# new here, Lyme + antibiotics = IBS-C



## whendoesitend (Sep 25, 2017)

Hello,

I've just registered here, looking for some tips on what to do next, because I've run out of ideas on my own. I caught Lyme in maybe 2006, diagnosed in 2008, went through 30 months of antiobiotics, and ever since I've been dealing with digestive fallout that has torn my life apart. I deal with feeling feverish on waking/sometimes during the day, miserable constipation, and career wrecking brain fog. I don't work full time, I make a fraction of a proper living consulting in my field, and there is a *LOT* of situational stress in that. I was formally diagnosed with IBS in late 2014, dicyclomine was my best friend for the next year or so.

I'm 50, 180cm, 84.5kg. That's 5'11" and 186 pounds, in freedom units. I walk at least twenty miles a week, some of which is commutes to the gym, where I swim. My blood pressure is a tiny bit high, controlled with 10mg lisinopril. I spent the weekend jabbing the sides of my fingers and I'm satisfied I'm not diabetic, at worst I'm at the very shallow end of the pre-diabetic pool. I'll just make a few changes and avoid that.

I found I was gluten intolerant a few years before I got sick and in 2012 I learned that an allergy to red meat carbs is very common for Lyme victims. I was never tested for that, but the effect of removing it from my diet was dramatic. I have steered clear of HFCS for fifteen years, when I do get a bit now I react very badly to it. I don't react as hard to caesin as I do to gluten, but I've largely excluded dairy from my diet - large amount make me very dopey.

I log wake/sleep, meds and supplements, what I eat, bowel movements, how I feel. I am a patient, methodical hunter of food sensitivities, and I think I've pretty well mined out that vein of troubles. I've been working from Dr. Vincent Pedre's Happy Gut for the last year or so, it's helped a bit.

I have neuropathic pain from an old injury and it was well controlled with a small dose of Tramadol. After a decade on a minimal dose my usage escalated in early 2014, concurrent with an escalation of that stress I mentioned above. I ran out by accident at the end of June and after talking with my pain specialist we decided it was time to try gabapentin.

Taking 300mg/day I had two absolutely perfect weeks. I dusted off my resume, reached out to existing customers, sought more work. I really thought I was healed. Gabapentin is a drug that one titrates up, I got to 900mg ... then 1800mg ... and my symptoms crept back over the month following those two perfect weeks. This last month I have aggressively removed carbs from my diet, worked my way back down to 900mg of gabapentin, and given in to 25mg of Tramadol (cut 'em in half) at bed time.

Physically I go through periods where just everything hurts like I've got the flu. Maybe that's just what turning fifty feels like? I sure hope not ...

But mentally ... I'm well nigh useless. I have a class I've pushed back half a dozen times, not focusing on it AGAIN. Customers are being left in the lurch, I'm just ... not here ... a lot of the time.

Here is a summary of what I do during the day:

morning - 300mg gabapentin, multivitamin, zinc, 1000mg C, 3000 IU D, 5 psyllium capsules, probably acetaminophen

afternoon - 300mg gabapentin, multivitamin, zinc, 1000mg C, 3000 IU D, 5 psyllium capsules, more acetaminophen

night - 300mg gabapentin, multivitamin, zinc, magnesium, 1000mg C, 3000 IU D, 5 psyllium capsules, 25mg Tramadol

Some other common things include:

Miralax - often in the afternoons, kinda depends on what the log shows in terms of BMs.

kava kava - I used to take dicyclomine, found that one or two capsules of this works just as quick, and gets more symptoms.

DHA/EPA - I try to keep the fish oil around, 3g AM/PM, but if I run out for a few weeks I don't trip over the lack.

5HTP - used to take this serotonin precursor daily, seemed less necessary after gabapentin started.

tyrosine - another neurotransmitter precursor, dopamine, then epinephrine/norepinephrine. Both are adrenal gland outputs, Lyme causes adrenal stress.

Some stuff I don't do much any more:

Kolorex - horopito based anti-yeast thing, still have it around, but seems to be a battle I won

VSL3 - a lifesaver probiotic for years, but now ... on/off, I can't tell a difference.

DHEA - used to use this all the time, was on serious hormone replacement during Lyme treatment, maybe I should revisit.

So that's a pretty good summary. Being a Real American™, I am going bare while facing chronic health troubles. Perhaps I will get insurance again when the ACA window opens 11/1, but right now whatever I do is out of pocket.

So ... I bet this looks familiar to many of you ... any questions? Suggestions of things I might try?


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