posted
I've just recently found out that I have the co-infection, Babesia. I was shocked that treatment is an anti-malaria medicine! Does anyone get wicked headaches or rib pain with Babesia? Any suggestions?
Posts: 37 | From NJ | Registered: Nov 2013
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GretaM
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posted
Hi there,
I have not begun treatment for babesia.
Bartonella is my dominant (and hellish) coinfection currently.
But in Dr. H's new book,
For babesia he writes, fatigue malaise weakness with associated fever shaking chills and excessive sweating.
But he also write that babesia exacerbates lyme symptoms! So I bet this is where the killer headaches come in for you.
He also mentions that depression anxiety and mood swings are worse when folks have lyme and babesia.
Posts: 4358 | From British Columbia, Canada | Registered: Jun 2013
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GretaM
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posted
Sorry, I am a bit scattered today.
Bartonella, for me, is hellish head pain, and very sore sternum.
I am not sure where rib pain comes in for you, but babesia does cause shortness of breath and unproductive coughing. Maybe this is contributing to your rib pain.
Take care, Greta
Posts: 4358 | From British Columbia, Canada | Registered: Jun 2013
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CherylSue
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posted
I had/have? babesia, and I never did get headaches.
Posts: 1954 | From Illinois | Registered: Aug 2007
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TF
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Member # 14183
posted
Symptoms of babesiosis from Burrascano Guidelines:
"SYMPTOMS
Clues to the presence of Babesiosis include a more acute initial illness- patients often recall a high fever and chills at the onset of their Lyme. Over time, they can note night sweats, air hunger, an occasional cough, persistent migraine-like headache, a vague sense of imbalance without true vertigo, encephalopathy and fatigue." (page 23)
So, there is your wicked headache.
Then, on page 10, he lists lyme symptoms including the following:
desertwind
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Member # 25256
posted
Chronic babesia and killer headaches. One of the common symptoms along with massive head pressure. Whoever says babs does not cause headaches is mis-informed. First thing to come back are killer headaches when I have a babs relapse.
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map1131
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posted
I've been telling my husband about these weird type headaches I've been having for weeks now.
In fact this morning I told him that funny feeling headache is back. I've been really confused about this headache.
It's not the lyme headache that starts at the neck and works upward. It's not the bart type inflammation headache?
It truly feels like my head is in a vise? More frontal and one the sides. It comes and goes every few days, which I know is suppose to be the babs much shorter cycles.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6478 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
I researched rib pain a lot because my son had costochondritis as on of his main symptoms.
I can't remember where I saw it, here, or on roadback.org but I remember lots of people telling me that rib pain was often babesia.
-------------------- Son, 26, Dx Lyme 4/10, Babs 8/10 Had serious arthritis, all gone. Currently on Valtrex Daughter, 26,bullseye 7/11 arthritis in knees, cured and off all meds. . Self:Lyme, bart, sxs gone, no longer treating. Posts: 496 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Jul 2010
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map1131
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posted
Well rib pain has been in the picture the last several months. From the front all the way around to my back.
I just don't have any of the cough stuff? Respiratory, unproductive cough, night sweats( heat up and kick covers off, very mild).
My light up sweats were always during the day.
I need to look up some of these terms costochondritis? Shortness of breath I thought was due to having unknown heart disease for years.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6478 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
How have you guys been treated for Babesia?
Posts: 37 | From NJ | Registered: Nov 2013
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TF
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posted
I took Bactim DS (double strength) and pulsed artemesinin (a malaria herb). It worked for me.
The best treatment is Mepron or Malarone plus azithromycin. And, always pulsed artemesinin added in.
Read about it in Burrascano Guidelines, pages 23- 24. See this quote:
"the current regimen of choice for Babesiosis is the combination of atovaquone (Mepron, Malarone), 750 mg bid, plus an erythromycin-type drug, such as azithromycin (Zithromax), clarithromycin (Biaxin), or telithromycin (Ketek) in standard doses. This combination was initially studied in animals, and then applied to Humans with good success. Fewer than 5% of patients have to halt treatment due to side effects, and the success rate is clearly better than that of clindamycin plus quinine.
The duration of treatment with atovaquone combinations for Babesiosis varies depending on the degree of infection, duration of illness before diagnosis, the health and immune status of the patient, and whether the patient is co-infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. Typically, a three-week course is prescribed for acute cases, while chronic, longstanding infections with significant morbidity and co-infection will require a minimum of four months of therapy. Relapses have occurred, and retreatment is occasionally needed."
map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
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posted
Oh yeah I forgot the last several months I'm getting very odd bruising all over my torso. Not a oops I bumped into something bruises either.
beatlymedisease, I've never treated babs with abx. I had some symptoms early into illness, but I didn't know what babesia was and my education came with years of experience.
I did do more Biaxin in early years. Maybe that put it in hiding. It was buried deep under all the lyme and then under the bartonella.
I'm not using abx anymore. I've gone with rife treatments, so even though I've done rife for babesia off and on over the last several years, it's time to put focus on babesia.
Never know I might be peeling away a very thick skin layer of that onion?
Then again I'm a mite(s) and tick(s) magnet and could have picked something up in the last few years.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6478 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Been treaing babs for 8 months ...in a word it is one gignatic headache!!...and as you stated it is not your garden varity headache...it feels like my brain swollen.
Dave
-------------------- On my journey to wellness - One day at a time. Posts: 989 | From NJ | Registered: Sep 2008
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