Have any of you thought about whether the pain we feel in joints will be permament or will it clear after treatment?
I often wonder about this and it is scary.
[ 09-01-2009, 05:49 PM: Message edited by: richedie ]
Posted by Beautiful Disaster (Member # 21882) on :
I wonder the same thing about my nerves. Permanent damage or not...
Posted by glm1111 (Member # 16556) on :
The pain in the joints is caused by infection which in turn causes inflammation. When we get rid of the infection the pain leaves.
I used to be on morphine because the pain was so bad I am off all pain meds and the infections are calmed down considerably along with the inflammation. Hope this makes sense,
Gael
Posted by JamesNYC (Member # 15793) on :
My brother's back and hip pain was so bad the dr gave him methodone. After 2 years of abx, he's almost pain free!
James
Posted by richedie (Member # 14689) on :
Yes, thanks all! This makes total sense and gives me hope now! I have terrible inflammation and pain in my shoulder, hip, elbow, wrist, and knee on left side.
What about the clicking and cracking??? My joints have started cracking and clicking more!
I was scared this is it. I am more optimistic now. I did 5 months of Mepron for Babs and we just test now 8 months later and still positive.
My doctor thinks this is why I am still sick so we are going back to Babs treatment.
My fear was some sort of arthritis type damage, cartilage, etc.
Posted by paulieinct (Member # 17514) on :
I believe the damage done to the joints by Lyme, the eating-away of the cartilage, bone spurs, etc., is probably irreversible. I have the spine of an 85 year-old man, and I am 61. I have lost 2 1/2 inches of height.
However, I do believe the PAIN caused by the inflamed joints is reversible once you eradicate Borrelia. I am finding this myself, after 1 year on abx.
Celebrex helps me alot, but I am finding that I need less Celebrex now (except during herxes) that I am clearing Borrelia from the joints.
I remain hopeful that I will be cured of this godawful disease. Yes, I will still have a ravaged skeleton, but without Borrelia inflaming the joints, I fully hope to be functional.
Posted by Renee K (Member # 21220) on :
I agree with Paulie
Pain less with threatment, but years of chronic synovitis and tears in the lateral miniscus have caused permanent damage
discs in back also damaged.
Posted by richedie (Member # 14689) on :
I guess there go all of my dreams then...
I was palnning on taking my daughter on our first father/daughter ski/snowboard trip in a few winters. Scratch that now...
I was planning on competing in a Masters age bodybuilding torniment. I have had to stop working out. Scratch that idea...
I wanted to get back into exercise physiology/science and become a personal trainer again. Oh, scratch that now.....
Biking with my daughter? Scratch that..
Get daily exercise. Scratch that now...
Have a life? Scratch that....
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
hi riche,
you might get a few more replies if you are more specific in subject line and using your own words....
the pain we feel in joints will be permament or will it clear after treatment?
just click on pencil to clarify it and get more input on the joint damage you want to know about
paulie, when my hip surgeon replaced my hip, he knicked 1 of my bones informing me my bones are 20 yrs. older than i am!!! i'm now 60; they are 80 yrs. old ... i sympathize!~ betty
Posted by Renee K (Member # 21220) on :
richedie
There are some who have been able to rebuild so don't get totally discouraged. Lyme affects all of us differently
I know there are others who have resumed athletics, I am just not one of them, probably because this was simmering for so long
I wish I could remember who it was and where I saw recovery stories, they are out there.
Posted by glm1111 (Member # 16556) on :
Richedie,
I have a compressed spinal cord, a missing disk, nerve damage, osteoporosis etc. You could never tell by looking at me and I can do many things that I didn't think I would be able to do.
Just because some people have said they have permanent damage doesn't mean that is you. You are a young guy.
If I were you, I would start googling natural ways to heal these things. I am doing a raw smoothies diet and it seems to have a tremendous healing effect.
I could not digest raw vegetable unless they were put in a blender or juicer. The mind is very powerful and I really think you will be able to do most of the things you mentioned if not all of them. Attitude plays a big part in how we heal,
Gael
Posted by Amanda (Member # 14107) on :
you know, 5 months of mepron is not very long for getting rid of Babs. Many are taking it at least a year these days....
I knew a woman in my old lyme group that had severe lyme arthritis in knee and lower back for almost 20 years. She now rides a bicycle on weekends, 40 miles a day!
If you are getting discourage, go to "success stories". Also keep in mind that most of us on this site now are in the thick of things. Most who get well aren't on her anymore
Posted by richedie (Member # 14689) on :
Thanks all!
Yes, I am upset we only did Mepron for 5 months! I guess I have wasted a year of treatment! I could be close to through this by now. Ugh!
I feel like we are starting over. I hope the insurance company does not mind. I am full of regret...if only we had kept going with Mepron. We stopped last December.
Posted by richedie (Member # 14689) on :
Well, my tests all came back positive for Babesia again. We are going back to Babesia treatment.
Posted by Veromia (Member # 22031) on :
I see a doctor in Pa. Is your doctor dr.S?
Posted by zil (Member # 12048) on :
richedie I was having all my joints painful and stiff. It was kinda like gimping when I tried to walk after sitting any lenghth of time. Especially mornings.
I was on different antibiotics for a year then went to IV for a year. Not much if any improvement and the joint pain was worse, so was the shortness of breath. My LLMD put me on bactrim and flagyl.
I started the bactrim first and on the 2nd day the joint pain was 50% better. It's continued to improve. This is a first for me of anything working.
Posted by richedie (Member # 14689) on :
Right now I am on Bactrim, Augmentin and Rifampin. But, they feel my biggest issue is Babesia.
I see a doctor in Baltimore because I couldn't find a good one in PA near my town. I am hoping this is the final stretch. I can't take the pain any longer.
Posted by richedie (Member # 14689) on :
We are trying to go after Babesia and hit Lyme at the same time again. My Babs tests, all of them are always positive.
Now I am back to Mepron/Zith + Ceftin so far since September 10th(1 month)....and no better! My left arm hurts so bad, I want to cut it off or jump off a bridge.
The should feels like I have torn deltoid muscles, shredded ligaments and tendons, feels like the muscles of this arm were beaten with a bat, the elbow is in horrible pain, the wrist hurts like hell, the hand hurts, is terribly mottled and changes color.
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