Lyme symptom cycles - and testing?

Hi all, have recently heard from a couple of sources that many Lyme patients find their ups and downs go in cycles. In thinking back this seems like my experience could bear it out too, and I wonder what other people's experiences have been?

I read I think it was Dr. B that said often there are 4-week cycles in symptoms, but a friend told me he's seen 3-week cycles (based on the organism life-cycle). I'll have to look back at my calendar notes to be more sure but I do believe that my energy, pain, motivation, sleep, mental clarity, etc. have varied roughly in that time scale. I.e., notice I've been starting to feel some better and can do more over a period of a couple weeks. Then a couple weeks later, realize that I've been sliding down again.

Other cycles too, my friend mentioned seasons, many feel worse spring and fall? I will have to think about that. And then daily.....anybody else have MAJOR daily ups and downs morning to evening? A frequent one for me is can hardly think or move in the mornings, but then at night I get really hyper....I mean REALLY hyper sometimes, with all kinds of great ideas and I'm going to do this and that learnallkindsofcoolstufandinventthingsandstartabusinessandchangetheworldandandandand....!

I know how easy it is to fool yourself, to read your desired results into the data, etc., etc. But maybe there is a pattern here?

Then the application question......how do you think this would affect testing? I'm on an upswing right now, have just been noticing the last few days; and was about to go in for a Western Blot test to prove to insurance that I have LD (the last one was high-indeterminate). HOWEVER.....if my IgG / IgM antibodies are less likely to be elevated right now, maybe I could wait?

TIA! BTW, I am so glad for this community and all the care and advice and support....
CJ

PS - as I was about to post the words "relapsing fever" sprang to mind...hmm, caused by Borrelia organisms, huh? Interesting.

I think to answer this question you would have to find someone that has taken the test and then taken the test 2 weeks later for a comparison. That is pricey.

I don't understand why you have to prove to your insurance that you have lyme. Won't your doctor diagnosis it on your symptoms?

Oh how awful it must be to feel like crud and have to deal with disability stuff. I had a hurt knee at work and honestly I was made to feel like a liar and a lazy bum. I can't imagine how hard it is to deal with them having lyme.

Hang in there. I don't know how you can get a "better" lyme test for them. Sorry.

My only suggestion would be to ask Igenex.

I get roughly monthly, weekly and daily flares. Might be daily herxing, I don't really know. I detox as much as possible but have some issues. I do know if I feel good in the morning I feel lousy in the late afternoon, early evening and vice versa.

Well, congratulations on feeling better!! That's wonderful, Lyme_CJ!!!

Yes, you will have to find another site to host the image file, then upload it here. Sorry.

I've seen cycles in my symptoms lots of times - and 3 - 5 week cycles hint at Lyme. One week cycles hint at Babesia or Bartonella - If I'm remembering correctly.

It looks to be a good steady rise, which is something we all hope for, even if it is slow.

Were you ever able to figure out that your slowness in mornings apposed to rapidfireafternoons, was your cortisol output being unbalanced? If you had done a 3 or 4 pt saliva test for that, the results would have probably been conclusive.

The moon, no, hadn't thought of that. No menstruation here. Parasites maybe, but we never got any positive tests (checked a few times), and with all the life-killing things (rx and herbal) I've taken I don't imagine too many things would have lasted. Then again the Lyme thing is still around........

Cortisol, yes, that was something we tested early (and once or twice subsequently). Though those symptoms haven't remained exactly constant either, although in general evenings tend to be more energetic. Have tried a number of adrenal things, from rx hydrocortisone to herbs, etc. Nothing that's really "made" me "feel" noticeably better on a day-to-day level. I suppose that's something else I should track over time.

I sure appreciate all the folks on this forum. Not only is it a good source of ideas, research, etc., there's also the help and accountability of talking about things (and having them written down to remind me later!), not to mention just the understanding and care. Thank you all!