LymeNet Flash: Get the bullet..... chest pain!!!

This is topic Get the bullet..... chest pain!!! in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by bigmamma (Member # 7181) on :

OUCH!!!!! My chest is killing me right now. It started earlier today and keeps getting worse. I had this when I first started treatment and before dx, but it went away for a few weeks. Now it is back, but worse. I had an echocardiogram before my Lyme Dx but they said it was normal. So now what?

Two days ago I started getting that yucky in my head feeling, chills, nerve issues in arms, and woke up last night totall soaked! Now this chest thing.

I am afraid I might not be on enough abx.

Does anyone else get this chest pain stuff? My pulse is slightly irregular once in a while but not at the moment with this pain. Is this just inflammation or a herx?

Posted by NP40 (Member # 6711) on :

Sounds like Babesia, Bigmamma. Classic babs symptoms are chest pain, alternating sweats/chills.

My son had loads of chest pain before, and during treatment. Someday's are better than others. He had every heart test under the sun, and all were fine. He did have a slight murmur [common lyme symptom] which has now gone away with treatment.

I would definitely have all the tests just to rule out anything major with the heart. They can check for pericarditis, and various other things.

The "keets" often settle along the nerve that runs across the chest. Ouch. Lyme can inflame the chest lining's as well. Ouch.
Babesia is notorious for causing chest pain. My boy would double over at times it hurt so bad.

When he was treated for babs, it cleared up, and so did his sweats/chills.

I wouldn't be alarmed about this, but would do all the tests to rule things out, and have piece of mind.

Posted by JavaBeing (Member # 6321) on :

Hey Bigmamma,
Hey girl, I think we must be having sympathy pains for each other or something, because I been having these same symptoms off and on the last two weeks, it's been gradual, then getting more intense the last few days, especially worse in the am.

I was going to look up search to see what herxes could this possibly be from, as these were some of my old, original symptoms..especially the heart palps, tingling arms, night sweats and the brain fuzziness.

I've just started taking artemisin this last week, maybe that's bringing this nonsense up again? I don't know...kinda scary having to feel all of it so bad again, hoping and a bit of well placed prayers (also asking for forgiveness for the two oreo's that forced their way into my mouth ), that it passes or at least softens up abit soon.

Anyway...hope you're feeling much better, real soon. ust wanted to you to know, someones going through this too. I'm sending you positive thoughts and karma (wish it could be the oreo's..)

Take care,
JavaBeing

Posted by bigmamma (Member # 7181) on :

Yes, I think you might be right, babesia.

I started out on Doxy but was only on it for 3 wks because it caused terrible stomach problems. Then I went to a new doc who put me on a combo of Mino 100mg every other day and Diflucan every other day.

I don't think I am on enough antibiotics and am afraid I am backsliding, as evidenced by my increasing sx.

I see that some guidelines recommend atovaquone plus azithromycin. Can I take this along with my first antibiotics mino?

[This message has been edited by bigmamma (edited 19 May 2005).]

Posted by bigmamma (Member # 7181) on :

quote:
Originally posted by JavaBeing:
Hey Bigmamma,

I've just started taking artemisin this last week, maybe that's bringing this nonsense up again?
Take care,
JavaBeing

Is that a supplement or a prescription?

MMMMM Oreos!!!! I have only cheated on my no yeast diet once and am not to start now, so please savor every morsel for me! You gotta dip em in the milk.

Glad I'm not the only one with these symptoms. I think I'll call my LLMD (real doc) tomorrow and see what he thinks - or the nurse, because I never get to really talk to the doc.

Posted by henson2 (Member # 463) on :

Hi,

Yes, I'm the poster girl for chest pain. I too have been told by my LLMD that the 'keets love to party in the nerve roots in the spine, and inflame the nerve that wraps around the rib cage.

It makes the soft tissue and ribs painful but especially a sharp and severe pain just to the left or right of the sternum, where that chest nerve ends.

Just a word of caution... be careful about going the route of nerve block injections, which is what I did. The nerve blocks actually made it worse, prob. because they contain steroids (which I did not know, and the Pain Center was not Lyme Literate).

It does get worse w. herxes and changes in meds; I find that rest helps a lot! Also, I've had relief at various times on treatment.

Do get the cardiac stuff checked out just to be sure. But know that you're not alone.

I did not have the chills that you do.... my LLMD said this can be a common Lyme symptom.... have you been tested for the co-infections.

Sending lots of wishes for feeling better very soon!

Posted by NP40 (Member # 6711) on :

quote:
Originally posted by bigmamma:
Yes, I think you might be right, babesia.
I started out on Doxy but was only on it for 3 wks because it caused terrible stomach problems. Then I went to a new doc who put me on a combo of Mino 100mg every other day and Diflucan every other day.
I don't think I am on enough antibiotics and am afraid I am backsliding, as evidenced by my increasing sx.
I see that some guidelines recommend atovaquone plus azithromycin. Can I take this along with my first antibiotics mino?
[This message has been edited by bigmamma (edited 19 May 2005).]

Bigmamma, definitely need the LLMD to handle this and not a GP. Normally, they rx doxy initially in case you have erlichiosis, which can be fatal. Doxy also tx the lyme. After this initial course they expand to other meds to hit the lyme hard.

IV's are common, or stronger doses of orals. An LLMD will recognize your symptoms of babs and treat it eventually, but they normally like to hit the lyme hard for a while to get your bacterial load down first.

The standard tx for babs is zithromax/mepron. They work well together, and the zithro will continue killing lyme, while the combo tx babs.

If your symptoms are worsening, then you should definitely let your LLMD know.

BTW, you're in the midwest like myself. I'm in northern Wisconsin. Whereabouts do you reside ?

Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :

I had awful chest pain in the sternum that didn't respond to Lyme treatment.

When I added Mepron for Babesia it went away, and hasn't returned since. I tested + for Lyme, but - for Babesia. Importantly, I had all the clinical sx of Babs.

Posted by johnlyme1 (Member # 7343) on :

I have the same problems - I could not breath well for a year before I was finally diagnosed - I have the co-infection with the lyme - My chest, ribs, and diapham are so locked up - I ma in the middle of Babs treatment and am just staring to breath again. The die off made it all worse - I have been doing epson salt baths 4 times a week and they are saving me - I gentely massage from toes to head and soak - the poison just come out.

Posted by sapphire (Member # 4599) on :

bigmam , some of wwhat you are experiencing sounds like you are herxing , a temporary flare up of old symptoms that is caused by lyme die off. Minocycline aggravates things pretty quickly and does create weird symptoms but it also tends to get to some of the deeper seated lyme.
another thing you might consider is that the chest pain may be related to esphogeal reflux and you need an acid reducer such as prilosec OTC. it ceratinly helps with any of the cycline drugs . also only take mino or doxy with food as it can be horrible on the stomach

Posted by bigmamma (Member # 7181) on :

Thanks everyone for the replies. I am still alive and did not have a heart attack yet.

I have an appt this week and will discuss this with my doc (Learning Lyme MD).

The chest pain has settled down a bit. It gets worse in the evening. I noticed later at it's peak that it was accompanyied by a general increase in fatigue, joint stiffness, and increased numbness & pain in my arms along the nerve.

So, I guess it could be a herx. I appreciate hearing others' experiences with chest pain. It can scare a person because I know there are some people that have died with heart complications from Lyme so you can't be too careful. I am really trying to learn patience as a patient, but it can be difficult sometimes, as you all know. I definitely now have the occasional irregular beats that prior to Lyme I did not have. So I am hoping that the doc will at least do something for a heart test. Chest pain was one of my earliest symptoms, and I have had EKGs that showed normal sinus rhythm, but the last one showed a "T wave irregularity" ??? Haven't had any heart tests since starting treatment for Lyme. I suppose it could be inflammation too.

I have not been tested for co-infections yet.

[ 07. November 2006, 05:02 AM: Message edited by: bigmamma ]

Posted by tvalentijn (Member # 5255) on :

hey, try not to freak yourself out. I has these chest pains for about two years. The chest pains were my biggest and the most scary symptoms. After 16 months of abx - quite a nice collection of different ones, I finally am much better and even have quite a lot of days that I have NO CHEST PAINS at all. So hang in there, it will all be better some day...