Posted 8/30/2014 3:55 PM (GMT 0)
So just before July 4th I noticed a red spot/rash on the top of my foot. Didn't see s bite mark but when it didn't go away went to my dr who tok blood and suggested I take doxycycline as preventative as it looked somewhat like a tick bite. Anyway about a day later the bite area became inflamed sweeping my entire foot. Ended up in the emergency room getting an IV of antibiotics for cellulitis. Was then taken off the doxycycline and put on cephalexin. Both the Lyme test from my dr and hospital came back negative.
After feeling better (about 2 weeks later), went back to exercising for about a week or two when I got a bad sciatic attack--I had been treated for a herniated disk about 15 years prior so was well aware of the symptoms. Anyway, saw an orthopedist who took an X-ray and eventually an MRI. I was in a lot of pain for about a week but was starting to feel better with just ibuprofen rather than the heavier pain meds the dr prescribed. I also had a dr appt with a new primary care physician who suggested I be re-checked for Lyme since I had not followed up after my emergency room visit. This was now about 6-8 weeks after my hospital visit. Anyway the Lyme teiter came back positive and my new doc put me on 21 days of doxycycline.
The day I started taking the doxycycline, my sciatic pain increased and seems to have gotten worse each day-- been on for about a week now. I mentioned this to both my primary care doc and the orthopedist. The orthopedist shrugged it off and said my pain is due to my severely herniated L4-5 disk. A nurse at my primary care doc's office said she had heard about people having more pain on doxycycline before getting better, but didn't have any suggestions.
Anyway I stumbled upon this forums and the concept of herxing. It seems too coincidental that my pain increase after starting doxycycline is just the result of my herniated disk causing the pain. I eve wonder if the Lyme could have caused the flare up of my disk which hadn't bothered me for years. Since my orthopedist thinks I should have a microdiscetomy, I want to make sure that the Lyme might not be a major component of my pain. I do have an appt with a physiatrist next week, but am curious about some of the detox suggestions on this forum and whether I should perhaps see an LLMD--I live outside NYC in westchester county NY.
Sorry for the long post, but I feel like I have more going on than any one of my current doctors is willing to focus on. Any suggestions, feed back is appreciated