Worried about my weakness.......any stories?

I'm looking for stories about having horrible weakness from Lyme and having it improve or diminish with treatment. Can anyone share a positive story with me?

I read so much about neuropathy, tingling, and pain, but not much on weakness. I feel so shakey and weak, like I'm 90 yrs old. My hands are weak and I have trouble opening things and my handwriting is terrible due to lack of fine motor skills. My arms are weak and I cannot lift things or rake the leaves. My legs are weak and I have trouble climbing stairs or just standing for any length of time. I really need to sit a lot.

I used to be very active. Now, I can barely grocery shop! It really is severe. I am very scared. I could really use some positive stories where this particular symptom got better. I feel like I have MS or ALS. Can lyme really cause this kind of weakness?

My hands began to show weakness in 2007. (I didn't know I had Lyme then.) I would drop my work bag when picking it up to go to school. The doctor diagnosed carpal tunnel--he said the laptop in my bag was too heavy and I spent a lot of time typing. (Not that much typing, as I was a teacher, not an office worker.) Since 2012 my hands have become much weaker at times. Both tingling in the pinky and ring fingers, but general weakness to lift a purse or open jars, etc. My arms always go to sleep at night and I have problems lifting them in the mornings.

Two months ago is when I realized I have Lyme, and this was because of the extreme weakness in my legs. They felt extremely heavy and hard to move, like I was magnetized to the floor (even though I'm lean and fit and used to be such a runner). When I googled "heavy leg" this forum popped up with "heavy leg Lyme symptoms", thank God! I've seen many other people here post that they have weakness in their arms and legs. Stairs are very difficult for many of us--it feels like climbing a mountain. For me, the weakness is associated with the overwhelming dizziness. Even walking was difficult recently, as if I was on a pitching boat and couldn't navigate the shifting ground (I don't have any health issues that should make it hard, besides the Lyme). I had to hold on to a friend or a wall to walk just 2 weeks ago. This was going on for 2 months straight and getting worse by the day. Thank God I finally got a diagnosis and some meds on Oct. 15.

The happy news is that I'm only 10 days into Doxy and the dizziness went away on the 4th day of treatment! As the dizziness has subsided, I feel stronger. I actually went for a true walk/run workout yesterday, and it felt glorious. Some days the doxy is making me super sick for a couple of hours and I'm back to my weak self, lying down for hours and hours. But when I bend the rules a bit and take it with food I feel pretty good and "normal". I'm dreading the "herxing" that I know must be coming, but for now I feel stronger and happier than I have in months, and am claiming the victory over Lyme. I reject and rebuke feeling 90 years old when I'm only in my 30s! I can completely relate to your symptoms but I do believe we will be victorious over this disease!

Post Edited (mauihawaii) : 10/26/2014 1:28:41 PM (GMT-6)

I agree with Summersun--I too have had that kind of weakness with everyday things. Like changing the laundry from the washer to the dryer, the wet clothes are so heavy. Or trying to open some jars or even getting in the car. I can't get my legs up high enough, and I am 5'7, so I put my butt in first and then my legs. I must be a real sight!!
Some days I do feel much better and can see light at the end of the tunnel, I hope you get that too....

The weakness worries me too. Just trying to get out of a chair, pushing myself up with my arms and they shake.
Getting in and out of the car is not easy either.

Pain, weakness, vibrations, chills, isn't lyme wonderful!

I am 33 and before I got sick (started in august) I ran 25-30 miles per week and worked out 5 days a week. I ran every race here in jacksonville and did very well. I was super active. I still dont have a diagnosis but i am certain its lyme. I just received my IGENEX kit in the mail and I am going to get blood drawn soon. I have slowly over the past few months got to where I cant hardly get out of bed most days. The days where I can seem to function a little I feel extremely week all over. Best way I can describe my feeling is its like if my blood sugar was extremely low. I feel really shaky and my legs feel like there just not there. I finally got a appointment yesterday with a llmd but its not for 6 weeks. I have had every other test there is all normal ct scans mri's blood work. It seems a long way out but I just look fowad to the days where I can get back to normal.

Some of you know my story already but I will share it again on this thread as a source of inspiration. I was extremely sick in January. I had muscle and nerve pain, twitches, nausea, insomnia, anxiety, numbness, fatigue and muscle weakness. It was horrifying. I am 39 yrs old and have three kids. I was so weak that I could not care for them I couldn't pick up my three yr old, couldn't grocery shop, struggled going up and down the stairs, my legs felt like they were getting numb from the inside out. If I typed on the computer for too long my arms would just give out. I couldn't use them anymore. The muscle weakness was the scariest symptom of all. I remember going to the pet store and buying a container of cat litter and having to have the cashier carry it to my car. It was so embarrassing. The good news is that after five months of treatment the muscle weakness had gone away. By july I was back to exercising with weights and playing tennis. Of course the weights I lifted were way less than I used to lift bc my muscles were not used all of those months but I still was able to do it! Lyme affects the nerves which in turn affects the muscles. This symptom is only temporary until you kill off enough of the bacteria and the nerves begin to heal. Keep your chins up everyone! You will all get thru this as long as you are being properly treated. Please don't hesitate asking me any questions you may have. I am here to help!!!

Thanks Chapelle! You rock!!!