I just started abx treatment last night with oral Doxycycline. I am taking 100 mg twice daily. So far I have taken 2 doses, but both times it caused me horrid stomach pain. I have never had any sort of stomach problems due to lyme or any sort of medication, so this is very new to me. Right now it feels as though my stomach is on fire (and it comes and goes). It also is making my back hurt very badly.
Has any one else experienced this!?!?
Im kinda freaked out. I really dont think i can continue on this method of treatment... Posted by patchas (Member # 5156) on :
I always took doxycycline with some or crackers because it hurt my stomach also.
Doxycyline is known to be very caustic.
Also - avoid sunlight because you will burn very easily.
Posted by iceskater (Member # 8655) on :
Doxy has been harsh on my stomach. I did take with crackers. however, changed over to another ABX as it was too hard to tolerate. Watch out with sunshine too, will make you more suseptible to burning.
Posted by JimBoB (Member # 8454) on :
Hi:
I took Doxycycline, along with my herbs, back in February of 2006. The pain was unbearable, and while I WAS going to take it for 28 days, I just could NOT get beyond 24 days. EVERY day was torture for me.
I did have stomach pain before that, which I attribute to all the ascorbic acid, Vitamin C, I took every day for years.
I also took Tetracycline for 28 days BEFORE I took the Doxycycline IT too was TERRIBLE on my stomach.
I finally had to quit ALL abx and stayed on the herbs only. BUT my stomach didn't get better until I switched from regular vitamin C, (ascorbic acid), to C-Salts from nutri-com. MY stomach has been good for the most part ever since.
I took some Amoxicillin for Prostatitis a couple of months or so, ago, and ALSO had stomach problems with it.
I decided to try something, and took it about an hour BEFORE the meal WITH about 1/3 glass of skim milk, and I could tolerate it better that way, MUCH better. Not perfect, but not bad either.
I have not tried THAT with the Doxy though. So YOU MIGHT try that with the Doxy and see IF it helps any. I would definitely call Nutrition Wholesale, you can get their number by Googling or at nutri.com, and start taking the C-Salts from them. You NEED vitamin C anyway, and IF it will help your stomach at the same time, why not?
Jim Posted by valymemom (Member # 7076) on :
My son's llmd says he should not take doxy on an empty stomach then stomach problems can be avoided.
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
I need to eat protien and drink lots of water when I take my doxycycline or I have severe nausea. Drinking lots of water with it makes a huge difference but always eat something when you take it. Side effects sometimes lessen after you've been on the meds for awhile.
Apparently only some brands of doxy can be taken with milk because it makes doxy harder to absorb so be sure to ask your pharmacist for an appropriate brand if you want to take milk with it. Terry
Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
My LLMD told me to take doxy with food. I also wear SPF 30 sunscreen whenever I am out in the sun. So far, so good!
Posted by sienna (Member # 10980) on :
I take my doxy with a rice cake and butter. Half rice cake, then doxy and 8 fluid ounces of water then the other half of rice cake, so it's sandwiched. So far after 8 weeks, fortunately I haven't had any stomach problems.
Posted by Skyler (Member # 11549) on :
Thank you all so much! I have been really worried. I took my morning dose at 10 and I am still suffering from stomach pain on and off. I keep eating crackers and I drank some milk and took some milanta, and still no releife.
Now I know that I need to eat something with this abx. I am glad to hear (for my sake) that I am not the only one with this problem, but sad to hear that so many people on top of feeling bad due to lyme have to deal with this pain on top of it all. Thanks for the support!
Did any one herx while on Doxy? and if so how long did it take?
I hope everyone is having a great day, sky
Posted by liz28 (Member # 4946) on :
I have to take it after meals, and can't handle it on an empty stomach at all.
Posted by ESG (Member # 4816) on :
There are 2 ways Doxy can be provided: one is in a capsule and one is in a tablet. We (here) all get nauseous on the tablet form and must use capsule form. Pharmacist swears the tablet form is the only that does make people nauseous - are we the exception?
So you might ask pharmacy to provide you with some of each - experiment for yourself.
Then, take it right in the middle of a meal. I found that if I drink just a little at that time, I get less nauseous: less reflux from liquids. I drink later. Taking it in the middle of the food with a cup of water is what works for me - eat something that coats your stomach or is absorbent: bread, crackers, pasta, peanut/almond 'butter', butter, protein, banana etc..
Some foods/meals will make me nauseous, some do not, so you will have to learn what works for you.
Remain upright after taking the meds - do not lie down or bend over! Let those meds settle into you and not get pushed up again!
ESG
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
Sorry to hear about the stomach pain.
I would take it with something heavier than rice crackers/cakes. Like a big dinner ,sandwich or a bigger breakfast if at all possible. Cracker are not enough "food" to take doxy with. I was on doxy for 9 years & if I took my doxy with just crackers I would get very sick.
Also I would ask your pharmasist or doc about taking an antacid too close to the doxy. In my "pill Book" it says"
"do not take with antacids,mineral suppluments and multivitamins containing bismuth, calcium, zinc, magnisium,, or iron may reduce effectiveness... Sodium bicarbbonate may also be a problem. Seperate doses of antacids ect.. and doxy at least 2 hours."
Hope you can feel better soon Posted by EWT1638 (Member # 11315) on :
Capsules made me throw up! Eat protein and some bland crackers before you take your pills/capsules (I usually waited 10 mins after eating). Also, DO NOT drink juice...it is not a pretty picture.
Doxy is rough. Hope you feel better! Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
I took mine after a meal with a full 8oz of water.
The first time I took it on an empty stomach...I was up all night
With that doxy feeling like it was burning a hole in my esophagus...
Ouch!!!
Never had problems with it after that other than extreme sensitivity to the sun and heat.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by patchas (Member # 5156) on :
Hi Skyler:
Glad others filled in what I didn't mention.
Don't lay down for 1/2hr to an hour after taking doxy.
Also I never took doxy on an empty stomach. The price was severe if I did.
I herxed on doxy.
It seemed to target my muscles and joints because the pain increased for several months until my doctor stopped the doxy. To me that confirmed that I was herxing because most times it's hard to tell when one is herxing or something else is going on.
Doxy helped me tremendously and I was disappointed when my doctor changed meds - much to my protest.
Pat
Posted by fayefaye22 (Member # 11761) on :
try oatmeal...I had a really difficult time keeping doxy down as well..now a small amount of oatmeal (1/3 cup cooked) with my pills and no more stomach problems, nausea or vomitting...good luck & hang in there Posted by catalysT (Member # 10786) on :
Yes, doxycycline should be taken with foods (that contain some fat, as it's fat soluble).
Also you have to take good probiotics. What probiotics are you taking, and how much of them?
It's best to take the probiotics about 1-2 hours after your dose of doxy, and also another dose or two in the day away from doxy.
I also found taking prebiotics (FOS, but inulin will probably work well too), has helped a lot. You can even take the prebiotics closer to the dose of doxy, like a half hour before or after.
I took large doses of the FOS (fructooligosaccharides), like 3-5 grams each dose.
Posted by fayefaye22 (Member # 11761) on :
i've always been confused by this...i've always taken by probiotics 2-3 hours after my abx but i've read of people taking them 1 hour before abx...if you take them before won't the abx destroy the good bacteria the probiotics are trying to reintroduce making them useless?
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
Hi Fay
Yes. You have to space the probiotics 2 hours apart for abx either way before & after, because the abx will kill off the good flora in the probiotic.
Probiotics are very delicate.
If you take them with food...the release of stomach acid from eating will kill alot of the good flora in the probiotics.
I take my probiotics at bedtime. That way it has all night to release into my system & I usually don't eat right before I go to bed.
Or one hour before a meal is also a good time to take.
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