posted
This is a weird one. I was in the pool today and when I would get out to check my phone, my hands would tingle. When i got back in the pool, I did not notice it. When I got out of the pool for the day, I still had the hand tingling. It felt at times like something was crawling on my hands, other times just tingle. At one point it went up both arms a bit but then subsided. If I rubbed on my hands (top of hands only), it only made it worse. It tried to start in my feet, but went away quickly. As long as I am warm, my hands now feel okay. If I wash my hands with cool water, the tingling comes back. So I developed a neuropathy just from spending some time in the pool? Thoughts? Another weird thing is that I now feel very well everywhere else. I woke up this AM not feeling great, having some symptoms, but once the hand neuropathy kicked in, everything else seems to have improved.
Posts: 478 | From Third Coast | Registered: Feb 2011
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scorpiogirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 31907
posted
Well I have peripheral neuropathy on my right leg that gets worse when I'm cold, hungry or tired. But I'm not sure if that's what you have though... so if you warm up your hands are they still tingling??
-------------------- Posts: 1391 | From Lyme Land | Registered: May 2011
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posted
I live in a hot climate so my hands shouldn't be cold. They were fine during the night. It's only the tops of my hands that I feel this. There is an ever so slight tingle this morning. If I run cold water over my hands, it brings out the tingling more. Palm side is fine. Yet another weird symptom. Ugh.
Posts: 478 | From Third Coast | Registered: Feb 2011
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
As soon as I read this I said, "This person is on doxycycline and has a medication burn on her hands from it!"
Then, I checked your previous posts and I see that you ARE on doxy.
What you are describing is the beginning of a doxy burn. You can't go in the sun on doxycycline because it will make you sun sensitive. Your hands get sun all the time, so they are often the first to have this reaction to doxy plus sun.
If you go in the sun anymore, it will get worse. The tingling can become the feeling of a blowtorch on your hands. Hot water will be unbearable as will cold, and you will only be able to stand tepid water on your hands.
People on doxy have to wear gloves while driving since the sun coming through the windshield will also burn your hands.
So sorry the doc didn't warn you about this effect of doxy. I suffered terribly because my first lyme doc didn't think to tell me.
Your hands don't look sunburnt or anything. Being in the water just intensifies the rays of the sun on your skin, so unfortunately you will probably want to stay out of the water until the sun goes down from now on.
Once I got this "burn," it lasted for about 1 month. Being in the sun for even 10 seconds or having the sun shine on my hands through a skylight or window would set off the pain. And, narcotic painkillers would not do anything. No relief anywhere.
In my area of the country, the lyme docs stop prescribing doxy when the warm weather comes because of this severe side effect. Most people want to be able to go out in the sun in warm weather.
Read the insert that came with your prescription. It should warn you about this.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
TF, thanks for the explanation!! That sure makes sense. I was thinking last night about tetracycline and reading that it can make you sun sensitive. Doxy is in the same family so again, this makes sense. Great input. It's not severe right now, more of an annoyance. If I stay out of the sun will this be the worst of it?
Posts: 478 | From Third Coast | Registered: Feb 2011
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
If you stay out of the sun (which is difficult), it won't get any worse. But, you can expect that this could take up to a month to clear up. On the feet too.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
TF, thank you so much. You really prevented something that could have turned into a disaster as I love to be in the pool on the weekends. I think I was very fortunate because this could have turned out a lot worse. So is the bottom line stay out of the sun...period....regardless if sunscreen is applied? I'm surprised I didn't have a reaction elsewhere on my body...again, very lucky.
Posts: 478 | From Third Coast | Registered: Feb 2011
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
You are correct, sunscreen will not prevent the medication burn.
I stayed under the roof of our boat, out on a lake all day, using SPF 50 and I still got it on my hands. So, I think it is still possible to get it even in the shade on sunny days. Maybe being surrounded by water like I was made a difference. Don't know.
Maybe the extremities (hands, feet) are the first to react to this sun sensitivity. I don't know. But, one person got it on their hand and arm from driving a good distance with the arm out the car window. I remember that post on LymeNet.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Are you on Flagyl? Flagyl can cause peripheral neuropathy...
Posts: 372 | From west of the mississitty | Registered: Jul 2009
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sparkle7
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Member # 10397
posted
Doxy burns are awful. Please be careful! Especially, if you are in a hot climate.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
How long will I have to wait for doxy to clear my system? My last dose is tomorrow and then I change to Flagyl x 10 days then zithromax x 30 days. I was previously on zithromax 60 days and did not experience any effects from being in the sun. I would like to try to get a little sun/beach/pool time in this summer Posts: 478 | From Third Coast | Registered: Feb 2011
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posted
Would a person get those burns just by driving in their car during the day? How in the world do you avoid the sun that way?
-------------------- IgM: [18++,31+++,34++,41++,83-93+] [39 IND] IgG: [41 IND] Positive according to IGeneX. Negative according to CDC. Negative for co-infections. Currently treating for Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia Posts: 225 | From Minnesota | Registered: May 2011
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sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
You have to keep covered. Wear a long sleeved shirt & a sun hat. There are mixed opinions about sunscreen. Try to stay in the shade as much as possible.
I'm not sure if Zithromax is the same as doxy when it comes to sun exposure. It's more of a feeling of a chemical burn than a sunburn with doxy. It's really best to avoid going through it if possible.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
lol - I just had an image pop into my head of a bunch of Lyme patients driving around in Ninja costumes :-)
-------------------- IgM: [18++,31+++,34++,41++,83-93+] [39 IND] IgG: [41 IND] Positive according to IGeneX. Negative according to CDC. Negative for co-infections. Currently treating for Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia Posts: 225 | From Minnesota | Registered: May 2011
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posted
I bought tropic wear clothing from LL Bean. I have to wear long sleeves, pants, and a stupid ugly sun hat. I put sun screen on my hands and it does help but I tan with 35 sun block on in about 5 minutes. No kidding. I did have a rash from it once and it felt like my skin was burning just to walk out in the sun. I am quite careful but found I can leave my hands uncovered for short periods with sun block. I mostly try hard to stay in the shade. Even carried an umbrella for a while at the family reunion when I could not avoid the sun if I wanted to participate in the family activities. I tried to switch to Minocin but I didn't tolerate it. I think it may have been a herx but dr. thought it was a sensitivity to the meds. Might try it again after I have my next apt. and work my way onto it more slowly.
Posts: 41 | From Somewhere over the rainbow | Registered: Apr 2011
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