Has anyone experienced Sternum pain, left side, middle of chest while sneezing and/or coughing??
Other symptoms are heavy legs, stiff neck, heavy arms, numbness in extremities.
I've been on Doxycycline for 10 days, 200mg a day, and still no improvement. I'm attempting to go on Doxy for 3 weeks and then off for 2 weeks, and getting retested... I've felt this way for 4 months, and it's getting worse..
3 Negative ELISA tests, and a negative WB with only 41kda positive on IGm and IGG.
Posted by webmeg (Member # 13647) on :
I haven't had sternum pain when sneezing/coughing, but occasionally get it at night lying in bed.
Made me nervous because it was a chest pain but it would just come and go.
If you've been ill 4 months, I don't think 3 weeks of Doxy is going to do the trick (sorry - remember, just an opinion).
You want to really kill the Lyme - can takes months.
Before going off abx you want to be symptom free, or as close as you can be, for at least a few weeks.
If you're feeling this sick after 10 days of Doxy, you're very likely going to need more than another 10 days or so of abx.
I take 200mg/day of Doxy also. It's worked well. Tried 400mg/day and it made me too sick. My doc thinks 200mg is fine. I took 4 months before a lot of my symptoms went away (majority were numbness, vibrations, shaking). At 4 months on Doxy they're pretty much staying away.
I've now switched to amoxicillin for a month to see if I can get the remaining little things to go (ear congestion / buzz).
Can be good to switch abx from time to time - shake up that immune system response!
Anyway, my point is DO NOT UNDER TREAT!!!! Keep plugging away at 200mg/day until you feel much much better.
~webmeg
Posted by DoctorLuddite (Member # 13853) on :
Sternal tenderness (pain elicited by palpation) is a relatively sensitive indicator of osteomalacia (literally:bone softness) itself an indicator of vitamin D insufficiency, which also can cause muscle weakness and a subjective feeling of heaviness. That the pain is elicited by a sneeze suggests that this should be considered. Have your doc check a 25 hydroxy vitamin D level, and if he/she won't, find one that will. Also consider it if 1 1/2 pounds of pressure with a (someone else's) fingertip on the sternum elicits pain.
Posted by klutzo (Member # 5701) on :
Costo-chondritis is another possible cause to consider, and it is common in Lymies. It is an inflammation where muscle attaches to rib bones and is treated with heat, rest, and anti-inflammatories.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
~webmeg