posted
Hi, Okay my GP doc put me on Flagyl in addition to the Doxy since my classic EM rash of 30 days isn't going away. It is getting smaller and fading, though.
I have been symptom free thus far except mild knee pain one day, oh, and night sweats, but I am a female at that age, so who knows!? I didn't have them pre-rash, though.
So my question is: when should I expect this Flagyl herx? I start on Flagyl tomorrow. Thanks!
Posts: 351 | From La Crosse, WI | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
Day Four is the usual for herxing on new meds.
Good luck!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
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posted
48 to 72 hours.
"Several days after the onset of appropriate antibiotic therapy, symptoms often flare due to lysis of the spirochetes with release of increased amount of antigenic material and possibly bacterial toxins. This is referred to as a Jarisch Herxheimer-like reaction. Because it takes 48 to 72 hours of therapy to initiate bacterial killing, the Herxheimer reaction is therefore delayed." (p. 17)
Too bad she won't increase the dose of doxy.
Now you have another symptom--night sweats.
Be sure to read the important precautions regarding taking flagyl on page 15.
me
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posted
I just noticed a metallic taste in my mouth and increased hunger, but I'm on/have been on an aggressive regimen for a while.
-------------------- Just sharing my experiences, opinions, and what I've read and learned. Not medical advice. Posts: 1431 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2015
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posted
TF - what should the Doxy dose be? 600mg per day? I mean, I can up it myself.
Posts: 351 | From La Crosse, WI | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
I sure wouldn't take more than 400mg a day myself.... that is, if you value your stomach lining!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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TF
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posted
Here is the dosage:
From Burracano:
"*Doxycycline- Adults: 200 mg bid with food; doses of up to 600 mg daily are often needed, as doxycycline is only effective at high blood levels." (p. 18)
So, 200 mg twice per day is the minimum. You said you were taking 200 mg PER DAY. That is HALF the required dose.
Just know that if you up the dose yourself, you will run out of your prescription in half the time. Then what?
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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randibear
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posted
my doc gave me 1500 of amoxy and flagyl. I can tolerate the amoxy but not the flagyl. I'm having to cut it in half. it's killing me.....
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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me
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posted
I wonder why I'm not having a huge flagyl herx? Its Iv flagyl, too.
-------------------- Just sharing my experiences, opinions, and what I've read and learned. Not medical advice. Posts: 1431 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2015
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TF
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posted
People who don't have lyme have a hard time taking flagyl. I have a friend who cannot bear it.
My lyme doc told me that flagyl kills many, many things including parasites, etc. So, when people get sick taking it, he said that is why. Evidently, they have things in their bodies that it is killing.
When I took it for lyme, it was no big deal. But, when I took it for c. diff. years later after I had been cured of lyme for some time, it made me so sick I didn't know if I could continue. I called the gastro's office and got talked into continuing to take it with the promise that day by day it would get better.
It was bad! So, it kills c. diff in addition to everything else.
That is why so many have such a hard time with flagyl. You never know all the things it is killing in you!
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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TF
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me, I believe your IV glut is helping you to avoid huge flagyl herxes and all other herxes for that matter.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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WPinVA
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posted
With Flagyl, I herx within just hours of taking it. My Lyme doc says this is common with Flagyl.
Posts: 1737 | From Virginia | Registered: Aug 2011
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me
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TF, The IV glutathione DEFINITELY helps a lot. I do notice increased neck pain/stiff neck/neck cracking during the actual administration if the Iv flagyl. That's about it. Weird.
-------------------- Just sharing my experiences, opinions, and what I've read and learned. Not medical advice. Posts: 1431 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2015
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posted
me: stiff neck would be a herx, no? That was my 1st Lyme symptom 1st time around.
Posts: 351 | From La Crosse, WI | Registered: Sep 2005
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me
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Jsnyde1, Yes, the stiff neck, especially during the actual Iv administration, could be a herx. It's just when I think of herxing, I think of pure misery. The stiff neck during the Iv flagyl administration isn't pure misery. It's not fun, but it's not bad. Thank gooodness!
-------------------- Just sharing my experiences, opinions, and what I've read and learned. Not medical advice. Posts: 1431 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2015
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posted
My herx, 1st time around was my knees blowing up to a huge size. So I guess the lyme was in my knees.
It was a scary/confusing thing because I called my llmd and she told me to quit taking the med (not sure if it was falgyl- but it was a cyst buster) because she couldn't promise me that I wouldn't have knee problems in the future.
So was it a reaction to the drug or a herx? Argh!
Posts: 351 | From La Crosse, WI | Registered: Sep 2005
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me
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Herein lies one of the many conundrums surrounding Lyme and coinfections--who knows? It's very frustrating, and I'm terribly sorry. I wish had had more comforting words or better insight to offer.
-------------------- Just sharing my experiences, opinions, and what I've read and learned. Not medical advice. Posts: 1431 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2015
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posted
me: yes, I know -Lyme & cos are really something. I have been through it all before, and desperately trying not to have a rerun of last time. Thankfully I had the rash this time. Very interested to see what the flagyl does.
Posts: 351 | From La Crosse, WI | Registered: Sep 2005
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TF
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Regarding the rash, I have read that once a person has had lyme, if they get it again they will definitely get the rash.
That is comforting to me because I never got the rash the first time and so I went undiagnosed for 10 years--10 LONG years.
I discussed this with my lyme doctor years ago and he believes that this is true--that after you have had lyme once, you will always get the rash if you ever contract it again.
So, those of us who have climbed out of this hell-hole have an "early warning system" because of the immune system's prior exposure to lyme. That is a blessing.
However, we could still get the "rash only" strain of lyme in the future. But, then treatment would not cause any herx of any kind. Not even a mild lack of normal stamina.
To me, herxing can be very mild and even subtle. This is especially true if you get bitten again after recovering from lyme.
When treating babs, my herxing or flares became extremely mild and then very subtle. Such a change signals that you are nearing the end of treatment!!! It will happen for each of you!
"Patients on I.V. therapy who have a strong reaction at the fourth week will need to continue parenteral antibiotics for several months, for when this monthly reaction finally lessens in severity, then oral or IM medications can be substituted. Indeed, it is just this observation that guides the clinician in determining the endpoint of I.V. treatment." (p. 17 of Burrascano)
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
TF: wow 10 years. That's rough; I bet it was very frustrating. Mine went undiagnosed just 4 months, but a very scary 4 months.
It was dumb luck that I got diagnosed because of course, Mayo Clinic thought the muscle weakness was M.S.; an MRI & several thousand dollars later, brain clean. So it was all in my head per infectious disease specialist at Mayo.
I was talking to a friend and telling her the muscle twitches were everywhere, including a spot I won't mention here. That jolted her into recalling another friend that had the exact same twitches that turned out to be Lyme.
She referred me to an LLMD and it got better, not quickly, but I'm thankful it all connected via strangely located muscle twitches!
Posts: 351 | From La Crosse, WI | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
Flagyl Herx, in case it helps anyone, 3 days in:
Lyme rash got darker -dark purplish, had faded to light pink previously
Burning skin, feels like it's burning to me, but to the touch it is cold.
Sharp needle like pains mostly in extremities
Eyes feel like I have the flu - like pain behind them
Tired
Anxious
Not to mention the Diarrhea which I don't think is a herx
Posts: 351 | From La Crosse, WI | Registered: Sep 2005
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TF
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posted
Please heed the very important flagyl warnings from Burrascano on page 15 including this sentence:
"If the nerve symptoms persist or are strong, then metronidazole must be discontinued or these symptoms may become very long lasting."
Try the extra vitamin B as he suggests and of course a strict anti-yeast diet, no alcohol (not even in mouth wash), etc.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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