posted
I have been taking rifampin for two weeks now 150 mg twice a day and in the second week I started to get burning in my ears that lasted for three days. That subsided now I feel itchy in my face on and off, light headed, and my pressure is elevated. I never have problems with high blood pressure - never. I am wondering if I am having a negative reaction to rifampin or is this herxing? I am also taking Azithromycin.
Interested in hearing your experience with rifampin.
Posts: 138 | From US Virgin Islands | Registered: May 2012
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posted
I would let your doctor know about this. Itching right after a medication change can be a reaction to the drug.
Might also be the two different drugs are interacting for some reason with the bp. Come to think of it, once I got on Rifampin, I had to get off of zith.
I had dizzy spells but it dropped my blood pressure.
Please call your doctor, better safe to find out for sure.
-------------------- Faithful
Just sharing my experience, I am not a doctor. Posts: 2682 | From Colorado | Registered: Oct 2009
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posted
With Rifampin, it increased my anxiety and I had a lot of new sleep issues. It also raised my estrogen really high initially. Seems like a lot of people have trouble with it.
-------------------- Treating lyme, bart and babs Posts: 506 | From NE | Registered: Dec 2011
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posted
I have been having extreme symptoms- terrible joint cracking/pain, SI joint pain is really bad, muscle twitches, lots of tingling, extreme fatigue in the late afternoon and early evening. I feel just horrible. My symptoms were going this way before I started rifampin/azithromycin, so, I'm not sure if it's just the disease progression, or herxing. I have been on this combo for 2+months.
Posts: 418 | From NJ | Registered: Sep 2007
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posted
I think that I read somewhere that this drug can cause thyroid issues while on it. Does anyone else recall hearing this? That could explain my afternoon fatigue.
Posts: 418 | From NJ | Registered: Sep 2007
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Ellen101
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35432
posted
amk33 I also experienced horrible SI joint pain and muscle twitching and aches while on rifampin. I too had these symptoms prior to starting it, but they became so severe along with awful mood swings that I had to stop it.
Posts: 1747 | From United States | Registered: Dec 2011
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
hard to take but did a lot of good. i had to start real low dose and have a friend watch me cuz i had severe psyc sx...but within 2 weeks i was on full dose and many sx went away-esp foot pain
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Took it for 5 days... had a headache from H*** for the next 21 days. (so 26 days total)
Never again.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96109 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Haley
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 22008
posted
I almost ended up in the ER after being on 600 mgs for almost 2 weeks. I think my BP was 190/150 or something completely crazy.
It was insane. I tried it again about a year later and ramped up very slowly. It was a different experience. Much better.
Posts: 2232 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2009
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posted
Ellen101, that makes me feel a little better, that maybe it's a herx. I didn't take my morning dose today and I felt much better during the day. I'm going to have to reconsider this med. Thanks.
Posts: 418 | From NJ | Registered: Sep 2007
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Summer3
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 35286
posted
I've been on it for a while. When I first started it, I got a swollen throat which made me nervous but it was due to oral thrush. I restarted after checking with a doctor and it didn't recur.
I had a lot of anxiety on it at first but I have herxed much worse on other meds. It wasn't horrific (for herxing) in my situation.
posted
I had a terrible time with it initially-big increase in headaches, other pain and anxiety. It does also interfere with metabolization of many other meds (thyroid, sleep, etc).
However, I have been on it twice and it has given me the most improvements of any medication.
Posts: 520 | From Maryland | Registered: Jan 2007
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
yeah-ramping up works. many llmds encourage ramping up cuz bad herx does more damage than it is worth. and it is a good drug. gets resoults for many
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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ktkdommer
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 29020
posted
I have been on it for a year with no problems. My youngest son started it 6 months ago. No problems only improvement. I don't believe I ramped up and I don't remember any herxing.
-------------------- Things are never dull. After 3 fighting Lyme, 2 are in remission. Youngest is still sick, age 22. He has new diagnosed Chiari Malformation and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Posts: 1366 | From Perrysburg, Ohio | Registered: Nov 2010
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posted
Thank you for your responses. I think I am still adjusting to it. The itchy thing goes and comes randomly and the blood pressure seems to be back to normal. I am experiencing a resurgence of primary symptoms. I hope this is a good thing and that the meds are doing what it is suppose to do.
Posts: 138 | From US Virgin Islands | Registered: May 2012
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WPinVA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33581
posted
I would definitely check with your doctor to make sure you're not having an allergic reaction.
Rifampin has been helpful for me. I have been on it twice. Both times, my head has felt clearer while on it. It's hard to explain but it feels like my thinking is clearer, I don't have as much brain fog, and I feel more connected emotionally.
Posts: 1737 | From Virginia | Registered: Aug 2011
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CherylSue
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 13077
posted
The first week I took it at bedtime because it put me to sleep. It did take away a "kennel cough" I had been having since my cold/virus a few months previously. It went away in two days. It might have helped my activated mycoplasma pneu.
I've been on it for a few weeks now, and it doesn't seem to affect me anymore.
Posts: 1954 | From Illinois | Registered: Aug 2007
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