Congestion With Lyme Disease

During my latest treatment, I have had an ear ache, swollen lymph nodes behind my ear, congestion, and sore throat.  Is this a new manifestation of Lyme, Bartonella, or Babesia?  I have no way of knowing the answer to that question, but I found a way to help the congestion and coughing through an old folk remedy:\

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/12/02/vicks-on-the-soles-of-your-feet-is-better-than-diamonds-on-the-soles-of-your-shoes/

I have also read about putting raw onions in your socks over night to get relief from infections.  I asked a friend who is a bio-medical chemist, why this might work.  He said that it most likely is because the onions contain sulfur, which could be absorbed through your feet.

I am intrigued by folk remedies that seem to work as well as prescription medicine.  Most cost very little and are usually cures that someone might already have around the house.  I am sure that there are other folk remedies that Lyme patients could recommend.

Help From Out Of Nowhere

The Absinthe Drinker, by Edgar Degas

I have been getting discouraged lately about my recovery from Lyme disease.  I have reached a plateau where I am not making any progress.  I am 95% better than I was a year ago and yet still not well enough to fully participate in life.  I can't hear because of tinnitus.  I can't walk very far or run because of continual swelling of my knees and thighs.  I still have a burning sensation on the bottom of my feet when I exert myself physically.  I want to go back to normal.  I want to be able to sit cross legged around a camp fire or do a child's pose in a yoga class.  I want to have the energy to complete a project without having to rest the next day.  I want to be able to make the three hour drive to my home town to see family without my knees locking up afterward. Sigh.  I have resigned myself to the fact that I may never be able to do those kinds of things again.

My friend Tom came over to visit this past Saturday.  It was quite late at night, and Tom was thinking about heading home.  His phone rang.  It was a friend from his Catholic elementary school in Evansville, Indiana.  He was at a reunion and wondered why Tom did not attend?  After spending a few minutes catching up with their lives, Tom asked him a question: "Didn't he say, a few years ago, that he had contracted Lyme disease?"  Tom's friend said, "Yes, that is true."  Tom asked him how he was able to beat it.  He spelled out his protocol in great detail.  He was quite ill for 6 years.  Like most, he was misdiagnosed for a long time.  He went to many doctors.  He took several types of antibiotics, but nothing worked.  He was completely bed-ridden for about a year.

Finally, an Amish man told him what to do. He had to get some food grade hydrogen peroxide, milk thistle extract, and distilled water. He had to start out with 1 drop of food grade hydrogen peroxide into the water and drink it.  Increase the amount of drops by one each day, until you get to 15 drops.  At this point, he said, that he could feel a tingling sensation in his hands and feet as though the spirochetes felt as though they were trying to escape his body.  He said to take one milk thistle extract pill a day to eliminate toxins from the liver.  He also said to not eat meat.  Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit instead.  In 5 weeks, he was back to normal, as though nothing ever happened.

I have heard of this treatment before, but I thought that it sounded like voodoo medicine or a scam when I read about it on the internet. But Tom's friend doesn't know me, and he isn't selling any of these products. He'd have no reasons to make up stories about a cure.

I got on the internet immediately and ordered some food-grade hydrogen peroxide. It costs 12.95 and shipping is free. I am going to try it as soon as it arrives.  I found some of the milk thistle extract locally.  It seems to be in every pharmacy.  I was so excited by that phone call, I could not sleep.  We shall see...

Well, I feel the need to include a disclaimer here.  This blog is for story-telling purposes only.  I am not here to dispense medical advice to anyone.  I know of no cure for Lyme disease.  Like others with Lyme disease, I am on a journey and searching for answers.

A video about Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N18_YSRDCOQ


A link to another blog with helpful suggestions to beat Lyme:
https://kimmiecakeskickslyme.wordpress.com/2013/08/17/common-abnormalities-found-in-people-with-lyme-disease/

Did Vincent Van Gogh Have Lyme Disease?

Dr. Gachet (second version), 1890

  

Dr. Gachet (first version), 1890

Did Vincent van Gogh Have Lyme Disease?

As I struggle to overcome tinnitus that comes with Lyme disease,  I recalled reading in college that the famous Post-Impressionist, van Gogh, also suffered from the same ringing sensation.  He supposedly cut off part of his ear in frustration and in an attempt to stop the noise.  It was well documented in his letters that he wrote to his brother Theo, that he was tormented by the never-ending noise of tinnitus. He actually had the mental capacity  and insight to seek out help for his illness, while few with an actual mental illness have the self-awareness and insight to do so. Dr. Gachet, who treated him after his release from an asylum, became a personal friend.  He made two paintings of  Dr. Gachet with a Foxglove plant which was an herbal remedy that contained digitalis. The tinnitus may have even led to the eventual suicide that ended his life.

 There were no antibiotics in Vincent's day and age to treat any bacterial infections.  Vincent and others often used herbal remedies or alcohol to treat illness and deaden pain.  Vincent was known to drink absinthe (made from the plant Artemesia which also is used to treat Lyme disease: Artemisinin) during tumultuous times in his life.  He had fits, or seizures, which many who have Lyme and co-infections of Babesia and Bartonella do suffer.  He also islolated himself, like many who have Lyme.

Many doctors and scientists now think that Lyme disease is not a new illness.  It have been around for thousands of years.  It was only discovered recently in the 1980s.  It has been masquerading for years as other diseases that can cripple and kill. Lyme has been called many other things, including mental illness, Multiple Sclerosis, Arthritis, ALS, Fibromyalgia, Alzheimer's, the list goes on.

It is no secret that a high percentage of people with Lyme disease will die, not from the disease itself, but from depression and suicide.  Lyme disease can ruin someone financially, end careers, destroy relationships, alienate, and isolate people.  It is no wonder that many feel despair.

I am going to take a leap and propose that perhaps that Vincent felt this way, too, despite his considerable talent and financial and emotional support from his beloved brother,Theo. I am connecting some dots here that are circumstantial in nature and could never be proven, but make an interesting theory that could explain his long bouts with depression and stays in sanitariums.  I realize that my evidence is flimsy, at best.  But my explanation for what happened in his life, actually makes more sense than some of the history books that I have read, movies that I have seen, and autobiographies that have been written about this tormented artist.

Just suppose, that it was actually Lyme disease that was causing Vincent's illness?  How frustrating for him to have an illness with no name and no treatment! I often wonder how Vincent's life story would have been different if he had chosen life instead? What if he could have been treated in some way? What additional paintings would he have painted?  Would his doctor have been able to help him overcome Lyme disease with herbal medicines?  Would he have eventually found the love and family that he desired?  Would he have found fame for his art in his own lifetime?

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait With Bandage, 1889

If you are, like Vincent, feeling despondent and considering suicide, please reach out to a fellow Lymie, a loved one, someone at a suicide prevention hotline.  You still have talents and gifts to offer this world and you are not alone!

1 (800) 273-8255 Suicide prevention hotline

Injuries and Lyme Disease

Shortly after contracting Lyme disease, I fell and broke my arm.  I was having trouble walking at the time due to swollen knees, ankles, thighs, and feet.  I would also get dizzy without warning.  One day I had to walk a long way in the rain and slipped on a wet sidewalk.  I slipped and broke my arm.  I had to wear a cast and a sling.  After a few weeks, I had to do physical therapy.  For some reason, I could not straighten or bend my arm, no matter how much I exercised it.  Every night, new scar tissue seemed to form when I slept.  I finally accepted that it would never be the same.  I concentrated on recovering from Lyme disease.  Then little by little, as the antibiotics started to work, my arm did recover its range of motion. My broken arm had taken two years to recover.

At my last follow up appointment, I mentioned to my doctor, that my broken arm was recovering, along with the Lyme disease.  I told my doctor that I thought that the Lyme disease had kept my arm from recovering in a timely fashion.  She said, "Yes, I have had many patients complain about the same thing.  Lyme disease loves to attack scar tissue.  Patients say that old injuries will be inflamed by Lyme disease."  Joints that have wear and tear from running, work, or repeated use will be attacked by Lyme.  For this reason, my doctor advised not to try to exercise at all while being treated for Lyme disease.  Rest, elevation, and plenty of sleep is the protocol for Lyme.  Walking, jogging, running, and work will just cause flare ups of inflammation.  Once the Lyme disease is over, there will be time to recover lost muscle tone.

Your Ears and Lyme Disease

Ring, ring, ring!  No it isn't your phone. It's Lyme disease calling.  As if the joint pain, swelling, and fatigue weren't enough, tinnitus often accompanies other Lyme symptoms.  Sometimes it will go away with antibiotic treatment.  I have symptoms of tinnitus that fluctuate in volume and intensity.  Occasionally, the symptoms will disappear completely for a day or a few hours.  Sometimes it will only be in one ear, but most days it is both ears.  I am trying an herbal that has helped some with this problem.  I have also read that zinc supplements often help.  For some reason, my tinnitus seems to go away for a short time just after drinking coffee.  I don't know if it is the caffeine or the warmth of the coffee that offers temporary relief.  So far, nothing that I have tried is offering permanent cure.

Here is an article related to tinnitus that may help:

http://sinusitisblog.com/2014/09/mystery-lyme-disease/

Aa link to a Facebook page that has Yoga poses for tinnitus, herbal remedies, oils, and other tips for curing tinnitus is below.

https://www.facebook.com/Help-Each-Other-Tinnitus-1536106870000040/timeline/

How to improve hearing loss and tinnitus symptoms:

http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/these-natural-remedies-will-improve-your-hearing/

Your Spleen and Lyme Disease

One of the first symptoms that I had with Lyme disease, is a large cyst on my spleen.  (called a splenic cyst) At the time, I did not know that this was being caused by Lyme disease.  I had gone to several doctors complaining of a sore and stiff neck and a frozen shoulder.  I became desperate for relief, so I decided to see if a local chiropractor could help me with this condition.  He took some x-rays and discovered a cyst on my spleen.  I asked every doctor if the cyst on my spleen and my other symptoms could be related.  Every doctor said, "No, and we don't treat those.  They will disappear on their own."

Well, I am here to tell you that Lyme disease does cause cysts and enlarged spleens.  It is a very common problem for those with Lyme disease.  The lymph system, the spleen, and lymph nodes are a key part of the immune system.  This can become disrupted by Lyme disease.  Many who have Lyme, do have this same condition.  The spleen is part of your lymph system.  It acts as a filter for bacteria.  Guess what is probably inside of that cyst?

I had other cysts form throughout my body.  I also had enlarged lymph nodes, and some have still not resolved.  These swollen nodes are an indication of a lingering infection.  They can cause fatigue.

Swollen lymph nodes and poor lymph fluid drainage seems to be a common complaint for many Lyme patients, including myself.  It may account for some of the swelling, pain, and a sudden weight gain that I experienced with this disease.  My doctor recommended getting a rebounder or mini-trampoline for pushing the fluid out of my legs.  I also went to a massage therapist for a Lymphatic massage.  As frustrating as this problem is, it will eventually go away and limbs will return to their normal dimensions.

Just got my latest blood test from the Lyme doctor and it indicates that my lymph# is 0.9.  I am not sure what that indicates.  I will have to ask at the next appointment.  It does say that normal is 1.0-4.8.  It says that it is a low number.  I am not sure of the significance of that figure.  Here is one possible explanation, according to HealthMD.com:

Causes of Low Lymphocyte Count

There are a number of factors that can contribute to a low lymphocyte count. The causes can be classified into general causes, acquired causes, or inherited causes.

General Causes

• The body fails to produce an adequate number of lymphocytes.
• The body produces a sufficient number of lymphocytes, but they are destroyed.
• The lymphocytes become trapped in the spleen or lymph nodes.

Acquired Causes

The acquired causes are related to underlying medical conditions or responses to medical treatments. Some examples of acquired causes are:

• infectious diseases
• autoimmune disorders
• steroid therapy
• blood cancers and blood diseases
• radiation/chemotherapy

Inherited Causes

The inherited causes are related to defects in the genes that play a role in lymphocyte development. Some key examples of these diseases are:

• DiGeorge anomaly
• Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
• Severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome
• Ataxia-telangiectasia

Some other tips for endema or fluid retention:



Burdock root is a diuretic, and can help you eliminate fluid if you have edema. You can drink it as a tea for a milder effect. If you cool the tea, and apply it topically with a compress, it helps with psoriasis, eczema or other skin irritations. 

I recently found an article that spells out the connection to enlarged spleens and Lyme disease.  I am including a link to the article here:

http://lyme.ehoow.org/?p=107

Chinese pressure points for lymph drainage:
http://healthycures.org/keep-pressing-this-point-for-2-minutes

How to drain your lymph system:
http://healthywildandfree.com/10-ways-to-empty-your-lymphatic-system-from-toxins-causing-you-to-feel-sick-fat-and-weak-immunity/#sthash.JmMvD1eB.dpbs

How to give yourself a lymphatic massage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA-wi0d7-Ro

https://www.facebook.com/815902161806363/photos/a.815999451796634.1073741828.815902161806363/943028699093708/?type=1&theater

Anti-Malarials

At what I thought would be my last visit to the Lyme disease specialist, I was told that my lingering symptoms are not due to Lyme disease, but due to a type of malaria called babesia that is carried by ticks.  I am 90% well at this point.  I feel almost normal.  The lingering symptoms are: some mild joint pain, (no more swelling) tinnitis in both ears, thrush, dry mouth, and night sweats with vivid dreams.  I am taking an antimalarial, along with a cocktail of herbals, probiotics, and anti-fungals.

A new symptom that has popped up recently was purpura on one of my wrists.  I googled searched purpura+Lyme disease to see if anything came up, and sure enough it did.  There must be others out there experiencing this symptom with Lyme disease.  In case you have never heard of it, purpura are purplish-red spots appearing on skin or mucus membranes anywhere on the body.  These spots are actually tiny, broken blood vessels just below the skin.  My google search indicated that these spots could be the result of a bacterial infection, low platelet counts, or they could be caused from medication side effects.  They could also be a sign of another serious disease.  If you have these spots, definitely bring them to the attention of your doctor so that you can rule out something more serious.  My doctor is taking the precaution of retesting my platelet count, which was normal at the last office visit.  Fortunately, these spots are temporary, and have already decided to fade away on their own.

I never thought that I would get Lyme disease and I never thought that I could get something like malaria (babesia) living in the United States.  Going through Lyme disease and the 2 co-infections that came with it definitely has been a learning experience for me.  I won't need to visit the doctor for another 16 weeks.  Hopefully, that will be my last visit.  At that point, I will have been in treatment for just over a year, and living with this illness for over 2 years.

Below is a link to a Good Housekeeping magazine article that parallels my own experiences with Lyme disease and the struggle to get properly diagnosed:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/a33353/chronic-lyme-nearly-ruined-my-life/?src=spr_FBPAGE&spr_id=1443_209788223