I have been on oral lowdose zithro for a couple weeks now and am ready to add in the flagyl, I'm tired of being SICK!
How did you guys do it? I know this is the hardest drug... The directs say to cut the pill in a 1/4th and work your way up to 2-3 pills a day (they are 250mg)
What were you herx experiences like? Were they deathly?
Posted by jarjar (Member # 8847) on :
I had to pulse it and take it 3 days a week. Everyone is different but that was my experience. I wanted to contact the manufacturer and tell them to put on a new label. Warning if you have lyme this drug can take you to the gates of hell!
Good luck
Posted by kitkat32 (Member # 9682) on :
Byron,
Everyone reacts different. I really haven't had much of a problem with Flagyl. It makes me twitch and I have added fatigue. I take it everyday..3 times a day.
I have seen alot of progress since starting this.
I hope it works for you...kit
Posted by mojo (Member # 9309) on :
When I was first on Flagyl I had to take 500 mgs 2 x per day for a week and then three weeks on Doxy. The first couple of days were OK but then I would get pretty sick.
My current Dr. only uses 250 2 x per day so this is a breeze for me now. I'm not currently using it but will have to do it again someday.
It's a great cyst buster.
To avoid thrush roll the pills in olive oil before taking.
Posted by Boomerang (Member # 7979) on :
Byron, flagyl helped my husband some, but it was also rough.
Be sure to start out with just the small pieces to see how you react. Easier to ramp up than have a horrible herx right off the bat.
Good luck. It may really help you.
Posted by Ann in CA (Member # 97) on :
Flagyl for me was the most effective in getting rid of almost all my symptoms. It was also the hardest to stick with. By end of the 6 months I was really a basket case as far as being depressed, etc, but felt great when I stopped. I did not have the coated tablets, and had a terrible metallic taste, so a salty potato chip helped get rid of that temporarily. (that was 5 years ago--hope they have improved it by now)
I had no big problem taking the full dose, but I never had big herx with anything. I would strongly recommend a great probiotic such as Theralac with it, as I had major mouth annoyance with flagyl. I did not know about Theralac then.
Now I hope for you it chases the bugs away forever. In my case, since I had gone untreated for 8 years, and by the time I got to flagyl had been lymed for 11 years, the lyme came back gradually. But never as bad as before flagyl.
So best wishes to you. You sound very determined and that can really help!
Ann
Posted by lyme in Putnam (Member # 11561) on :
Did flagyl for about a month and could not take it. Everyone's reaction is different. Knew alot of people that flagyl did the trick for them for a long time. Had weird symptoms that I never had before on flagyl. I've had herxes,but this went beyond that for me. I think I got my lyme in the late 1980's not detected till 2002. On 1500 ceftin now and 500 zithromax. Lyme symptoms few, but when I stop antibiotics, I usually relapse after about 3 mos. Tested low lyme and bartonella equivical, whereas it used to come out negative. It took about 3 years to come out in the tests.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by ByronSBell 2007: The directs say to cut the pill in a 1/4th and work your way up to 2-3 pills a day (they are 250mg)
Be sure to follow instructions. Good luck with it!!
Posted by Rianna (Member # 11038) on :
Have you not tried Tinidazole as an alternative? all research shows its even better than Flagyl as a cyst bustertaken with grapefruitseed extract. Although I must say I think spiro load needs to be down a lot before adding tini or flagyl, as its just too much for the body to cope with if you open cysts and more spiros. I did go on it and had to stop for a few months - will restart in 12 weeks of so
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
I might suggest one more tidbit of info I didnt see posted here.
Take that pill splitter(required equipment for THIS drug) and split those 1/4's one more time,,,to start with and get up to full speed a 1/8th at a time. Least the first few days.
My doc said he has seen BIG he men pro ball players knocked to their knees(or worse)with this stuff. I didnt have that experience, actuually the opposite,,,I was one of just a couple patients he had that could take as much of it as I did and have no reaction.
be well, we care,being --just don--
Posted by break the chains (Member # 5668) on :
hold on to your hat nothing i have ever taken has given me a worse reaction than flagyl i think. i have done years of antibiotics too, and lots of IV. iv doses have caused me to pass out and have other problems, but it wasnt as bad as flagyl, i guess aside from the fact passing out and falling over (especially in the bathroom) can be very dangerous. it actually inhibits serotonin production and causes cancer in lab animals. what was probably worst for me was feeling like i had stopped producing serotonin, and also it really kicked me butt beyond that too.
i just felt like death
i am getting help from natural salt and c and other natural things now that are much more gentle and kind to the body. i think healing should be...
Posted by ByronSBell 2007 (Member # 11496) on :
I am currently taking a total of 250mg's of zithromax every 3 days and am trying to figure out how to add flagyl to the mix. I am kinda worried about the herxes becuase when I herx I get literally knocked to the floor in writhing pain with severe headache, whole body muscle pain, severe nausea, and depression I hear alot of people go through depression with flagyl...
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Yes, do be VERY careful. I don't think it matters when to take it [which day]... you might call docs office and ask.
Flagyl did make me instantly depressed. UGH! And yes, tinidazole is a bit easier on the body. I don't think I was quite as depressed on that one.
Either way, go easy! Posted by Boomerang (Member # 7979) on :
Good point, justdon. Hubby started with just the tiniest tiniest pieces. Not even 1/4.
Posted by HaplyCarlessdave (Member # 413) on :
There is an alternative. Tinidazole has a similar function and the side effects are much less. And it's cheap as dirt (compared to other abx..)
It seems to have prevented relapse for me. There may be other negative elements I'm not aware of at this point, but it's worth checking into, it would seem!
Posted by Lymied (Member # 6704) on :
Sent me to the ER with a classical migraine which lasted twenty four hours. Basically my vision was screwed up for twenty four hours.
I felt like what I imagine having a stroke feels like. Numbness in my face and hands, all my lovely migraine symptoms...
I have had extreme herxheimers so this may not be your experience.
Each round it got more tolerable. It is a cyst buster with lyme and a necessary evil in fighting lyme from my experience.
Take care.
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
Hi Bryon,
Flagel did work for me but I had some very powerful herx's. Watch out for depression while on this. The drug it self can give depressive side effects not counting the dark days of herxing.
I do not get real bad drepression generally but did on this med & the herx's that followed made me so unhappy. Whats helped was I had read this ahead of time so I kept saying to myself it's the herxing & it will pass soon. And it did.
My system seemed to become to used too flagel after a while and didn't seem to be as effective & was switched to tinnie.
Good luck with your cyst buster & hang in there Dana
Posted by DolphinLady (Member # 6275) on :
I did standard dose of flagyl (sorry can't remember dosage) with zithromax for 10 months straight without ramping up, no breaks.
Everybody is different. Listen to your body.
I did develop neuropathy in my feet the last two months that cleared completely once I swithced abx and treated it with infrared light.
I made progress with very mild if any herxes on this combo.
Another known side effect is depression so tell your doctor if you experience this.
You're in very very good hands. (We have the same llmd) The road back to health from lyme and cos is long and difficult for everybody. Unfortunately there are no short cuts, no magic bullets. Everyone struggles and only the lucky ones get heathly again. Be patient, else you're just creating counter productive stress for yourself.
My sense is that you'll be one of the lucky ones. You've got one of the best llmds around.
Getting more support might be a good idea too. Perhaps you can fing a support group for people your age. Just something to think about.
My heart goes out to you. I wish you all the best.
"The turtle wins the race"
Posted by kitkat32 (Member # 9682) on :
Hi Bryon,
How is it going on the flagyl? Did you start it yet?
I hope it is going smoothly. I restart my flagyl today along with my Rocephin.
Hugs, kit
Posted by lymeHerx001 (Member # 6215) on :
I did flagyl. I was SCARRED of it after hearing the horror stories.
I had some strange tingling and nerve twitches in my face, but no noticible herx. I was on it for months.
It did change my bowel movements. They became much more productive and longer and thicker.
just what you wanted to hear I know.
Well It does act on parisites so this doesnt supprise me.
Posted by ByronSBell 2007 (Member # 11496) on :
Well I took my flagyl (1/4th of a 250mg pill) and I started to herx 1.5 days after I took it,the herx lasted longer than usual with other ABX I take (about 1.5-2 days long) I think I am out of the herx now and feeling a little better. I was actually able to get out Fri. Night and be with some friends even though it is kinda hard... I am going to be rotating my zithromax ans Flagyl for the next 2-3 months and will be "pulsing" them
When I am not herxing, I feel as if I am 65-75% functional so that is pretty good. I am shooting for 80-85% functional (when not herxing) by the end of July. I am also going to be getting on a cocktail of alot of detox herbs and doing IV glutathione once a week with magnesium, b-vitamins, vitamin c, and a few others.
Posted by lymebytes (Member # 11830) on :
Hi, I have had one person tell me they felt there best on Flagyl.
My husband (who also has LD) was so sick on Flagyl his LLMD took him off it.
There has to be an easier way. Have you asked your LLMD about plaquenil?
Many studies are being done on garlic's effect of cyst busting and lyme killing, long before I read this I wondered why garlic made me hurt so much anytime I ate it or took it as a supplement. Now I know why here is one study done with Allisure (garlic): http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=17716&zoneid=28 Posted by on :
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I hear alot of people go through depression with flagyl...
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