Is this normal?

[Mnap]

After having a high fever for 3 days followed by 3 more days of non-stop sleeping, my joints were attacked and I felt like I couldn't move.  I couldn't even open my hands or walk down the stairs without a lot of pain.  My doctor thought I might have Lyme and prescribed Doxycycline for 3 weeks.  I have one pill left and I'm still exhausted and my joints *particularly my knees, feet, hands, wrists and shoulders) are still hurting.  I feel better once I'm moving and have been doing low impact exercise on most days.

Is this normal?  Does it take a while to get over this or could I have been mis-diagnosed?  I am a healthy 48 year-old female.  

Thank you in advance for your help.  It is very much appreciated.

M

[Mnap]

I can't thank you guys enough.  You are making me feel "normal" and that I can beat this with continued persistence. If I truly have Lyme (which I think I do), it explains A LOT of how I've been feeling for a while.

I will keep you informed...and, again, thank you.

Warmest regards...

[mojogal]

By the way, stress can bring it out of the "dormant" stage in addition to reinfection.

[mojogal]

Yes you can, it happened to me that way. I was bit 18 yrs ago that I know of then had all these pains, some said fibromyalgia, some said CFS, then wham 18 mos ago full force Lyme and bartonella. Glad you are going to an LLMD!

[JackieCalifornia]

Duh.  Not show inserts:  SHOE inserts.

[JackieCalifornia]

Duh.  Not show inserts:  SHOE inserts.

[JackieCalifornia]

Oh, yes, having a low-lying Lyme infection (maybe with co-infections) that is tolerable until another bite and a reinfection, and suddenly your immune system, that was handling things all right, is overwhelmed.  Think of it like a small town cop who can handle the usual level of mild banditry, but when a new gang invades, suddenly the cop can't keep it all under control.

I think I had a low-level case of Lyme for several years with small symptoms that I just blew off -- like sore soles of the feet in the mornings.  I mean, who would think THAT had any significance??  So I got show inserts, thinking my arches were falling, but didn't really help.  Then we went back East in the summer, and I got REALLY sick, which turned out to be Lyme and babesia.  I think it was a re-infection ... and now that I've been fully treated, and five years down the road, my now-five-years-older arches don't hurt at ALL!

The immune system is a marvelous thing, and it can handle a lot ... but has its limits.  I'll never know if I had a previous Lyme infection before the big onset, but it's a pretty good guess.  After a while, I gave up trying to figure it out, since the answer is truly unknowable.  But take comfort that it's not in your head -- and whisper nice words to your immune system to keep up the good work!