Child with tick infections and eating disorder

[Peridot94]

Hello, all.

I joined the forum today and skimmed messages for our issue.  I have a 17 yo daughter who is positive for lyme, bartonella, and babeisia.  She is in treatment for those as of April and also has an eating disorder that she began treatment for in September of 2016.  I am desperate to connect with anyone who has had the two illnesses as her ed psychiatrist does not believe that she has the tick infections and she is herxing bad (increased eating disorder and other symptoms.)  Decreasing the antibx will not stop the restriction cycly.  Her llmd does not fully understand the eating disorder and we are headed for a major hospitalization when she becomes medically unstable.

Thanks.

Amy

 

[DreamingPanda]

Hi Peridot,

I’m 22, and I’m in a similar boat.  I have PANS, Lyme, Babesia, and Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever.  My anorexia came on suddenly, a few days before I had the first flu-like symptoms of Lyme disease last April.  I ended up losing 20 lbs in four months from my ed (and I was almost underweight to begin with), and I’m pretty sure the only reason I wasn’t hospitalized was because my psychiatrist knew I was about to get IVIG when he found out what I was doing (thankfully he’s PANS-friendly).

It’s like you say, though—I don’t think anyone really knows what to do about my eating disorder.  I saw a nutritionist for months and tried therapy for a while, but it didn’t help.  I regained the weight, but I still have so many food rituals and fears, and now I’ve been in a binge-restrict cycle for almost six months.

I'm so sorry your daughter is dealing with these two awful things!  Either one alone is so much to handle, and together, it's really tough.  I hope she finds some relief soon.

If you’d like to connect more, feel free to PM me.

[Sirena]

Our DS stopped eating almost everything when he got sick. It was a sudden onset and everything went off the deep end. I did find that if I just put food that I knew he liked in front of him with no fanfare he would pick at eat and eat something. After we finally go dx he also has babesia Duncan I, Lyme, Bart and there was strep b at onset. Maybe one other too...Treatment has improved his appetite.  Hopefully it will turn around soon. We are two years in but only 9 months since tick infection treatment started. 

Prayers,

Sirena