Herxing Heart and Joint Pain

[Ness78]

Since falling ill last fall, my symptoms have been mostly neuro.  I am defintely in a herx right now because my elbow joint  and knee joint is throbing on and off.  I have never before experienced any rheumy pain.  More alarming is I am having heart pain.  Is that normalish?  I will take myself to the hospital if it gets really bad...but I am just wondering...Could this really be part of the herx?..

[Ness78]

Thanks Jackie, I actually am happy to be bug thumpin'!  It is like a good pain. Thanks for your thoughts and support. :)

[JackieCalifornia]

That's good news, as these things go, eh?  I mean, bad news that you're feeling lousy, but good news that it's 'normal lousy.'

I'm glad you called the doc's office -- been thinking about you this afternoon and hoping you did.

I had a lot of neuro symptoms too, and seldom body pain, except for muscle cramps till I started taking magnesium supplements.  Everybody's different, and every so often, the bugs will switch it up just to keep us on our toes (or curled up in a ball on the sofa).

I wish docs were more explanatory about these things ... it could save us a lot of time fretting and wondering and trying to figure it out.  Just lying there feeling lousy and NOT wondering why doesn't strike me as a good approach.  Looks too much like surrender.

Here's just a guess:  Maybe the meds are reaching the cartilage the bugs love to hide in because it has low blood flow and the immune system can't easily reach there.  Joints, heart muscle = cartilage.  So when the meds start thumping the bugs, you really feel it like not before.

Take care, try warm or hot baths, maybe gentle massage to help the aches and pains.  Oooh, I used to like epsom salt baths.  Epsom salts are magnesium, so very relaxing for more than one reason.  

Maybe even grimly enjoy the aches and pains a bit, because of what it's doing:  bug thumpin'.  Ha.

Let us know how you do --  sending you good thoughts.

[Ness78]

She said that it was likely part of a herx and not a side effect of the hydroxychorlique that I just started.  I am so glad because I want to keep moving forward with treatment.

It is so weird that now that I am herxing I am having joint and heart pain, yet my only symptoms before starting treatment were neuro.  Why did my brain take the beating and not my heart and joints. Strange.

[Ness78]

That is a good plan. Thanks Jackie. I will let you know how it goes.

[JackieCalifornia]

It may be part of the Herx, but I'd call the doc's office and tell them what's happening, not just ask for an appointment or a callback, but tell them you are having heart symptoms and need to know whether it's significant and what to do about it.  Let us know what you do and how it goes, okay?