Magnessium spray oil can be used topically for specific pain areas. Spray or rub on, let dry, then wipe off whats left.
Although muscle relaxers work, they are hard on your liver and so is lyme when detoxifying or when on antibiotics - so watch your liver alt and ast.- you Dr should be doing this as well if your on antibiotics.
MSM (sulfur) cream works on sore muscles and joints too and is safe.
Both are readily available at supplement stores.
Some people detoxify better than others. People with drawn out Herx reactions and those who are slow to improve most likely have trouble detoxing.
I encourage you to do some research on Lyme and natural treatment-oriented web sites to learn about detoxing. I was slow to believe this and paid a high price. I now take a number of detoxing supplements and they definitely help.
Whatever you take, drink lots of clean water. Ideally, you'd add a little lemon juice to it. It helps keep your body alkaline so it can better fight the infection. Lyme patients' bodies are often too acidic.
FYI, I got bad diarrhea from magnesium so I need to be careful.
Welcome to MedHelp -- congratulations (?) on getting a diagnosis -- aside from feeling lousy, getting diagnosed can be the hardest thing to do -- but now you can get on with getting better.
Some questions for you:
-- What tests did your doc run and what were the results -- as in, were there any other infections in addition to Lyme? The 'Lyme' bacteria often carry other separate illnesses ('co-infections') that often need separate testing and treatment.
-- What meds are you taking for the Lyme?
-- What state do you live in? This matters because in some states, the medical board makes it hard for docs to treat Lyme aggressively, and so means a little extra effort to find a good Lyme doc and be tested and treated appropriately (meaning as a Lyme specialist would).
-- Do you take vitamins and/or supplements? One thing about Lyme is that the bacteria tend to use up magnesium (Mg) in your body, and low levels of Mg can cause you to feel tired and achy and not clear-thinking. In addition, the standard American diet is often deficient in Mg. I took Mg supplements when I was being treated for Lyme, and I am still taking them a couple of years after Lyme treatment was done, just because I feel better ... which probably means my diet is low in Mg.
I have read that any kind of Mg supplement ending in "-ate" is most absorbable by the body, such as magnesium malate, aspartate, orotate, citrate, etc. There is a kind of Mg supplement on the market called CalMag, which I'm sure is fine generally but doesn't seem to work well for those with Lyme for reasons I don't know, but others have mentioned it too. 'CalMag' has both calcium and magnesium, and if you want to take both Mg and calcium, then I would do so as separate vitamins instead of the combo-style. My favorite formulation is either Mg malate or a combo including Mg citrate, aspartate and orotate (that capsule is called Magnesium CAO, short for Mg citrate, aspartate and orotate.) Soothes the nerves and anxiety, helps sleep.
Also, you can take Epsom salt baths or footbaths so the Mg can be absorbed through your skin. Epsom salts have been around forever -- my grandfather used to soak his tired feet in an Epsom salt bath after a long work day. If you take Mg tablets/pills, you probably don't need the Epsom salts too. I find it easier to take the tablets than hassle with a bath or foot bath, but it's very soothing however you take it. Available at vitamin stores, drugstores and other places like big grocery stores.
Note that it is possible (so I have read and also been told by an MD) that too much Mg through supplements can cause diarrhea, but I've never had that problem. If it does happen to you, then try lowering the dosage. (Mg is a laxative, like Milk of *Magnesia*.) Be sure to check with your doc with any questions; I'm not medically trained.
Sorry to bombard you with all this data, but thought these might help how you're feeling. Let us know how we can help, and do stay in touch, okay? Take care! And welcome --