Hello,
I've been experiencing some vague symptoms that wax and wane since the beginning of August. It started with a feeling of a lump in my throat that would not go away, and frequent hiccups. I am now on a medication for reflux. I realize that is not a known symptom of Lyme, but I wanted to include it because it all started around the same time. I also had ear pain that lasted for weeks (not sure that's typical either), with no sign of infection. I then started experiencing muscle aches in my legs. For a solid two weeks, they hurt. Sometimes they also felt very heavy- like there was cement strapped to them. Then the muscle aches spread through my body- arms, neck, shoulders, back.This pain usually moves around- but occasionally several things hurt at once. I also had frequent tingling in my hands and arms- one day, my entire left arm tingled all day. Then I started to have fleeting nerve pains all over my body- especially in my wrists, chest, and ankles, but even in my teeth.
Anyway, at an appointment in late August I had a blood test for Lyme. It came back negative. My doctor put me on doxycycline anyway because of my symptoms (and because I had a tick bite in late May). I started to feel somewhat better- notably, the heaviness and intense pain in my legs disappeared. The tingly feelings lessened- but the symptoms didn't fully go away. Because there was improvement, my doctor extended the antibiotic for 7 days. I finished the full course about
a week ago.
Overall, there is significant improvement. My ears rarely hurt now (this is huge- I honestly thought that would never stop because it was so persistent). If my legs hurt, it's much more mild (same with this- never thought it would end). The nerve pain is far less frequent, as are the tingly/numb feelings. However, the muscle aches have not fully gone away. I still wake up stiff and with something (or more than one thing) sore. It usually gets a bit better throughout the day, but I still feel like I'm hurting more than is normal. The hiccups/throat lump feeling are also still present, though I know that is quite possibly a second and unrelated issue.
If you read this far, I really appreciate it! I would just like to hear if anyone has had a similar experience or has any thoughts on whether this could be Lyme. Has anyone had symptoms linger after a full course of treatment?
Also, I never had a rash or fever. I know those are typical symptoms. I did have a known tick bite, but it was 2 months before any symptoms started. I also could have encountered other ticks without knowing it, though- I live in a place with a lot.
Thanks in advance for any input anyone might have
I am still having follow-up appointments and have a brain MRI scheduled this week to check for other issues. But the Lyme is still being discussed as a possibility.
Post Edited (Calduger) : 10/8/2018 5:40:10 PM (GMT-6)