I'm am sure hoping someone here can relate to this and tell me this is just a herx.

I've been on Bicillin LA (1.2 mu, 2x week) for 6 weeks now. In addition I'm taking Biaxin (1000 mg daily) for 5 months, and added in Plaquenil(once a day, for now) about 4 weeks ago.

My concern here is that gradually I've been having numbness/aching starting in my calve muscles. This gradually worked up toward both my upper legs, in the back where the hamstrings and muscles are, making the legs feel real weak.

These feelings are a ache-like tingling and numbness/pressure similiar to how it feels when you've been sitting too long and it your limbs feel heavy or gone to sleep.

These sensations started gradually and then be gone quickly...but within the last week or so, it's been more consistent and deeper in the ache. This happens when I'm lying down or sitting.

In the last two days, my right arm and both feet have been feeling the same way...I'm really getting worried this isn't a herx and is something getting out of hand.

Not really wanting any of you all to have experienced this, but if it's a herx and someone can calm my not so positive thoughts from taking over, I'd really appreciate hearing such feedback so I can resume normal breathing again.

My many thanks,
JavaBeing

The only Herheimer Reaction I'ver had included a paralysis that started in the upper arms. I ususally got a 3-5 second warning and would lie down until it was over. It usually lasted a few seconds to a few minutes.

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My LLMD recently stopped my Bicillin LA injections because I developed sciatica within several weeks of starting it (in both legs).

He said it was probably not the Bicillin causing it, but felt it was safer to stop, just in case.

With me, about 3 weeks after starting the Bicillin, both my legs started to feel 'odd', weak and rubbery, followed by deep aching and buzzing - then followed by severe sciatica.

The sciatica is now quite a bit better, but is still lingering.

Personally, I don't know what the cause of it was, it was probably just coincidence and not the Bicillin, but I just don' tknow and my LLMD did not feel it safe to continue at this time.

Do you feel your paralysis reaction was from the Bicillin? Did your herxing/symptoms finally quit?

Dontlikeliver--Do you think your sciatica was caused from the effects of the Bicillin in your system or perhaps from the actual injections themselves hitting nerves? Just wondering since the nerves from the injection sites can be close to sciatica nerve itself.

Did your pain make it feel like your legs were numbing/aching like they were falling asleep? Did the discomfort start gradually, and just become more and more aching/tingling?

I'm trying to get ahold of my llmd in CA and see if he recognizes this...I was hoping this was a sign that progress was being made being that Bicillin was hard to finally get a hold of and is suppose to work quite effectively.

Thanks for your answer, hoping others out there can recognize this and put their thoughts into the mix.

I was definitely not hitting the sciatic nerve. It was a gradual thing definitely with the rubbery and weak/shaky feeling first, followed by aching, buzzing pain, etc...

Again, this may have been just a coincidence and not at all related to the shots, but was stopped as a precaution. I do not think it was from the Bicillin generally being in my system, maybe if it affected all my limbs I would have thought it was, but I only had problems in legs. And, I do generally have a weak/bad back, which I think is more likely the cause of the leg problems/sciatica problems.

Hey Cave--When you say had the same symptoms...did you have this gradual build up through your legs as well? What did your llmd say when you brought up these reactions? IS this a herx?

I'm seeing Dr. H in Nevada City, CA..is this the same llmd that you're seeing? If so, I'm just curious if this is a common pattern he has seen w/his patients. How much are you bumping up your doseage and do you know if it will increase this reaction?

Anyone have any idea what would cause this reaction? Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts everyone.

JavaBeing

IMO, I'd stay on the Bicillin as long as I could. It's harder on your butt, but easier on your entire digestive tract. Lyme patients need to take better care of their livers and stomachs.

If it is a Herxheimer Reaction, though difficult, it would be a shame to lose the keet killing.

My sciata is still there, but mild now.

It is hard to say if I was improving on Bicillin. I was definitely improving on Biaxin and in December just before starting Bicillin I knew I was improving.

But, after starting the Bicillin the better period seemed to end again. It is hard to know if I was just low-level herxing all the time on Bicillin, getting worse or what. I also happened to get a bad flu in the midst of it - midst of Bicillin and sciatica - and after that flu got very much worse for several weeks. This is why my LLMD said maybe serum sickness. He also said flu can cause serum sickness.

It turned out to not be serum sickness anyway....so it could have beenherxing. I just do not know. I was only on it 3-4 months so it may also not have been long enough for noticable improvement.

I may try it again in the future.