Unfortunately i couldn't tolerate my initial treatment of Biaxin/Plaquenil - did it for 18 days but kept dry heaving, couldn't eat and had to discontinue (I already have reflux/IBS issues). My stomach couldn't tolerate it which is my fear in having lyme as my body hates drugs!
My doctor said that doxy would be out as that also causes reflux. I had herx on amoxy 1500mg/day when I thought I had a sinus infection and it was actually lyme - so I'm back on that and feeling like crap w/herx reactions. Nothing was mentioned about increasing my dose, but he did say that Plaquenil would be added back eventually I guess to kill the cyst form. If I am herxing badly on 1500mg, is it ok to stay there, is it killing the lyme sufficiently? Is everyone different in this respect? Does it go according to your height/bodyweight as I'm on 4'11" and 90 lbs now...I know that children are treated differently than adults.
I actually had to work my way up to 3 500mg amoxy/day as it's taken me a month to get my stomach anywhere near back to normal. The biaxin really wreaked havoc on me.
Any advice appreciated, thanks much! I am being treated by a knowledgeable doctor in my area that had lyme 3x himself, his whole family had it...he knows Dr. Donta which also puts me at ease, refers patients to him. Dr. Donta said that he would confer with my current doctor to speak about my case and see if I'm on the right treatment but I don't want to step on any toes since I'm just starting the amoxy treatment. What should I do? I figure two minds might be better than one, since I am somewhat complicated in having allergies to meds, IBS, reflux, etc.
Thanks!
Posted by ESG (Member # 4816) on :
I was on Amoxy for a while and it did help - I took 6 pills in AM with Probenicid and 6 in PM with Probenicid. I was supposed to take it as 4 in AM and 4 with lunch and 4 in PM, but my stomach needed that break in the middle of the day.
My daughter was also on amoxy for a while. She is now on Minocin, and it does not cause nausea & she it doing better on it.
My best combo is Doxy daily (200 mg in AM and again in PM) and Tindamax 500mg in AM & PM 3 days a week.
I was on Baixin for almost a year - when they added Plaquenil to it I was extremely nauseous. You might ask to start off on just one med for a while, get some herxing out of the way & let your stomach get used to it, then slowly add another med.
Also: for some reason I cannot tolerate the long lasting form of Biaxin (Biaxin XL): caused me lots of problems. I wonder if it is something in whatever they use to make the med be slowly released in your body.
There are numerous med combos - but the one lesson I learned the hard way, and which I still have to speak up & insist upon, is to start any medication slowly & not introduce more than one at a time into my body, and introduce that one slowly.
Recovering from Lyme takes time - there is no need to make yourself ill while trying to do so. Slow and easy works too.
Also, my daughter and I did have a lot of stomach problems before we were treated for Lyme and yes, it is difficult to know what is the old problem, what is a herx, and what is being caused by the medication. Another reason to ask your doc to start you off slowly.
ESG
Posted by von (Member # 8333) on :
Great reply, ditto!
And yes, your size is a factor in prescribing. Von
Posted by von (Member # 8333) on :
Twinklette,
Here is an article that realy helped me to understand herx, and about adding small amounts of antibiotics slowly.
There is also an anti nausea drug that I took.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Amoxi worked great for my daughter and she is in full remission. Me, I have been on 1500 amoxicillin 3 times a day since I got pregnant with my now two year old. I am still on it because I am choosing to nurse and it is safe for my 2 year old. (Frankly I am SO ready to wean but hey, she can decide that!) BEFORE I was on IV Rocephin orals did not work for me- now they hold me where I am just fine!!! I have no side effects with amoxi at all. It works well!!!
Take care, Best wishes, Sarah
Posted by Doomer (Member # 11013) on :
Von,
Thanks for posting the info on herxing. I just started 200mg doxy bid and am having a big problem herxing for 5 days. I never knew that I should back off on the abx.
Is that typical protocol? My llmd never went over that with me?
I will be calling him tommorrow because I'm so sick.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Herxing is great- the worse it is the better the gains when it is over!!!!!!!
Posted by yourtroubl (Member # 11087) on :
I have been taking 1500 mg of Amoxy since one day last week. My symptoms are so much worse. I am not sure I will make it though the day at work,
My couch is beckoning me. lol
Could I be herxing on 1500 mg. per day.
Posted by Twinklette (Member # 10563) on :
Yourtroubl , YES you can herx on 1500mg/day. I am now and it's awful. The first time I tried it all at once it almost killed me. This time I worked up to 1500mg, starting with 500mg for a week, 1000mg for a week and now up to 1500mg. I can't imagine working with bad herxes, I give you a lot of credit. My arms and legs are so sore and achy, my head hurts...ah the joy of getting rid of this disease!
Are you staying at 1500mg? My dr is keeping me here and then adding plaquenil eventually. I do feel better today than I did yesterday despite the arm/leg pain. I pray it keeps getting better.
Take it slow!
CaliforniaLyme so you are on 4500mg of amoxy/day? I haven't had lyme very long so maybe that's why my lower dose, and the fact that I'm only 90lbs...like I mentioned above, Plaquenil is going to be added eventually but not till I start to get better.
About the herxes I know they are *good* but why do they have to feel so badly LOL??? Ugh. Posted by Doomer (Member # 11013) on :
I have been really sick herxing and am wondering if I should back off of my abx.
Anybodys thoughts would be helpful. I have elected not to take abx yet today because feeling so crappy.
I have a call into LLMD.
Posted by Areneli (Member # 6740) on :
Please not that borrelia could be at the bottom of your stomach problem. Effective treatment could stir up your bugs in stomach walls and enhance stomach reflux etc.
In other ways, perhaps you have rejected an effective treatment.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
Twinklette, I was prescribed 1500 mgs 2x/day.
(However, I have been not treated, or poorly treated, for 8 or 9 years. My germ load must be huge.)
Anyway, I'm telling you that to qualify what I'm about to say, ok? I'm nothing medical except a patient extremely sensitive to a lot of meds.
I started taking 500 mg/day for about a week and now am taking 1000 mg. I'm herxing fairly well and in combination with Malarone seems to flare a lot of Babs symptoms. (Hmmm... didn't see that coming, really, since I was taking Malarone first.)
I'm just going to continue raising it slowly until I can get to a reasonable dose but for now I do need to go this slow or I wouldn't be able to handle the herxes.
I'm going for "slow and steady" instead of the steady stream of failed treatment attempts.
ps. I was given the Amoxy after a bad try at Biaxin, as well. My tummy is much much happier!
Posted by MarsyNY (Member # 7766) on :
"Herxing comes from Toxins by die off and the bodies inability to remove them fast enough.
So if your body is good at clearing the toxins and there arent to many then you may not herx or have very mild ones.Also depends on how long you were infected and how virulent of a strain you have.
But for the majority you herx."
(TreePatrol)
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Yup I guess I am on a lot but it doesn't feel like it- it just holds me where I am!!!!!!!!! Maintenance abx*)!*!!!!
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)