Running with Lyme

Hi everyone.  Feels so wierd being on this forum.  Never thought I'd be part of a Lyme disease forum.  Perhaps I am minimizing this by not accepting it just yet. 

Anyway, I am an avid runner.  I was entering my 8th week of marathon training when I was diagnosed with Lyme.  My initial symptoms had been all in my right leg - cramping, tightness, swelling, numb around the bite area (calf).  Lyme was caught pretty early for me - about 3 weeks after I noticed a bite with red ring.  I decided to go to the doc after a 14 mile Saturday run and on Tuesday the pain was unbearable.  I start Doxy this past Friday (100 mg 2x daily).  I felt considerably better by Monday and almost 100% as of yesterday.  So much so that I ran 4 miles Monday, 5 Tuesday and 4 yesterday.  Today is a day off... but I feel some slight cramping in the leg.  Enough to make me wonder if it's normal.

I have many questions - the first of which is whether I can or should continue to train for a marathon (October 15 is the race).  Will running make it worse?  I am reading it will... I am reading it won't.  I remember that when I did the 14 miler I felt great when I was running.  It was after that my leg felt terrible.  I haven't noticed Lyme having an affect on my stamina when I run. 

I can't imagine not running and not training for this marathon... it's incredibly important to me because I do it to raise money for MS.  Thoughts on any of this?  Thanks in advance! 

Great for you! I would say listen to your body. If you can do it, go ahead. Just remember if you start to feel worse, don't push your body to the edge cause it is trying to fight off an infection at the same time.

O.K. I'm going to be the sour apple in the bunch.

Although I totally agree with listening to your body, you have to remember that your body is not at 100% that it needs to be in to run marathons. You have symptoms because your immune system can't handle the massive bacterial, viral and parasitic load that its under. The more you physically stress your body, the harder your immune system has to work. And right now it can't handle it on its own.

Also, you don't really know that that was your "first" time bitten. Studies are now starting to show that many Lyme patient had multiple tick, or other vector, bites before they started showing symptoms. I was bitten by two different tick species and never new it. Never had a rash or pulled out a tick. I could have been bitten dozens of times for all I know. I've heard of stories of people on the east coast getting 10 bites every weekend through out the spring and summer. And not having symptom right away.

And yes you can have the bad sun reaction with only 200mg daily of doxy. It just gets worse with higher doses. If you're going to continue to run, you might want to ask about trying minocycline instead.

I know what a blow it is to your ego to admit to yourself you can't do what you want to do right now. Run. But don't make your treatment time lengthen because of being stubborn and prideful. It's o.k. to cut your body some slack for a while. Now's not the time to push it to it's limit.

I wish and pray for good health for us all
blessings,
Lisa

Hi MSrunner603,

I play tennis very regularly-- 4 times a week and often for 2 hours each time. Tons of running, non-stop. I play hard! Now.

Early on in my treatment when I had debilitating vertigo, other 'head issues', a raging stiff neck and upper back pain--- all related to Lyme--I of course could not play and lost much fitness.

But in between my bad days-- once they lightened up-- I would get out on the court even if I was having some symptoms that suggested I should NOT play.

Remarkably, the exercise helped ME. I really do think it has been an important part of my healing journey. But I certainly can't say that exercise-- especially extreme exercise-- is good for all who have Lyme. Exercise tolerance is VERY individual.

And I think there are two camps on exercise-- thus the confusion about it.

One side says to limit it or not do it at all until you are feeling waaaay better and have been in treatment for a while. No sense in stressing the body while it is trying to heal from an infection.

.....the other side says that sweating (from exercise) flushes Lyme toxins and that Lyme buggers don't like it when you heat the body and oxygenate the blood. Not a good environment for them to thrive in. Thus recovery is speeded along.

I chose to go with the 'exercise' camp. It just felt right to ME.

HOWEVER....my RECOVERY from an especially hard day on the court is not what it used to be! Sometimes I really have to rest for at least 2 full days before I can play again. My muscle pain will just rage.

This happens rather randomly. There are times when I bounce right back and can play 2 days in a row. It's soooo weird. But that's Lyme I guess.

When I don't bounce back I do rely on ibuprofen or aspirin to take the edge off.

Interestingly, I feel no pain when I play. But I think it's just adrenaline at work. Once it's diminished and I'm in a relaxed state, that's when my arms and shoulders will start to ache. That is....if it's one of those TIMES when my recovery isn't going to happen quickly.

Last summer-- when Lyme hadn't yet knocked me down (didn't have symptoms then) -- I NEVER had a problem with recovery from exercise. This is how I know that Lyme is the cause--- even NOW-- when all my other 'symptoms' are pretty much gone through treatment with antibiotics.

I hope to see better recovery time (from exercise) in the very near future....but at the moment it's still not optimum. Uggggg !!!!!

Thanks to everyone that is replying about this.  Like most of you, I'll simply listen to my body.  I am going to continue my training but knock down the running days per week from 5 to 4.  I did an 11 miler yesterday and feel pretty good today.  Granted, I am a little more fatigued, but ok overall.

I think the difference with my situation is that I caught mine early (about a month after bite).  While my antibiotic dosage is low (200 mg Doxy a day) it has kept most symptoms down to a manageable pain level.  I have a huge test this weekend as I'll be doing a 17 miler. 

Thanks again everyone

Glad to hear that you are doing better, Raw Runner!!

MSRunner, sounds like you have a great plan!!

I hope you can continue running and that it goes well for you. It's great you caught your infection so early!

I was an avid runner before I got sick as well. I had just finished training and running for a 1/2 marathon just a few months before I started getting sick (but for me I did not catch it early). I haven't run in 2 years now and I miss it SO much. I see people running on the streets and just seeing them makes me sad!

I talked to my doctor and he said right now I shouldn't be running, but I can do other light exercise that doesn't strain my body as much.

What types of exercise do you guys with Lyme do when you can't strain your body too much? I'm not used to doing anything except long distance running and intense cardio...I'm not really sure how to get back into working out and making sure I'm not doing too much.