posted
I'm having a hard time with Bactrim, which I'm taking for a clinical diagnosis of Bartonella. Every time I attempt to take it at the dose prescribed, I get terrible panic attacks, crushing depression and an increase in brain fog and depersonalization. I don't know if this is a herx or a side-effect of the medication.
Depression and anxiety are listed as side-effects and on askapatient.com, some people have experienced confusion. But they could be herxing too.
Can anyone advise me as to whether I should try and tough it out, or try something else? If I continue attempting to ramp it up, how long should I give it before I start to feel better if it is a herx and not the medication?
I'm taking it with doxycycline, which is supposed to be a good combo for bart. I do not usually get depressed with antibiotics. An increase in anxiety, yes, but not depression.
Sue
Posts: 226 | From Princeton | Registered: Oct 2010
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nonna05
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posted
Any body?????
Posts: 2563 | From Denver,CO | Registered: Aug 2011
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nonna05
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posted
Any body?????
Posts: 2563 | From Denver,CO | Registered: Aug 2011
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dbpei
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posted
I had some psychological reactions to rifabutin that left me an emotional basket case. It is better for me now and doesn't happen often, fortunately. I believe I was herxing.
I have also started to take 10 mg lithium orotate per day after reading Bryan Rosner's book and discussing with my LLMD. I think this has helped to keep my mood more stable.
If I were you, though, I would talk to my LLMD about this. You don't want the herxes to be unbearable. Good luck.
Posts: 2386 | From New England | Registered: Aug 2011
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lightfoot
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I don't have anything to offer except that I haven't had any problems taking three per day for a good while for bart.
Good luck and I hope you can sort this all out with your doc.
-------------------- Healing Smiles.....lightfoot Posts: 7228 | From CO | Registered: May 2002
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posted
Any psychiatric reaction I would suspect as a herx before anything, especially with bartonella, where psychiatric herxes are the norm and quite extreme.
Bactrim isn't known to cause such things as a side effect anyways, which would give me more reason to suspect herx.
Now levaquin can leave you really fried mentally, and that one can be tough to differentiate herx from drug reaction.
Posts: 501 | From Cleveland Ohio | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
The drug sheet with Bactrim does list psychological side effects. My kids all take it for bartonella. And I can only get 1 out of the 3 of them up to full dose. The other 2 get major agitation, anxiety, mood lability, etc. They react VERY quickly. I stopped it for 1 week, then added just 1 single pill for DS, and he was berserk within hours. So how do we know if this is a side effect or a herx??! We're in the same boat you're in.
Whether it was a s/e or a herx, it was unbearable for 1 of them, so we talked to our LLMD who is switching up meds to see what happens. Maybe your LLMD can recommend a trial of something else? We're still in the process of switching, so I can't say how that will go yet.
Posts: 41 | From Ontario | Registered: Apr 2011
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I took bactrim with Rifampin for bart. I had a lot of anxiety/brain fog etc from Bart prior to this
So yes- when I started Bactrim, I had some issues, but I think it was a herx. As the rest of my bart symptoms improved, so did the anxiety and brain fog
It is hard to say for sure what it might be from though, until you've been on it for a while. If it is constant the entire time you are on BACTRIM it is probably not a herx
Posts: 503 | From Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jun 2009
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