Topic: Back pain as an initial manifestation of Lyme disease
CaliforniaLyme
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1: Presse Med. 2007 Jan 36 61-63. Epub 2006 Dec 11.
Back pain without radiculitis as an initial manifestation of Lyme disease. Article in French Chanier S, Lauxerois M, Rieu V. Service de medecine, Centre hospitalier, Thiers (63).
INTRODUCTION: The most frequent neurological expression of Lyme disease (borreliosis) during its secondary phase is meningoradiculitis, but atypical presentations occur.
Lyme disease must be considered especially in endemic areas and during the summer (May-October).
CASES: We report cases of two patients with unusual clinical presentations of neuroborreliosis. Both had acute inflammatory back pain, resistant to the usual analgesic treatment.
Both patients responded negatively to questions about tick bites and erythema migrans. Laboratory tests revealed an inflammatory process in only one patient.
Lyme disease was confirmed by lymphocytic meningitis and serological tests positive for Borrelia in blood (both cases) and cerebrospinal fluid (one case).
Antibiotic treatment led to the disappearance of pain and the normalization of laboratory tests.
DISCUSSION: Inflammatory back pain, even without radiculitis, may be related to Lyme disease in endemic areas.
PMID: 17261450 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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timaca
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One of my first (but not only) presenting lyme symptoms was severe low back pain.
Timaca
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This kind of back pain has been more frequently recognized in Europe and called Bannwarth's syndrome, etc. A U.S. doctor said it occurred here and he didn't know of any meds that helped.
But I had this and the combo of two IVs took it away pretty fast. Had been told to go see a back surgeon, but given the lack of corresponding damage in back scans of various types, and the poor outcome of many back surgeries, I elected not to do this, but to look for more aggressive lyme treatment.
So, these frenchies have it right.
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kelmo
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Yup..my daughter had a lumbar puncture...it was clean. What else is new?
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bettyg
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good info; sarah, great easy post to read ... thanks for breaking it up for us all!
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Beverly
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Intresting article. I had spine /back pain that finally improved with abx.
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Yes, I know someone who bought a new mattress wondering if her old one was losing its support and that was why she was having such horrible back pain. Turned out she had Lyme by CDC surveillance standards.
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janet thomas
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One of my trips to a 24 hr med center was for back pain-but I made a mistake of not being clear. It wasn't really back pain but pain on either side of my back about where the ribs attach in the back. So I was checked out for kidney stones.
-------------------- I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice but only my personal experience and opinion. Posts: 2001 | From NJ | Registered: Mar 2005
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My initial sympomts were joint pain in 7th grade 1996...I started physical therapy and we thought that I was just growing and I played a lot of contact sports.
I complained of back pain but I was in a serious car accident when I was 16 with a bus and a truck and I never full recovered.
My back went out all the time, I also have chronic back spasms. At my senior prom I could barely dance. My back still goes out all the time and as a freshman in college I ended up in the ER.
I was finally diagnoised with lyme in 2005. After 8 months of testing. Tested postive IGG IGM Western Blot and positive or erchil, babs, and bart.
-Lindsay
Posts: 484 | From Burlingame, Ca | Registered: Sep 2005
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5dana8
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Wonder if it attacks the discs? I have had major problems in my back with my disc's in the 20 years living with lyme.
Thanks Sarah for posting the article.
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