I’ve been having a tough time lately: lots of leg pain and the sudden appearance of cripling painful plantar fasciitis.  As well as my antibiotics I had been taking an enzyme supplement, made from pineapple, called Bromelain.  Bromelain is quite effective in reducing clotting time and  I was taking it because about 18 months ago (the same week I was diagnosed with Lyme) I was found to have two clots in a leg – DVT.  Lyme can cause hypercoagulation, indeed it might have been that which caused my DVT.  I still wear compression stockings (normal for two years after diagnosis for a DVT) but as I’d been quite inactive lately (and taken a 90 minutes flight) I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ‘self thin’.  This may have been a mistake.  I realised that my increased pain coincided with starting the Bromelain, so I Googled interactions with drugs and found Bromelain is known to enhance the uptake of certain drugs – including Amoxycillin!  I stopped the Bromelain and in 24 hours I was a lot better.  Doh.

However, you may have noticed I said the Bromelain may have been a mistake.  Two weeks ago, at my review with my GP, I told him about some of my leg pain being reminiscent of DVT.  He examined my legs (one of which is slightly swollen) but thought it was more likely to have been the Lyme.  Yesterday I was still concerned enough that I went to the surgery and asked directly for a scan, but the doctor I saw preferred to do a risk analysis and take a blood test.  Today the test came back – marginal – so now I’m booked in for a scan on Monday.  The doctor still thinks there’s a good chance this is something else, but I may have a DVT after all which would complicate, if not completely stop, my treatment for Lyme.  Boo.  Fingers crossed.