Joint Pains

G

Green And Angry Kitteh

New member
My boyfriend has been to several doctors but has yet to be diagnosed. It all started with joint pain in his left arm and he eventually lost some range of motion in the elbow... recently he's been having knee and heel pains... I'm really worried. I encouraged him to get another blood test to check for Lyme disease... he never had any rash or other symptoms but could it possibly be Lyme disease left untreated causing all this joint pain??

Any ideas what else it could be?
 
It's good that you're considering Lyme...and yes, it definitely could be Lyme without the rash. Some say that fewer than 30 percent present with a rash...I suspect its a lot less than 30 percent.

Tests for Lyme are inconclusive and for that reason Lyme Literate Doctors should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment. You only have to check a few posts on the Lyme boards to find out how many years people tested "negative" before they got a "positive" and that's if they got a postive at all. It is not uncommon for people to see between 12-24 specialists before getting diagnosed and treated for Lyme.

The earlier Lyme is diagnosed and treated, the more likely the symptoms can be stopped and the damage reversed. That's not to say it may not be something else but I would pursue the possibility of Lyme as aggressively as I would pursue the "something else" because Lyme can cripple and can kill if left untreated.

Bethsheba
 
He should also have blood tests to check for the various forms of inflammatory arthritis, they too cause joint damage if not treated.
 
Wow thanks! I did hear that the test for Lyme often comes back negative and that it's hard to diagnose... he should be getting the blood test back any day and they also did tests for arthritis and several other things.

I just am really worried and want him to figure out what's wrong. I appreciate your help... I'm printing this for him!
 
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