About a week and a half ago I ended up going to the ER, twice. First time was for a kidney stone (not enjoyable at all).
Two days later I ended up going because my right arm and right calf muscles were very weak, right foot and right hand was also numb-ish. I had difficulty walking and using my right hand properly. A couple of fingers on my left hand were a little numb-ish too.
To backtrack a little bit, I had just went 4 weeks off of antibiotics as a test, and things didn't go so well. So doc restarted me on two antibiotics at once, doxy and omnicef.
Question is, are my numbness/muscle weakness/pains due to herx, or something else going on?
I was tested for a stroke at the hospital (ct scan), and my brain came back fine. But the numbness feelings in some fingers and toes haven't come back fully yet. And I still get muscle pains in my arms and legs, which sorta feels like the pain when you get from exercising too much -- but in this case, I get it simply walking, or just while sitting, etc. I'm also not sure if the problem is neurological or vascular, as my hands and feet get cold too.
I'm mostly wondering if I should be concerned about this and see doc now, or wait and just consider these problems as herx symptoms?
Posted by sickpuppy (Member # 23846) on :
Sounds like the usual lyme stuff to me. Maybe wait to see if going back on abx helps. Sorry about all the ER trips.
Posted by Lemon-Lyme (Member # 19229) on :
Thanks for the reply.
I think going back on the abx is causing the numbness stuff, assuming it's a herx. I also have the typical fatigue/sickly feelings I get when I herx too.
And I've had numbness symptoms before -- just never so bad where I have a problem walking or using my hands.
I considered something like a TIA occuring, which may not have been picked up on the CT scan, but they should be transient (hence the T part of that), so unless I am having mini-strokes daily, I don't think that's the cause.
Hopefully within a week or two my hands and feet begin feeling normal again.
Posted by sickpuppy (Member # 23846) on :
Yeah abx can exacerbate symptoms. I assume your LLMD knows. I've learned that some things are important to report, especially more significant phenomena.
Might a warm bath or heating pad help?
Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :
I've experienced numbness on and off since starting treatment--and sometimes it's pretty awful. I primarily experience this in my ankles, though when I first started taking tindimax, I also had numbness on one side of my face and my right arm.
The face and arm numbness left prett quickly, but I still get the numbness (though not nearly so bad) in my ankles.
I honestly think it's just Lyme or co-infections. Andie
Posted by Lemon-Lyme (Member # 19229) on :
I haven't reported it to my LLMD, although I suppose I should of. I hate to bother their office with weird symptoms, because I'll just get the receptionist/nurse, who will tell me to come on in. And if it's just herx-related, there really is no point being seen by doctor yet. But I will see my doc in around 2 weeks from now, for my normal appointment.
The symptoms seem to be getting a little better. My right hand is mostly normal now (just a finger or two feels a tiny bit odd), right foot just has 1-2 weird-feeling toes. But calves really hurt sometimes and I feel achy still.
Left hand finger numbness comes and goes, and left arm + left muscle (by armpit) gets sore sometimes. I think the fingers on left hand may be ulnar nerve related (*is guessing*) as the area around my elbow feels sort of odd too.
One peculiar thing I've noticed is that the numbness seems to get worse later at night, and quite often occurs during sleep, or when I wake up in morning. I wonder if it has to do with sleeping position somewhat, as I tend to wake up with arm under pillow, etc. Although the unexpected part is that the numbness takes days-weeks to go away.
[ 03-11-2010, 02:00 PM: Message edited by: Lemon-Lyme ]
Posted by SmurfyMom (Member # 13688) on :
My mother and I (both Lymies) have had that kind of numbness... the kind that sticks around for weeks or months.
Prior to learning about Lyme, we always just assumed we had pinched a nerve.
Then the summer before I started seeing my LLMD, my mom had something very similar to your symptoms that took you to the ER. She went completely numb up and down the left side, but it started with her lips and tongue, then kept spreading. It lasted a few hours, got mostly better, and then over the next 2-3 days slowly eased off completely.
She didn't go to the ER, but did go to a dr (which I've seen her do like one other time in 30yr... maybe..and I think that was an ob/gyn when she was pg...). The doc sent her for MRI and CAT scan, as well as did bloodwork. They found nothing wrong.