Does anyone suffer from swollen joints and joint pain with their lyme symptoms? ...specifically your SI joints - if so have you found if NSAIDs helped for lyme patients - I've been put on so many but none seem to really help much.
I'm always in so much pain but of course if i try telling anyone about it at the docs. places they think i'm just out for drugs. i get the total brush off treatment when i've had ER visits and they treat me like i'm a petty thief or comp. liar.
In the past my joints have swelled to the point where they will turn a deep bruised color (starts out red). They were also hot to the touch ..though these two things aren't as bad anymore after the Rocephine IV treatment - ..after my relapse the swelling and pain still is.
One doc. recommends getting fluid drawn for testing from swollen joints. Anyone tried it?
[ 11. January 2007, 03:11 PM: Message edited by: maianh007 ]
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
I do get swollen SI joints. I take vicodin, which has been a life saver for me. NSAIDs did nothing but cause extreme fatigue.
If you are in Southern MD, I have the contacts for some good pain specialists in Bethesda. They will take your pain seriously. They might not believe it's from Lyme, but they'll treat your pain.
Posted by AZURE WISH (Member # 804) on :
I tried tons of antiinflamitorys for joint pain - didnt help at all.
I was in pain management through part of the worst of it.
If the pain is keeping you from being able to function pain management is definetely a good idea.
Best wishes
Posted by Hope4Better (Member # 10075) on :
im near bethesda..if you could send me a pm on that facility and doctor..it would be much appreciated.
thank you
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
welcome to the board.
dad suffered really bad w/swollen joints. he had GOUT caused by too much uric acid.
his feet/legs would swell up to twice their size; his fingers, he couldn't bend, etc.
have you had dr. check for GOUT?
my joints just hurt 24/7 ... no swelling. good luck on finding relief. Posted by maianh007 (Member # 10969) on :
thanks for the info everyone. i'm in the baltimore washington area too and do see a pain doc. and a lyme doc - if anyone needs info.
also - something else that you might consider trying for some of our symptoms (this does help joint pain) is cats claw . have you heard of it? there is a specific kind suggested by my lyme doc. and i did try it.
it helped with some symp - but not others - but then again some people have had much better results then me.
if you need info on cats claw - let me know. (it does cause herxing like everything else though ..but is a nice alternative for $ and natural approach.)
Posted by Travlr1 (Member # 9681) on :
maianh007,
I know this is easier said than done, but it can be done. And yes my wife joints swell due to lyme
You need to find a Doc that is empathetic to your situation . See if you can time an appointment for when you have the swelling of the joints and redness(objective findings), not just subjective complaints.
After being invoved with healtcare for over a decade I can tell you doc's love objective(they can see or feel)findings that they can document. Do you have a positive Western blot or other labratory findings that you can show them to back up the objective signs?
If you have or can borrow a digital camera to take pictures of your joints when they are swollen then you can show that to your MD. If they still won't prescribe you adequate pain releif(which may entail more than 1 narcotic medication , then it's time to go find someone else.
See if you primary care Doc can refer you to a Pain management specialist. there is absolutely no reason in 2007 to hurt this badly. Uncontrolled pain is very detrimental to the bodys stress response besides making your life miserable.Nsaids may be enough at times , but sometimes narcotics are the only truly effective route.Dont't worry about addiction ,because I beleive I am correct in saying that when taken for legitimate pain the risk of addiction is between 1-3 percent.
I am not drug pushing ,but many,many Lymies have found that only strong narcotics releive thier pain. I wish there was another answer, but.....
Hope this helps and may you be pain free soon.
Travlr1
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
How is your diet?
Diet has a powerful effect, good or bad, depending upon what your body is allergic to. So food allergies needs to be checked.
Also, Leaky Gut Syndrome. Google it. Many many sick people have this condition and most doctors know very little about it. If your intestinal wall perforations have become damaged and enlarged, then undigested food proteins as well as bacteria, parasites, fugi that never should leave the gut are actually escaping into your body and they can make you incredibly sick.
A Vegan diet is the least inflamatory diet you can eat and for a time, may be necessary in order to reduce your swelling. It costs nothing to try it and if it is going to help you, you will know it in two weeks. If you get relief, then LGS is a factor in your illness.
Food allergies are different. If you have an allergy to a certain food, even healthy food, your body will react to it as if it were a foreign antigen. The immune system will mount a defense and you will be in pain. Food allergies usually develop with the foods you eat a lot. In fact, it is really bad to eat something everyday because you could develop an allergy to it.
These two things need to be checked out and if you have them, they need to be dealt with because they are adding to your illness.
See www.drmcdougall.com. There is an article titled "Hope for Arthritis" and it talks about the LGS and the vegan diet. That is where I started my journey. I then found a medical doctor who specialized in nutrition. He has been a godsend and I have been thriving under him.
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Do you have a positive Western blot or other labratory findings that you can show them to back up the objective signs?![[Mad]](mad.gif)