LymeNet Flash: Does Lymes affect tendons?

This is topic Does Lymes affect tendons? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by HeavenlyHoller1 (Member # 4416) on :

I just went to my doc and I now have Trigger thumb..

When I asked her if the Lymes could have caused this she said it dosn't affect the tendons.

Anyone know if this is true?

She is not a Lymes Doc.

Thank You ..HH
I did look under the surch for trigger and didn't get any hits..

Posted by lifewithlyme (Member # 4557) on :

excuse my ignorance, but what is trigger thumb?

Posted by Lenny777 (Member # 5452) on :

I was wondering the same thing. I don't have the same problem you have, but my wrist and fingers get sore for no reason. Not like arthritis but like I sprained them. It feels like a tendon thing.

Also, for about a week the bottom of my heels were so sore I could hardly walk.? Tendon related?

Posted by Lishs mom (Member # 2344) on :

My daughter got a trigger thumb when she was young...interesting! Right hand too, so she learned to write with her left hand because the thumb joint in the hand would get sore.

Lyme is definately a disease which affects all connective tissues, which include tendons and ligaments.

See Dr. Burascanos fuideline information, I think he has it in there about the tendons.

Tendon damage is very common, and gentle stretching with heat helps alleviate some of the tendon pain.

I assume you are on treatment for lyme?

Posted by b333 (Member # 2479) on :

Hi there,

I have Lyme, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia and I have a trigger in the middle finger on my right hand right now...drives me nuts...and doesn't feel so good either.

My LLMD thinks I probably got Lyme first and that it could have possibly triggered the RA since the RA responds to the antibiotics also. I've had them to get in one finger and stay as long as 5 or 6 weeks {forgotten now}. It was stuck in the bent position for that long. Hurt it all the time.

Try your best to avoid any injections in there. Those are extremely painful shots and very bad for your joints and the Lyme both.

Would write more but I'm on my way to get my little one.

Take care and May God Bless You Friend,

Pam

Posted by once bitten on :

ahem, this is a point with people with LYME it is not possesive Lyme's its a proper noun, Lyme.
Just so you know.
Yes it can affect tendons. It can make just about anything hurt. Hope yours improves...

Posted by HeavenlyHoller1 (Member # 4416) on :

Thank you all for the info.
Good Greeefff I finally get it...
If there is a part of your body Lyme hasn't been to..it will soon get there.

The Doc splinted my thumb. But it is the kind I can take off for showering and things like that.

I didn't realize how much you use your thumb. It is in my left thumb.

I also have had triger figer in the fingers of that hand too but never went to the doc.
Cleared up on its own but this time it is more painfull and not going away.

Trigger thumb or finger is when the tendon pulles your finger down. In my thumb it is causing the top joint to click and stick.
(sonds like a add for a tape despensor)

It causes the bottom joint of your thoumb to becaume vary sore. It really hurts a lot.

Thank you everyone for replying and shedding light on this.

I'm gonna love this site..So many people, so many questions and most of all..so many answers...God Bless All

Posted by Beverly (Member # 1271) on :

Hi there HH,

I have had problems with my tendons hurting and my left thumb/hand. I hate that when my thumb hurts, it is just like what you are describing!

I recently was on Cipro and I couldn't tell if I had tendonitis from the drug or a herx, but it did turn out to be a herx. Lyme just stinks!!

I hope you feel better soon, and God bless you too.

Beverly

Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :

Yep I blew a tendon before treatment then after treatment I blew 2 more.

Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :

A couple important notes about tendon problems and Lyme.

1. Certain antibiotics, known as Quinolone antibiotics, can cause tendon damage. This family inlcudes Cipro and Levaquin. If tendon problems start while on abx, check to see if it is in the quinolone family.

2. I spent a year being told I had tendinitis in my hands and wrists. It turned out to be referred pain from trigger points in my shoulder. Working on releasing those points, and now strengthening my back, has really reduced the hand pain. I didn't have trigger thumb symptoms though.

Posted by HeavenlyHoller1 (Member # 4416) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Beverly:
Hi there HH,
I have had problems with my tendons hurting and my left thumb/hand. I hate that when my thumb hurts, it is just like what you are describing!
I recently was on Cipro and I couldn't tell if I had tendonitis from the drug or a herx, but it did turn out to be a herx. Lyme just stinks!!
I hope you feel better soon, and God bless you too.

Beverly

Hi Beverly,,,
Thank you for the info...I will never again take cipro as long as I live.

Years ago was taking it for an infection and my archilies tendon broke as well as the muscle it my calf.

I was in a cast for over 8 weeks.

They fixed everything and I don't have a limp and the docs were happy about that but not as happy as I was.

Will never forget what my leg looked like when they took the cast off....all white and real skinny.

Had to have physical Ther for a long time after that...

So no more cipro for me.

Bless You.,,,,Love, HH

Posted by HeavenlyHoller1 (Member # 4416) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Aniek:
A couple important notes about tendon problems and Lyme.
1. Certain antibiotics, known as Quinolone antibiotics, can cause tendon damage. This family inlcudes Cipro and Levaquin. If tendon problems start while on abx, check to see if it is in the quinolone family.
2. I spent a year being told I had tendinitis in my hands and wrists. It turned out to be referred pain from trigger points in my shoulder. Working on releasing those points, and now strengthening my back, has really reduced the hand pain. I didn't have trigger thumb symptoms though.

Thank you so much for the info. I knew about cipro but not the other one...I will remember it!
Bless you..Love,HH

Posted by HeavenlyHoller1 (Member # 4416) on :

quote:
Originally posted by treepatrol:
Yep I blew a tendon before treatment then after treatment I blew 2 more.

Dear TP...
Thank you for replying..
What tenons were affected when it happend to you?

I am having a terrible time with this trigger thumb and it is really bothering me.

Hope time will heal it.

Bess Youl, LoveHH

Posted by HeavenlyHoller1 (Member # 4416) on :

quote:
Originally posted by once bitten:
ahem, this is a point with people with LYME it is not possesive Lyme's its a proper noun, Lyme.
Just so you know.
Yes it can affect tendons. It can make just about anything hurt. Hope yours improves...

Thank you OB...
Got it...Bless You, Love,HH

Posted by ellenlu on :

I had achilles tendinitis in both ankles after staying off antibiotics for a few years because I thought I had been cured. The Orthopedist , not even particularly Lyme literate, immediately diagnosed it as being from the Lyme disease. He sent me back to my LLMD for treatment.
Ellen

Posted by lymie tony z (Member # 5130) on :

It is a very good thing that anniek got on there and discussed quinolones like leviquin and cipro because the quinolone family of antibiotics can cause tendonitis...yes the voice of experience the lady ann from ohio clued me in first about the quinolones.

I now know that metronidazole can cause some neurapathy in the legs...I already had it so I did'nt pay much attention to the numbnes and burning sensations while on flagyl(metronidazol generic name).

So this get's me to a wondering just a bit about what other side effects the other antibiotics have that we mistake as symptoms of our already well documented persistant resistant lyme disease.

Ya know like the lorazepan(ativan) causeing unco-ordination and sweating.
The lexapro causeing sleepless nights and sweating and dizziness.

Other drugs they are using on us to combat the symptoms we present somehow cause the same or similar and sometimes new symptoms we all attribute to lyme. But are they? It's hard to tell sometimes.
Especially the ABX's we think are helping us, I for one know they do help, but how much don't we know about they're side effects or the side effects of using abx's that cause the lyme guy to go off on a tear thru our system releasing toxins that then give us a new symptom just cuz we used a certain abx.

awww nutsss zman

------------------

Posted by Lymelighter (Member # 5310) on :

quote:
Originally posted by once bitten:
ahem, this is a point with people with LYME it is not possesive Lyme's its a proper noun, Lyme.
Just so you know.
Yes it can affect tendons. It can make just about anything hurt. Hope yours improves...

OB, can you please give the same lecture to the posuer duck who told me I coulnd't have "Lyme's" as my titer was -.

This was the same duck that said my painful wrists were from tendonitis.

Posted by HeavenlyHoller1 (Member # 4416) on :

quote:
Originally posted by lymie tony z:
It is a very good thing that anniek got on there and discussed quinolones like leviquin and cipro because the quinolone family of antibiotics can cause tendonitis...yes the voice of experience the lady ann from ohio clued me in first about the quinolones.
I now know that metronidazole can cause some neurapathy in the legs...I already had it so I did'nt pay much attention to the numbnes and burning sensations while on flagyl(metronidazol generic name).
So this get's me to a wondering just a bit about what other side effects the other antibiotics have that we mistake as symptoms of our already well documented persistant resistant lyme disease.
Ya know like the lorazepan(ativan) causeing unco-ordination and sweating.
The lexapro causeing sleepless nights and sweating and dizziness.
Other drugs they are using on us to combat the symptoms we present somehow cause the same or similar and sometimes new symptoms we all attribute to lyme. But are they? It's hard to tell sometimes.
Especially the ABX's we think are helping us, I for one know they do help, but how much don't we know about they're side effects or the side effects of using abx's that cause the lyme guy to go off on a tear thru our system releasing toxins that then give us a new symptom just cuz we used a certain abx.
awww nutsss zman

Thank you for the reply Tony,
Sure makes you wonder...
I think it is time to really look at the side affects of the meds we take.

Have enough to worry about with the Lyme...

Bless You, Love,HH

Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :

quote:
Originally posted by HeavenlyHoller1:
Dear TP...
Thank you for replying..
What tenons were affected when it happend to you?
I am having a terrible time with this trigger thumb and it is really bothering me.
Hope time will heal it.
Bess Youl, LoveHH

The ones I blew out , First was a tendon in my left calf, the next was in the back of left leg it snapped rolled into a ball from knee toward butt hurt extremly bad, then one in my right leg knee to groin area took three before I slowed down some tough guy.I was just really not seeing how easy it was to do this dosent take a lot of stress (ie) weight to do it.One quick jerk and snapp.

Posted by HeavenlyHoller1 (Member # 4416) on :

quote:
Originally posted by treepatrol:

The ones I blew out , First was a tendon in my left calf, the next was in the back of left leg it snapped rolled into a ball from knee toward butt hurt extremly bad, then one in my right leg knee to groin area took three before I slowed down some tough guy.I was just really not seeing how easy it was to do this dosent take a lot of stress (ie) weight to do it.One quick jerk and snapp.

Dear TP,
Ouch!..I know how that feels..I just walked on uneven ground and snap (you could hear it snap) and I was on the ground on my face. I could not walk at all.

That was the tendon the blew in my left calf.

I went to the ER and would you belive that doc there put my leg in a cast with my toe pointed down. I thought I would die..

He said he did it that way so I wouldn't be tempted to walk on it..WALK...as you know..there is no walking when that happens.

I hurt so bad that in two days I went back to the ER and there was another doc there..thank you Lord!

He was looking at the cast..and that moment the orthopedic doc walked bye and he asked him to look at me...

Well let me tell you..he was livid..cut the cast off and threw it across the room and said what SOB did this???

I was happy to tell him..

He put a new cast on me and had my foot flat.

I have had a lot of problems with tendons and it is escilating in my left hand now.

Do you know of any way to stop this or to help so it won't happen so much?

Thank you,
Bless You, Love, HH

Posted by shazdancer (Member # 1436) on :

My very first Lyme symptom 2 years ago was a red and swollen pinky. I thought I had sprained or broken it. First doc told me I had an infection, gave me steroids.

Second doc put my hand in a cast, despite negative X-rays. Three days later, the "fracture" traveled to new joints, and I ripped the cast off and got tested for Lyme.

Currently, I have one mildly "sprained" thumb. I have sprained plenty of things in my time as a dancer, so I know what it feels like. But I never injured this thumb, so I know it is just the Lyme.

I have tender joints in both hands these days. The pinkies almost lock up, but I try to keep them moving. Gentle stretching helps, and be sure to warm up first by gentle movements, warm compresses, or the bath.

Hope you feel better soon,
Shaz

Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :

Iam not sure about what the name for any of the tendons I snapped they were all big ones though Dr did say not much you can do about it once they snap to reattach would cause even more damage mine seemed to be the deepest ones close to the bone as they would snap sounded like a freakin 22 going off.

Caution move slower when on levaquin it makes it even worse for tearing dont lift anything at all heavy.

Posted by cootiegirl (Member # 3216) on :

Wow!!! I am still in awe of the new things I learn every day. This explains ALOT!!!!

In my early twenties I had knee pain - swollen, fluid. Cartilage thing, I think. I was on crutches for awhile and even saw a podiatrist and had orthotics made. It came up out of nowhere, but the doc attributed it to my old cheerleading days. Lyme at work???

My son has had some heel pain and the PT says his ligaments and muscles are very very tight in his legs and feet. He was just dxed with lyme....
cootiegirl

Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :

i've had lyme 20 years. i had the surgery for trigger thumb. it was one of the easiest and best things i did. if there is something that can be fixed i fix it because so much can't be fixed. you need a good hand surgeon. don't even have to go to sleep.

Posted by HeavenlyHoller1 (Member # 4416) on :

Did they put you in a cast after they operated on your trigger thumb?

Thank you every one for all the replys!

Thank you God I found this site...
you ask a question..AND...you get results.

Thank all of you for the wonderfull replys.

I am seeing an ortho ser early next month for the trigger thumb and the ulnar nerve thing in my elbow.

Bless you all,
Love,HH

[This message has been edited by HeavenlyHoller1 (edited 07 May 2004).]

Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :

You dont need surgury for these things you need aLLMD and treatment for lyme. Heres some info.