posted
Hi Everyone: I am almost at three years of being bitten and diagnosed with Lyme.
I have done pulse treatment for two years - left me with bad coinfection issues thus had to move on to more comprehensive treatment.
I see my LLMD on Tuesday and would like any insight you might have.
As of late, my main symptoms have been swelling in my knees-- both and worse at the monthly flare time but some when not during that week. They are hot, and have burning pain and then there is my neck. Sometimes I cannot lift it - it feels. These have developed somewhat steadily as I was coming off of Bicillin and on to Augmentin.
I am being treated for Babs with malerone, cryptolepis, plaquenil and for Bart with Levaquin (my third month) and then also Lyme with Tyndemax 3 days a week and Augmentin - 2 grams twice a day.
I cannot figure out these neck and knee symptoms. Can anyone advise if this sounds like Lyme rearing its head since the other infections have been beaten down or does it sound like Bart or Babs. I feel like the better informed I am, the better I will be able to contribute to the appointment. I am usually not a loss like this. I also wonder if anyone knows of any scripts good for neck and or knee pain. Thank you for your help!!!
Posts: 859 | From Southeast | Registered: Mar 2011
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
To me, your knee symptoms are classic lyme disease. And, if it flares monthly, that is another indication it is lyme.
Sounds like you did better on Bicillin than you are doing on Augmentin. So, you might want to consider going back to the Bicillin injections.
Burrascano says that sustained high levels of amoxicillin are needed in the blood to kill lyme. He says these are difficult to attain. It may be that your Augmentin is not giving you a high enough level of amoxi. Burrascano says the level can be measured.
So, perhaps your doc should measure it or just increase the amount you are taking. This may require you to add amoxi to your Augmentin. See Burrascano's discussion of all of this on pages 14 and 18.
For example:
"With cell wall agents such as the penicillins, kill kinetics indicate that sustained bactericidal levels are needed for 72 hours to be effective. Thus the goal is to try to achieve sustained blood and tissue levels. However, since blood levels are extremely variable among patients, peak and trough levels should be measured (for details, refer to the antibiotic dosage table). Because of its short half-life and need for high levels, amoxicillin is usually administered along with probenecid. An extended release formulation of amoxicillin+clavulanate (�Augmentin XR�) may also be considered if adequate trough levels are difficult to attain. An attractive alternative is benzathine penicillin (�Bicillin-LA�- see below). This is an intramuscular depot injection, and although doses are relatively small, the sustained blood and tissue levels are what make this preparation so effective." (page 14)
And:
"*Augmentin- Standard Augmentin cannot exceed three tablets daily due to the clavulanate, thus is given with amoxicillin, so that the total dose of the amoxicillin component is as listed above for amoxicillin. This combination can be effective when Bb beta lactamase is felt to be significant.
*Augmentin XR 1000- This is a time-release formulation and thus is a better choice than standard Augmentin.
Dose- 1000 mg q 8 h, to 2000 mg q 12 h based on blood levels." (page 18)
Regarding the amoxi, Burrascano says on page 18 "doses up to 6 grams daily are often needed."
So, you may want to calculate the amount of amoxi you are taking daily.
Overall, your treatment plan seems wonderful. You just may be having difficulty maintaining a high enough blood level of amoxi.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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