Lyme osteoarthritis in hands...

Interesting subject. If you have a moment I will share something with interesting with you.

I have been taking Doxy for a few years, a few weeks on/off at a time. Well, the last time that I took it, maybe three months ago, I began to have arthritis pain in my hands, fingers, joints, knees and mostly everywhere two bones joined together. I stopped taking it and within a few days it went away.

I started Doxy again and within a few days it came back. But this time it took longer for it to go away.

So I talked to my Lyme doctor and he changed me to Minocycline. Well, within a few hours of taking Mino the joint swelling and pain came back, and again, it took longer than before to go away, probably like a week.

So I thought that maybe I had developed an allergy to tetracyclines, so I moved on to a different class of antibiotics.

Well, I started taking Ceftin, and within a few days the joint inflammation came back. This time it came back with fatigue and so bad that I could barely walk from the joint pain but also from being so tired.

One evening, when I was feeling so bad, I decided to take my herbs with Ceftin. Would you believe that when I woke up the next morning all of the inflammation was gone? I mean, the knees hurt so bad that I could barely stand on them. Next morning, nothing! all gone! I thought that I had Carpal Tunnel from being on the computer at work all day. That was gone too.

I have been taking my herbs for years now, alone and in combination with other antibiotics, but never together with Ceftin. So I am unsure as to what the interaction was between Ceftin and my herbs (Japanese knotweed, Turmeric, CSA, Cats Claw, Sida Acuda, houttuynia, Monolaurin) that got rid of the inflammation within a few hours.

I stopped taking my herbs and continued with Ceftin to see what would happen. Within three days the joint pain started again, although not as bad as before.

Interesting, right?

Just wanted to update my question here that the joints can definitely improve with treatment.

I am back to being able to wear my ring most days although my fingers still look quite affected. Six years and I now very much have old lady hands lol.

Very happy to be back at this point and hoping most of the joint damage here and elsewhere can improve with care.

Thanks Girlie.

I've lost so much muscle too, I'm slowly trying to get some of that back but it's slow work. I was worried that much of the joint damage might be irreversible - it's nice to be feeling a little more hopeful on that front.

Thanks Lapis!

I've been meaning to try glucosamine again now that I'm over the worst. I took hyaluronic acid early on and I can't say I noticed anything at the time but then the infection was too severe then. I should try that one again too as I feel so much better joint wise but not 100% yet.

I've used oils but they're not a major part of my protocol currently. As I understand it boswellic acids are not present in the EO but are better extracted in water or alcohol - this was a part of one of the tinctures I used for a long time which was very effective.

I remember this post! :D It was what put this back of my mind to do again.