herx question

Lovelabs,

I second guess myself all the time. In fact, I just told my husband today that I hope I don't have MS because of the downward spiral I've been on. But, I know in the back of my head that I've herxed every time I've been on antibiotics.

Sometimes I think, what if the antibiotics are giving me this side affect? I drive myself crazy!

I guess if I had a positive test, I wouldn't be this way.

I guess I didn't help much huh? LOL

Thanks you guys. I am just having a very bad week. If it was the beginning of my treatment I probably wouldn't be freaking out so much. But I have been at this awhile and just getting discouraged.

The RA thing is on my mind. My knuckles and joints that haven't hurt in 4 months are killing again. I just started the new meds last week it is just frustrating. This is the first time since I started treatment that I feel I am not going to get better.

Nicky thank you for making me feel better about the RA thing. You think something in all of those tests would have been elevated. I guess because my knuckles hurt on one hand I am assuming this is what I have.

I am sorry for being debbie the downer(remember...sat night live?) but I am getting discouraged,paranoid, you name it. Just plain sick of it. And if one more person says "you look great" or "well you wouldn't know you were sick".....I am going to scream!!!!!

I mean I don't wish this on anyone believe me but for just 2 minutes I would love for my friends to feel the pain I am in. Just so they will understand and shut up with all of the stupid remarks.

2 years ago this month, a stupid little tick changed my life.

LoveLabs, i have had at least 6 RD test run in the last 2 yrs and all show negitive. and i do have the nodules in some of my joints. i was given Bcomplx to take and it seems to help somewhat. did they check your B lvls? you can use the Bcomplx sold OTC. its what i am doing cause i couldnt aford the script ones he ordered for me. 68 bucks v 10 bucks. hmm i did the math.LOL.

i guess i would 2nd guess this if it wasnt for going thro every test in the book and no answers, till i was given the WB test and it shows positive for IgM. so i have my answers but my Drs are still looking for them. go figure.

P.S. i also wanted to tell you. I made up some T-shirts. hot pink with Lyme green letters. says I Have Lyme, Ask Me about It !

this is for the folks who do not know or understand lyme. and i hope it helps someone so they never have to go thro what we do daily. the more info we can get out there the better off we will be.

¤°´¯BIG.¤*¨*¤(¯`´¯)¤*¨*¤.Hugs¯`°¤.

no i still have not heard from my nuero about the test he ran. and to top it off the program i am on was up on the 31st of last month. and i am waiting for them to give me my appointment date to renew it. so i cant even see a Dr. till then. if they do not renew it them i will just have to sit and rot as i have no other means right now.

i hate lyme. and am strating to hate Drs. its as tho they have blinders on and cant seem to want or care about something that destorys ones life. or not till it hit home for them. thats the sadest part of it to me.

as for the T-shirts they are easy to make up. i went to Michiels and bought the letters (iron on) then i bought the color shirts and wola.LOL i got a Lyme green shirt and black letters for my b/f. and it says Lyme, Ask Me about It!!
they do not have "lime green" but the apple green is very close to it.

i understand about the frustions, and the inablity to concentrate. even tho i have a new litter of puppies to keep up with. and boy is it a ton of work. its always there in your face. just trying to sit in the floor to make sure they all get there time to nurice is so painfull. then i have to change there badding 2 times a day. that leads to more washing and drying for me. ugggg

then i have to think about the training for the one i plan on keeping. he like his father will go thro training to help me. my bloe boy can open doors and will braice for me when i am on the floor to help me stand. if i walk on steps without hand rails he is my railing.i also tought blue to bush the buttons for handycaped doors and eleavaters.

so i think will i be able to do all this. its a never ending battle for all of us. one i wouldnt wish on anyone.

One of the first tests my dr ran was for RA. I've been tested before as I have a history of Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic arthritis/arthralgia. The test came back negative. I have lived with intermittent joint pain most of my adult life but the joint pain I have from Lyme is a different quality.
I'm reading up on diet now and how it can affect herxing and joint pain. I'm just coming off a couple of rough days of it and I can probably trace it to what I was eating while herxing from my latest round of antibiotics. I've also been pushing water like a mad woman and can say that today, I feel better than I did yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't explore diet before now.

This is just such a complex disease. Every day I'm learning something new about it.

Any feedback from users of cats claw would be greatly appreciated. Does it really work?

Lovelabs,

I'm wondering if you aren't experiencing more die off that the first round of antibiotics didn't get? Sometimes the bacteria run and hide and the antibiotics can't get to them and when you switch antibiotics, the new antibiotic seems to pull them out. Also, when they hide and go into cyst form, the pain can deminish some. I think that's what happened to me last year and why I was feeling so much better.

You are very strong hun. I'm definitely not as strong as you. You keep killing those nasty bugs off! You're doing great and you willcome out of this feeling better.

Are your joints swollen and warm/hot to touch? Is the pain bilateral? The fact that your RF, ANA and CRP and Sed rate were negative, as mine were, leads me to believe it is a herx reaction. I can have joint pain so bad at times that I limp. However, there is rarely any swelling or heat/redness with it. It also moves around. I can have pain in my left elbow and my right hip one day and in one of my knees the next. I know mine is Lyme and could definitely tell an increase in pain, when my Abx. dose was increased. I hope you start to feel better soon. All the best.

Heather

Lovelabs,

I get the swelling in my knuckles too. It's just on my right hand and it's usually my middle finger, my thumb and my pinky. It's never red or hot. It just hurts. It feels stiff and painful when I bend them.

Lovelabs,
It definitely sounds like you are herxing. I do not think it is RA, by your symptoms and test results. I am so sorry that you are in such pain. I totally get having to "be a mom." Unfortunately, we cannot lay around all day to recoup. My son is an early riser. He has been since birth. Not much has changed in 9 years, lol. I hope someone can chime in about your Abx. questions. I myself have not been on them. Though my LLMD said he will be adding Biaxin to the mix after my new labs get back this week. I would think being a week into the new meds, you are definitely stirring stuff up. I just hope it starts to let up soon.

Heather

RD-
I think think you should try some natural remedies. When I had the door shut in my face from doctors last year I had to wait 4 months to get into my doc. That ND was very helpful. Not expensive like an LLMD and he really knew his stuff. He put me on like 4 different things. Cats claw being one of them and I found it probably didn't get rid of it obviously but it kept it from getting worse. I think you should consider this. It may really help you! I don't want you to give up. I don't want any of us to give up. This thing sucks. But as much as we hurt we need to keep trying. I wish I could help. Please know that I am thinking of you.

By the way, I love rotteweillers they are the cutest...wish I had a litter of pups to play with!