Lymes disease symptoms and conditions

February 22nd
2009
My side effects (Charles Clark)
3:00pm

It started with diarrhea after a couple days treatment. Then my hand muscles starting to contract on there own. Then I started having high blood pressure up to 212/118 and high heart rate and anxiety beginning to set in. My wife wanted to take me to the hospital but I refused to go (I wish I had. They might have taken me off Doxy then, but no, I was still taking it). I then started having problems breathing (like something was stopping me. Not like hyperventilating). My wife called the doctor and she said to stop the Doxy and come in. At the visit, she gave me meds for high blood pressure and ordered a heart monitor and stress test as she believed my problem was more likely with my heart. I didn't start the blood pressure medications as I needed to have the tests done in a week and a half. I had a panic attack before the stress test. There was a patient there who stated her granddaughter had developed panic attacks after she had taken Doxy for Lymes disease. What a coincidence. That weekend my blood pressure and anxiety increased and my wife called the doctor. They convinced me to start the blood pressure medicine as all of this might be caused by High Blood Pressure. I returned to the doctor 4 days later and she took more blood work as well as tested for Lymes disease again. Everything was normal and NO lymes disease. So what was causing all of these problems. That night when I came home from the Doctors I started feeling like someone just sprayed me like you spray a wasp/bee. I started to shake and twitch inside like I was dying I could feel my stomach convulsing and getting cold. Now at this point I had been off Doxycycline for a few days. My wife called the doctors emergency line and they called in a prescription for Xanex. I took it and it put be out. I woke up the next day feeling like I was on a bad rollercoaster ride going over the edge and trying to climbing out of my skin. I was unable to even take care of myself at this point. I started getting muscle twitches all over my body. I could not control my thoughts and had a hard time talking; my skin was so hypersensitive to the touch or movement. The only way I could deal with it was just lay down and not move. I felt like was going to die. More symptoms came: my middle finger on my left hand went numb; I was so nauseated I had a hard time eating; depression set in with sever panic attacks/anxiety, ears ringing, slight pain in my chest like I was having a heart attack and was becoming bed ridden and afraid of everything at this point. That next week I returned to the doctor and she noted how it seemed a struggle for me to walk into the office. She felt that I should begin meds to decrease the anxiety that was paralyzing me. She suggested seeing a psychiatrist and stated that if I got worse my wife should take me to the emergency and be admitted to the mental health program. So I began to take Paxil as well (I hate medications, but I was desperate). I was terrified that I might have side affects from these meds and I couldn't be alone and I was afraid to go anywhere, afraid I would have an attack or worse, stop breathing all together. I was terrified and my family was getting very worried about me and unsure what to do. Thanks to my best friend, my wife, and my family for taking care of me. If it were not for them, I would not know what to do. My dear mom even came in from Virginia to help take care of me. I can not express my thanks enough to my family! I have been off the drug now for almost seven weeks now and all my side effects are slowly, very slowly, dissipating. How come the Doctors don't know about this? Thank GOD for this site and the ones that took the time to post there experience with this drug! THANKS EVERYONE GOD BLESS YOU!

P.S. please reply on what you did to get rid of the side effects, how long did it take for them to go away and did your Doctor believe that the Doxycycline caused them. because I can't find a Doctor that thinks the Doxycycline can have these side effects.

I just found this site. I have had all the mentioned side affects too, but I have so many health problems besides the Diabetes I am on the Lisinopril for, that I never know if the symptoms are from a med or a health problem I have. My BP was never very high but my dr put me on this "to protect my kidneys" and said I HAVE to take a BP med to do that, or my kidneys would stop functioning. MY PROBLEM now is, I cannot get my Diabetes under control. I have been thru 2 drs and the last one just told me to get lost when I refused to go on insulin injections. At this time I do not have another dr yet. My Psoriasis has flared up again and my skin on my face is so dry I have red/scaly patches on my nose and down all around my mouth. My skin is getting drier and drier. It seems like I am drying up. I have been drinking lots of water and putting salves/lotions on my face and it is not helping. My daughter called me last night and told me to check out my BP medicine as she read that some can cause high blood sugar. My blood sugar keeps jumping all over the place. It drops to 165 then may go up to 225 the next day. Has any one else had problems with this medicine and Diabetes?
I am 63 yrs old and am in poor physical condition because of Lymes Disease and other health problems. So I do not know which of these symptoms are from this medicine or from other health problems I have. I did find out that the Diabetic medicine Metformin depletes you of B12, so I am now on spray B12 500/equal to shots. NOW I read that this medicine will deplete you of Potassium. Please let me know if you have Diabetes and this medicine makes it worse.

MY SON WAS ON DOXYCYCLONE FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS FOR TREATMENT OF LYMES DISEASE WITH NO SIDE EFFECTS AT ALL. THEN WE WENT ON VACATION TO THE BEACH AND EVEN THOUGH HE HAD SUN BLOCK, HE STILL GOT BURNED MOSTLY JUST ON HIS FACE. THE NEXT TWO DAYS HIS FINGERS WERE SLIGHTLY TINGLY AND HIS HANDS FELT LIKE THEY WERE ON FIRE. I ASKED HIM WHAT WAS DIFFERENT AND HE TOLD ME SINCE WE HAD BEEN ON VACATION, HIS ALLERGIES HAD BEEN ACTING UP SO HE HAD BEEN TAKING HIS ALLEGRA. I TOLD HIM TO STOP THE ALLEGRA AND IN 24 HOURS, THE BURNING SENSATION WAS GONE. I HAVE BEEN READING THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE HEAT AND BURNING SENSATION IN THEIR EXTREMETIES. HAVE ANY OF YOU ALSO BEEN ON ALLEGRA OR OTHER ANTI-HISTAMINES? COULD THIS BE A POSSIBLE DRUG INTERACTION? MY SON IS ALMOST DONE WITH HIS 4 WEEK TREATMENT FOR LYMES DISEASE AND HAS NO OTHER PROBLEMS.

This was the worst experience! I started taking Doxy to rid myself of infection that might be caused due to a vaginal procedure. I started taking the med on Monday afternoon, by Thursday night my legs and arms were on fire it seemed. The tingly feeling you are talking about. I completely lost my appetite. I was tired, weak, lightheaded, nauseated. Here it is five days after I have stopped the med and I still feel the burning, tingly skin. Also, I had muscle pain that caused my skin to be sore to even touch. I cringed at the thought of someone touching me for two days. NEVER AGAIN will I take this. I mean, after all, it's strong enough to be used for ANTHRAX, how strong does that have to be?

I've had symptoms for about two months now without knowing they were coming from taking doxy. First, I couldn't sleep at night b/c my feet felt like they were on fire! and my hands had the same tingly feeling esp. after a change in temperature. Then my toes became red and swolen around the nail. After about a month, the feelings never really went away but always got worse when I was in the sun. A rash began to develop on the tops of my toes. Each bump looked like a tiny water blister. After more sunlight, the rash spread to my hands and arms. More fire. I also got the terrible feeling in my thumbs and index fingers that felt like I banged them with a hammer. Now that the rash is going away (still bad on my toes), my fingernails are terribly brittle, discolored, and are coming off the nail bed on a few fingers. I've also gotten a fever blister and terrible sunburn on my nose, ugh. I was presecribed this medicine for acne, but that seems as though it hasn't even been treated. I've also noticed blurred vision and back pain, but I think that is just b/c I hate my job. LOL.

I started taking Dox. because I lost my baby.. and my doc. prescribed it to me so i wouldn't get an infection. Im only supposed to take it for ten days.. its day seven and I have this burning sensation that is on my hands.. My hands are all red where its burning me.. The odd thing is it started with my knuckles.. and now it has spread. The weird part is that Its only on the tops of my hands..
I talked to my Pharmasist.. and he said that it was a rare side effect..
I have never heard of an ANTIBODIC that would make your hands burn..
I stopped taking it because my hands are litterally on fire..
If anyone else has gone through this please tell me what you have done to get them to stop burning..
I tried Aloe.. and it worked for ten minutes.. cold water makes it worse along with hot water.. putting pressure helps for a few seconds.. the only releif that I have found is blowing cool air on them..

i was put on it for 3rd stage lymes's disease. The doctors dont even know if I have 3rd stage lyme's disease but they're "assuming" because of all of my symptoms. I have never done well with medications and yet again this one didnt work well. Ive been on it for 2 weeks now out of 4 and I have been very sick to my stomach, headaches, my vision has changed, i bruise easier. I also have had horrible stomach problems, cramping and I have not been able to have a bowl movement for 2 weeks. I also have been sleeping up to 17-20 hours a day missing classes and work. I can barely function I'm more like a zombie. And all my doctor back home said (i'm in college) was that "these are side effects it will happen." However the doctor up here took me off it immediately. I need this med to take my pain away w/the "lymes disease" however these side effects are incredibly painful and causing a problem in my daily life. Not a good medication i feel

I took doxcycline for aprox. 12 days due to a definite tick bite. I had a very nasty bullseye on my upper leg. Even though the blood test showed negative - the bullseye rash was evident, & doxycycline was prescribed as the better, stonger medicine for treating Lymes disease. the symptoms that I was having were spuratic in the beginning. (3rd - 4th) day, - slight hot & cold feeling as I slept @ night resembling a slight fever, which was uncomfortably noticeable.
Some nausea also. On the 10th - 12th days I had an irritating thin skinned feeling in my hands - washing my hands with cool water would give an icy glow to my hands as well as a cool breze or wind an my hands; super sensitive discomfort. Also while sleeping with my hands under the blankets - I would feel the sensation as if my hands were glowing hot. My lips felt a sight burning also. In addition to those symptoms, I felt as though I was developing sort of a head cold with headache & my eyes hurt. Fatigue was evident. The doctor said to stop the medicine; & that 10 days of doxycycline was enough time to combat the Lymes.