Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Causes Intermittent Pain In The Hand?
Question: male 73 severe pain in hand will not let me sleep, goes away in a day then reoccurs in other hand ,feels like I'm being hit with a hammer . also knee and lower back pain. tick bite 2 yrs. ago given antibiotics. tested 4 Lyme last yr , negative
Brief Answer:
Possible Diagnosis: need to rule out Lyme arthritis
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for trusting HealthcareMagic,
Pain in joints that comes and goes, migratory to other joint raises the concern for Lyme arthritis, especially with the previous history of tick bite.
Test for Lyme arthritis can give false negative results. So I would recommend getting tested again with ELISA. If still negative, western blot testing, synovial fluid PCR analysis is needed.
X-ray of the affected joint, complete blood count, ESR, and Rheumatoid factor are also needed to rule our other kind of arthritis like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis etc.
If Lyme arthritis is confirmed, then you will require a longer duration of antibiotic therapy/ Intravenous antibiotic therapy.
Please be advised to follow up with your primary care provider for further evaluation and management.
Hope this answers your question
Please feel free to address further questions here
Regards
Dr.Lekshmi
Possible Diagnosis: need to rule out Lyme arthritis
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for trusting HealthcareMagic,
Pain in joints that comes and goes, migratory to other joint raises the concern for Lyme arthritis, especially with the previous history of tick bite.
Test for Lyme arthritis can give false negative results. So I would recommend getting tested again with ELISA. If still negative, western blot testing, synovial fluid PCR analysis is needed.
X-ray of the affected joint, complete blood count, ESR, and Rheumatoid factor are also needed to rule our other kind of arthritis like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis etc.
If Lyme arthritis is confirmed, then you will require a longer duration of antibiotic therapy/ Intravenous antibiotic therapy.
Please be advised to follow up with your primary care provider for further evaluation and management.
Hope this answers your question
Please feel free to address further questions here
Regards
Dr.Lekshmi
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
