posted
I am so down today. I want to stop taking ABX...I hurt so bad. My neck, L shoulder, L
arm, all of the way down. It makes me think there is something else wrong, though I have had
an MRI of my neck, which was 'pristine'. I just don't know how much longer I can handle it. I
was on Ceftin for 4 weeks, now Zithro for almost two weeks now. Do you think there could be
something else?? I am seeing a deep massage therapist, and have been for a few months now.
Thing is...the pain had improved with her until I started ABX. Now, it just seems to get worse
and worse. I just want to continually hold my left arm up. I am on no pain meds, and can't
take Neurontin or Lyrica. I just want to give up. I'm sorry everyone...I'm usually not the
whiney type...but I just can't keep the tears at bay today.
Posts: 117 | From Illinois | Registered: Apr 2008
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
Zithromax did that to me. I started cutting the pills in half until the pain went away, then I'd take the whole pills for a day or two and the pain would come back.
My PA wanted me to take the whole pills, so I said I would if she'd prescribe something stronger than Vicodin, so she prescribed Norco. I took it with Advil and the pain would go away.
The following month, my LLMD took me off the zith. He said it was stirring up too many cytokines, that it didn't sound like it was actually the Lyme causing the problem.
I got off it and don't have nearly that pain level anymore.
Be careful with the deep massage. I love a good deep massage myself, but myofascial is much better for Lyme patients. My massage therapist read in a book that the deep can send the Lyme deeper into the muscle, so she won't do deep on me.
Zith is a hard drug. I'm betting it's the zith.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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lymie tony z
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5130
posted
I have to agree...zith is kinda tough but it's doing it's job...
Are you taking any magnesium, drinking a whole lot of water?
Those two drugs you mentioned are seizure preventatives...not pain medication...you probably need REAL pain medication...are you able to get to a pain management center if your doctor cannot provide the necessary medication?
My llmd supplied me with whatever pain medication worked for me while herxing....unfortunately though,,,when I would get REALLY DEEP NERVE PAIN....NOTHING seemed to help....I just had to go thru it to get thru it!
Soo Sorry....I know it can and does hurt...perhaps laying off of the abx for a couple of days would help...I would'nt do lowered doses however...that might give the pathogen an opportunity to mutate into a resistant form and the zithro would'nt be worth two cents after that....JMO
Because metronidazole can sometimes cause neuropathy it might help dull the nerve pains somewhat...ask your llmd if he will give you what you should be taking anyway to break open any cystic form the bb might hide in.
zman
-------------------- I am not a doctor...opinions expressed are from personal experiences only and should never be viewed as coming from a healthcare provider. zman Posts: 2527 | From safety harbor florida(origin Cleve., Ohio | Registered: Jan 2004
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
quote:Originally posted by lymie tony z: I would'nt do lowered doses however...that might give the pathogen an opportunity to mutate into a resistant form and the zithro would'nt be worth two cents after that....JMO
zman
I agree. My PA was not happy with me that I took the lowered dose. She changed me to a pulsing schedule instead, 3 days on 4 off. I couldn't even take it at that dose.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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lymie tony z
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5130
posted
The probably reason you have so much pain/numbness is because you started with ceftin which is a fleuroquinalone and an abx which could be affecting your tendons....
Be careful not to use that arm at all...you may snap a tendon and you would REALLY have some pains.
again sorry but I have been thru what you're going thru if it helps any....it does get better...However...
If the pain is totally unbearable I would ask your llmd to give you an antibiotic holiday...
which means he would take you off for a week or so which would'nt hurt your treatment too much or switch to a different mycin perhaps even a tetracycline. Your llmd's call....
Remember crying jags are also an early symptom of the disease/s
zman
-------------------- I am not a doctor...opinions expressed are from personal experiences only and should never be viewed as coming from a healthcare provider. zman Posts: 2527 | From safety harbor florida(origin Cleve., Ohio | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
I agree with trying pulsing or stopping the meds for one or two days. .. and the deep massage thing could be making the keets really angry.. besides making them go deeper.
I am able to function while taking vicodin.. as long as it's a low dose. You might try that.
I'm sorry you're in so much pain. I've been there.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
I even still function on Norco (10 mg hydrocodone, 325 mg tylenol). When the pain is too bad, I actually am more functional on pain meds than off them.
I get the hip pain as well, but I think it's part of the lower back/shoulder issue that my massage therapist thinks is from my flute-playing more than the Lyme. She might be right, LOL.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
Thanks again. I am definitely going to bring this up to my massage therapist...as well as try the pulsing. You guys are the best.
Posts: 117 | From Illinois | Registered: Apr 2008
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quote:Originally posted by sixgoofykids: I even still function on Norco (10 mg hydrocodone, 325 mg tylenol).
Actually, so can I .. but I'm an old bird!!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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tdtid
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10276
posted
You have gotten some wonderful advice here and the pulsing of a med with dr's permission will quite often ease things up enough that you can atleast tolerate it.
Another thing I have found along the way that helps that I would always read about in my beginning days here, but didn't take very seriously is to DETOX.
I had no clue the degree even that helped. But try everything you can since what works one time, won't the next and visa versa.
But I was doing the epsom salt baths, the lemon and virgin olive oil water, the various herbal detoxes, along with detox teas and then had to go the route of colonics and coffee enemas, but oddly, once you get a detoxing path going that works for you personally, I found I could manage more than before.
Pain is a horrid horrid thing and we all really can sympathize with you since most of us have definitely been there. I was in ER's too often due to pain I couldn't control myself which would get you a temp fix but then right back where you started.
Good luck to you and check with your LLMD on ways to handle this since he/she may have some good suggestions pertaining to your particular case.
Cathy
-------------------- "To Dream The Impossible Dream" Man of La Mancha Posts: 2638 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2006
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kam
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 3410
posted
Have Faith....sending my imaginary limo and limo driver over to take you away from it all for an imaginary escape.
Where would you like to go??
Remember...you are lyme free and pain free and it is your time to be "normal"
Posts: 15927 | From Became too sick to work or do household chores in 2001. | Registered: Dec 2002
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Dawn in VA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9693
posted
Hope you start to feel better.
Tony mentioned that ceftin is a floroquinoline; it's not. It's a cephalosporin. To my knowledge, they are not well known to cause tendon problems. (Levaquin, a popular Bart med IS, however, a quinoline and CAN do that.)
-------------------- (The ole disclaimer: I'm not a doctor.) Posts: 1349 | From VA | Registered: Jul 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Dawn in VA: Hope you start to feel better.
Tony mentioned that ceftin is a floroquinoline; it's not. It's a cephalosporin. To my knowledge, they are not well known to cause tendon problems. (Levaquin, a popular Bart med IS, however, a quinoline and CAN do that.)
I'm glad you said that. I didn't think it was a quinolone either.. but didn't take the time to double check the info.
My brain was saying "HUH?"
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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lymie tony z
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5130
posted
OOOOPPS! You're rght tutu...sorry folks and havefaith... duh...
my brain got it mixed up with CIPRO....
OK then. The cephalosporin may be affecting the right side of your brain killing spirochetes.
If most of your symptoms were on one side or the other like most of we lymies then they were
probably on the left side initially and therefore whenever you are killing the chetes
that infected your right brain then the toxins would be creating your pain exacerbatin.
DETOXING IS a great idea. I've used this method as well to rid myself of the toxins created
while on one regimen of abx or another. Just be careful it dose'nt interfere with the abx you're on at the time. I don't think many will.
Also, on the note about pain medications. I would hazzard an educated as well as personal
guess that you won't have any problems functioning on pain medications. Along with that
goes the question of addictions. Again I would say that persons with chronic pain do not become
addicted because, we are not taking it for the psychological escape these drugs usually produce
in NON-CHRONICALLY ILL patients. Thus, we don't develope a dependency someone not ill might.
As long as they're NOT Anti-inflammatories (immunosuppressants)steroids or nsaids,
which the drug industry tells their doctors are pain relievers....
(because they bring down inflammation thus taking pressure off of nerves which are causeing the pains).
Mild ones like advil and sometimes a lot of us(including myself at present)use MOTRIN (Ibuprofen).
It's what I use for breakthru pains. However I am going to ask my doc for something else
because I seriously think I'm not doing my system any good by taking the ibuprofin.
I think it's creating more problems in the long run.
I take 15mgs oxycodone six or so times a day. This is somewhat hi for some folks but I am a
rather large boned thick (headed)skinned individual with perhaps some built up tolerances.
I cannot function at all without these meds. I would just lay about on the couch all day, in pain.
I went to a seminar here recently and am going to try a different method.
I will post my own thread about it in the future. It may or may not be worthwhile.
This involves a relatively NEW LASER BEAM technique.
It is NOT FDA APPROVED for what I want to use it for. The Chiropractor knows this as well. He told me he can help me and seems confident.
I told him I would be his guinea pig for the lyme community. Because if he can help me...well...it would help probably all of us.
More on that whenever I start my own thread.
sorry about my mixup on the family of abx...glad enough folks are around to correct me...we all need that from time to time.
zman
-------------------- I am not a doctor...opinions expressed are from personal experiences only and should never be viewed as coming from a healthcare provider. zman Posts: 2527 | From safety harbor florida(origin Cleve., Ohio | Registered: Jan 2004
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