Currently, this is the worst symptom I have. I get this off and on and have for the last 5 or so years as my symptoms got worse. I've probably had LD for at least 15 years (and probably longer) but just started treatment with ABX 5 months ago.
My legs feels like I have either walked or rode a bike for days without stopping and taking a break.
The tightness in my chest is awful. I cannot turn my torso without severe muscle cramps in and around my sides and rib cage.
Just walking up the stairs gives me charlie horses in my calves.
I often find myself 'stretching' continuously over the period of the night when I am sleeping. I stretch and stretch so hard it hurts but I can't stop the stretching as my muscles are so tired.
Going to the chiropractor takes me 3 days to recover. My body is tired beyond belief.
Going to the massage therapist takes me almost a week to recover.
I take 200mg pharmaceutical grade magnesium per day as well as a high potency B-Complex and Multi-Vitamin and calcium. I also chew Vit C.
~ Anyone else dealing with this? ~ Ideas to help me with this? ~ Your thoughts in general?
Posted by cjnelson (Member # 12928) on :
I only get these periodically and they slam me to the ground - leg, right mainly, and left rib cage. Have had a few visits to the ER over the rib cage cause I hyperventalated because I could NOT breath!!!
It passes for me though. If it were more constant like yours, man i dont know what the heck I would do...that is awful.
I do a liquid mag/calcium instead of oral form and have good results with this.
I sure hope you find some relief...
Posted by Peck (Member # 14526) on :
I've suffered with this for years as well. It's awful.
have you had your muscle enzymes checked? When I was at my worst last summer my muscle enzymes were really high.
They were inflammed all over. My chest was the worst it went right around my body so I couldn't twist or bend. Actually taking a deep breath was impossible.
If this is the case than massage anything is bad, also anything aerobic. I couldn't walk at all for months.
Now, when I do too much I start to get those feelings back. This morning is bad for me because I didn't sleep last night. Maybe an hour and a half.
I'm forgetting what I wanted to write. I'll come back when I'm rested.
bottom line, you are not alone.
Posted by Gert (Member # 13584) on :
I had a test to check for inflammation and it was elevated a bit - would that be the one to check for the 'muscle enzymes' ?
The thing is, I have been housebound for weeks. I just have NO energy at all to do anything. Going to buy a loaf of bread is just too much for me lately.
The other day I slept for 15 hours.
Posted by Bugg (Member # 8095) on :
Hi Gert--
Sounds all too familiar. I see you're taking oral magnesium. I, too, was taking 200 oral mg a day of mag but my bloodwork showed that I was severely deficient in magnesium. This was what was causing my severe muscle tightness/cramping. I had to take magnesium sulphate shots just to abate the muscle tightness/cramping/twitching.....I also was deficient in zinc which helps your body absorb process magnesium.
By supplementing with mag sulphate shots and oral zinc, I have ameliorated the severe muscle tightness/cramping....Incidentally, it also helped my fatigue....(It's not a cure-all....just greatly helped with the tightness)...You might want to Google "Magnesium deficiency" and "hypomagnesemia"
Finally, have you been treated for babesia??? That also contributed to my muscle tightness, espcially along my spinal column, neck, and chest area....
Wishing you good health!
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
Gert - I've had muscle tightness and muscle cramping for quite a long time actually. It was one of my first symptoms too before I knew anything was wrong.
I had no idea what was causing it, but I didn't think a whole lot of it.
And I know what you mean when you say it feels like you ran or rode a bike for days without stopping. My legs (mainly calf muscles) feel like that a lot.
Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :
I have this, somedays I really feel it, other days its still there but I dont feel it.
Two physical therapists were very alarmed that my muscles were so tight.
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Me too!
Bugg said..
"Finally, have you been treated for babesia??? That also contributed to my muscle tightness, espcially along my spinal column, neck, and chest area...."
I agree! Babesia was the cause of mine too! BIG time!
Also.. each time I tried magnesium I was MUCH worse. It didn't make sense.
Soooooooo.. I stopped it and started doing Coral calicum and it improved greatly. Not saying that is the answer for you.. but you might want to stop mag and let it clear to see if you are better or worse?
I am not a doctor.. but it took me years of thinking to figure that one out.. when everyone said more magnesium... more magnesium!
But babesia treatment was wonderful.
Hope something helps you!
PS... You MAY have a build up of lactic acid in the muscles- something that happens after riding a bikle or doing a lot of exercise - that makes your calves and muscles hurt like they do.
Drinking water with fresh lemon juice helps cut the lactic acid and reduce the pain.
Posted by Gert (Member # 13584) on :
Hey All, thanks for all the ideas, reads and suggestions. I think I am due to call my integrative doctor and see what he thinks of all this.
My LLMD does not treat my symptoms only prescribes ABX. I've only been in treatment for 5 months and just starting the 6tht month so no treatment for coinfections yet. I have addressed them several times so hopefully he will next month.
Posted by dg0207 (Member # 15623) on :
I also am dealing with something similar to this.
My legs, especially the hamstrings get so tight that they feel like they are cramping up. If I push myself they feel strained.
It seems that one leg (my right side) is more worse than the other. I'm afraid that if the left one goes, I will be incapacitated. Yesterday I was on my feet for a while doing normal daily activities and by night time my right hamstring felt like I ran a marathon.
Today I am hobbling around. Not Good!!!
I am being treated for Lyme w/ ABX and some other aches cleared up but his problem is horrible. I don't see and end to it since the leg muscles are constanlty being used.
Is it really part of Lyme or do I have another issue going on?
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)