Does pain get any better?

I have just been diagnosed with Lyme Disease (4 months ago) after years of undiagnosable pain for about 10 years. This last Dr was my last resort. I'm in a lot of pain in my back, hip, finger joints, neck and was wondering, if this is caused by the disease does it get better or has the damaged been done?

[JackieCalifornia]

Shelli,

I'm sorry to hear you've got Lyme, but am glad you at last have a diagnosis.  It is the first step to getting better.

I don't think I have read anywhere that it is ever too late to treat Lyme and get better.  Body pain as you describe is a common symptom for many of us, and it does get better with treatment.  Lyme affects everyone differently, and some have more body pain than others, and migratory pain is not uncommon.  

Others here have found ways to help their aches and pains, such as sauna, exercise (starting at a low level), and other methods.  I would suggest you read Dr Burrascano's "Diagnostic Hints and Treatment Guidelines" posted at ILADS [dot] org, under the tab 'About Lyme', third item down.  It's rather conversationally written, so there is important information scattered throughout that you won't find just by consulting the table of contents.

It is ~28 pages long, and the first time through may be a slog, but very worthwhile.  It will start to make more sense if you keep reading and thinking it through.

Were you tested for co-infections, which are other diseases often carried by the ticks that bring Lyme?  That can mean separate medications from what treats Lyme.

Above all, don't give up!  Treatment is not quick or obvious, but it is worthwhile.  I was very very ill and now have my life back.  Aches and pains are a part of Lyme, and there is no reason not to pursue treatment and the elimination or lessening of your pain and discomfort.

Muscle cramps and aches may be helped by taking magnesium supplements -- I was waking up in the middle of the night with extremely painful leg cramps, and adding magnesium citrate, orotate, and/or aspartate took care of that (I use a formulation that has all three types:  Magnesium MAO).  Also magnesium citrate is recommended by some, I believe.  The reason for taking it?  I read that Lyme bacteria use up magnesium in their reproductive cycle, and magnesium deficiency usually does not show up on blood tests because most Mg is inside the cells, not the blood stream where it can be measured.

Some of the pain and stiffness you feel is from joint swelling, but that can subside too after treatment.  In some people, it resolves; in others, it lingers, but the only way to find out is to try to fix it.

Best wishes to you -- let us know how you do, all right?  

[JackieCalifornia]

Shelli,

I'm sorry to hear you've got Lyme, but am glad you at last have a diagnosis.  It is the first step to getting better.

I don't think I have read anywhere that it is ever too late to treat Lyme and get better.  Body pain as you describe is a common symptom for many of us, and it does get better with treatment.  Lyme affects everyone differently, and some have more body pain than others, and migratory pain is not uncommon.  

Others here have found ways to help their aches and pains, such as sauna, exercise (starting at a low level), and other methods.  I would suggest you read Dr Burrascano's "Diagnostic Hints and Treatment Guidelines" posted at ILADS [dot] org, under the tab 'About Lyme', third item down.  It's rather conversationally written, so there is important information scattered throughout that you won't find just by consulting the table of contents.

It is ~28 pages long, and the first time through may be a slog, but very worthwhile.  It will start to make more sense if you keep reading and thinking it through.

Were you tested for co-infections, which are other diseases often carried by the ticks that bring Lyme?  That can mean separate medications from what treats Lyme.

Above all, don't give up!  Treatment is not quick or obvious, but it is worthwhile.  I was very very ill and now have my life back.  Aches and pains are a part of Lyme, and there is no reason not to pursue treatment and the elimination or lessening of your pain and discomfort.

Muscle cramps and aches may be helped by taking magnesium supplements -- I was waking up in the middle of the night with extremely painful leg cramps, and adding magnesium citrate, orotate, and/or aspartate took care of that (I use a formulation that has all three types:  Magnesium MAO).  Also magnesium citrate is recommended by some, I believe.  The reason for taking it?  I read that Lyme bacteria use up magnesium in their reproductive cycle, and magnesium deficiency usually does not show up on blood tests because most Mg is inside the cells, not the blood stream where it can be measured.

Some of the pain and stiffness you feel is from joint swelling, but that can subside too after treatment.  In some people, it resolves; in others, it lingers, but the only way to find out is to try to fix it.

Best wishes to you -- let us know how you do, all right?  

[JackieCalifornia]

Oops, that's magnesium malate, aspartate, and orotate (MAO).  Magnesium citrate is a separate kind.  Each has different uses but I'm taking Magnesium MAO currently.