On Sunday, I experienced extreme pain and weakness in my right leg, most likely sciatica. On Monday night I felt weakness in both legs. This morning (Tuesday), I am getting a burning sensation in my lower back. Is this lyme related? I have read previous posts which attribute sciatica to lyme, but I haven't seen anything written by a medical expert regarding this matter. Would anyone happen to have supporting documentation?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
This has been a really tough part of lyme for me. I do believe it's directly related. I only have it rarely now since I take mangosteen juice everyday. It keeps the inflammation down.
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Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
What's your MRI say? Structural problems?
Posted by Baron (Member # 11666) on :
MRI indicated that the disc was slightly out of place, but nothing too serious according to my neurologist. I have had lower back problems prior to any symptoms, however this feels different. I started feeling weakness in my lower back, which sometimes radiates to my legs, shortly after getting on abx (amox. and flagyl). Just wondering if this is lyme related or not.
Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
Back stuff is tough. MRI don't show pain & my LLMd said Lyme can exacerbate back pain.
PT & TENS was helpful for me.
Posted by Lioness (Member # 10655) on :
It could be just from the lyme or even a herx (especially from the flagyl)
Maybe your Sacroiliac is out of place. Even slightly will cause the symptoms you described. Or, there could be and issue with the ligaments that support it (which in turn would cause it to easily move out of place)
I have a problem with mine. It tooks years of work to get it to where it is now. But it always goes back out of place b/c my ligaments can't properly support it any more.
I hope you feel better soon!
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
One of my presenting symptoms was a burning left foot, medial calf that was numb to the touch on the left leg, and low back pain.
The back pain became severe...and my lower back felt like it was having spasms.
Then nerve pain crawled up my back to the top of my head.
It was lyme.
Timaca
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
I did a google search on "back pain lyme" and found this:
Back pain without radiculitis as an initial manifestation of Lyme disease: two cases][Article in French] Chanier S, Lauxerois M, Rieu V. Service de Medecine, Centre Hospitalier, Thiers. [email protected]
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 - indexed for MEDLINE]
Posted by SouthernCO (Member # 11167) on :
"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."
These "unusual" cases mirror my initial infection in August, 1992. I even had a rash on my leg described as tinea-like with no itching, then was treated for the rash believe it or not. I had classic lyme disease but was treated to get rid of a rash.
Received antibiotics for other infections the dr recognized (e.g., sinus) and got back to 80-90% within a couple of months.
Two years later, when given a very strong shot of Rochephin for one of my cyclical infections, I lapsed into chronic lyme with sciatic symptoms.
In hindsight, the pre-existing degenerative disk disease at L5-S1 must have been the first painful site of colonization by the bacteria.
Posted by DanP (Member # 7501) on :
This thread is very topical for me. The last bothersome symptom remaining from a bout with Lyme and possibly Babs is lower right back and right hip pain.
The pain will be a dull ache one day and a muscle tightness along the front of the hip another day. And it does move around during the day, but always on the right side.
I wake up in the middle of the night with pins and needles across my entire lower back sometimes. And most mornings i awake with legs jerking on their own.
I have a tightness across my lower back that impedes movement.
I get acupuncture, osteopathic treatments.
I am taking Dr. Z's herbs for babs, and some allicin (not as much as during the Lyme war).
My brother the osteopath says i have a Vit D deficiency and i'm getting tested for that.
I am also getting pre certified for another lumbar MRI to see if anything has changed since the last one in 04 which showed a herniated disc.
This pins and needles and involuntary jerking is making me very nervous though.
Is there anything i could be doing that I'm not?
DanP
Posted by SouthernCO (Member # 11167) on :
DanP:
I'm only a month into treatment, but so far my sciatic symptoms are improving.
My wife is a licensed massage therapist so I have had the luxury of trigger point and other therapies for the past 12+ years of chronic Lyme. Cranial-sacral therapy seems to help the most.
Very mild sessions of inversion therapy have seemed to be helpful. Just a slight tilt is the safest.
Of the drugs, Ultram seems to help the most. Stronger ones such as morphine, lidocaine, and the 50 mcg Duragesic Patch had very little to no effect on this pain (described by my LLMD as peripheral neuropathy). Ultram is a man-made opioid which works on the CNS.
Good luck, Dave
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
My last MRI showed I have 4 bulging discs & 1 herniated disc & do feel 100% that it is caused by central nervous system lyme. When My lyme flares so does my back pain.
PT helped some & so did some mild stretching excercises. Working on my posture also did help somewhat. This can help re-align the discs back in place. But I still can't sit all that long though.
When the pain is too bad~laying flat on my moist heat pad helps the most. I also take ultram & tylonol for the pain but too much ultram gets me wired for some reason but does help with the pain.
I think what lymetoo said is also key. To do what ever you can to stop inflammation. Here's a past discussion on inflammmation:
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