I know floaters are a symptom of Lyme, but I believe they are also a side effect. I know I took Ambien before and didn't fall asleep and saw spots.

[AndreaB]

LOL! Thanks! Hubby and I ended up making a deal. I stay home and wrap presents and he goes out and does the rest of the shopping. Sounds more than fair to me!

Now that sounds like a deal!

My doctor says that my body is working really hard detoxing, and the prime hours for detoxing are precisely when I'm waking up..... I used to give my poor little sickly dog milk thistle to help her liver and I'm thinking maybe I should get some for me, lol.

re the foot pain...yeah, I had plantar faciitis in both feet. My feet still hurt once in a while, and my stupid right big toe feels like it's broken at least two or three times a week. I supposedly do have bartonella, hum, maybe I'll look up some herbal stuff for that if any exist.

That makes sense to me with the humaworm and your body working harder.

Keep us posted.

Offthegrid,

YAY! on the jeans! Sorry about your puppy a few years ago.

[tom]

Great! The children kept him entertained with computer games in between us trying to talk.

they SO wanted to show me EVERY game!!!!

And the little guy's insistence on baring my bellybutton still puzzles me!