Social Anxiety and Overstimulation //Lyme// Does it go Away?

I have the worst social anxiety since getting sick with Lyme and Co-infections...I could never understand how I went from being an outgoing, witty and socially inclined person who loved being in the spotlight, to someone too nervous, jumpy and anxious to order food. My anxiety came on abrupt and was hard hitting and debilitating. It wasn't something that manifested from avoidance or overthinking because I try to get out and about everyday. It simply manifested when I experienced meningitis symptoms and then a relapsing fever.

It's not that I feel self-conscious about my body or feel guilt and remorse for the things I've done...it's nothing like that. It is a physical sensation of anxiousness, jumpiness and impending doom. It's always there, even when I'm alone. I've had clearheaded moments whilst treating Lyme and most of the aforesaid symptoms vanished but it was sporadic and it fluctuated.

It is much too hard for me to socialize in the presence of background noise. I space out and lose my train of thought. If someone did that to me in the middle of a conversation I would look at the guy like he was crazy. Now it's just hard for me to socialize and party or do anything with noise or bright lights. These kinds of stimuli simply overstimulate every part of my brain and make me want to curl up and hug a tree.

QUESTION: Does anyone else feel pain with noise, for example the shutting of a door?

Is there any herbs or supplements that help?

Supps and herbs for anxiety:

1. Collagen supps
2. Motherwort
3. Pasqueflower

Totally agree w/ Astroman--this is common with adrenal struggles, which can get quite serious. You must have your adrenal functions checked out if you haven't already. It's a 24-hr saliva & urine test (you spit into a small vial every 5 hrs and collect the 2nd urine of the day)---NOT a one-sample saliva test.

Totally agree w/ dacarte3--you have to find ways to meditate yourself down off the ledge. Successful meditation is an invaluable tool in so many situations. There are many fantastic breathing videos on youtube--please check these out. They are easypeasy to learn and you can do them anywhere, anytime and no one will ever know.

I definitely feel jumpy and agitated with noise and activity - even voices talking, phones ringing. I was miserable working in an office. When I'm home, I almost always have a video playing on youtube or music or a show to drown out my really bad tinnitus.

So--it has to be something about extra people and movement around me in addition to the noise that triggers the anxiety and agitation. I rarely go out anymore - avoid crowds even people I know. I no longer socialize.

It's common, it's frustrating, it's sad. It's lyme & co.

-p

I want to note that I have taken Holy Basil and it is very hit or miss. Sometimes it helps calm my nerves but other times it causes extreme fatigue and weakness like adrenal fatigue.

My TSH levels were 4.77 two months ago and are now 3.72 with a decreasing FREE T3. So I was hypothyroid a few months ago but it has gotten a little better.

My anxiety is at it's worse and might only be present when I have this mental fatigue and muscle weakness. Feels like adrenal fatigue from the symptoms I'm reading but could also be low blood pressure because salt helps and/or hypothyroidism. The medication and/or Lyme could be exasperating these issues.

How does one go about taking this comprehensive adrenal test?? Can someone link me to anything, does my MD need to sign off on it?

I should note that creative had significantly helped fatigue and when I was taking 5000mg 6 months ago I was completely different and clearheaded. Might have something to do with ATP.

And I meant creatine in my last paragraph. But I can't take it because of the meds and my kidneys. I think it would be too much.

Traveler said...
Salt will also help adrenal fatigue - craving salt/salty things is one of the symptoms of adrenal fatigue. I was one step from being diagnosed with Addison's by the time I was diagnosed - I was at the bottom of stage 3 according to Dr. Lam's site: /www.drlam.com/articles/adrenalexhaustion.asp

You need a saliva test that collects saliva at least 3 or 4 times during one day. You can order your own if needed here- True health labs is the one recommended for saliva testing:www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/recommended-labwork/

I read that creatine can significantly help adrenal fatigue. Yessss, I crave salt when I have this mental and physical weakness. Himalayan salt brings me back to normal and all or most of my anxiety vanishes.

My only question, does hypothyroidism or the thyroid in general have anything to do with the adrenals?

For me, it was my adrenals doing a head dive that took down my thyroid, and they are both a part of the Endocrine system, which can be hit pretty hard with Lyme and company.

Cortisol reducers are things I stay away from due to my adrenals already struggling and not making enough as it is.

I was using whole adrenal supplements at first and they really made a difference at first, but then I plateaued the last 8 months I was seeing her and my doc wouldn't change my treatments, so I fired her as she was no longer listening to the patient (me!) about how my treatment was going. I'm now using NatraBio Adrenal and the adaptogenic herb Ashwagandha, to help heal my adrenals and I'm back to making progress. I can buy both without having a doctor, so that's helpful for me since I no longer have one!

A word about ashwagandha though. I think that my issues were due to have severe adrenal issues, but most people can start ashwagandha at night and it helps them sleep - it kept me wired and awake though. So I started using it only in the am and again in the afternoon, but not after 2 pm so that my adrenals could "wind down" and I could sleep at night. Since starting these two things, I'm now up to sleeping from 7 hours up to 10 hours (well I slept that long one time!) at night - up from the max of 5 - 6 hours a night when still seeing my doc.

I don't think you can delete my post - that's a Moderators option, but not a 'regular' member option.

I also take 1 - 1.5 teaspoons of raw local honey with a really good 'coating' of Himalayan salt just before going off to bed and that has helped me a lot with sleeping well.

LOL! I surely don't need more testosterone! I have a heavily muscled body as it is! Oh well, it is as it is and as long as I heal, it's not a big deal - as long as I don't have to shave my face!

birthday suit - you can't delete Traveler's comments. If you can't see them, then you clicked on the 'ignore' button.
it is the thumb's down icon (upper right corner of your posts)

Now how to get it back? Let me think about it. maybe Traveler will be back to tell us...

birthdaysuit - go into "My Profile" and then "Edit Ignored Users" and remove Traveler's name from there.

you're welcome...glad to help