Lyme Help Needed

hollow bottle

Hello everyone,

I was hoping that somebody had some experience with Lyme Disease. My brother has been diagnosed with it after 5 years of on and off symptoms. He is currently on a ton of antibiotics to combat this disease. He is experiencing severe anxiety and depression as a result of its affects on his CNS. I try to encourage him but can't seem to break through. He has been getting worse. He is a pharmacist, husband and father of 2 girls. I know that he is feeling a heavy burden trying to juggle his responsibilities while dealing with the symptoms of the Lyme Disease. He broke down last night, very uncharacteristic of him." If you have any advice or experience with his condition, please let me know. I would very much appreciate it.

Thanks,

Tom

I want to be "The Fixer" I knew some how Ed would write another song that I could relate to.

Riverrunner

I'm very sorry to hear about your brother having Lyme disease. I understand that it is more difficult to treat when it is diagnosed late. I am sorry that I have no helpful information. But I know that it can be treated successfully even in late stages so he should keep his chin up. It well get better.

leedog0

I was diagnosed in 2004 with Lyme. I did catch it somewhat early as to when I was bit, however the affects have been ongoing throughout the years.

I really know what he is going through, my symptoms were depression, anxiety, and pain in all my joints.

My advice to you is be there for him when he wants it, don't try to "Fix"! Maybe try to plan some things he likes without him knowing your are trying to help. His mood will be up and down for quite sometime, you may not even know him at times with his behavior. That is typical for lyme.

This disease is very hard to treat and very controversial as far as doctors that are willing to treat long term. There are doctors out there that will treat long term, however most of them won't take insurance because the insurance companies won't pay the doctors back.

This may seem cliche on this board, however in 2006 my friend and I did a mini tour of Pearl Jam shows that really helped me mentally. I think we did 12 shows that year. That experience really helped me mentally on many levels. I'm now doing fine with no symptoms.

yostarama

Sorry about your brother. A friend of mine had lyme's for about the same time frame. if regular antibiotics don't work he'll get IV antibiotics for several months the first couple of months will be tuff as the medicene works againts the lymes. After the IV's are done, He will then be tested every month for 6 months as long as the lymes doesn't show in any of the tests he should be good. If you get a positve test you go through the IV antibiotics again. If I remember correctly a large % only need the IV's once the few that go through it twice are 100% success, my buddy only went through the IV once. Also it turned his life around he is real healty now. Good luck

State of Mind

Sorry to hear about your brother. A friend of mine's husband had Lyme disease and was also treated with antibiotics. It's difficult because doctors are continuing to learn about this disease and how it effects people. Dealing with the anxiety and depression can be challenging, especially when you are already taking other medications. One way to deal with both of those issues without additional medication is a combination of cognitive therapy and mindfulness meditation. It might seem weird to go to therapy for a physical problem but they are learning more all the time about the mind-body connection.

On another note, if your brother is having a hard time taking care of himself and working, does he have short term disability through his work? My sister is going through that right now with back problems and she has a month to rest her back and go to her doctor appts.

That he has you as a supportive person is a gift not everyone has. Just you being there does help "fix" it! Hope he feels better soon.

hollow bottle

Thank you guys so much! It helps to hear that others know about the difficulties associated with Lyme. I learned some knew thinfs here that I will definitely use. I wish you the best.

Tom

I_Am_Mike

I've been diagnosed with Lyme disease three times. Two times I had the classic bullseye rash though the third time I just had symptoms. I work outside in an environmental consulting position so it's kind of a job hazard. Each time I caught it early and the antibiotics were effective each time. However, I do wonder what long-term affects there are or could be, particularly with multiple exposures. There does not seem to be a consensus among the medical community and additional ongoing research is needed, though I wish it were more of a priority given the potential consequences. It's a very mysterious disease and can be difficult to accurately diagnose and treat if not caught early. I wish I could provide you some insights but my experience is limited to early diagnosis. But I did want to say that it is more common than most people think. Many colleagues that I know have had Lyme, especially in suburban areas of Pennsylvania and the East. I wish you and your brother luck in his treatment. I know how hard it must be for him to fight this and be there for his family. Offer all the help you can with chores around the house as he's likely to be too tired and in pain to take care of mundane things like cutting the grass.

Best of luck!

hollow bottle

Really great stuff here. Thanks