# The fog of DR is a little less thick



## mazou (Jun 12, 2007)

I am on the road to recovery.

I have suffered from DR for about 20 years. I always thought I was marijuana induced (very bad experience in my teens, never the same after... ).

However, I recently had a Lyme test come back positive. Reading that Lyme, in its chronic form, can cause depersonalization, I opted to treat. I figured I would attack the DR from as many angles as possible.

After finishing three weeks of antibiotics (which did nothing but make me feel totally gross, though I am sure it did some good), I proceeded with a more holistic protocol.

I started on the herb cat's claw, as well as an herbal aloe drink given to me by my chiropractor.

I have been on the herbs for about 2 weeks now, and, I have to say, I am starting to feel just the littlest bit "here"! It comes in windows, just for a moment, say, I'll look at a tree, and actually be sort of seeing it as it really is, not some cardboard cutout of a tree. It's not 100% yet, even in my clearer periods, actually far from it. But I am on the road.

My warmest wishes to all of you in your recovery.

mazou


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## Guest (Jul 23, 2007)

I don't class the "fog" as being part of DR... I class it as being "Brain fog".

I have it at the moment... although for the first time in my life (while DR/DP) I had been free from it for about a week... it was lovely. I believe it has returned today due to lack of sleep.

You got a positive back on Lymes?... you're fooking joking?!... I'm really gonna have to ask to get tested for "everything"... lol.


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## B_J (Jun 25, 2007)

Very interesting.


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## mazou (Jun 12, 2007)

Maybe "fog" was the wrong term, as I get that too as a result of food sensitivites.

But the overall DR feeling is definitely less.

Yes, get it checked, but realize that Lyme testing is often inaccurate!


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## EverDream (Dec 15, 2006)

Really nice to hear! I hope it will become even better for you!

I feel this "fog" all the time even though my dp/dr got better this year.
But I had one, only one, brief moement which I felt kinda real, truly connected. It was very weird. I had it on the mall. And the mall is basiclly the place which I feel even more disconected than always. 
I was just standing there and thinking "What's going on?! How do I see so clear?! How do I feel so good? Is it really how people feel?"


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## mazou (Jun 12, 2007)

I think it is. I think it is how people feel.

This is why it may be so hard for them to understand what we are feeling. It's so foreign.


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## B_J (Jun 25, 2007)

In all my life, i get at least a dizain of "tick of wood".

Sometimes, i didn't immediately see it, only the day after.

:evil:


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## mazou (Jun 12, 2007)

How awful for you! They can be really tiny, the ticks; I'm not suprised that you didn't see them right away. I never even knew I had been bitten.


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## kcs (Aug 12, 2004)

I haven't posted on this board for years (basically had given up on finding a cause of my DR and trying to move on), but recently had been hearing more about Lyme Disease and started reading up on it. All my symptoms fit the profile, even things that I hadn't thought were connected like interstitial cystitis, joint and muscle pain, plus a lot of weird cognitive problems. So I decided to come back here and do a search on Lyme (it had been mentioned once or twice way back when I was a regular poster, but never "clicked" in my mind), and am really glad to have found your post. I have an appointment scheduled on August 10 with a LLMD - Lyme Literate Medical Doctor - to get tested for it, but I am about 98% sure that is what is causing my symptoms. I have been this way upwards of 15 years now. When you say you got worse on the antibiotics, could that have been a herxheimer reaction? If so, it means the antibiotics are working, and killing off the spirochetes, and they release toxins when they die off, but after the herx you should see an improvement. Are you being seen by a LLMD or a regular doc? From everything I have read, most non-LLMD docs are unfortunately not aware of the best way to treat Lyme, you might try to find a lyme support group for your local area (I found one for my area on Yahoo Groups), and get a LLMD doctor recommendation that way.

And yes, most of the tests for Lyme are not 100% accurate, so it is usually diagnosed clinically in combination with test results. Check out http://www.igenex.com/ they are the best lab for lyme testing, and there is a lot of information on that site.

Anyhow, I'll post an update after my appointment on the 10th, keep your fingers crossed for me that I am finally on the right path! And best of luck to you for your continued recovery!
-karen


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## mazou (Jun 12, 2007)

Karen,

I am truly glad that you found this post. Yes, the antibiotics could have caused a die-off reaction. But the funny thing is that my symptoms are those of chronic Lyme infection, which, as far as I have heard, buries itself too deep for antibiotics to touch. But it is definitely a possibility.

This is why I started on the cat's claw, which has shown outstanding results in the treatment of chronic Lyme, as it can reach those hard-to-reach places in the brain, etc. I haven't felt much of a "herx" on the cat's claw, however, I have noticed a positive change in my energy level, so something is happening.

Please mark this thread and follow up after your appointment on the 10th; I'll be waiting to hear your results!

Wishing you the best in your recovery. Maura


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## kcs (Aug 12, 2004)

Hi Maura, if mine does turn out to be lyme then it would be chronic too, as I have had these symptoms for over 15 years. From my reading, yes, chronic lyme does bury itself deep in tissues, but there are some antibiotics that can get to it, if used for long enough, and often they will use two antibiotics at once, or rotate them, because each one will get the lyme that is in a different area. Have you read the Burrascano guidelines? He has a very good rundown on the various antibiotics and which ones work best, etc - here's a link - http://www.ilads.org/guidelines.html. The ILADS guidelines are helpful reading too, but the Burrascano paper is very comprehensive and covers a lot of information. That is wonderful that you are seeing improvement on the cat's claw, are you seeing a LLMD for treatment? I think a lot of the LLMD's combine herbal with antibiotic therapy, might be something to look into. Whereabouts are you if you don't mind my asking? I'm in California, and found a very good Yahoo group for California lyme patients which has been very helpful, maybe there is something similar in your area?

I will definitely update after my appointment, and if this does turn out to be lyme (which I am fairly certain of), I look forward to comparing notes with you, it sounds like you have had it as long as or longer than me, so we are probably in a similar situation as far as treatment. Best of luck to you!!
 
-karen


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## B_J (Jun 25, 2007)

Another case of dp dr caused by lyme disease
http://abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/98621/


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## kcs (Aug 12, 2004)

I need to update after my appointment, the doctor thinks it definitely could be lyme, but wants to rule out lupus (?), so is sending me to a rheumatologist for a lupus workup. She is also sending me for lyme testing, and neuropsych testing to see the extent of what is going on. My follow up appointment to find out the blood test results is in another month, so lots more waiting for me. Evidently the current lyme tests have a very high false negative rate, so even if the tests come back negative, that won't prove much - if they come back positive though... It also sounds like what a lot of docs do is called an antibiotic challenge, where they put you on antibiotics for a few weeks and that raises the likelihood of the test showing a positive - so I guess if these come back negative I will ask about doing an antibiotic challenge and then retesting. Mazou - did you take antibiotics before your positive test or not? and were your tests done through Igenex?
-karen


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## LISA NICHOLS (Sep 3, 2005)

:shock: :shock: :shock: ive never heard of this ::

I recently had a Lyme test come back positive. Reading that Lyme, in its chronic form, can cause depersonalization, I opted to treat. I figured I would attack the DR from as many angles as possible

lyme ?? i mean ive heard of lupus ...

what are the symptoms of them both ???


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## kcs (Aug 12, 2004)

Lyme disease:
http://www.canlyme.com/patsymptoms.html
http://www.johndrullelymefund.org/lyme_ ... _impai.htm
http://www.columbia-lyme.org/flatp/lymeoverview.html

Lupus:
http://www.healingwell.com/library/lupus/info4.asp
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WS ... 31048.html
http://www.msakc.org/Articles/MSFibroLupus.htm


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## kcs (Aug 12, 2004)

My lyme western blot test came back positive - follow up appt with the doc in two weeks to see where we go from here....
-karen


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## Dreamer (Aug 9, 2004)

kcs said:


> My lyme western blot test came back positive - follow up appt with the doc in two weeks to see where we go from here....
> -karen


KCS! This is amazing! You've got a tangible answer. How long will this take to treat!?

So glad you found this, even though it sort of scares me.

You go girl.
Take Care,
L,
D


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## mazou (Jun 12, 2007)

Karen, sorry for the delay, I have been out of town. How did your lupus test come out?

I did take three weeks of antibiotics before starting on the toa-free cat's claw. After another few weeks of the cat's claw, I started to feel that little breakthrough in the dp/dr. So, maybe the two in conjunction have helped.

However, I recently ran out of the cat's claw, and have been "too busy" to reorder online. (duh)

Anyways... the dp/dr symptoms are back in full effect! So there is something going on here.

I have finally reordered the cat's claw, and am picking it up today. Will keep you posted.

My mother's friend is a part of a brain fog (which I think the medical community may often lump in dp/dr under this heading) study being carried out at Columbia Presbyterian. They are calling it "Lyme Fog."

I am going to look it up online, I believe the doctor's name is Brian Fallon, M.D.

Good luck to all, and keep updating with your progress.


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## kcs (Aug 12, 2004)

Still another month before I see the lupus doctor, don't know if the lyme doc still wants me to look into that or not, follow up appt with the llmd is in two weeks. Dreamer, the amount of time to treat it varies from person to person - could be a few months to a few years I think, but will find out more at my doc appt. Mazou, are you taking the cats claw with the antibiotics or instead of? And that is interesting about your mom in the brain fog study, I have heard of Dr. Fallon. Keep us posted on that, ok?
-karen


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