I've been tolerating the Mepron/Zith fine. But tried adding the Art, 100 mgs twice a day, and by the end of the week realized my horrid headaches and nausea might be related.
This is the second day without the Art and my headache and nausea are gone (still on Mepron/zith).
Anyone else?
Posted by johnlyme1 (Member # 7343) on :
Art does a number of things. It is an anti protozoa for one, which means it will go after babs and other protozoa like bugs.
Google art in connection to cancer therapy and under anti-malaria. You will find how art works within the blood to remove the affecting bug - it is very interesting.
You might also be killing of other parasites besides just the babs - this can also cause headaches.
I have had similar experience using Art. I have used it along with Babs treatment and also part of a parasite clense runs. Wormwood in general is very ant-parasitic
I no longer get any headaches when taking the art -
I also know of a few of when they added the art to the mix for babs that they also had an intensification of symptoms. You might want to back off on your dosing.
Posted by micul (Member # 6314) on :
100 mg's twice a day is a very small dose. I would stick it out and see what happens after a week or so. Your Sx's will probably subside as the parasites that you are killing reducce in numbers, and then you can up your dose.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by tabbytamer: This is the second day without the Art and my headache and nausea are gone (still on Mepron/zith).
Maybe because it's working?? (nausea and headaches are symptoms of babs) I had no problems with it.
Posted by serendipity (Member # 8474) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lymetoo: [ [/qb]
Maybe because it's working?? (nausea and headaches are symptoms of babs) I had no problems with it. [/QB][/QUOTE]
I also had headaches, some nausea on artemesinin which I thought was a herxheimera and an indication that the artemesinin was getting the Babsesia and other parasites.
I found it to be farily strong stuff. It was one of the few treatments that had me in bed for a good part of the day. I am still taking it, but hardly notice any herxheimer reaction.
Posted by DolphinLady (Member # 6275) on :
I added in art after four months on mepon zith and experienced intolerable herxes. It turns out I could only take 20mg a day.
I'm on round 2 of mepron zith and am doing very well with 25mg of art, so I will be increasing it but very slowly.
Posted by Radha (Member # 8464) on :
i thought you could only buy arteminisin in 100mg dose, where can you get it in 20mg? thanks for any info, radha
Posted by Michelle M (Member # 7200) on :
I am THERE with you, Tabby.
My WA-1 buddy!
I did the same thing, a couple weeks of Mepron/Zith, then added Art, only at two 100 mg pills three times a day.
And WOWEEEE, did my head explode.
The good news is that after a time, the exploding head tapered down.
I would stick it out. It packs a serious punch. I wouldn't take it as a sign you can't handle it - I'd take it as a sign it's WORKING.
Wishing better times for you!
Michelle
Posted by nellypointis (Member # 1719) on :
Micul,
Please do not give the advice "to stick it out" and that "the symptoms will probably subside", to someone who says they're getting HORRIBLE headaches from 200 mg of artemisinin that it is a "very small dose".
I tried to push through several weeks'long artemisinin-induced HORRIBLE headaches (and that is such a euphemism/understatement to call them "headaches") and I feel I could've have died from them. It took a few days after I stopped for the headaches to subside.
So in short: stop the art if the headaches are so bad ESPECIALLY if they are that bad at only 200 mg/day.
I used to "push through" beyond what is reasonable with tx and I now think this is NOT a good idea.
Treating Babs can be particularly brutal and only those of us who have experienced the bad, bad, BAD reactions with Babesia treatments know what I am talking about.
I had the dreadful headaches with all anti-babs treatments (atovaquone, lariam and even doxy) but the artemisinin was by far the very WORST.
Nelly
Posted by Michelle M (Member # 7200) on :
Tabby dearest,
I would be SURE to have some serious headache support meds, such as Relpax, hanging around.
My LLMD even prescribed me some pain meds, for the first time EVER, when I started Artemisinin.
The WA-1 strain has been shown to cause vascular debris and sludge.. And my experience has been it shows a preference for the brain. Hence the really horrid headaches. We know it's really hard to get rid of, so I want to hit it with every possible gun.
Maybe a pulsing schedule of art would work for you? Ask your doc... I do know that for me it tapered down a LOT within a week, from un-freakin-bearable to "OK, I can deal with this."
Michelle
Posted by tabbytamer (Member # 3159) on :
Thanks everyone.
Yeah, my usual migraine/cluster headache cocktail, which includes Demerol and Toradol, didn't seem to help.
Two days off the Art, headache gone.
Still would also like to know if Art is available in smaller than 100 mg doses . . . ?
Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :
Hi Tab
You are problely herxing from the art--
A herx is a good sign that bugs are dying--
When I herx I up my dose of meds-- doing this has served me well--
Yep it hurts but Im tired of being sick and tired--
These is one of those sercomstances that No pain No Gain-- No way around it--
I herxed on Art -most folks do-- gave me migrains -- about a week--
The only thing I have noticed is that if I take Doxi and Art at the same time I Barf-
so I spread threw the day --Jay--
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
Tabby, I've been away and just read this now.
Anyway... I started taking Artemisinin at 100mgs at bed and on wakening. I was on no other meds when I started it. It knocked me on my @$$. Nausea, diarreah, headaches, chills, sweats, felt like my body was beat up inside and out.
I took it for 4 weeks before adding 1 Malarone and then 10 days later 400 mg Ketek. I am tolerating the Art better now but it still seems to be the strongest of the 3 meds I'm on.
(I have no idea how high my load was, I tested positive for Babs 8 years ago and was never treated. Likely had it for 20. I'm assuming I was loaded with parasites and it's working.)
If you think you want to try it again at a lower dose perhaps you could get some empty gelatin caps and split the powder into them. It may be difficult to get an exact dosage but you could roughly half (or quarter) it and see if it's any more tolerable.
Just a thought, not sure it helps, though.
DolphinLady ~ How are you splitting the Artemisinin into smaller doses?
Posted by liz28 (Member # 4946) on :
Could you substitute in doxy?
Posted by riversinger (Member # 4851) on :
Tabby, I had severe headaches and nausea to the point of vomiting when I did a trial of artemesinin to see if I had Babesia. My doctor was sure it was a herx. I was sure it wasn't. I was only on the artemesinin at the time.
I later found that I had Bartonella, and there has been absolutely no clear evidence that I have any strain of Babesia. In fact, the "trial" of artemesinin may have put off treatment of the Bartonella long enough to cause permanent optic nerve damage.
I don't blame the doctor, these bugs are hard to catch. However, you have to trust how far you can and should push your body.
Posted by tabbytamer (Member # 3159) on :
Thanks everyone for your experiences. It is tough to know just what to do as we are all so different with our disease.
riversinger,
I've PM'd you with a question. Thanks.
Posted by DolphinLady (Member # 6275) on :
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