Questions

[KarenF]

My friend's naturalpath is encouraging her to buy an Alpha Stim Unit (www.alpha-stim.com). It is supposed to help with anxiety, depression, insomnia and pain. I am trying to find out for her if they are any help. Does anyone on this site know anything about them or have you heard of anyone whose used one? I'd be so grateful for your help. Yesterday I read about a particular coil machine being a big help but they're $3,000 and the Alpha Stim machine is $600.

 

Also, is there a place you recommend for reading about the symptoms of different co-infections? My symptoms seem to be different from a lot of people's. Sometimes my legs really ache but most of the time my symptoms are intense anxiety, depression, insomnia, short-term memory loss and like this jelly feeling in my head. I hear people talk about joint pain and mine is like muscle pain when I have it. In addition, I started with fatigue where I could sleep so many hours and never had trouble falling asleep again that night. But now I dont have that. I have like malaise or apathy where I always want to lie my head back but its not like a physical fatigue, In fact, I wish I had that again. I know this is not the case, but I feel like I was so much better off sleeping too much than not being able to sleep but feeling so listless or full of malaise. So far, I have just been diagnosed with lyme in general through a test by Neuroscience that a doctor for women's health did. I then went to a doctor who does IV therapy and he did a bunch of blood work by Medical Diagnostic Labs to test for co-infections.

 

I am new to learning and with the malaise it is so much effort trying to do all these searches. The strange thing is that I was this person with such zeal and who loved to do research. It is so bizarre to be in my body right now. I don't retain things and it doesn't seem to be a time where I have good memory like the way people explain brain fog where at times they are sharp. I don't ever feel a moment now where I am sharp. I feel like jelly is floating around in my head and blocking me from trying to find the words that I want to use. Sometimes I remember things from the past but I rarely remember things from the last few days. Like someone says how was your weekend and its just blank and it scares me. I am blessed though because an older couple from church took me in while we figure out what is going on. I was so listless I wasn't even feeding myself. Ive never been married so I am thankful for this couple that they were so kind. The wife had chronic lyme and she knows me from when I had all my zeal and zest so she knows I wouldnt act this way if I knew how to snap out of it. Working harder doesn't do it. Its like my brain is in slow motion and I cant make myself have the zip that I see other people have that I used to have. But I am trusting that it will eventually get better. I'm not in a wheel chair and I look wonderful on the outside. People say all the time how wonderful I look. I used to not like that but now I do because I realize it could be worse.

 

Lastly, does anyone have any thoughts on starting with orals vs starting with IV? This one doctor who only does IV says that orals don't cross the blood brain barrier. But it seems most of you with children do orals and your children improve so orals must cross the blood brain barrier. I am not sure if I am on a site that is for children and if I am I apologize.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

PS: I am 44 and live in the Phila area. So my lyme IV doctor is in Harleysville and the woman doctor I went to who did the Neuroscience test is in Glenside. She is new to lyme. She studied under AC for a few months and is now on her own. I also put myself on the waiting list for AC but it will take a while to get in with her.

[LNN]

I'm hoping Mom2Alex will chime in on her personal experiences, but I'd check out the symptoms of mercury poisoning in addition to lyme. Now, granted, this is because metals are my new area of research and I'm in that phase where you suddenly see it everywhere. So take it with a grain of salt. But what I hear is that you're not seeing yourself in the description of lyme that you've come across thus far.

 

My son also had muscle pain more than joint pain. He also has the constant brain fog that sounds very much like you describe it. He has lyme, possibly bartonella and probably mercury toxicity.

 

I'm not in your area but other members are. Hopefully they can advise on doctors.

 

This site isn't limited to kids. Most of us have kids who battle a number of immune issues and some of the parents have found themselves dealing with lyme as well. But most of the conversations are about our kids because we're the ones who are advocating for their treatments. Doesn't mean you can't ask adult questions. We just have a kid slant a lot.

[KarenF]

Thank you Mom2Alex. Can you tell me how your son describes his brain fog?

 

I'm hoping Mom2Alex will chime in on her personal experiences, but I'd check out the symptoms of mercury poisoning in addition to lyme. Now, granted, this is because metals are my new area of research and I'm in that phase where you suddenly see it everywhere. So take it with a grain of salt. But what I hear is that you're not seeing yourself in the description of lyme that you've come across thus far.

 

My son also had muscle pain more than joint pain. He also has the constant brain fog that sounds very much like you describe it. He has lyme, possibly bartonella and probably mercury toxicity.

 

I'm not in your area but other members are. Hopefully they can advise on doctors.

 

This site isn't limited to kids. Most of us have kids who battle a number of immune issues and some of the parents have found themselves dealing with lyme as well. But most of the conversations are about our kids because we're the ones who are advocating for their treatments. Doesn't mean you can't ask adult questions. We just have a kid slant a lot.

[SSS]

If I could offer you any piece of advice, it would be to please hang tight until your next appointment with a Lyme Dr.

and to not buy ANYTHING for Lyme that has an >$50 price tag. You may deeply regret it, and find you really do need that money later on.

And, for <$50. you can buy a gentle massage, epsom salts for baths, some good Lyme books:

Cure Unknown

The Lyme Disease Solution

(and there are more)

I have bartonella and Lyme. I can very much relate to the symptoms you are describing. I would try to get in with your Lyme Dr.'s asap, and start some treatment. And try and keep your life simple, if you can---

Sending you good thoughts---

Edited October 6, 2011 by S & S