My husband is getting ready to start on babs treatment again. He is scheduled to see Dr. C in January (he used to see him years ago), but his local doctor will start him, but he needs to decided which he should start with.
A number of years ago he was on quinine/clindamycin and saw amazing improvement, but then started backsliding after a couple of months of improvement. So then he changed to mepron/zith. I guess it kept him steady, but he never got back to that great place that he was in when the quinine/clindy was helping him. He took mep/zith for several months and then got off of it.
Here we are. Failed IV treatment of 7 months, treated with lariam, ivermectin, and a slew of other things this year. He is completely overwhelmed by fatigue. He hasn't worked in nearly a year. We really think the problem is babs.
So, what should he start with? Quinine/clindamycin or mepron/zith. His doctor is not a LLMD, but very open to treating him. I am hoping he will consult with dr. C.
Thanks, Mary
Posted by Walnut (Member # 6585) on :
This is a question only your LLMD doctor can answer. Dr. C knows your husband's medical history and has years of experience treating babesiosis.
Posted by babesman (Member # 14003) on :
>We really think the problem is babs. Hi. If you don't mind answering several questions..
Did you keep track of B.m. antibody titres during the treatment? Or more generally: did remission periods in any way correlate with fluctuations in babs tests data? (For instance: "MD Lab Real-time B.m. PCRs were negative while symptom-free").
Posted by amk33 (Member # 13206) on :
Can you tell me why your husband was taking ivermectin? Thanks.
Posted by docjen (Member # 7510) on :
I have been in treatment for babs for 2 years, and have tried almost everything under the sun. In my opinion, getting at babs is a very long, slow process. The two things that I know for sure have gotten at babs are mepron and flagyl (in combination with other abx).
Can I ask what quinine (what form, what drug) your husband was taking? I am interested in trying that next, but doc hasn't prescribed this before and isn't sure about it.
Good luck!
Posted by mfrfr (Member # 4738) on :
My husband never got a positive babs test. I think he has tested twice. He has struggled with fevers, night sweats, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, etc. for a very long time.
Before he was diagnosed with lyme, he lost his spleen due to enlargement. He was at serious risk of rupture and the doctors couldn't figure out why, so they removed it and sent him on his way. They ruled out many things, but I don't think lyme et al. was ever on the table for them.
He was on ivermectin (actually a derivative for humans) for microfilarial worms. I thought it was a huge stretch but he tried it and it didn't do anything for him. His old llmd (recently retired) used it and said he had good results.
We are at the proverbial drawing board with him. I have posted his history before (it's a long story, you might be able to find it in here somehwere).
Anyhow, he has seen many of the big name llmds but we have always tried to find local docs due to cost. We will be back to Dr. C- I trust his experience. Unfortunately it won't be until January. In the mean time I want him back on babs treatment. It's the only thing that did anything for him. We will just have to stick with it for the long haul.
His quinine was in pill form- 260 mg. tablet. He didn't have any bad side effects, but that is not a very high dose.
Posted by babesman (Member # 14003) on :
The current methods of Babesia spp. detection can be roughly divided into three categories:
Each method has its own nuances in regard to sensitivity and cost benefit ratio/performing lab credibility etc.
IMHO starting long-term therapy without trying to get at least one positive result should be done only in really desperate cases.
In case quinine was helpful you're not as much getting these results to prove you're sick as you're obtaining at least one measurable parameter.
If you knew what they found on the Giemsa 3 years ago it would be much easier now for both big and small name llmds to make their hypothesises, etc
There's one another moment - what if not only 2 but all tests are still negative - and quinine still helps - but it is a different story.
Posted by savebabe (Member # 9847) on :
Has he ever been treated for bart? My fatigued improved when I addressed bart along with babs.
My treatment:
Mepron, 2tsp 2x day Dr. Z's art biaxin and Septra
Septra made a huge difference in my treatment. It will hit babs and bart at the same time.