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Posted 4/14/2017 11:36 AM (GMT -5)
I finally got energy to work out about 30 mins a day(3-4x week of light cardio and weights), granted I crash into a sleepy state afterwards and do not feel refreshed and eating paleo, mostly gluten free.
I don't understand how I've gained more weight. Don't tell me it's muscle because my pants are tight and my gut looks preggers and bloated.
I'm so sick of the mercury/high metals/coinfections/lyme.
I don't even know why I should keep trying. ITS USELESS and HOPELESS for me.
I was better off not working out.
SO ANGRY AT MY BODY, MY HEALTH and at the world.
Posted 4/14/2017 11:42 AM (GMT -5)
lymehater - I'm so sorry.

I think if you're crashing like that - then you're overdoing it.

How much of the 30 minutes is cardio? You may need to lower that part of it and see how you feel?

I started with just 2 minutes of cardio...just to get my blood flowing before I did my exercises - my therabands and light weights.
I was able to go for long walks though...but the Elliptical was really difficult for me at first.
Posted 4/14/2017 11:47 AM (GMT -5)
Lymehater, I'm trapped in that as well - can't exercise and can't loose weight. It could be from adrenals, thyroid or just these infections for me, but no matter what it is, I'm still carrying too much weight.

Hang in there!! Pushing your body to exercise when it's already struggling (your crashing afterwards says that what you are trying to do is too much right now) won't help anything though.

It goes against common sense, but be sure you are eating enough food. For me, if I don't eat enough, I gain more weight because when the body believes it's not getting enough food will put more energy into storing fat, rather than using it for energy. I get caught in that a lot because I have a lot of trouble eating.

I'm so very sorry!! I wish I could wave a magical wand and heal everyone!!! This is so frustrating!
Posted 4/14/2017 11:49 AM (GMT -5)
Patience grasshopper.

The most horrible thing about lyme..... it tests our patience.

I too was a gainer with lyme. I so envied those that lost 20 pounds. I gained.

You will lose it eventually. Just patience and time.
Posted 4/14/2017 12:02 PM (GMT -5)
Thank you for the kind words and support. I just hate everything right now.
I've tried to only do treadmill on a high incline and a slower pace around 3mph. which is super slow for me (back when I was healthy it was 5-7mph).
I only do it for 5 mins. Then I do weights then finish off with 5-10 mins of rebounding on trampoline.
This is so frustrating.
I drink my protein smoothie afterwards to replenish at my desk at work. about 45mins or so I get really sleepy. I'm not sure if it's because I only sleep for one hour at night in increments or if it's due to working out.
Today I tested the theory. I did not work out at all I still crashed at my desk struggling to stay awake and even closed my eyes for a bit.
So is that adrenals?
I just started taking an adrenal supplement for a week and noticed no difference.
I definitely eat a lot of food. I need to cut back on the carbs for sure.
I'm 15-20lbs over weight. If I could just lose 8-10 I would be so happy. I'd settle for that. I feel like a beached whale with my pregnant looking gut. I wouldn't be as hard on myself if I actually did give birth in my past. I HATE THIS DISEASE. Wish I had cancer instead. This disease invokes the most insensitive remarks from ignorant people including my family. It never invokes sympathy let alone empathy from people. The gov't doesn't want to address it, the doctors don't want to acknowledge it's existence. OF all illnesses I had to get. I get this bag of shT. Sorry I'm in such a foul mood. First this, then I cried signing my divorce papers.
I NEED TO SLEEP. That hasn't happened since I got bit a few years ago.
I tried CBD oil, melatonin, etc. NONE OF IT KEEPS ME ASLEEP. I'm constantly a grouch. sorry for venting. I'm so ready to throw in the towel. THe herbals aren't working, I prob have to deal with cysts or biofilms since there's no herxing. like lyme, I too want to punish the hell out of this crappy body of mine.
Show it how much I hate it
Posted 4/14/2017 12:06 PM (GMT -5)
lymehater I was so sleepy with lyme. I could sleep all day long, napping off and on and just getting up to eat or go potty. Then I would sleep all night. It was what I call menopause sleep, but I was there all night.

All of a sudden one day I did not take a nap. Both hubby and I were amazed. It was me just getting stronger.

My sleeping was healing time. I am so sure of it.
Posted 4/14/2017 12:13 PM (GMT -5)
Hi lymehater -

SO sorry you're struggling. I know it's just a lot of disappointments.

TOTALLY agree w/ Girlie - you should NOT crash after working out like that. In fact, it signals a potential dangerous level of adrenal function. It's totally understandable to want to counteract gaining wait (you, PeteZa and I and maybe a few others are the rare breed who gains weight in this mess, while most people lose… that's a whole other rant). I am finally losing weight - but that's only after getting through the intense phases of treatment. I didn't give it the time my body needed and turned 18 months into 4 years. Don't do what I did! ;)

Its easy and common to underestimate but your body is overwhelmed with the illness and treatment. It's getting a 24-hr workout already and doing any aerobic activity is causing harm and potential damage. Most Lyme specialists warn against aerobic activity because of the damage to muscle fibers but also, it creates an aerobic response in your body that is too demanding. And the insane part about it is that it also isn't going to help you lose weight right now. Crazy, but true…

More importantly, the crashing is a signal that your adrenals are petering out and using their reserves to just get you through the day. And then you work out and bleed their reserves dry and they are pushing out everything they have left through your workout - and that's why you crash after.

And even if you were eating more calories - and eating carbs, your body would still be burdened with digesting the carbs and it's not going to help rebuild your adrenal reserves. It's like running out of gas. And in the adrenal fatigue world, the only real way to fill the tank is rest, avoiding stress. There are some supplements that can help but not unless you slow down and de-stress.

I speak from years of experience not understanding these functions and not giving my body the time and patience it needs to be ill AND heal. This only set my treatment process back… month after month after month. This is also an area most MDs don't understand. There are great threads about adrenals here on the forum - lots of good internet sites, too. Let us know if you have any q's.

-p
Posted 4/14/2017 12:19 PM (GMT -5)

lymehater said...
Thank you for the kind words and support. I just hate everything right now.
I've tried to only do treadmill on a high incline and a slower pace around 3mph. which is super slow for me (back when I was healthy it was 5-7mph).
I only do it for 5 mins. Then I do weights then finish off with 5-10 mins of rebounding on trampoline.
This is so frustrating.
I drink my protein smoothie afterwards to replenish at my desk at work. about 45mins or so I get really sleepy. I'm not sure if it's because I only sleep for one hour at night in increments or if it's due to working out.
Today I tested the theory. I did not work out at all I still crashed at my desk struggling to stay awake and even closed my eyes for a bit.
So is that adrenals?
I just started taking an adrenal supplement for a week and noticed no difference.
I definitely eat a lot of food. I need to cut back on the carbs for sure.
I'm 15-20lbs over weight. If I could just lose 8-10 I would be so happy. I'd settle for that. I feel like a beached whale with my pregnant looking gut. I wouldn't be as hard on myself if I actually did give birth in my past. I HATE THIS DISEASE. Wish I had cancer instead. This disease invokes the most insensitive remarks from ignorant people including my family. It never invokes sympathy let alone empathy from people. The gov't doesn't want to address it, the doctors don't want to acknowledge it's existence. OF all illnesses I had to get. I get this bag of shT. Sorry I'm in such a foul mood. First this, then I cried signing my divorce papers.
I NEED TO SLEEP. That hasn't happened since I got bit a few years ago.
I tried CBD oil, melatonin, etc. NONE OF IT KEEPS ME ASLEEP. I'm constantly a grouch. sorry for venting. I'm so ready to throw in the towel. THe herbals aren't working, I prob have to deal with cysts or biofilms since there's no herxing. like lyme, I too want to punish the hell out of this crappy body of mine.
Show it how much I hate it

I think you know what to do. Probably need to switch up your antimicrobial approach a bit… make it a little more comprehensive.

But this also means more drain on your body. You're on OVERLOAD right now - mostly psychological stress from… everything… and physiological stress from the illness, the treatment… and you're still trying to carry on a normal lifestyle. ;)

Most of us have been there. The reality is, you will continue with the stressful struggle and the impact on your adrenals… until you slow things down a little. All the falling asleep and the not sleeping and the crashing and anger - that's all about hormone disruption, adrenal struggle and neurotransmitter imbalances. Simple carbs just pile on more to challenge your digestive process, which is linked to brain function (unless you're talking about complex carbs, which your body might need right now).

I don't know if this is helpful - sometimes you just need to vent. But I'd bet there are a few things you could tweak to make things a little smoother and to help your healing.

-p
Posted 4/14/2017 12:22 PM (GMT -5)
Because you are so "bloated", are you taking a really good probiotic? Have you talked about this with your doctor? Just not being so bloated helps me feel a tiny bit better about myself.

Have you had a 4 point saliva test for your adrenals? If so, how long ago? I would start there because you don't want to be supplementing your adrenals if that's not what you need, it only leads to more problems down the road.

I understand - my life is much the same way, only I still can't work, so I'm just home all the time.

I used to push my body much too hard constantly before I was diagnosed. I honestly just thought it was "just the way my body was" after living this way since the age of 7, but what I discovered is that I didn't do it any favors, and is what likely lead to my adrenals crashing so hard.

Our bodies are under attack from other 'forces', for us to "turn" on our body as well doesn't do us any favors. Now is the time to pamper and take good care of it instead. We must give it what it needs to combat these infections - no matter how long it takes - or we just stay in this cycle or get worse. Treatment and caring for our body as if it's something very precious to us really is the only way out of this mess.

Take the rest of today to rest and try to recharge your mind a little. When I was at my worst point with sleep, I learned to do "power naps". Laying very still and being very relaxed, with my eyes closed for a minimum of 20 minutes a few times a day helped me make it through the day. I couldn't sleep during the day or much at night during that time, so this helped my body keep up with the energy that was required to keep going through each day.

And, be sure to have a nice long talk with your doctor. They need to be doing more to help support you in your efforts.
Posted 4/14/2017 12:35 PM (GMT -5)

Traveler said...
Because you are so "bloated", are you taking a really good probiotic? Have you talked about this with your doctor? Just not being so bloated helps me feel a tiny bit better about myself.

Have you had a 4 point saliva test for your adrenals? If so, how long ago? I would start there because you don't want to be supplementing your adrenals if that's not what you need, it only leads to more problems down the road.

I understand - my life is much the same way, only I still can't work, so I'm just home all the time.

I used to push my body much too hard constantly before I was diagnosed. I honestly just thought it was "just the way my body was" after living this way since the age of 7, but what I discovered is that I didn't do it any favors, and is what likely lead to my adrenals crashing so hard.

Our bodies are under attack from other 'forces', for us to "turn" on our body as well doesn't do us any favors. Now is the time to pamper and take good care of it instead. We must give it what it needs to combat these infections - no matter how long it takes - or we just stay in this cycle or get worse. Treatment and caring for our body as if it's something very precious to us really is the only way out of this mess.

Take the rest of today to rest and try to recharge your mind a little. When I was at my worst point with sleep, I learned to do "power naps". Laying very still and being very relaxed, with my eyes closed for a minimum of 20 minutes a few times a day helped me make it through the day. I couldn't sleep during the day or much at night during that time, so this helped my body keep up with the energy that was required to keep going through each day.

And, be sure to have a nice long talk with your doctor. They need to be doing more to help support you in your efforts.

I take two diff brands of probiotics one pill each thinking one is better than two. I spoke to my dr yesterday and she wants to put me on adrenal supplement which I already am taking. I took the 4 point saliva test it showed my levels were lower than the normal reference range but I'm unclear as to what to do about it. I'll ask my dr. I still have brain problems remembering what was said earlier but not as bad as when I first got bitten.
I'll try to take it easy and not push myself or stress out. It's so hard to be sitting at my boring desk job 8 hours a day. I try to take walking breaks but it's just not enough for this fat gaining body.
I just want to be able to sleep more than 1 hour increments. REM sleep is a foreign concept to my body I drift in and out of light sleep according to fitbit and jawbone tracker. I asked my company if I could work part time and was denied because the client wanted me full time. God knows why. I barely do anything at work.
If I don't work I can't afford my treatments or eating organic/grassfed. I don't have my husband to bankroll my health anymore.
Posted 4/14/2017 12:44 PM (GMT -5)
should I quit the buhner's protocol and go hard at antibiotics(I hate ABX but will it work for chronic lyme?) I just don't know how to fight anymore. I have no more strength to fight this uphill battle that goes nowhere fast.
Posted 4/14/2017 12:54 PM (GMT -5)
Pharma abx work for some, but not all. Buhner's works for some, but not all - so what do you feel better on, what do you wish to use? It's not necessarily whether we use pharma abx or herbs (or whatever), it's if our body is in a good place to heal. Mine was not when I was trying to use the pharma abx, but my body also responds better to herbs than to pharma meds, so it made sense for me to go with herbs for my treatments.

So, there's little guidance from your doctor on the adrenal issues? What and how much you are using of the adrenal supplement? It takes a long while to heal adrenals, and it's much like healing these infections, except stress hits me even harder now and impacts my adrenal health a lot faster.
Posted 4/14/2017 5:05 PM (GMT -5)
Lymehater, I think we all feel this way from time to time. Some days I'm pissed at the world. Others, I accept and do what I have to do. This is THE MOST frustrating disease because it's getting us from so many angles. It's not just the lyme, it's your adrenals, gut, organs, etc. Like, for me, it's all of the above. I'm tired just from climbing the stairs. The fact you have energy to get up and go to work is a big deal. Try to look at the small victories and know you're in for a long ride, but it's not hopeless. You may also have other issues to consider. I have SIBO, Hashimoto's, Candida and Epstein Barr - all of those contribute to how bad I feel.

Hope you feel better. Be nice to yourself. The hard work will pay off. It has to.
Posted 4/14/2017 5:34 PM (GMT -5)
Lymehater,

Sorry you are going through all of this. It isn't fun but I believe we can heal.

I am a person who loves to exercise. It was my prozac and a big part of my life. I haven't exercised properly in almost four years. First three I didn't know what was wrong with me or why every time I exercised I started feeling bad. I thought my gym had too many germs. Last year when re-infected, I found out it was lyme.

As Trav and others have shared it is called exercise intolerance. Every time I feel better, like a month ago, I lift light weights and boom - a relapse.

I think it's cortisol/adrenals. You got a lot of good advice on here from these wise women. Heal adrenals, heal your gut, do light walking. You will get there. Cut out raw foods, you may have leaky gut and raw can be very hard on digestive system.

I lost weight but now my hormones have swung the other way and I'm gaining and all my muscle is gone. I don't even care. Honestly, I want my health back and then I can exercise. Remember we have muscle memory.

Try and stay positive. When I spin out about 'this isn't fair' I feel the stress.

Read Unbroken, you will feel better. You will get there!
Posted 4/14/2017 5:54 PM (GMT -5)
3 of my last 5 days were great! And I did what I knew NOT to do. I did too much, because I could. And now I pay the price, I can't get off the couch. I'm waiting for my adrenal testing to come back. Like why would I jeopardize my recovery? I'm stubborn and want my life back.
Deep breath. Pace yourself. Your body can only recover so quickly. Pushing does more harm than good. Soooo you hit me over the head and I'll hit you😊
Posted 4/14/2017 7:12 PM (GMT -5)
There are many modalities hang in there hater ...my folks use rife to sleep and lots of motherwort , deepsleep formula which has hops ,valerian ,poppy etc
Posted 4/15/2017 6:32 PM (GMT -5)
Adrenals are important but if you aren't sleeping you aren't healing.

I hope you and your Dr can address that subject until you can get a real nights (or even part of a night) sleep.

Hang in there.

VCL
Posted 4/15/2017 9:04 PM (GMT -5)
In addition to adrenal support- I tried lots of $tuff for sleep. Then I noticed night time cold meds helped. And started using night time cough syrup with all the natural stuff - it worked. Then I tried good old Ibuprofen PM, but generic- it also worked. These two worked better than Gaba and several Rx sleep meds.

Dr said might as well as these arnt any worse than the Rx meds. I avoided flue meds or behind the counter stuff since they are more hard core and bad for you.

I think adrenals take years to heal if they were messed up for years. I'm still improving 2 years after treating lyme. I also almost have a "I dont give a sh/t attitude" toward work - I do my best effort, but dont lose sleep when management makes poor decisions beyond my control. Now I know why so many over 50 guys are like that - they learned the hard way. Workers drinking 4-6 cups of coffee per day prob have adrenal issues, thats about 20% of the public.
Posted 4/15/2017 9:49 PM (GMT -5)
I just read - you're sleeping only 1 hour increments? That is something I would put on the top of your list to be addressed. You need to sleep longer than that. Waking up every hour all night long...no wonder you're crashing.


Do what it takes to get better sleep. Do the 4 point saliva cortisol test and see if your high when you should be low and vice versa.
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