She claims that lyme arthritis presents very differently than mine.

(Mine is pain in knees, bottoms of feet, achilles tendon, sensitive eyelids, stiff hands, sensitive wrists, jaw soreness, and worsening reynaud's. These symptoms have presented over the past 4 months.)

Lyme arthritis, she said, is usually in one joint, and is more swelling than pain.

My two questions are:

-Has anyone experienced symptoms like mine, and been diagnosed with lyme & healed with abx?

-Does anyone have any reactions to my rheumatologists' comments?

**Oh...and also, I had a lab come back saying that I've had strep in my system over the past 6 months, but I never knew it. Has anyone had experiences with strep's association with arthritic symptoms?

Thanks!!!
 

My rheumetoid factor and c reacitve protiens are elevated but I do not look swollen.

Just to let you know my Rhuemotologist or the one I saw...refused to treat me for Lyme. He sent me away with antiinflammatories and told me to take them and that was all.

I have been on antibiotics for 3 years (I have had Lyme for 14 years) and I have shown marked improvement.

I hope this helps somewhat...
Take Care
God Bless
Abbie

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"Walk by Faith, Not by Sight"
 

My rheumatologist, however, also claims to specialize in lyme and fibromyalgia, but told me that my symptoms were "much more like fibromyalgia than lyme" and therefore testing for lyme would be "unecessary".....he diagnosed me with CFIDS. My LLMD on the other hand, pointed out the the symptoms of CFIDS and Lyme (and fibro too) overlap and can be very similar, so it makes no sense that he said that.

Judging from your rheumatologists comments, it is probably a similar belief among rheumies.

I also began going to my rheum to have my raynaud's symptoms checked out/verified as being raynauds.

------------------
cheers,
AG
 

Your doctor's statement: One joint, more swelling than pain:

My experiences do not support that statement, if she is referring to fluid or to limitation of arthritic condition to one area. I had pains here, there, back over there, off and on, and wandering. Ankles, heel bone spur pain , fingers, wrists, elbows, coming and going within minutes or a day. Both ankles now are enlarged, as are finger joints.

I had no fluid swelling yet there is joint disfigurement from something. It would just overnight be "bigger".

Although expensive, it might be wise to find an LLMD to run tests to rule out lyme. That is a part of a good differential diagnosis. Then you will know, and feel better if it is a negative diagnosis. I would be sure to ask that the Igenex with all bands be included.

Strep could be just another one of those things invading a weakened immune system. Not necessarily a cause.

That is why I first went to an LLMD (after the MD wanted to send me to a rheumi); lyme test results kept me there! I felt that had to be ruled out before other things. Too dangerous to mess with. However, I did have other skin probems, and then peripheral nerve symptoms that came up after I made the appointment, but before I saw him.

JR

[This message has been edited by JRobin (edited 20 October 2004).]
 

My husband was not responding well to meds. during his 2nd?? (maybe more) bout of Lyme. When he got a rash, sore throat and fever along w/his joint pains into his 2nd or 3rd year (sorry, complicated history) of tx., he,too, tested + for strep and his LLMD??? sent him to a rheumatologist who was believed to be "Lyme Friendly" (yuk,yuk !!) and he decided he MIGHT have Lyme but was POSITIVE he had Rheumatic fever at the time.

His LLMD?? had put him on an abx diff. from the one he was on for Lyme (forget which one) for the strep and this brilliant rheum. decided he could stop that and take aspirin for th Rh. fever which he did and, although the crisis past, he still had his Lyme joint pains (worst in knees).

Anyway, now this jack a.. decides that he has "a Lupus-Like disease" and tells him he'll probably end up in a wheelchair if he's not treated for it.To make a long story short (HaHa), his tx. was STEROIDS !!! In the beginning (very high doses) my hubby felt fabulous !!!! No pain and very "studly".

Then as he was tapered down slowly, the old joint pains (still mostly knees but migrating to other joints as before) started to return but, worst of all, we started noticing deformities in his fingers which worsened rapidly and also muscle wasting throughout his body.He was on those rotten pills for a year along w/ weekly shots of Methotrexate added when his old Lyme symptoms started returning.

We dumped that sucker and returned to his Lyme doc who tested him for co-infections and found babs.(was having sweats and fevers at this point) which was treated w/zith. & mep.He never really fully recovered as the joint damage was already done.

A few years ago, he started seeing Dr.F. in NJ who is a LLRheumotologist and he has been doing well on RA drugs and Abx. Every now and then he goes off Abx. when he thinks he's "cured" but always gets worse again, has + pcr, and has to go back on.

I am pretty well convinced that had the Babs. been dx'd before that duck put him on steroids, his Lyme probably would have been cured or well under control and he probably would not have gotten all the joint damage.

And that's my humble opinion !!! Thank God we know alot more about this awful disease and it's coinfections today than we did when he started with this in the late 80's/early 90s. And thank God we know NEVER TAKE STEROIDS IF YOU SUSPECT LYME !!!
 

I am not a doctor but I have 2 sons w Lyme both with auto immune arthritis ... they both had pain in multiple different areas of their bodies... not just one joint.
 

I was dx late i have had arther tho even before i had lyme. It was in my hip. Well i have had arther in hip , knees, shoulder and wrists, finger joint occasionally.

Mostly in my hip. Now i think to the point it has cause neuropathy in my siatic nerve going down my left leg which is the same side as my hip which i had a wreak in many many years ago.

Now as for steriods i also have heard in here NO STERIODS. However i am going to a very popular lyme doc who is very knowledgable and he has for two months given me low doses of predisone for the pain.

Nothing touched the pain not even pain pills touched it. I was up day and night when i layed down the pain would wake me up even if i took pain meds. I now have neruiton and predisone. I now am out and i am trying to stop but im telling ya lyme or no lyme i will take it if i need it for the pain.

I trust my doc and he knows his business many go to him so if he gives it to me then i know it will end up okay. But not every one is the same. What is good for me might not be for others. And i do have to get these refilled every six days worth.

So arther for lyme patients is not just one joint. My knees also kill me and run second to the hips.

graneet
 

He hasnt a clue to lyme get a LLMD and quit wasting your money and time and life the longer you go with lyme the worse it will get.
 

I have had Lyme arthritis for several years, have pain in my ankles, wrists, thighs, knees, neck, with no migration and no swelling. It's there daily, to varying degrees.

The pain was handled well with Vioxx and Ultracet, have just switched to Bextra but the jury is still out as to whether it's working or not.

I just increased my abx back up so I can't determine if the Bextra isn't working or the abx increase is causing more pain.

I had also read, I wish I could remember where to help you, that Lyme arthritis most often doesn't include swelling.

At any rate, you need to dump this duck and find a real LLMD.
 

I would be suspicious of those findings x 100!

Ditto to Treepatrol.

There are LLMDs totally convinced that Fibromyalgia is lyme...and many lyme people get a dx of cfids as well.

Please see a reputable LLMD!