flare from weather?

[Patti D]

Hi All,

Thanks for all of the interesting information on Lyme. Last week we had such good weather I was out in the garden all week. It is cold again, and now it seems my joint pain is moving all over again. First the wrist, then the knee, then 2 fingers etc. I am still wondering if I really have RA or if lyme is causing me to feel this way again. I was doing so well. So the big questions which I always seem to ask, is this a herx reaction or a flare. There is no visible joint swelling but again, when I get up from sitting or wake up in the morning, I am back to shuffling around like a 90 year old(I'm 53). The stiffness goes away in about 1/2 hour but again, all day long if I would be sitting, I always get up  from a chair very stiff but once I get moving it goes away. Am I always going to be like this???

Happy days!

Patti D 

[Patti D]

Hi John H,

Thanks for replying. So it is the weather. Dr. Brown talks about a drop in barometer which causes aches & pains and refers to October & May as being the worst. I am glad to hear that you are feeling pretty good overall and only have some short episodes/flares now that you have been on AP for 9 years. I will try to drink more water today and maybe take the extra aleve. I was down to one tablet 2 times a day for the last two weeks and feeling pretty good about it. I guess this is part of the healing:?

Patti D

[linda]

Hi Patti,

The Tim Conway old man shuffle, I know it well! I hope this flare is just the weather, like you said. It sounds reasonable. Wishing you lots of sunshine and more stable weather!

linda

[Patti D]

Thank you Linda,

I am glad that I can get a few chuckles from fellow APers. Everyone that reads this board knows the ah! feeling upon getting up. Let's hope this is short lived. I want to move again without grunting & complaining!

 

Happy days!

Patti D

[Maz]

Hi Patti,

Another possibility, aside from weather, is that the Lyme bacteria apparently also has a longer life cycle than the mycoplasma and, as such, is said to be more vulnerable to the abx at wider spaced intervals. In effect, this translates to wider-spaced periods of herxing.

Your post could have been written by me! Very similar thing going on here…was doing so well, but just in the past two weeks have had some regression, especially in the a.m. and when sitting for too long. No doubt partially related to weather and possible spring allergens in the air, but I suspect also to the nature of this beast, called Lyme.

Hope we both pick up soon!

Peace, Maz

[Patti D]

Hi Maz,

Sorry to hear you are in the same boat. The lyme articles were so interesting and yes, I had thought about the lyme not to mention my fear of gardening and the return of the beast(spring is the most dangerous for the tick is so so tiny) One of the articles mentioned on another post stated that AP needs to be at 8-16 months and sometimes longer for lyme. I am on 4 months and 5 if you count the first round of doxy. I will be on the AP as long as necessary to get this under control, at least!Well the lemon drink helped last night and today I am walking around with a heated rice pack around my neck. Just took a short walk but the knees are hurting. Let's hope for the both of us, that this is short lived:sick:

Happy days!

Patti D

[A Friend]

Patti D,

Good to “see” you!  About the weather, it has been documented (in Dr. Brown's book) that changes in barometric pressure (and even flying in an airplane) can cause pain-type changes in the body.  In the book, it said a barometric chamber was used to determine this.  At certain times of the year when seasons change, many people notice changes. 

It's also my belief that acidic wastes in the body can cause additional stiffness and pain.  There are all sorts of pain-causing acidic wastes the body has to “process”, including those from our metabolism and other functions, plus byproducts of unfriendly organisms in our body and especially when they die as a result of AP.  Have read that's a good reason to drink lots of pure water, eat foods with a good bit of fiber to ensure good elimination, if able… to walk/exercise moderately, and that whole lemon/olive oil drink has been shown to help also in ridding the body of these acidic wastes. 

Best to you,

AF

[steph-sclero]

Hi Patti,

I live in Canada and the last two weeks preceding this one were warm and sunny. This week has been raining, damp and cold. Well oh my god, my joint are 'flaming'; hot, swollen and very sore. You'd think it was a full blown flare but I know better, I've seen this pattern before. As soon as it's nice again I'll feel much better. I know we've had this discussion on the board before. People from Florida will now post that they still have flare ups and they live in a warm climate all the time. To this debate I have no answers. But the whole weather thing for a lot of us is very real. 🙂

Take Care,

Steph

[Terri9967]

Steph, I was reading your post about how people in FL say they have flares and live in warm weather all the time.  I am wondering if those of us that live in areas where there are drastic  changes in weather effect us differently, maybe something to do with the way “the little buggers” in our system react to significant change in temp and humidity??  Just a thought… LOL

Hugsss

Terri

[steph-sclero]

Terri,

I have long thought the same thing. I think may be people born and raised in climates with all the seasons have a different system.

Cheers,

Steph

[Patti D]

Hi All,

The discussion on the board always keep me wondering. My husband says maybe we should live in Arizona or Florida in the winter but I don't think that will help. Peoples bones ache in all parts of the country, world and in every climate if they have these invasive little mycoplasmas taking over:X

AF- I appreciate your info about fiber & water. I certainly need to be better at the water. You are a world of wisdom!

Steph- Being in Ontario, a climate much like Wisconsin, you know these seasons are really a killer. We had more rain all night and I had more pain all night!! Now I know why rain rhymes with pain. But I do notice the “mini flare” does not disable me any more. This morning I couldn't zip my pants very well and by 10 AM I was really pretty good.:) 

So as Maz says, the durations of discomfort should get shorter, the longer I am on AP. Here is to all of my new friends on this board. My prayers are with you all.

Terri- Things will get better!! You have a lot of support here and prayers and positive feelings transend your way.

Happy days!

Patti D

 

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