Tuesday, December 9, 2008

AND THE GODS SAID HA!

I declared victory too early yesterday. I tried going jogging at 6pm, and stayed at it for about 30 minutes, feeling energetic the whole time. Clearly, I have strength to do it. However, it also set off a reaction afterwards that kept me up until 4am.

Either it depleted too many nutrients in my system or set off a Lyme bacteria die-off reaction. I had that wide-awake-and-tense-for-no-reason syndrome I usually get after a big dose of a new antibiotic. (Perhaps by jogging I just circulated the antibiotics through my system more effectively than usual?)

I took extra vitamin C and B vitamins, which usually help me to sleep. Then on a whim I tried extra olive leaf, and finally at 4 I took a big dose of magnesium and that did the trick.

I didn't feel weak or exhausted today, as I thought I might. Instead I just felt sleep deprived, extremely sleep deprived. Woops.

So I will stick to brisk walks and dancing for now. If I have to run for any reason, I'll head straight for the magnesium when I get home.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

OK, I feel a little better now (sorry). I was amazed to read your last post, and while my first thought was, "gosh, she's getting better!", my second was "how come I can't do that?"

Most times it seems like while progress is there, it's too slow to perceive except on a seasonal scale.

I think even if you fall apart later (and I know you want to avoid it, as those anxious symptoms really suck), this sure seems like progress!

A question about magnesium. Somewhere I read (can't remember where) that unless magnesium is given via IV?, via shot? it doesn't help because it actually feeds the lyme. This is all I remember, and I have no idea of the accuracy of the source, but I wondered if you were aware of this view, and perhaps had the information to refute it?

Best,
-joe

Chronic Triathlete said...

I've heard the same thing and am curious about the answer.

Glad to hear you're running. My LLMD says it's that exercise is a huge component to getting well. Your thought on it moving abx around is correct. It helps push a lot of fresh blood to areas that don't always get it and with that comes the drugs (and supplements and whatever else you take). Oxygen is also a Lyme-killer and cardio exercise infuses tissue with it.

I try to run in the mornings (or at least during the day) to help reduce that wide awake feeling. Keep your heart rate low and ramp up very, very slowly.

Biking or elliptical machines are also good for Lymies because they don't pound joints like running can.

Keep at it!
CT

greeneoisie said...

Thanks for your comments, guys! Sorry I've been away from the blog for so long.

My empirical experience with magnesium is that it helps me all around. It helps with joint pain and sleep and if I go without it I get headaches.

Bryan Rosner's book, Top 10 treatments for Lyme Disease, has a very good refutation of the "don't-feed-the-spirochetes" warning . He basically says even if you try to starve the Lyme of nutrients, it will only go into hybernation and come back later. Meanwhile, you are starving your own body of the ammunition it needs to attack the bugs, so don't worry if the spirochetes get a little magnesium, your body will get the bulk of it, and the bulk of the benefits.

CT's comments on the exercise were very insightful. Makes me think it might be worth it to try again, earlier in the day.