My Symptoms
First, My rant about Western Medicine based on my experiences:
In an effort to make themselves feel better, western medicine likes to put a fancy name to a group of symptoms. It sounds official and makes it seem like they know what they are doing. When in reality, they have no test for said disease and can offer no real cures (ALS, MS, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Altheimers, Parkinsons....). All they offer are painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. Basically, to make you not care and not feel while your body is being eaten alive. Here are some things I have been diagnosed with by my different doctors: Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Raynaulds Syndrome, and PMDD (premenstrual disphoric disorder. It's like PMS on steroids meets Hell and they had a baby demon. It's horrible). None of these is a helpful diagnosis, because there are no tests and no cures for any of these 'groups of symptoms with a name'. While all of these conditions are very real and devastating, and I agree that I had them all, I didn't need a doctor to give me a fancy word for "Exhausted all the time" and charge me $200.
To help with my 'diseases' I was offered a lot of different antidepressants, all of which made me feel TEN times worse and I had to stop within 1-2 days, and oral painkillers or numbing creams.
The irony is that all of these doctors got the list of below symptoms, looked at it and took a lot of blood tests. Nothing... and I mean nothing... not HIV, not any form of Hepatitis, Lupus, RA, Western Blot for Lyme.....NOTHING came back positive on ANY of my tests. So, they would look at the test results, look at me and tell me I had nothing wrong. That's all they had. It was like my words meant nothing. They must have thought I was crazy. Not one of them looked for other causes of my symptoms, looked further into Lyme or even mentioned Multiple Sclerosis. I later looked up MS online and saw that I had almost every single symptom. And not ONE of my six doctors ever mentioned it. Scary.
How can any doctor that really wants to help people look at this list of symptoms and know that someone who was perfectly healthy a few years before and now has all these just rush through a 15 minute appointment, hand out an RX for antidepressants and move on to the next patient? The answer: They really don't care. I realized how much when I finally went to Dr. Hardt. I don't even know how to explain how wonderful it was to have a doctor LISTEN to me and have REAL answers as to why I was suffering the symptoms I was. He had solutions!!! He's amazing and I'm so thankful every day for all his help and support. He is the only doctor deserving of the title that I have seen. My first appointment was about two and half hours long. And he believed me. It's sad to remember how relieved I was to have someone really listen and really care after years of seeing doctors.
In an effort to make themselves feel better, western medicine likes to put a fancy name to a group of symptoms. It sounds official and makes it seem like they know what they are doing. When in reality, they have no test for said disease and can offer no real cures (ALS, MS, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Altheimers, Parkinsons....). All they offer are painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. Basically, to make you not care and not feel while your body is being eaten alive. Here are some things I have been diagnosed with by my different doctors: Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Raynaulds Syndrome, and PMDD (premenstrual disphoric disorder. It's like PMS on steroids meets Hell and they had a baby demon. It's horrible). None of these is a helpful diagnosis, because there are no tests and no cures for any of these 'groups of symptoms with a name'. While all of these conditions are very real and devastating, and I agree that I had them all, I didn't need a doctor to give me a fancy word for "Exhausted all the time" and charge me $200.
To help with my 'diseases' I was offered a lot of different antidepressants, all of which made me feel TEN times worse and I had to stop within 1-2 days, and oral painkillers or numbing creams.
The irony is that all of these doctors got the list of below symptoms, looked at it and took a lot of blood tests. Nothing... and I mean nothing... not HIV, not any form of Hepatitis, Lupus, RA, Western Blot for Lyme.....NOTHING came back positive on ANY of my tests. So, they would look at the test results, look at me and tell me I had nothing wrong. That's all they had. It was like my words meant nothing. They must have thought I was crazy. Not one of them looked for other causes of my symptoms, looked further into Lyme or even mentioned Multiple Sclerosis. I later looked up MS online and saw that I had almost every single symptom. And not ONE of my six doctors ever mentioned it. Scary.
How can any doctor that really wants to help people look at this list of symptoms and know that someone who was perfectly healthy a few years before and now has all these just rush through a 15 minute appointment, hand out an RX for antidepressants and move on to the next patient? The answer: They really don't care. I realized how much when I finally went to Dr. Hardt. I don't even know how to explain how wonderful it was to have a doctor LISTEN to me and have REAL answers as to why I was suffering the symptoms I was. He had solutions!!! He's amazing and I'm so thankful every day for all his help and support. He is the only doctor deserving of the title that I have seen. My first appointment was about two and half hours long. And he believed me. It's sad to remember how relieved I was to have someone really listen and really care after years of seeing doctors.
Updated Symptoms list as of February 21, 2016. Completed Lyme-N 90 days ago: November 20, 2015
Lyme symptoms that are still effect daily life:
Clumbsy~I drop things all the time and regularly break glasses/dishes, model horses~improved about 20%
I run into walls and doorjambs with arms, legs, knees, etc, stub my toe when I shouldn’t. I NEVER had any of these problems before I got sick~some improvement.
severe, uncontrollable cravings for carbs and sugar~continues, see Adrenal Exhaustion Symptoms
severe salt cravings~continues, see Adrenal Exhaustion Symptoms
Cannot concentrate/reading and listening comprehention: improved by about 50%
difficulty swallowing. the flap to cover my wind pipe does not close when I go to swallow and I have nearly choked multiple times. I have to quickly lean forward to prevent the food from going into my windpipe and choking me. Very scary.~Still happens, but less frequently
Difficulty saying certain words or letters, I substitute letters when speaking~ improved about 30%
Compulsive behavior~ buying things or working on a project when I should be doing something else continues
Obsessing over things~continues, but improved
Bells palsy on my left side of my face. Numbness, swelling, nerve damage. Pain in that side of my face from time to time~still a daily factor and worsens during PMS
Little white pellents under my skin~continues
Lots of new moles and random bumps under or on my skin~continues
Liver spots all over me, especially my legs and arms~continues
Forget words in the middle of a sentence~continues, but improved by about 25%
Lose my train of thought while saying a sentence~much better: I haven't noticed it happening much lately
Extreme short term memory loss~Improving since taking Lyme N
Body wide muscle pain and joint pain~ see my Adrenal Exhaustion symptoms: This has worsened dramatically.
Lyme Symptoms that have improved~ some are rarely a factor anymore:
Major muscle weakness~ especially in my legs~ reduced about 75%
Major leg cramping, especially at night~reduced about 95%
Extreme neck pain~ This is a biggie and was a huge daily factor. Since being on Lyme-N it's reduced about 90%. Before it was out of control and even antibiotics would only work on and off.
feels like I have sand in my eyes all the time~reduced about 75%
hair falling out~ a lot~reduced about 80% except when I take Vit C or D. Those cause it to fall out. Reduced about 80%
constipation~reduced by about 75%, much worse during PMS
Raynaulds Syndrome brought on by mild cold (grocery store) Like I am allergic to the cold. Major itching and pain in my hands and feet~still a factor, but reduced by about 20%-30%
Very painful Tendonitis in my elbows~came back really bad in late Oct 2015 after taking a short few days of antibiotics and continues
Severe fatigue after eating, especially cereal like a blood sugar problem~improved by about 85%
Slurred speach~ improved about 85-95%
Joint pain and swelling~painful arthritis in every joint in my body. Feels like I was hit by a train. Some pain daily now, but nothing like it was. This came back with a vengence after being off antibiotics for about 6-8 weeks. Depends on the weather, hormone phase, and moon phase. If those are not in play, then it's reduced about 80%-90%. However, this past couple weeks, they were pretty severe.~(PMDD/Hormonal symptom)
Random Blepheritis or itching, burning and swelling of my eye lids. They would get all crusty and crepey. Now it is only caused sometimes when I take Adderall, otherwise, rarely occurs and very mild Seems to be gone now. No episodes in the past several months.
frequent urination/bladder spasms~gone
Clumbsy~I drop things all the time and regularly break glasses/dishes, model horses~improved about 20%
I run into walls and doorjambs with arms, legs, knees, etc, stub my toe when I shouldn’t. I NEVER had any of these problems before I got sick~some improvement.
severe, uncontrollable cravings for carbs and sugar~continues, see Adrenal Exhaustion Symptoms
severe salt cravings~continues, see Adrenal Exhaustion Symptoms
Cannot concentrate/reading and listening comprehention: improved by about 50%
difficulty swallowing. the flap to cover my wind pipe does not close when I go to swallow and I have nearly choked multiple times. I have to quickly lean forward to prevent the food from going into my windpipe and choking me. Very scary.~Still happens, but less frequently
Difficulty saying certain words or letters, I substitute letters when speaking~ improved about 30%
Compulsive behavior~ buying things or working on a project when I should be doing something else continues
Obsessing over things~continues, but improved
Bells palsy on my left side of my face. Numbness, swelling, nerve damage. Pain in that side of my face from time to time~still a daily factor and worsens during PMS
Little white pellents under my skin~continues
Lots of new moles and random bumps under or on my skin~continues
Liver spots all over me, especially my legs and arms~continues
Forget words in the middle of a sentence~continues, but improved by about 25%
Lose my train of thought while saying a sentence~much better: I haven't noticed it happening much lately
Extreme short term memory loss~Improving since taking Lyme N
Body wide muscle pain and joint pain~ see my Adrenal Exhaustion symptoms: This has worsened dramatically.
Lyme Symptoms that have improved~ some are rarely a factor anymore:
Major muscle weakness~ especially in my legs~ reduced about 75%
Major leg cramping, especially at night~reduced about 95%
Extreme neck pain~ This is a biggie and was a huge daily factor. Since being on Lyme-N it's reduced about 90%. Before it was out of control and even antibiotics would only work on and off.
feels like I have sand in my eyes all the time~reduced about 75%
hair falling out~ a lot~reduced about 80% except when I take Vit C or D. Those cause it to fall out. Reduced about 80%
constipation~reduced by about 75%, much worse during PMS
Raynaulds Syndrome brought on by mild cold (grocery store) Like I am allergic to the cold. Major itching and pain in my hands and feet~still a factor, but reduced by about 20%-30%
Very painful Tendonitis in my elbows~came back really bad in late Oct 2015 after taking a short few days of antibiotics and continues
Severe fatigue after eating, especially cereal like a blood sugar problem~improved by about 85%
Slurred speach~ improved about 85-95%
Joint pain and swelling~painful arthritis in every joint in my body. Feels like I was hit by a train. Some pain daily now, but nothing like it was. This came back with a vengence after being off antibiotics for about 6-8 weeks. Depends on the weather, hormone phase, and moon phase. If those are not in play, then it's reduced about 80%-90%. However, this past couple weeks, they were pretty severe.~(PMDD/Hormonal symptom)
Random Blepheritis or itching, burning and swelling of my eye lids. They would get all crusty and crepey. Now it is only caused sometimes when I take Adderall, otherwise, rarely occurs and very mild Seems to be gone now. No episodes in the past several months.
frequent urination/bladder spasms~gone
Symptoms that come back when I go off my antibiotics. These are non existant while on Antibiotics, then come back within a day or two, others a few weeks after going off abx. The wonderful thing: Lyme-N has taken over where the antibiotics left off. When I first went off my abx, there were several weeks on and off that these symptoms came and went. Now after 6 months with no abx, almost all are gone, except an occasional floater in my vision.
Floaters in my vision~ Lyme-N has taken over and I rarely have a floater any more.
Ringing in my ears~ Very rare. Lyme-N has taken over and I have not had this symptom in the past few weeks. It gets rarer and farther between.
Sore throat, but not from the flu~ Lyme-N has taken over and I have not had this symptom in months.
Phantom Smells~I smell things that aren’t there Usually a burning or a garbage smell. Lyme-N has taken over and I have not had this symptom in months.
Floaters in my vision~ Lyme-N has taken over and I rarely have a floater any more.
Ringing in my ears~ Very rare. Lyme-N has taken over and I have not had this symptom in the past few weeks. It gets rarer and farther between.
Sore throat, but not from the flu~ Lyme-N has taken over and I have not had this symptom in months.
Phantom Smells~I smell things that aren’t there Usually a burning or a garbage smell. Lyme-N has taken over and I have not had this symptom in months.
Adrenal Exhaustion Symptoms: These symptoms worsen or some only occur during PMS week Starting at day 14 or day 23. Then again about day 7, as my ‘cycle’ starts over again. These are directly caused by Adrenal Exhaustion due to Lyme Disease. See that page link for more info
I am starting treatment for Adrenal Exhaustion, and some of it is helping.
My back starts to tich like crazy for a few days. It feels like pins and needles and drives me nuts.~ Starts on day 23
sores on the roof of my mouth~Starts on day 23 (PMDD/Hormonal symptom)
Cold sores~ I have not had one in the past few months (PMS times only, day 23)
Sores in my mouth and the roof of my mouth! Starts on day 23. These had stopped, but came back with all my other AE symptoms
Panic Attacks at night while having horrible nightmares.~ no panic attacks, but bad, weird dreams. Not nightmares anymore, but not happy dreams, either. Starts on day 23
Wake up every morning with earache, headache and sore throat~Only during PMS: Starts on day 23. Adrenal Exhaustion Symptom
Insomnia: Starts on day 23
Night sweats~Start on day 23 (PMS times only)
Arthritis worsens~ still a factor, but not in my hands at all like it used to be. All over my whole body, every joint aches
Hot flashes~ somewhat, but improved about 50% (PMS times only)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome~My gut is like a rock crusher it’s like it doesn’t know what to do with food It keeps me awake at night. Starts on day 23.
Constipation worsens~Starts on day 14. no improvement
Exhaustion worsens to non-functional, in bed all the time. Just want to sleep. About 50% improvement. (PMS times only)
Acne break outs~ no improvement
Psychological symptoms Still there on and off
Emotionally unbalanced, cry for no reason~ some improvement (PMS times only)
Severely depressed~not as severely depressed, but definitely feelings of hopelessness and despair still occur (PMS times only)
Anxiety~maybe a little improvement
Anti Social Feelings~ I go out of my way to avoid people~maybe a little improvement (PMS times only)
I feel restless~some improvement
Mood swings quickly~some improvement
Anger~some improvement (PMS times only)
I am starting treatment for Adrenal Exhaustion, and some of it is helping.
My back starts to tich like crazy for a few days. It feels like pins and needles and drives me nuts.~ Starts on day 23
sores on the roof of my mouth~Starts on day 23 (PMDD/Hormonal symptom)
Cold sores~ I have not had one in the past few months (PMS times only, day 23)
Sores in my mouth and the roof of my mouth! Starts on day 23. These had stopped, but came back with all my other AE symptoms
Panic Attacks at night while having horrible nightmares.~ no panic attacks, but bad, weird dreams. Not nightmares anymore, but not happy dreams, either. Starts on day 23
Wake up every morning with earache, headache and sore throat~Only during PMS: Starts on day 23. Adrenal Exhaustion Symptom
Insomnia: Starts on day 23
Night sweats~Start on day 23 (PMS times only)
Arthritis worsens~ still a factor, but not in my hands at all like it used to be. All over my whole body, every joint aches
Hot flashes~ somewhat, but improved about 50% (PMS times only)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome~My gut is like a rock crusher it’s like it doesn’t know what to do with food It keeps me awake at night. Starts on day 23.
Constipation worsens~Starts on day 14. no improvement
Exhaustion worsens to non-functional, in bed all the time. Just want to sleep. About 50% improvement. (PMS times only)
Acne break outs~ no improvement
Psychological symptoms Still there on and off
Emotionally unbalanced, cry for no reason~ some improvement (PMS times only)
Severely depressed~not as severely depressed, but definitely feelings of hopelessness and despair still occur (PMS times only)
Anxiety~maybe a little improvement
Anti Social Feelings~ I go out of my way to avoid people~maybe a little improvement (PMS times only)
I feel restless~some improvement
Mood swings quickly~some improvement
Anger~some improvement (PMS times only)
Symptoms I had as of December 2010 just prior to starting Lyme treatment. This is not a complete list, only what I could remember at the time. At age 25 I had not one of these symptoms. By age 33 they were starting to really overwhelm me. By 35 I was in bed most of the day.
Extreme, constant neck pain. Like a stiff neck x 1000. I often have to take Advil or Norco to control the pain.
Major muscle weakness~ especially in my legs
Major leg cramping, especially at night
Bells Palsy~extreme facial pain on the left side. It now is permanently swollen and slightly droopy, my left eye waters and I have more hearing loss on that side.
sores on the roof of my mouth
feels like I have sand in my eyes all the time
hair falling out~ a lot
Clumbsy~I drop things all the time and regularly break glasses/dishes, model horses
I run into walls and doorjambs with arms, legs, knees, etc, stub my toe when I shouldn’t. I NEVER had any of these problems before I got sick
severe, uncontrollable cravings for carbs and sugar
extreme salt cravings (I never even used to like chips, now I MUST have them and I put tons of salt on everything)
constipation
restless leg syndrome
frequent urination/bladder spasms (I don't have to go, then suddenly, an emergency like something is squeezing my bladder)
Raynaulds Syndrome brought on by mild cold (grocery store) Like I am allergic to the cold. Major itching and pain in my hands and feet
intermittent soreness/aching under my armpits (glands)
muscle ticks in my face and other areas of my body that would go on for weeks or months
Very painful Tendonitis in my elbows
Acne break outs
Cannot concentrate/reading and listening comprehention is about 10%-20%
Severe fatigue after eating, especially cereal like a blood sugar problem
A few scary bout of asthma~ a shortness of breath and tightness in my chest where I can’t get a breath. I begin to panic and it’s like my brain forgot how to breathe
difficulty swallowing. the flap to cover my wind pipe does not close when I go to swallow and I haver nearly choked multiple times. I have to quickly lean forward to prevent the food from going into my windpipe and choking me. Very scary.
Phantom Smells~I smell things that aren’t there Usually a burning or a garbage smell.
Random, short bouts of nausea My mouth waters suddenly and I feel like I am going to vomit Then it will pass within a couple minutes. Unrealted to any food.
Hoarsness/Laringitis, but not when I have a sore throat or other symptoms
Wake up every morning with earache, headache and sore throat
Difficulty saying certain words or letters, I substitute letters when speaking
Slurred speach
I feel like someone is shaking the bed back and forth really hard, like a major earthquake I sit up and there is nothing. It was all in my brain.
Compulsive behavior~ buying things or working on a project when I should be doing something else
Obsessing over things
Bells palsy on my left side of my face. Numbness, swelling, nerve damage. Pain in that side of my face from time to time, and hearing loss in my left ear, sagging of my eyelid
Little white pellents under my skin
Lots of new moles and random bumps under or on my skin
Liver spots all over me, especially my legs and arms (started in late 20's)
Flooaters in my vision
Ringing in my ears
Sore throat, but not from the flu
Forget words in the middle of a sentence
Lose my train of thought while saying a sentence
Extreme short term memory loss
Severe dizzyness to the point that I cannot stand up
Joint pain and swelling~painful arthritis in every joint in my body. Feels like I was hit by a train.
Random Blepheritis or itching, burning and swelling of my eye lids. They would get all crusty and crepey.
Extreme, constant neck pain. Like a stiff neck x 1000. I often have to take Advil or Norco to control the pain.
Major muscle weakness~ especially in my legs
Major leg cramping, especially at night
Bells Palsy~extreme facial pain on the left side. It now is permanently swollen and slightly droopy, my left eye waters and I have more hearing loss on that side.
sores on the roof of my mouth
feels like I have sand in my eyes all the time
hair falling out~ a lot
Clumbsy~I drop things all the time and regularly break glasses/dishes, model horses
I run into walls and doorjambs with arms, legs, knees, etc, stub my toe when I shouldn’t. I NEVER had any of these problems before I got sick
severe, uncontrollable cravings for carbs and sugar
extreme salt cravings (I never even used to like chips, now I MUST have them and I put tons of salt on everything)
constipation
restless leg syndrome
frequent urination/bladder spasms (I don't have to go, then suddenly, an emergency like something is squeezing my bladder)
Raynaulds Syndrome brought on by mild cold (grocery store) Like I am allergic to the cold. Major itching and pain in my hands and feet
intermittent soreness/aching under my armpits (glands)
muscle ticks in my face and other areas of my body that would go on for weeks or months
Very painful Tendonitis in my elbows
Acne break outs
Cannot concentrate/reading and listening comprehention is about 10%-20%
Severe fatigue after eating, especially cereal like a blood sugar problem
A few scary bout of asthma~ a shortness of breath and tightness in my chest where I can’t get a breath. I begin to panic and it’s like my brain forgot how to breathe
difficulty swallowing. the flap to cover my wind pipe does not close when I go to swallow and I haver nearly choked multiple times. I have to quickly lean forward to prevent the food from going into my windpipe and choking me. Very scary.
Phantom Smells~I smell things that aren’t there Usually a burning or a garbage smell.
Random, short bouts of nausea My mouth waters suddenly and I feel like I am going to vomit Then it will pass within a couple minutes. Unrealted to any food.
Hoarsness/Laringitis, but not when I have a sore throat or other symptoms
Wake up every morning with earache, headache and sore throat
Difficulty saying certain words or letters, I substitute letters when speaking
Slurred speach
I feel like someone is shaking the bed back and forth really hard, like a major earthquake I sit up and there is nothing. It was all in my brain.
Compulsive behavior~ buying things or working on a project when I should be doing something else
Obsessing over things
Bells palsy on my left side of my face. Numbness, swelling, nerve damage. Pain in that side of my face from time to time, and hearing loss in my left ear, sagging of my eyelid
Little white pellents under my skin
Lots of new moles and random bumps under or on my skin
Liver spots all over me, especially my legs and arms (started in late 20's)
Flooaters in my vision
Ringing in my ears
Sore throat, but not from the flu
Forget words in the middle of a sentence
Lose my train of thought while saying a sentence
Extreme short term memory loss
Severe dizzyness to the point that I cannot stand up
Joint pain and swelling~painful arthritis in every joint in my body. Feels like I was hit by a train.
Random Blepheritis or itching, burning and swelling of my eye lids. They would get all crusty and crepey.
These are the mental/emotional symptoms and they worsen or some only occur during PMS week Starting at day 23. Then again about day 7, as my ‘cycle’ starts over again. Many are due to Adrenal Exhaustion.
My back starts to tich like crazy for a few days. It feels like pins and needles and drives me nuts.
Cold sores
Sores in my mouth and the roof of my mouth
Panic Attacks
Night sweats
Arthritis worsens~ a lot
Hot flashes
Irritable Bowel Syndrome~My gut is like a rock crusher it’s like it doesn’t know what to do with food It keeps me awake at night
Constipation worsens
Exhaustion worsens to non-functional, in bed all the time. Just want to sleep
Acne break outs
Psychological symptoms
Emotionally unbalanced, cry for no reason
Severely depressed
Anxiety,
Anti Social Feelings~ I go out of my way to avoid people
I feel restless
Mood swings quickly
Anger
My back starts to tich like crazy for a few days. It feels like pins and needles and drives me nuts.
Cold sores
Sores in my mouth and the roof of my mouth
Panic Attacks
Night sweats
Arthritis worsens~ a lot
Hot flashes
Irritable Bowel Syndrome~My gut is like a rock crusher it’s like it doesn’t know what to do with food It keeps me awake at night
Constipation worsens
Exhaustion worsens to non-functional, in bed all the time. Just want to sleep
Acne break outs
Psychological symptoms
Emotionally unbalanced, cry for no reason
Severely depressed
Anxiety,
Anti Social Feelings~ I go out of my way to avoid people
I feel restless
Mood swings quickly
Anger
Updated Symptoms List as of January 2015. Four years on antibiotics and supplements.
Symptoms that are still effect daily life:
Clumbsy~I drop things all the time and regularly break glasses/dishes, model horses~continues
I run into walls and doorjambs with arms, legs, knees, etc, stub my toe when I shouldn’t. I NEVER had any of these problems before I got sick~continues
Extreme neck pain~ on and off, but antibiotics help quite a bit most the time.
severe, uncontrollable cravings for carbs and sugar~continues
severe salt cravings~continues
frequent urination/bladder spasms~continues
Cannot concentrate/reading and listening comprehention is about 10%-20%~somewhat improved, but permanent brain damage I think
difficultyu swallowing. the flap to cover my wind pipe does not close when I go to swallow and I haver nearly choked multiple times. I have to quickly lean forward to prevent the food from going into my windpipe and choking me. Very scary.~Still happens regularly
Difficulty saying certain words or letters, I substitute letters when speaking~ still a daily factor
Compulsive behavior~ buying things or working on a project when I should be doing something else
Obsessing over things~still a daily factor
Bells palsy on my left side of my face. Numbness, swelling, nerve damage. Pain in that side of my face from time to time~still a daily factor
Little white pellents under my skin~still a daily factor
Lots of new moles and random bumps under or on my skin~still a daily factor
Liver spots all over me, especially my legs and arms~still a daily factor
Forget words in the middle of a sentence~still a daily factor
Lose my train of thought while saying a sentence~still a daily factor
Extreme short term memory loss~better with the Adderall, but still a major factor
Body wide muscle pain and joint pain~
Symptoms that have improved~ some are rarely a factor anymore:
Major muscle weakness~ especially in my legs~ reduced about 75%
Major leg cramping, especially at night~reduced about 95%
sores on the roof of my mouth~reduced about 30%
feels like I have sand in my eyes all the time~reduced about 80%~came back with a vengence after being off antibiotics for about 6-8 weeks
hair falling out~ a lot~reduced about 80% except when I take Vit C or D. Those cause it to fall out
constipation~reduced by about 25%
Raynaulds Syndrome brought on by mild cold (grocery store) Like I am allergic to the cold. Major itching and pain in my hands and feet~still a factor, but reduced by about 20%-30%
Very painful Tendonitis in my elbows~reduced by about 80%-90%
Severe fatigue after eating, especially cereal like a blood sugar problem~improved by about 50%
Wake up every morning with earache, headache and sore throat~reduced 85%~PMS is the worst
Slurred speach~ improved some~50%
Joint pain and swelling~painful arthritis in every joint in my body. Feels like I was hit by a train. Some pain daily now, but nothing like it was. This came back with a vengence after being off antibiotics for about 6-8 weeks.
Random Blepheritis or itching, burning and swelling of my eye lids. They would get all crusty and crepey. Now it is only caused sometimes when I take Adderall, otherwise, rarely occurs and very mild
Symptoms that seem to have totally gone away~ I haven’t experienced for at least a couple years:
Severe dizzyness to the point that I cannot stand up~Gone!!
I feel like someone is shaking the bed back and forth really hard, like a major earthquake I sit up and there is nothing. It was all in my brain.~Gone!!
Random, short bouts of nausea My mouth waters suddenly and I feel like I am going to vomit Then it will pass within a couple minutes. Unrealted to any food.~ Gone!! Yay!
A few scary bout of asthma~ a shortness of breath and tightness in my chest where I can’t get a breath. I begin to panic and it’s like my brain forgot how to breathe~Havent’ had any of these in the past couple years
Restless leg syndrome~Gone!
muscle ticks in my face and other areas of my body that would go on for weeks or months Gone!!
Symptoms that come back when I go off my antibiotics. These are non existant while on Antibiotics, then come back within a day or two, others a few weeks after going off abx. The wonderful thing: Lyme-N has taken over where the antibiotics left off. When I first went off my abx, there were several weeks on and off that these symptoms came and went. Now after 3.5 months with no abx, almost all are gone, except an occasional floater in my vision.
Floaters in my vision~ Only when I go off my antibiotics . Otherwise, they are gone.
Ringing in my ears~Only when I go off my antibiotics . Otherwise very, very rare.
Sore throat, but not from the flu~Only when I go off my antibiotics . Otherwise gone.
Phantom Smells~I smell things that aren’t there Usually a burning or a garbage smell. Gone when on antibiotics
Severe dizzyness to the point that I cannot stand up~Gone!!
I feel like someone is shaking the bed back and forth really hard, like a major earthquake I sit up and there is nothing. It was all in my brain.~Gone!!
Random, short bouts of nausea My mouth waters suddenly and I feel like I am going to vomit Then it will pass within a couple minutes. Unrealted to any food.~ Gone!! Yay!
A few scary bout of asthma~ a shortness of breath and tightness in my chest where I can’t get a breath. I begin to panic and it’s like my brain forgot how to breathe~Havent’ had any of these in the past couple years
Restless leg syndrome~Gone!
muscle ticks in my face and other areas of my body that would go on for weeks or months Gone!!
Symptoms that come back when I go off my antibiotics. These are non existant while on Antibiotics, then come back within a day or two, others a few weeks after going off abx. The wonderful thing: Lyme-N has taken over where the antibiotics left off. When I first went off my abx, there were several weeks on and off that these symptoms came and went. Now after 3.5 months with no abx, almost all are gone, except an occasional floater in my vision.
Floaters in my vision~ Only when I go off my antibiotics . Otherwise, they are gone.
Ringing in my ears~Only when I go off my antibiotics . Otherwise very, very rare.
Sore throat, but not from the flu~Only when I go off my antibiotics . Otherwise gone.
Phantom Smells~I smell things that aren’t there Usually a burning or a garbage smell. Gone when on antibiotics
Current Symptoms List as of November 2015. Almost done with 60 days of Lyme-N Treatment. I have been off antibiotics for 3 and a half months now, the longest I have ever been off since I started in December 2010.
Symptoms that are still effect daily life:
Clumbsy~I drop things all the time and regularly break glasses/dishes, model horses~continues
I run into walls and doorjambs with arms, legs, knees, etc, stub my toe when I shouldn’t. I NEVER had any of these problems before I got sick~some improvement.
severe, uncontrollable cravings for carbs and sugar~continues,
severe salt cravings~continues, perhaps minor improvement
frequent urination/bladder spasms~continues, some improvement. Less frequent.
Cannot concentrate/reading and listening comprehention is about 10%-20%~somewhat improved
difficulty swallowing. the flap to cover my wind pipe does not close when I go to swallow and I have nearly choked multiple times. I have to quickly lean forward to prevent the food from going into my windpipe and choking me. Very scary.~Still happens, but less frequently
Difficulty saying certain words or letters, I substitute letters when speaking~ continues
Compulsive behavior~ buying things or working on a project when I should be doing something else continues
Obsessing over things~continues, but improved
Bells palsy on my left side of my face. Numbness, swelling, nerve damage. Pain in that side of my face from time to time~still a daily factor
Little white pellents under my skin~continues
Lots of new moles and random bumps under or on my skin~continues
Liver spots all over me, especially my legs and arms~continues
Forget words in the middle of a sentence~continues
Lose my train of thought while saying a sentence~continues
Extreme short term memory loss~I think this is improving since taking Lyme N
Body wide muscle pain and joint pain~ continues, but improved
Symptoms that have improved~ some are rarely a factor anymore:
Major muscle weakness~ especially in my legs~ reduced about 75%
Major leg cramping, especially at night~reduced about 95%
Extreme neck pain~ This is a biggie and was a huge daily factor. Since being on Lyme-N it's reduced about 85%. Before it was out of control and even antibiotics would only work on and off.
sores on the roof of my mouth~reduced about 85%~(PMDD/Hormonal symptom)
feels like I have sand in my eyes all the time~reduced about 75%
hair falling out~ a lot~reduced about 80% except when I take Vit C or D. Those cause it to fall out. Reduced about 80%
constipation~reduced by about 25%
Raynaulds Syndrome brought on by mild cold (grocery store) Like I am allergic to the cold. Major itching and pain in my hands and feet~still a factor, but reduced by about 20%-30%
Very painful Tendonitis in my elbows~came back really bad in late Oct 2015 after taking a short few days of antibiotics
Severe fatigue after eating, especially cereal like a blood sugar problem~improved by about 50%
Wake up every morning with earache, headache and sore throat~reduced 85%~(PMDD/Hormonal symptom)
Slurred speach~ improved about 85-95%
Joint pain and swelling~painful arthritis in every joint in my body. Feels like I was hit by a train. Some pain daily now, but nothing like it was. This came back with a vengence after being off antibiotics for about 6-8 weeks. Depends on the weather, hormone phase, and moon phase. If those are not in play, then it's reduced about 80%-90%. However, this past couple weeks, they were pretty severe.~(PMDD/Hormonal symptom)
Random Blepheritis or itching, burning and swelling of my eye lids. They would get all crusty and crepey. Now it is only caused sometimes when I take Adderall, otherwise, rarely occurs and very mild Seems to be gone now. No episodes in the past several months.
Clumbsy~I drop things all the time and regularly break glasses/dishes, model horses~continues
I run into walls and doorjambs with arms, legs, knees, etc, stub my toe when I shouldn’t. I NEVER had any of these problems before I got sick~some improvement.
severe, uncontrollable cravings for carbs and sugar~continues,
severe salt cravings~continues, perhaps minor improvement
frequent urination/bladder spasms~continues, some improvement. Less frequent.
Cannot concentrate/reading and listening comprehention is about 10%-20%~somewhat improved
difficulty swallowing. the flap to cover my wind pipe does not close when I go to swallow and I have nearly choked multiple times. I have to quickly lean forward to prevent the food from going into my windpipe and choking me. Very scary.~Still happens, but less frequently
Difficulty saying certain words or letters, I substitute letters when speaking~ continues
Compulsive behavior~ buying things or working on a project when I should be doing something else continues
Obsessing over things~continues, but improved
Bells palsy on my left side of my face. Numbness, swelling, nerve damage. Pain in that side of my face from time to time~still a daily factor
Little white pellents under my skin~continues
Lots of new moles and random bumps under or on my skin~continues
Liver spots all over me, especially my legs and arms~continues
Forget words in the middle of a sentence~continues
Lose my train of thought while saying a sentence~continues
Extreme short term memory loss~I think this is improving since taking Lyme N
Body wide muscle pain and joint pain~ continues, but improved
Symptoms that have improved~ some are rarely a factor anymore:
Major muscle weakness~ especially in my legs~ reduced about 75%
Major leg cramping, especially at night~reduced about 95%
Extreme neck pain~ This is a biggie and was a huge daily factor. Since being on Lyme-N it's reduced about 85%. Before it was out of control and even antibiotics would only work on and off.
sores on the roof of my mouth~reduced about 85%~(PMDD/Hormonal symptom)
feels like I have sand in my eyes all the time~reduced about 75%
hair falling out~ a lot~reduced about 80% except when I take Vit C or D. Those cause it to fall out. Reduced about 80%
constipation~reduced by about 25%
Raynaulds Syndrome brought on by mild cold (grocery store) Like I am allergic to the cold. Major itching and pain in my hands and feet~still a factor, but reduced by about 20%-30%
Very painful Tendonitis in my elbows~came back really bad in late Oct 2015 after taking a short few days of antibiotics
Severe fatigue after eating, especially cereal like a blood sugar problem~improved by about 50%
Wake up every morning with earache, headache and sore throat~reduced 85%~(PMDD/Hormonal symptom)
Slurred speach~ improved about 85-95%
Joint pain and swelling~painful arthritis in every joint in my body. Feels like I was hit by a train. Some pain daily now, but nothing like it was. This came back with a vengence after being off antibiotics for about 6-8 weeks. Depends on the weather, hormone phase, and moon phase. If those are not in play, then it's reduced about 80%-90%. However, this past couple weeks, they were pretty severe.~(PMDD/Hormonal symptom)
Random Blepheritis or itching, burning and swelling of my eye lids. They would get all crusty and crepey. Now it is only caused sometimes when I take Adderall, otherwise, rarely occurs and very mild Seems to be gone now. No episodes in the past several months.
Symptoms that come back when I go off my antibiotics. These are non existant while on Antibiotics, then come back within a day or two, others a few weeks after going off abx. The wonderful thing: Lyme-N has taken over where the antibiotics left off. When I first went off my abx, there were several weeks on and off that these symptoms came and went. Now after 3.5 months with no abx, almost all are gone, except an occasional floater in my vision.
Floaters in my vision~ Only when I go off my antibiotics . Otherwise, they are gone. Lyme-N has taken over and I rarely have a floater any more.
Ringing in my ears~Only when I go off my antibiotics . Otherwise very, very rare. Lyme-N has taken over and I have not had this symptom in the past few weeks. It gets rarer and farther between.
Sore throat, but not from the flu~Only when I go off my antibiotics . Otherwise gone. Lyme-N has taken over and I have not had this symptom in months.
Phantom Smells~I smell things that aren’t there Usually a burning or a garbage smell. Gone when on antibiotics Lyme-N has taken over and I have not had this symptom in months.
Floaters in my vision~ Only when I go off my antibiotics . Otherwise, they are gone. Lyme-N has taken over and I rarely have a floater any more.
Ringing in my ears~Only when I go off my antibiotics . Otherwise very, very rare. Lyme-N has taken over and I have not had this symptom in the past few weeks. It gets rarer and farther between.
Sore throat, but not from the flu~Only when I go off my antibiotics . Otherwise gone. Lyme-N has taken over and I have not had this symptom in months.
Phantom Smells~I smell things that aren’t there Usually a burning or a garbage smell. Gone when on antibiotics Lyme-N has taken over and I have not had this symptom in months.
These symptoms worsen or some only occur during PMS week Starting at day 23. Then again about day 7, as my ‘cycle’ starts over again
My back starts to tich like crazy for a few days. It feels like pins and needles and drives me nuts.~ Still happens but not quite as bad. 20% improvement (PMS times only)
Cold sores~ I have not had one in the past few months (PMS times only)
Sores in my mouth and the roof of my mouth! occurred only once and it was moderate, just after going off abx and just starting Lyme N. Not in the past couple months (PMS times only)
Panic Attacks at night while having horrible nightmares.~ no panic attacks, but bad, weird dreams. Not nightmares anymore, but not happy dreams, either.
Night sweats~still happening (PMS times only)
Arthritis worsens~ still a factor, but not as bad, and not in my hands at all like it used to be.
Hot flashes~ somewhat, but improved about 50% (PMS times only)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome~My gut is like a rock crusher it’s like it doesn’t know what to do with food It keeps me awake at night. Improved about 75%
Constipation worsens~no improvement (PMS times only)
Exhaustion worsens to non-functional, in bed all the time. Just want to sleep. About 50% improvement. (PMS times only)
Acne break outs~ no improvement
Psychological symptoms Still there on and off
Emotionally unbalanced, cry for no reason~ some improvement (PMS times only)
Severely depressed~not as severely depressed, but definitely feelings of hopelessness and despair still occur (PMS times only)
Anxiety~maybe a little improvement
Anti Social Feelings~ I go out of my way to avoid people~maybe a little improvement (PMS times only)
I feel restless~some improvement
Mood swings quickly~some improvement
Anger~some improvement (PMS times only)
My back starts to tich like crazy for a few days. It feels like pins and needles and drives me nuts.~ Still happens but not quite as bad. 20% improvement (PMS times only)
Cold sores~ I have not had one in the past few months (PMS times only)
Sores in my mouth and the roof of my mouth! occurred only once and it was moderate, just after going off abx and just starting Lyme N. Not in the past couple months (PMS times only)
Panic Attacks at night while having horrible nightmares.~ no panic attacks, but bad, weird dreams. Not nightmares anymore, but not happy dreams, either.
Night sweats~still happening (PMS times only)
Arthritis worsens~ still a factor, but not as bad, and not in my hands at all like it used to be.
Hot flashes~ somewhat, but improved about 50% (PMS times only)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome~My gut is like a rock crusher it’s like it doesn’t know what to do with food It keeps me awake at night. Improved about 75%
Constipation worsens~no improvement (PMS times only)
Exhaustion worsens to non-functional, in bed all the time. Just want to sleep. About 50% improvement. (PMS times only)
Acne break outs~ no improvement
Psychological symptoms Still there on and off
Emotionally unbalanced, cry for no reason~ some improvement (PMS times only)
Severely depressed~not as severely depressed, but definitely feelings of hopelessness and despair still occur (PMS times only)
Anxiety~maybe a little improvement
Anti Social Feelings~ I go out of my way to avoid people~maybe a little improvement (PMS times only)
I feel restless~some improvement
Mood swings quickly~some improvement
Anger~some improvement (PMS times only)