Posted by Spector on February 24, 2006, at 0:19:18
In reply to Re: To Spector - Neurofeedback, posted by deniseuk on February 21, 2006, at 3:59:59
> Hi Nomi,
>
> Sorry to hear that the neurofeedback didn't work for you. I was thinking of it as an option but I somehow don't think it would work for me either.
>
> How did you find out you had Lymes disease and do you know what causes it?
>
>
> Thanks....DeniseDenise, hi. Sorry it has taken me a few days.
Lyme disease is a tick-born illness that infects humans when we are bitten by an infected tick. The initial bite often goes unnoticed and thus untreated. Then, all kinds of strange disparate and debilitating symptoms can arrise over years, including neurologic, arthritic, cognitive, and psychiactric. Hundereds of different things. This is part of why people often go through years of hell misdiagnosed or just dismissed. There is lots of confusion and controversy in the medical establishment about Lyme disease from many points of view.
I was talking to the woman who was doing the neurofeedback with me, casually mentioning to her certain chronic unexplained pain and other symptoms that I have had for years. She wanted to know if I'd ever been tested for Lyme disease. I was annoyed at the time because it was plain as day to me that whatever other stuff I might have going on, Lyme disease could not possibly explain the endless and cripplingly severe depression I was in -- and that's all I cared about. Not because severe depression could not be a result of Lyme disease, but because in my case it was so clear that the depression was a result of being given an amphetimine that triggered long-dormant manic depression.
But then months later, my husband and I ran into a cousin of his who, unbeknownst to us, had, along with both her daughters, gone through eight years of Hell being misdiagnosed and called crazy by doctors, and being given psyciatric medication that only made things worse. It turned out they all had Lyme disease. They have now been treated and most of their symptoms have disappeared. They have their lives back.
A couple things she said made me suddenly pay attention -- particularly that having Lyme disease can make you have terribly adverse reactions to drugs that are meant to alleviate anxiety and depression. That was not my story exactly, but I started wondering if it could really be playing a part in why I cannot get the hell out of this state no matter what I do.
I went to a neurologist, a Lyme specialist. His feeling was that yes, some of the chronic physical things I described could be the result of Lyme. And the depression -- he agreed that the amphetamine triggered it, but did concede that it was possible that an underlying Lyme infection could be preventing me from being able to emerge from this extereme state. He couldn't say much more because he has never seen a case like mine. Though he has seen several cases where SEVERE phychiatric symptoms were the result of Lyme disease.
The blood work came back "highly probably" for Lyme. I've started antibiotics, a heavy duty course. And am just hoping so so badly that this is it. But I am unable to feel the relief of possibly finding the answer. I am just petrified that this is not going to be "it." And that is an unbearable thought. It is three years nine months since I was given the Adderall (the amphetamine) which immediately sent me into a hypomanic state lasting for five months straight, and it is three years three months and 23 days since I fell into the depression that has stopped my life and sent me (and my family) into one of the inner circles of Hell. Non-stop.
So, you see the desperation of my situation a bit.
Lyme disease is very prevelant where I am -- in the northeast of the US, as well as a number of other areas in the US. It has also spread to Europe, including the UK. And other places that are slipping my mind right now. It is only recently being recognized as a possible epedemic, possibly responsible for thousands and thousands of cases of misdiagnosed illnesses. Also controversial is Lyme disease's relationship to various auto-immune diseases.
I hope this crude and incomplete information is helpful. There is tons of stuff on line. I have forced myself to avoid reading most of it because I cannot take reading anything negitive or discouraging about it right now.
Love,
Nomi
poster:Spector
thread:533330
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060219/msgs/612703.html