LymeNet Flash: Levaquin for Bartonella/ with Rulid-Bactrim

This is topic Levaquin for Bartonella/ with Rulid-Bactrim in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/1/25256

Posted by Bill492 (Member # 5634) on :

Dr B has discovered alot of folks have a undetectable form of Bartonella. He has been treating with Levaquin and folks have been improving remarkable..neuro symptoms, pain, etc. I add it tomorrow..any experience with Levaquin & a macroslie ( Rulid? ).

Bill

Posted by lla2 (Member # 2364) on :

I take septra ds (bactrim), biaxin xl and plaquneil most of the month and then pulse in 10 days of levaquin every month...for bartonella..

this month is my fourth month doing this,a dn for some reason it's kicking my butt! I finally had to stop the levaquin after just 3 days because I was having a whopper of a herx! low grade fever all day, itchy scalp, pain in head, feeling gross all day, sweating , yucky feeling...herxing basically.

I usually onlyherx for aday..but this has gone on for 3 days non stop! I haven't even taken my meds in two days! my llmd told me not to in order to clean out my system..so something is definetely shaking things up!

prior to this month Id' say i was aobut 95% better on this combo, so I 'd say it's a great combo...for the bart...I think the chills and sweats show the bart is really herxing...they're different chlls and sweats than babs ones..hard to explain..these chills alwalys give me goosebumps all over...weird...adn not just afternoon fevers like with babs..but all day long low grade fever like fever..but no fever actulally..just feel hot..abdomen upset too...like I"ll have to go reallllyyy badly later!!!!

anyone else?

Lisa

Posted by arg82 (Member # 161) on :

Just a note to add about Levaquin. Although I don't have any actual papers or guidelines to reference, Levaquin seems to work better against Bartonella when Nexium (or a similar drug) is given with it. I'm not sure exactly why but that's how my doctor treats and she said that's what Dr. B does now, too. He treats with that combo for a month and people get better. Apparently it works better than any other drug or combo for Bartonella. I'm on it now, still in my first week but I'm definitely herxing from something.

--Annie

------------------
Someday I'll wish upon a star,
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where trouble melts like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops is where you'll find me.

Posted by lla2 (Member # 2364) on :

annie,

what are your herxing feelings from the levoquin or bart dieoff..just curious if we're having the same ones here...?

thanks,

lisa

Posted by arg82 (Member # 161) on :

Hi Lisa,

I actually can't really tell what I'm herxing from. It feels like a Babesia herx but I haven't changed my Babesia meds but have added the Levaquin, Nexium, and also Cat's Claw. My symptoms are kind of fluey symptoms (the same things that happened when I went on Mepron and Zithro the first time a few years ago). I have sweats and chills, headaches are worse, fatigue is worse (or energy level is worse at least, fatigue is always really bad), and my temperature seems to fluctuate a lot. I have a low temp usually and in the past few days it has frequently jumped up over 99 and then seems to quickly jump back down. Again, it feels like a Babesia herx but it's puzzling since my Babesia meds have been the same for the past few months. I will be adding Artemisinin next week so hopefully that will help further but as of now it seems weird to suddenly have a herx a few months into treatment with no herx previously.

Hope this answered your question. If not, let me know and I'll try to get my thoughts in order (brain is fried today).

--Annie

------------------
Someday I'll wish upon a star,
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where trouble melts like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops is where you'll find me.

Posted by suki444 (Member # 18960) on :

Hi
I have Babesia and Bartonella and took 500mg Levaquin with a macrolide (Azithromcyin 500mg)...this combo can make it harder to tolerate.

It was difficult to tell what was herx or drug side effects with the Levaquin but I had to stop after 12 days due to rapidly increasing dizziness and weakness in my right hand. I was supposed to take Nexium with it but didn't (Dr B is my doc).

I had a spell of really bad brain fog on it too when I felt as if I'd gone senile for an evening so that might have been a herx.

My neck glands are still v. lumpy and Dr B said he may put me on it again.

Emma

Posted by lla2 (Member # 2364) on :

annie,
that sounds just like me...seems like babs herx..but havne'nt had babs in a year or mroe..althought dr.H feels strongly the two cross over so easily in their symtoms..but mine herx has lasted 3 dyas even after stopping my meds for the past 2 days! today is a little better..didn't have sweats last night..today feel alittle bettte. don't have the head tingling today or feel feverish or feel yucky YET..but just got up. will see how the day progresses.

afraid to go back on levaquin...may just go back to septra ds/biaxin xl and plaq. will talk to dr. h later today. \

agree with you though. previous three months had no problem with levoquin pulsing in,so weird that fourth month I'm having a problem now.?

thanks for the info..at least someone else having he same thing too. helps make me feel better. For past 5 months i've been at 95% better ..ready to stop all meds..wondering why this all of a sudden.maybe levoquin dug up some old bart hidden somewhere in brain. that's what dr. H feels anyway...

do you get alot of gi stuff with bart herxing too?

Lisa

Posted by arg82 (Member # 161) on :

Hi Lisa,

Wow, so maybe this herx is a Bartonella herx. Interesting...

I haven't noticed more GI problems than normal with the Bart treatment but my appetite has gone down quite a bit - that just happens to me sometimes for no apparent reason but this time it's also affected by the fact that I tend to feel a little sick after I eat much. Do you have more GI problems since starting the Bart treatment?

This herx has hit me pretty hard. I haven't herxed much on past meds (a good sign the new ones are working) but this herx is basically putting me in bed most of the time. Usually I can push myself through slumps in energy and still manage to do my regular activities (like working a few hours a few days a week) but this week I feel like I need to cut way way back on all that - not really like me. I just hope the herx will pass and I'll start to feel some positive effects of the treatment.

--Annie

------------------
Someday I'll wish upon a star,
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where trouble melts like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops is where you'll find me.

Posted by on :