This group has been so helpful to me in the past and has enabled me to get up to face the next day.
I was wondering if anyone has used this meds in combination with doxycicoline. My llmd today is starting me on this combination. I have been on doxy now for one month. Some of the pain has lessened but still much there. Popping of joints, nerve stings, unable to sleep at night. If you have used this I would like to know how it helped and if you had any side effects.
Thanks to you all. Gailsy
Posted by NatalieA (Member # 7714) on :
Hi Gailsy- yes my doctor just started me on this combination on Nov 10th. I am on 400 mg Doxy & 400 mg plaquenil. I have to say that for about the past 10 days or so I am feeling better than I have in a long time ( almost a year now.) I think I am doing better on this combination than when I was on the IV antibiotics.
My dizziness is getting better, energy is a little better, sleep is better, twitches are lessening,concentration/mind clearer, etc.
I go to see my doc tomorrow, so I'll see what she says.
Besides the "normal" stomach problems from the doxy and the yeast issues, I am tolerating it okay.
I just hope it lasts-maybe this is finally the one that's gonna work... Let's hope so. W/B- just curious how you do with these meds. Natalie
Posted by AGuess (Member # 5075) on :
Yes, I have been on both to help with the arthritis type pain I had (still have a little).
However, Placquenil and Minocycline did a much better job for me.
VERY IMPORTANT - Please go to your eye doctor and ask for a visual field study test. This will give you a base line to compare future tests to.
The use of plaquenil for an extended amount of time can lead to vision problems.
In my case, when I first started plaquenil, I went to my eye doctor and told them I was going on this Rx and they just did a vision color test, not the field study test.
Now three years later (I see them each year) they decide to do the visual filed test and don't like what they see. It appears that I have a loss of parts of my visual field, although I can not notice it.
They sent me to a Retna Specialist who examined my eyes and finds nothing wrong. I go back for a follow up with the Retna Specialist in 3 months to confirm this.
Bottom line. I stoped taking the plaquenil, as my vision is very important and at age 45 I have already had two cataract operations. No one can explain the reason for this. Lyme?
I have found that 150mg of Minocycline, along with Lodine each day keeps most of my inflamation in check.
Before I found out I had Lyme, I was told I had RA and did everything including giving myself injections with Enbrel to stop the inflamation.
After 5 months of lyme treatment most of my pain went away. After 3 years of treatment most of my porblems are gone, but I still test for a high RA count, sed rate normal, and still have some roving joint pain.
Just my thoughts.
AGuess
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
Gailsy,
I've been on Plaquenil for two years. It really reduces my pain/stiffness in my hands.
You are supposed to get the field of vision test done before starting the Plaquenil (or just when you start it) and again every 6 months.
If you get it every 6 months, then you should catch any damage early, before it has any discernible impact on your vision. Mine have all been normal. So as long as you get the test, you don't have to worry.
The reason for the test is that when you are on Plaquenil for long periods of time, it can cause a reduction in your periperhal vision. It's not something where you go blind overnight.
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
hi gailsy,
I used plaquenil with doxy and also along the way with other abx's combo's too. It does definetly intensify my herx's.
But when I have taken my meds without it, really less herxing... so in my case it did produce more of a die off. So did it help? Hard to say because I have been on so many combo's. But if you go according to herxing scales, it did do some good.
Ditto on the above poster. Get regular eye exams on this meds. There are some side effects that some people can't handle with plaquenil. keep in close contact with our LLMD.
Good luck Dana
do a search here on plaq. Some great info in back posts on this med.
none of the above is medical advise, just my personal opinion