Lyme/RA/Prednisone/Please help!

Hello! New to healingwell and a new poster!

Back in November I started having terrible foot and hand pain and stiffness in the mornings, swelling, along with intense fatigue. Finally saw a rheumatologist last week. Ran a ton of blood work, suspected RA. My RA factor came back at 75 and I had a positive ANA, but my lyme Western Blot test also came back positive. Doctor sent lyme test to Imugen for further analysis.

After the lyme came back, I remember two summers ago getting a horrible summer flu, high fever, aches, chills, headaches, etc and finding it strange to be so sick in June. Over the course of the last two years, I've had additional symptoms I chopped up various things: sore throat, insomnia, exhaustion, trouble with memory, rib pain, gastritis, tingly ab pain, some shakiness.

My rheumatologist felt badly how long I had to wait for an appointment, so prescribed be a 6 day pack of Prednisone to get through until our next appt when testing comes back. After the first day, my hand stiffness and pain was almost gone and I was jumping for joy! After the second day, different types of pain started emerging, primarily in my knees and ankles/feet. I feel like they are in a vice, throbbing, and numb like they've been immersed in ice water. Parts of my fingers are in pain too, but I can recognize it's different than the RA joint pain.

I read that Prednisone can increase lyme symptoms, and foot and knee pain are often a symptom of lyme, yes? I think perhaps the Prednisone helped the RA issue but made lyme worse? Any thoughts or experiences? I appreciate any feedback. I'm off the steroid but waiting two weeks to see my doctor again.

Thank you!

Hi Kate - Welcome!

I believe you have Lyme disease that is causing the RA symptoms.

The steroids provided some relief at first, but then it also suppressed your immune system resulting in new symptoms.

I’m glad you stopped taking it.

I encourage you to seek out a LLMD

Kate0529 said...
Thank you! Do you think the lyme test is accurate, then?

Yes. I think the positive Lyme test is accurate.

Just so you understand, Lyme can sometimes cause autoimmunity such as positive RF factor antibodies. It is not uncommon for those autoantibodies to normalize after Lyme and coinfections are adequately treated.

Your symptoms definitely seem to indicate bartonella, as well, which greatly affects the bones, joints, tendons, and feet, as well as many of the other symptoms you mentioned. An LLMD is the type of doctor you will need.

Steroids will only make the Lyme and coinfections worse, as it will suppress your immune system, and will not fix the root of the symptoms, which is infections.