It's been almost a week since my Eureka moment last Wednesday, when I decided I needed to get as big a Herxheimer reaction as possible, for as long as possible, in order to finally kick this last bit of Lyme. Since then, by ratcheting up my Samento (herbal drops) and Diflucan (prescription meds) I've managed to crank up the fatigue, joint pain, rapid heart beat, and noise sensitivity.
I've even had little shimmers of brain fog--when I couldn't quite put sentences together or mixed up some pretty basic words. I was sending a text to my mom yesterday and realized I didn't know how to spell "heaven." I think that qualifies as brain fog. I gave myself a silent cheer. Good for me!
I'm coming to realize that one of my biggest Herx symptoms is the crash depression. This one I'm not so good at cheering for. I suddenly get overwhelmed by how lonely I feel, how desperate my situation is, how terrible it is to have illness keep me from writing enough, how high the chances are that Lyme will ruin my relationship with The Poet. And on and on.
I try to just wait these times out, let myself cry, then get some exercise or do my detox routine. It helps a lot to have learned from Pamela Weintraub's book, "Cure Unknown," that it is very common for Lyme patients to experience increased psychological symptoms when they go on antibiotics. So yes, the even the depression is part of the Herx. I should welcome it as part of the healing process. Easier said than done!
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3 comments:
Lyme disease is very difficult to diagnose and It can be very dangerous for human life.
Lyme disease
I started taking Samento and banderol about 2 weeks ago. I saw your blog while searching around to see how safe these drugs are.Samento as you probably know is the herb that Cipro and Levaquin are made from,antibiotics that can cause tendon ruptures, and contain quinine which has to be avoided by some people.
I have quit lyme treatment after three weeks or so in the past, because I could not work and be around people and remain a socially acceptable person.
Hi Tinya! I just started Samento and Banderol last night. On my first day I'm feeling much, much better than I expected.
You are concerned about the safety of Lyme treatment, which is good, I'd like to weigh in on the side of being concerned about Lyme. Untreated, Lyme is a progressive illness that has ruined countless lives. If I had it to do over again, I'd have started treatment much, much sooner. But it took me eight years to even know what was wrong with me, so I had no choice about that. By the time I started treatment I hadn't had a job in years, I could barely walk and barely read. And I personally know others who are in much worse shape than that.
I purposely keep this blog upbeat because there is enough downer stuff on the internet about Lyme, but PLEASE treat your Lyme sooner rather than later. If a doctor diagnosed you with cancer, you would take medical leave to get through the treatment. You would worry about the safety of the drugs and do what you could to avoid those risks, but you'd take the gamble.
I strongly recommend you read Cure Unknown so you can get a sense of how hellish Lyme can get without treatment.
Yes, the Lyme treatment makes you feel terrible for a while, and it is common for it to cause mood swings, because Lyme bacteria thrive in brain tissue!
As for Samento & Banderol, there are studies showing it is more effective than antibiotics, and my doctor, Marty Ross, has told me he's had extremely good results with it. One patient he thought would never get back to 100% is now completely cured after Samento and Banderol. So I'm glad you are on it. If you are having real trouble with herxing, you can also try the coffee enema (I know it sounds crazy, but read my post about it). In the past week when my herx has been really terrible, the coffee enema has pulled me right out it.
Good luck, Tinya!
All the best,
Naomi
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