When does the terror ever subside? (rhetorical) I really don't know how I can continue like this. My LLMD said to go back on zith slowly, then to add others...slowly.

All I do is sit in the house much of the day. Sorry, had to get my whining out. This has been going on for 18 years+. Ugh!!!

We had major muscle weakness on the babs tx (same tx as you are doing). It went on for about 5 months before relenting. We were able to start exercising then, and the weakness went away very noticeably after we finished the tx.

When the hubby had a babs relapse, return of severe muscle weakness was one of the first sx (along with significant mood changes and cognitive sx). After about a month on re-treatment (mepron/ketek/tinidazole) he was able to start exercising again, although he is still weaker than before the relapse.

Neither of us noticed one side being significantly weaker than the other, though -- we were weak all over and tremendously exhausted.

We've also been at this for more than 18 years (more like 20). The mepron/zith/art tx was very hard, but was successful for me, although it took 7 months( for me-- no relapse so far). It was semi-successful for the hubby (10 mo tx, 2 months of doing great, then relapse). He's now in his second round of babs tx. This time he's doing mepron/ketek/tinidzole, then mepron/alinia. Whereas it took 5 months to see improvement the first time, it took less than a month this time.

From my experience -- keep on exercising as much as you can, even if it's only stretching, but definitely listen to your body and cut back on physical exertion when necessary. There's a fine line between pushing yourself a little and overdoing. It seems like you mostly find the line by overdoing and then cutting back, unfortunately.

What do you mean you've been at it 20 years? Treatment? Sx?

We've been doing LD tx for 20 years, almost. Just last year started treating the coinfections -- what a huge difference that has made. Really, I'm so very much better.

I'm ready to be completely well now, BTW, in case anyone is listening. I volunteer to be in a totally different movie. Preferably a comedy romance, script by Nora Ephron, clothes by Edith Head. With the way my luck is running, though, the new script will call for super-sized sharks, large cruise ships with insufficient life boats, or aliens with unaccountable blood lust. I'll be the fifth innocent bystander from the end, who almostgets away.

Sigh.

I think muscle weakness is pretty common with Babesiosis and the tx. Some of my muscles actually atrophied. I am still trying to rebuild my quads and biceps.

My suggestion would be to do yoga, especially the stretches. I maintained myself on ashtanga yoga stretches through the worst of my Babs treatment. I tried to do them every day for at least 15 minutes. I can tell you that some days it was a serious struggle.

Your muscles will come back. But, it will take a long time. I finally have people saying I look better, instead of saying I look like a skeleton. It has taken much mental and physical work for me. I am not "cured" by any means. I work on this every day.

Don't over do it. Your muscles will tremor, shake and scream at you. (I over do it & pay dearly sometimes).

I always find it troubling when I look up a med. and the side effects are what I'm trying to get rid of. Especially the dizziness. It's listed EVERYWHERE.