Lately,my forearms and hands have stiffness,they are also loosing strength.My thumb weakness makes it hard to grip.My forearms feel inflammed,and can hardly raise arms without pain and stiffness.It seemed to intensify since IV Rocephin,and mepron/zith,which I backed off on for a week now...Anyone experience same?
Posted by Tracy9 (Member # 7521) on :
The last year or so my fingers have gotten bad, a symptom I did not have previously. My wrists are also very weak and painful, but I had that from the beginning.
I cannot squeeze toothpaste, shampoo bottles, or open any kind of jar or bottle, even a new water bottle.
I can't pick up anything involving my wrist, like a cooking pan.
My fingers are very stiff and hurt to move especially in morning and at night.
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
The stiffness in my hands/fingers is one of the worst. It's always stiff and the fingers pop all the time. I also have arthritis pain come and go in both hands.
Like Tracy said, I too cannot open bottles of water for myself -- I have to have my husband open things for me.
I also cannot pick up pans and things because my wrists are so weak.
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
Have you guys been tested for rheumatoid arthritis? Lyme can cause it.
I have it and know exactly what you are talking about. At one time, I was so bad off I couldn't open doors and could never be left alone because of it. I couldn't open bottles, cans, toothpaste, brush my hair, zip my pants. Horrible!
Today I am soooo much better. Nearly normal, though the only symptom that remains mostly is still some pain and stiffness in my hands. But I am able to use them fully and have been able to for 1 1/2 yrs now. The level of pain/stiffness flucuates but never requires pain meds. Sometimes I will wear a brace on my left (dominant) hand because the cartilage is completely gone in that wrist. But most of the time, I don't even need the brace.
I just finished a 2 hr ride on my horse. That required carting a saddle, bridle, halter, leadrope, brush box around. Brushing the horse and cleaning its feet which I couldn't do at all until about 6 mths ago. Horses' feet are heavy and cleaning them is a very strong wrist exercise.
During the ride, I had to open and shut several gates, sometimes from on top of the horse and sometimes I had to get down. Getting up on the horse is still somewhat difficult because you pull up with your left hand. But I can do it.
After the ride, I had to cart all the stuff again and wash my horse. Then play with my baby horse.
I came home and made lunch and am now cleaning the house and doing some office work.
None of this could I do at one time. You can get better but if your hands are suffering arthritis, even if it is not rheumatoid (the most dangerous of the arthritises) your joints are being damaged.
For me the cause of my RA is bacteria. Lyme, Babs, H. Pylori, Mycoplasmas, CPN. But also toxic overload both from the bugs and from metals.
For the past 3 yrs, doctors have been focused mostly on detoxing me and it had to go super slow. Any normal attempts at detox set my joints (all over my body) to screaming.
Now at the 3 yr mark, they can get slightly more aggressive with detox. I am on a heavy herbal detox load and Welchol, a prescription drug normally used for cholestrol but also good for pulling biotoxins. My cholestrol is great, 117 to 154 depending on whether or not I fast before the test. Dr is using the Welchol strictly to detox.
I am also on a limited antibiotic protocol and on plaquenil and Enbrel to control my immune response while we detox and go after bugs.
The pain in your hands should not be ignored. Please talk to your doctor about possible RA. It is far more deadly than lyme and needs to be dealt with while dealing with the lyme.
Posted by hurtingramma (Member # 7770) on :
I have pain in my hand and in my arms. No cure, really, but there are things you can do to ease the pain. Kneading the area, like a ball of dough, will loosen up any knots. My chiro taught me to do the hands, and my PT showed me how to to the arms.
For the fingers, simply use your other hand to grasp a finger and massage up and down that finger.
For arms, use your fingertips to find the sore spots, usually knots. Gently rub out the knot.
There is also hot parafin dip that people with RA in their hands use. It only works if you use if on a regular basis. Or, you can just use it because it feels good temporarily.
Posted by Pauline (Member # 10000) on :
Me too! On and off Lyme symptoms for three years and since starting the Ceftin/Zithromax combo I've had arthritis type pains in fingers and arms and weakness - everything feels heavy and I can barely lift pans etc... It's been over two weeks now and if this is a herx reaction I wonder why it's not letting up.
Posted by beatlyme (Member # 15262) on :