antibiotic therapy and pain reduction

[Winston813]

Hi All

Have had CFS/ Fibro Dx for many years and Hashimotos thyroid now as well.

Coincidentallly I had taken a strong broad spectrum antibiotic last summer for 10 days and I noticed my Fibro symptoms had gotten better - they were not gone but better - then I had a similar procedure and had the same antibiotic again.  I had the same reaction - reduced symptoms of pain and generalized ache.  Has anyone noticed this before?  I spoke with my PCP but they felt there was no connection.  I se my Rheumatologist tomorrow and want to bring it up.  I must say that it felt very good to be in less pain - and it worked better than general pain meds.
Any comments or ideas?

Thanks and Have a Good Eve

Winston

[wonko]

I'm like patsy10.  Though I'm not diagnosed with either, I have a lot of fibro and CFS symptoms.  I can wake up in pain from the sheets on my legs, and often become too exhausted to function normally.  

I never had fibro or CFS symptoms until my Lyme got very bad.  Now, who knows if it is active infection that is ongoing, or some leftover syndrome?  (This is a situation in which many late-diagnosed Lyme patients find themselves.)

When I stop antibiotics, I get worse (I'm still in my initial treatment...).

Some antibiotics are said to have anti-inflammatory properties, and therefore even without an infection they may be therapeutic.  However, IMHO, I think they only work against the inflammation caused by infection.  

Lyme is sneaky, and my test results never strongly confirmed it, nor did I ever exhibit the characteristic rash, nor do I recall a tick bite.  Given my response to antibiotics,  I do think that I have some weird persistent infection, and call it Lyme for lack of a better label.

[patsy10]

Yes.  My fibro is related probably to Lyme disease.  I improve greatly on antibiotics.  There are other bacterial infections too that have been implicated in FMS and CFS.  To me this shows that primary fibro is not the problem and that the problem is likely secondary fibro symptoms from a bacterial infection.