I depend on all of them today, even today, after hard core IV treatment and most of my symptoms gone. If I skip these things below, I start feeling bad in a few days.

Potassium – for body pain and heart function. I drink one to two bottles of coconut water a day. Cold-pressed is the best. I have spent a fortune on it, but it sure helps. When I don’t drink it, my heart gets more irregular, my joints flare, and I feel dehydrated. Many people are potassium deficient and have no idea. If you notice muscle cramps, you probably need it.

Magnesium (oral) – for body pain and heart function. I have suffered horrible heart irregularities. You can take a supplement like CALM, but I get the most relief from epsom salt baths. So if oral mag, gives you the runs, at least try a bath. 

The long term mag level is intercellular and they can’t easily test that. It is also responsible along with potassium for proper smooth muscle function. So without it, your heart, bowels,and uterus can’t do their jobs right. You get cramps, get backed up etc… When i get lazy about taking this, my ab organs really suffer and I end up in pain.

Magnesium (bath) – for body pain and also to absorb for your body to use via your skin. A 15 minute soak gets it into your body fast. Also helps you sweat out toxins.

At my worst, before proper treatment, I took two baths a day some days. I love baths but got so sick of them that I took my ipad with me and watched masterpiece theater a lot. In my house we call it a “magnobath.” 

Vitamin D- for heart function and bones, how are your levels? Mine were through the floor (<4 and <11) it is no wonder I had bone pain and could barely walk. My teeth even looked grey. It was amazing how much simple vitamin D corrected for me. It took a few weeks to see improvement, but my 10,000 units a day made some really bad symptoms disappear permanently. When I tested normal for Vitamin D, I dropped down to 5,000 units a day. The vitamin D association actually suggest very high doses, as opposed to the AMA.

Also, they have found a big link between low Vitamin D levels and breast cancer. i have to wonder how it factored in to my breast cancer. The time frames match up. I supplement a lot now even though I am supposedly free of Cancer now. Studies show survival rates with breast cancer are so much lower if you are deficient in Vitamin D.

Pot — before and during treatment, for back of head pressure, and the awful whole body wired that hits in the middle of the night. I’ve never been a smoker, I’ve always been a tequila/prosecco girl, with no desire for pot, but resorted to it for this when I hit the bad six month mark post treatment for acute lyme, and it was a godsend.

I got blends that did not make you sleepy in the day, and helped neural inflammation (sativa) I used a vaporizer and some kind of oil. It was all that would help. Lyme causes perfusion issues to my brain, (confirmed by a SPECT scan) and the pot increases my perfusion.

I don’t seem to need it these days. But it was critical for nearly a year to me, to sleep through the night.

CRITICAL DIET STUFF

NO WHEAT- i dont know if it is gluten or just wheat, but if i eat wheat my joints are painful, my face and eyes are puffy, my body is generally puffy, my podge sticks out, my asthma acts up and I am exhausted, like I have a hangover.

For the past six years I have learned to never cheat on this, it is so not worth it!

Six years ago, when I Started feeling joint pain, migraines, fatigue, brain fog, asthma and indigestion, I stumbled on a “wheat belly” be skinny type article. I was shocked to see all my ailments possibly aggravated by stupid wheat!

More importantly, when I did cut it out, I saw my fibro type symptoms nearly disappear. It was all inflammation. Whole body inflammation, which in time (and I know its true because of my 74 year old Mom who’s knees, shoulders, wrists, and back have all had surgeries by now). In time will destroy your ligaments and joints. The stomach acid will cause asthma, and erode your esophagus.

Candida fighting diet- lyme affects your body’s ability to deal with yeast AND any antibiotics of course will only make it worse. A lot of other people truly have issues with candida and a lot of normal docs are fucking CLUELESS about how systemic an issue this can be.

When my boss told me she had been bedridden 10 years ago with candida, i thought…well I don’t need a prescription to try fighting this..I have nothing to lose.

So For just ONE month, I did a meat and vegetable ONLY diet, (no rice, bread, potatoes, corn chips) no dressing but apple cider vinegar based, no soy sauce, no high fructose corn syrup, and NOOO alcohol, soda or sweets.

I had bananas and grapefruit though.

This gave me a real boost. Like a REAL boost. Amazing. Life still sucked, but I could walk easier and my joints and fatigue, brain fog, and gut acid and asthma lessened.

I was thrilled I found something tangible I could control!!!!!!

I always know my yeast is flaring if my tongue looks white, my stomach acid is churning, and my muscles and joints hurt worse.

A doctor can prescribe nystatin or diflucan help, but a lot of them think only like AIDS patients have issues with it. But show em some toenail fungus and bam, you have a script. But believe me, it takes long term minimization of all sugar and alcohol to maintain the improvement. At least for me.

Now I can eat some grains, and starches and a TINY bit of sweets. When I overstep I can feel it. I just get strict for a day or two, drink some kiefer and kombucha, eat saurkraut to get back in balance.

There are also many good herbal supplements for yeast.

The diet i did for a month. You really can do it. It is not forever. Let your family ear what they want. But do your own thing. Pack Your lunch.

Breakfast-
Plain full fat, greek yogurt with walnuts
coffee.
Cashews and plain vegetables for snacks.

Lunch-
arugula with shredded carrots or other pre cut up vegetables–Im not into cooking. I bought pre-boiled hard boiled eggs so I could just throw a few on the salad.

Dinner-
any kind of meat and vegetables. Let yourself have butter and such. Cheese is okay too. I kept string cheese around.

Dont worry about calories or fat! Oh my god, this diet gave me the closest thing Ive ever had to something resembling a six pack! Good lord I wish I was vain enough to be this strict all the time.

NO ALCOHOL OR Soda- really!!

All that sugar is like cryptonite. It depletes my magnesium too. If i drink even a glass i feel like shit the next day or two. The sugary content in wine hurts me, but I really think it is the magnesium depleting aspect that really hurts me. Even nice tequila, just one shot can backfire some days.

Oh and diet soda is the devil, stay away from fake sweeteners in general. Except for stevia.

Kiefer- plain, a swig or two a day of this probiotic helps fight gut imbalance and yeast.

Green tea- a cup a day really helps fight candida, inflammation, allergies and makes you feel better. Post IV treatment, the green tea feels even more critical to me.

Kombucha- expensive per bottle, but I don’t guzzle a bottle at a time. i drink like a few gulps a day. A bottle lasts a week or more for me. AND when everyone around me is drinking wine or beer, I pour a little kombucha in a wine glass and drink a WHOLE glass and I feel like I am being decadent. Also good to take a sip when you have a soda craving. Theirs practically no sugar in it and it naturally fights candida/yeast.

Cayenne pepper – i think this helps my brain perfusion issues. I put it in my eggs and on my gluten free pizza and pasta dishes.

George’s Aloe- this is a colorless, tasteless aloe, that has irritants refined out. I take a swig every day or so. You don’t have to drink glasses of it or anything. It sooths my gastro linings. Very important to help your stomach tolerate oral supplements and meds.

REST- this was the hardest for me, working at an ad agency job with demanding hours in NYC and taking care of 6 cats, and a garden.

No one in the world will really understand this or you are capable of. She should Pick and choose the MOST important events or outings. You CAN catch up with people later. Your real friends will still be there when you are ready.

Vyvanse- recently my lyme doctor prescribed this. Its an ADD med. it does WONDERS to my energy, brain fog, and even what i realize now has been perfusion issues with my brain. These perfusion issues fluctuate. They have found a lot of fibro patients have circulation issues in their head. So Maybe it could help. A family doc or nuero or psychiatrist may be able to easily give you a short script go try.

meclazine- its a anti-nausea, motion sickness pill thats over the counter. I started taking it 3 months ago. Lyme has been affecting the nerves to my ear and causing vertigo. Not full on room spins, so i didn’t realize what was happening till one day the room would spin a bit. Usually it was more subtle and i just felt frustrated and overwhelmed easily and bumped into walls sometimes. I felt a little clumsy and tired easily. My neurologist diagnosed me and it sure has helps me to take it on vague symptom days

Fitdesk- your body hurts but you cant let your muscles get in a complete downward spiral. I ride an exercise bike with a desk while reading an ipad or watching a show.

I pedal really really slow on a super easy setting. The circulating of my blood must help somehow is all I know. My legs feel weak and hurt when I get off, but it helps my head and helps me zone out.

I literally crave the bike now when late afternoon head pressure hits. I don’t even pedal enough to break a sweat.