I'm trying very very hard to not whine, but...Can't help myself. Is a Stiff neck something we have to live with for the rest of our lives? When we eventually heal from this lyme disease, does the stiff/painful neck,spine, shoulders go away also?
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
the stiff neck is very much a marker of infection- it'll go away. I swear.
I think one of the explanations for it, at least that I read about in Buhner's book about lyme, is that some of the 'lyme neck pain' is a specific type of meningitis where the outermost layer of the meninges (covering of the brain) is inflamed. Meningitis can be caused by many different things and by other infections such as viruses (and some of those forms of meningitis are very serious lifethreatening conditions), but it's very common in Lyme as well. Mine felt like a very different type of pain than the more arthritis-like joint pains I've had elsewhere.
Of course you're describing other pain also besides the one in the neck, but there are a lot of other Lyme causes of pain that can cause both muscles, back/spine and joints to be painful.
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
Whew, I can barely move my neck due to this. And the neck and head pain is unreal. I can't wait to get back on tx; I need it badly.
Posted by Dekrator48 (Member # 18239) on :
My head and neck pain is slowly getting better on doxy and plaquenil.
I understand exactly what you are saying.
I have had Lyme (diagnosed as fibromyalgia) for 22 years.
But...when the excruciating head, neck and shoulder pain and stiffness started 2 years ago I gained a new empathy for why some people take their own life.
I would never do that, but the pain was soooo bad I knew I could never live that way forever.
That is what sent me on my quest to figure out what was really causing my pain.
Now my shoulder and upper and lower back pain has increased. I have found that this is what happens before it starts to get better.
The process takes months. I went back on doxy at the end of Oct 2009 and 3 days later I noticed a subtle change in my neck pain.
It has slowly and steadily gotten better since October.
Posted by MDW005 (Member # 22706) on :
Thank you for your responses. I even try and stretch the muscles in my neck during the day by staying active, but seems to be just a tempory slight fix.
Posted by greengirl (Member # 25316) on :
I'm in this boat, too. Hoping for the pain to diminish with treatment.
For now, I stretch, take baths, using heating pads and rely on IcyHot Pain Patches.
Posted by tickssuck (Member # 15388) on :
I so relate. My first symptom was horrible pain and stiffness in my neck. After months of this I herniated a disc. I am convinced a direct result of Lyme and company.
Surgery one year after herniation did nothing to alleviate pain, then the cascading effect of all the neuro symptoms started.
Been treating 2 years, still have terrible neck and radicular pain. It's very exhausting to buck all the time. Hope we all see improvement. Be well. TS
Posted by wealdsteve (Member # 25281) on :
This has always been one of my main symptoms, after 3 months of doxy & atesunate it is the only symptom that i can say has gone. I had it so bad after about four days of treatment i felt i couldnt go on, then it just lifted and has not been back since. Hopefully it will stay that way.
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
I've had a very bad stiff neck for over a decade. Been in treatment for 4 years and my neck is still stiff and very painful.
My naturopathic doctor suggested a product called zellulisan by pekana. It's a cream. You usually have to buy pekana products from a practioner but I often get mine here. (I have no relationship with them other than I use their products) http://www.naturalhealinghouse.com/pekana_zellulisan.htm
You get a free consult with their ND at the website when you first buy products. They are very kind and know about lyme.
My ND said it helps with inflammation but the description states that it helps with toxicity in connective tissue. We know borrelia lives and dies in connective tissue. I probably need to take a bath in the stuff. If it removes toxins from connective tissue that would explain why it helps with inflammation because borrelia debri causes inflammation according to my doctor.
I have found that it takes the edge off the pain enough that I can sleep without taking ibuprofen or something else for the pain. It feels wonderful to be able to get comfortable before I go to sleep which has been impossible prior to using it.
It doesn't take the pain away but the relief that it does provide is worth it to me. It costs $26 for 3.5 oz. I use it on my arms, shoulders and back when they are bothering me and it helps.
Terry
Posted by MDW005 (Member # 22706) on :
Terry... Thanks for the link. I don't have the pain every day in the neck...it comes and go's. When it comes, it likes to stick around for a couple days and IB's don't even touch this kind of pain.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
If it removes toxins from connective tissue that would explain why it helps with inflammation because borrelia debri causes inflammation according to my doctor.