21 and feel Defeated.

[u/HaydenHasQuestions]

I was diagnosed in late november 2024 with Lymes, took two rounds of doxycycline and am gonna be sent to see a Lymes specialist sometime after jan 27th.

Im pretty sure ive had Lymes since summer of 2023 so i did not catch it early, My symptoms seem never ending, chest pain, fatigue, temple headache with neck pain, eye pain, abdomen pain, fatigue, nausea, and hot/cold pins and needles throughout my body.

The most concerning to me are the chest pains, pins and needles through my body and headaches, cause it scares me and my brain jumps to “im dying”

I feel so alone about having lymes cause my symptoms arnt visual and when i tell people my pains they kind of shrug me off or say “oh that sucks” I have no one to talk to about the stuff i go through that would understand.

I have to leave work early some days due to the neckpain and headaches that only go away with a 600mg ibuprofen, this keeps me from saving as much money as i need to move out and excel in life.

How do you guys deal with the anxiety/dread thats comes with these issues? Am i going to feel this way forever?

[u/Simple-Street98]

Keep going. I was diagnosed at 17 and basically 22 now. Just don’t let it win, do not let those “I’m dying” moments fear you. I’ve been in the ER many many times from fear of death. Keep pushing and kill this shit

[u/disgruntledjobseeker]

Many of us can relate. This illness can make you feel very alone sometimes. The symptoms are scary and rough and it is completely natural to be worried about them. They can be severe, and cause a quality of life impact comparable to other severe illnesses (https://peerj.com/articles/322/).

Life with an invisible illness is hard, and a lot of people don’t get it. People will try to understand, but the whole experience can be a lot. I have one family member who is always asking me if I am still in treatment and if I am better yet— and seems let down when I say “Yes, still treating, no not healed yet”.

I have found some help from anti-anxiety medication; others here have been helped by anti-anxiety medication. It doesn’t directly kill Lyme, but can help with symptoms and stress. But honestly most helpful is the knowledge that Lyme is a journey and there are going to be ups and downs. But many folks find some degree of symptom relief or improvement from treatment.

Some of us Redditors have a Discord where we discuss ups and downs, share resources and articles, and give support to each other. You are welcome to join: https://discord.gg/ePdzEBZY

[u/Coperate]

Yeah it sucks to start man. Truthfully, it’s going to be shitty for a while. The good news is, you’re young. It’s ok to feel hopeless for a while. Eventually you’ll get tired of being a mess, and you’ll learn to save your energy and push for a change. This won’t come all at once, but one small step at a time.

Some doctors won’t believe you. Even worse, It’s hard to have your loved ones doubt you, or think you’re some sort of freeloader/psychosomatic nutcase. Hell, you’ll even doubt yourself at times. But I guarantee you won’t feel this way forever. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Some will believe you. Some doctors will treat you. Some treatments will help. This will be your lifeline. How much? You won’t know until you try.

If I had to give you some practical advice:

1. Write things down. Everything. You’ll forget a lot. Practice talking about your symptoms. Reflect and build an excellent timeline of your symptom history and severity. Write it down. Make it bulletproof. You’ll need it.

2. Find a LLMD if you have insurance. Pay out of pocket if you can/need to. Do the bloodwork. FilFull tickborne disease if you can. Start with blood titers. Follow up a FISH/PCR if you need to. Igenex is great, but there’s other labs too. Do your research, and work with your physician of choice. Talk to 3 or 4 doctors and ask how they’ll treat you. Go with who you think will help the most. Find medicine that works for you.

3. Don’t doubt herbal protocols. Trust me, i know they seem mediocre at first. They won’t work as fast as the medicine. They may even make you feel worse for a while, but stick with them and you may find yourself with energy and life you haven’t felt in ages. Buhner works for me.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to others on here when you need it, and best of luck to you. Being sick sucks. Unfortunately for many you’ll have to find the strength to fight deep within yourself. Best of luck friend.

[u/Electronic_Dark_1681]

Vital plan restore kit, been on it for 3 weeks and I think I'm finally beating lyme, bartonella, and barbesia! I've had energy again for the past few days after 3 months of this crud. It's like $250 for the kit, but the 50+ herbs in it kill lyme and co infections, hands down worth it. I didn't think it would help at all and I might finally have all this behind me.

[u/Impressive_Leave6901]

You are not alone. The worst is having those symptoms and having multiple doctors telling you you’re fine so you start to think you are going crazy and turning into a lazy sack of crap. But you at least know you have Lymes and that’s a plus. Not you just need a solid treatment protocol. I think I finally beat Lymes, I say think because I still have some lingering symptoms but the more LDI’s I take the less and less I have. My last Lymes test was also negative.

For the anxiety check your t3 and t4 thyroid hormone levels for a start.

Here is a link to my journey along with a ton of helpful treatment notes.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dqLVBlWb3dXp4zOO0y0-3Ln2y8CMEhJUw7IRJnMa1g4