Lyme Disease Cases Are Exploding

Surprised this isn't well known. I found out on my own a few months ago and nobody I've talked to about it since knew that this was available.

I would definitely pay money for this if they brought it back. Probably up to hundreds of dollars.

Permethrin is an insecticide that's applied to clothing, tents, packs, etc. It's effective for a month or so depending on exposure to UV and number of washes. Picaridin is a repellent that's a applied in lotion or spray form.

Use both for best protection.

Ticks hold tight enough most tweezers will slip off them rather than pull them out. Needlenose pliars work best.

I grew up in a Lyme hotspot. Every early outdoor memory of mine involved checking for ticks afterwards.

My younger brother had the bullseye as a very young child. My mother had a different very debilitating tick borne illness, Babesiosis, but was only treated for Lyme for months.

I had a blood test when I was 20, and was told I was positive for Lyme. I had zero symptoms of Lyme, and had been spending most of my time living out of the region at college, though I had complained of some general fatigue. They put me on doxycycline, and I dutifully took it. I still don't know whether I actually had Lyme. My father, a chronic hypochondriac, was put on a Lyme regimen at one point too, though it was never clear exactly what symptoms he had.

I'm not entirely sure the point I'm getting at with these anecdotes. Doctors in Lyme hotspots may diagnose Lyme too readily. More specifically, they may order too many blood tests, which from my naive research do not look to be especially accurate for Lyme.

I got better. I also struggled with severe depressive tendencies, panic attacks, social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. I got better from those as well.

All these things were linked, yet separate. You cannot tell me the chronic fatigue was just my depression, as I can tell a difference, but neither was my depression just from not being able to be active for more than about 2-3 hours each day. Mental health issues pre-dated chronic fatigue, but chronic fatigue intensified them.

I did many treatments, though I chose to never have a PICC line installed for months of IV antibiotics - that seemed like chemotherapy to me then and now, and not without its own risks. Everything from antibiotic regimens to homeopathy to humming with crystals in my hands. Sometimes I was raw vegan, other times I smoked heavily, drank heavily, because nothing worked anyway, why not have fun, etc.

Too long for one comment here, but find me privately if you are struggling with chronic immune stuff.

I'm unsure what eventually worked, and what was time. A lot of it, cliche as it is, was the very strong love of a very supportive partner that saw I could still live, even if I thought I couldn't.

I would say the following things all had major effects, though I don't use any currently - many of them provide symptomatic relief for some things, I'm not sure why things shifted underneath it all.

#1) regular injections of methyl-B12 even with normal cyano-b12 levels

#2) low dose Abilify and modafinil and (sparingly) stimulants

#4) regular yoga practice that provided low-impact exercise, mindfulness amidst the fear that my life was over, and a way back into an awareness of my body that didn't only have me think it was the enemy that was killing me, and of a self that transcended whatever I thought I was

#5) treatment for orthostatic hypotension including low dose steroids, salt pills, compression stockings, etc

#6) psychotherapy

#7) A few times rounds of abx when I was at my worst seemed to help a lot

#8) supplemental testosterone for 2 years when mine was low-normal (is normal-normal now without supplements)

#9) eliminating all processed anything from my diet for about 4 years, all gluten for about 5, all refined sugars for about 5 (can eat anything now without ill-effect) and drinking home made bone broth regularly

(I also know some people will read this and hone in on a few things and be like oh! he just needed some psych drugs, therapy, and exercise! Those can def all be helpful things, but I assure you it was a strange and complicated journey through the mindbody, I still have no sample size other than me, and the methyl-B12 was by far the most helpful even though that largely falls under the pseudo-science perpetuated by people searching for autism cures...)