Feeling scared...been on IV antibiotics for 4 months and not feeling better...HELP!

Hi Lola,

So sorry you have been struggling so long without clear improvement. I know it gets discouraging.

As you said, healing is a very individual thing. And you were profoundly affected by the disease, so it will take time. I found that the improvements came in fits and starts. I would be plodding along, feeling like this was going on forever, and then one day I would suddenly notice that I felt better.

Actually, more it was that I suddenly noticed I didn't feel bad. Leaning down to pick something up, I would feel something was different. Slowly, I would realized that I was noticing the absence of pain!!

Your improvements might be so small, that you cannot even recognize them. Keeping a journal can help so that you can really see trends of improvement.

However, because you are spending so much time in bed, you might not be able to see any improvements. You know, they took soldiers right out of basic training at the peak of fitness and made them have complete bed rest for ten days. It took them three months to get back to their original level of fitness!!

So whatever you can do, do a little bit more. There are easy yoga routines for people coming off of illness (stuff you can do in a chair). Any movement you can do will get the toxins moving through your body. Be aware: when you first start moving around it will make you feel a bit worse before it makes you feel better. Sorry!

What are you doing for pain management? Being in pain all the time is not good for healing or for a positive mental attitude. I used a combination of pharmaceuticals and natural products as well as relaxation techniques.

Many LLMD's are combining herbal products with the antibiotics. You didn't mention if you doing that, too. That really helped me. With the abx alone my progress would just stall out. Things like Oregano extract and Artemisinin would really provide positive results.

Are you keeping ahead of the Candida? A systemic candida infection can cause fatigue, muscle weakness and pain. It also can really slow down your healing.

I also found having some goals -- albeit small ones -- really help with progress. Simple things like, "I want to be able to walk around the block." Or "I want to be able to garden this summer." And then have a really long-term goal to give you something to stay on the planet for -- it doesn't have to heroic. My long-term goal is to sew my granddaughter's wedding dress (she's four years old right now!).

Well, hope this helps a bit!

Hi Lola and welcome to the board. I'm so sorry to hear what you are going through. I did not do IV as my insurance company would not approve it but I will say it took me a while to feel better. However, having said that, I feel great now. I was on a number of different antibiotics for 2 1/2 years. I did not have the extreme pain you have but did have stabbing nerve pain and constant facial neuropathy. I was a number of different antibiotics. Are you taking any supplements? Have you tried neurontin for neuropathy pain?

Unfortunately with lyme the bacteria get into every nook and cranny of every organ and tissue in the body so it takes a long time to get them all out. At least that is the way I understand it. Then of course you have to deal with ridding the toxins from the dieoff.

I remember thinking that I was getting worse as new symptoms would keep appearing rather than feel better. Then all of a sudden it seems I turned the corner and symptoms started disappearing. My LLMD told me the lyme journey requires the three Ps - positive thinking, patience and prayer.

I found it best to really curtail my lifestyle in an attempt to get well. I did alot of relaxation methods - reading, watching movies, crocheting - rather than be annoyed and angry every day that I was sick. It really seemed to help me. I am a control freak so when there is something I cannot control, I became obessed with it. With lyme, I think slow and steady is a better approach.

Make sure you drinking lots of lemon water and getting enough sleep so your body gets a chance to heal.

Keep us posted.