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Car wrecks, concussions, and Lyme

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Posted 11/13/2019 3:35 PM (GMT -5)
about 2.5 weeks ago I was in a bad car wreck and got a concussion. It's been rough trying to heal from it. As with anything and Lyme, it has taken me way longer to see improvement in the acute phases and symptoms than most people. But after I've done some research on the matter, it appears that there's a connection between traumatic brain injuries and difficulty healing from Lyme. Has anyone ever had a car wreck and seen their symptoms increase? Has anyone had a concussion and seen that it has affected your ability to treat the Lyme and coinfections?

The concussion and whiplash have increased a ton of my regular symptoms like headache, nausea, dizziness, nerve pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, brain fog. So I guess it's hard to tell right now what is concussion causing problems and what is Lyme making a comeback because of the trauma and stress of the event.

What can I do to make sure that the stress of the wreck and the concussion itself does not make me lose ground in treatment? Because I have been doing really really well up until the wreck. The worst symptoms right now are depression, anxiety, and headaches. They all got worse after the wreck. Depression and anxiety are my usual two biggest symptoms anyways, so it's been difficult handling the increase in both.

Thanks for your input.
Posted 11/13/2019 5:14 PM (GMT -5)
I'm so sorry you went through this car accident.

I have not been in a car wreck, but to answer your question in the general sense, yes I've been in several traumatic accidents.

I nearly lost my head in one accident, got stuck in an avalanche in the second, and then there's a third that I rather not talk about.

I do not know if it affected my Lyme disease to be honest. But it did leave me dealing with the trauma on a psychological level, I don't know if this is the same as PTSD.

Have you had an MRI?

That would be the first step I would take in your situation.

Stressful events can also raise cortisol.
In fact, it can raise your cortisol to such a high level that it "burns out" your adrenals.

Your body rapidly uses up Vitamin C in these kind of events (for cortisol production).
This is something relatively safe you can start to supplement with.

Let me know if I missed a part of your question.
Posted 11/13/2019 5:23 PM (GMT -5)
Thanks for your response. I have been supplementing with high dose liposomal vitamin c. Hopefully that will help.

They didn't do an MRI of my brain. Just chest and abdomen. And I had several x-rays. But my pcp says he doesn't see any neurological signs that there is something more serious going on with my brain. He's checked me twice in the past two weeks. Thankfully I never started vomiting, just wanted to. lol.

I am sorry for your traumatic events. That's a lot to go through and to have to deal with on top of lyme. You're strong!
Posted 11/13/2019 7:15 PM (GMT -5)
MA10

I've been in fender bender, one that caused whiplash and a nosebleed but nothing more serious.

Now when I was 17, suffering a head rush getting out of the shower, courtesy of what I think was Lyme induced POTS, I fainted. Hit my head on the terra cotta tile, was blind for a second, nauseous longer than that. Was taken to urgent care and healed within a few days.

Fast forward 22 years later, I was finally diagnosed with Lyme. I have terrible neuropathy, it takes me forever to get over a herx. Even when I'm not in a flare, I still suffer.

I had two MRI's they were more or less normal...only one lesion. Neuro said that's typical for most average patients.

Post Edited (ElizKA26) : 11/15/2019 3:39:29 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/14/2019 10:22 AM (GMT -5)
I would focus efforts on consistently reducing inflammation using everything you’ve learned about it.

Also, support the immune system, as the immune system responds to inflammation.

One supplement that really helped me get out of heavy inflammation was SPM Active by Metagenics. My doctor had me take 4 capsules once a day.
Posted 11/14/2019 11:11 AM (GMT -5)
Since Lyme patients experience setbacks from any type of injury or illness, I'm sure that injuries from a car accident will cause issues, unfortunately. You're probably already doing this, but attention to your alignment is key (chiropractic, craniosacral therapy, osteopathic manipulation, physical therapy...).

It's also worth noting that trauma (physical and psychological) and PTSD predispose people toward chronic pain and chronic illness. Do anything you can think of as soon as you can to deal with the trauma aspect, even if it's not something that is bothering you consciously. (Plus I'm pretty sure all of us have some diagnosable levels of PTSD just from having Lyme!) The easiest thing might be EMDR, a form of therapy that can help to unravel the trauma of an incident (like a car wreck) in just a few sessions. It's really remarkable - basically talking factually about the accident while lights or sound stimulate parts of your brain that allow you to process the incident differently. I'm a big fan of many types of mental health therapy, but this one is great for anyone regardless of their feelings toward therapy in general. I did crisis counseling work for years and saw EMDR help a great many people.
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