LymeNet Flash: Malarone alone?

This is topic Malarone alone? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by Penn92 (Member # 9207) on :

My LLMD just put me on malarone to treat suspected babs/bart (I'm not sure which it is). I'm also taking tinctures of quina and samento. From the reading I've done, shouldn't I be taking another abx in addition to the malarone? I think the LLMD is trying to keep me from herxing too much (quina has been a tough herb for me), but I don't want to make drug-resistant bugs by not taking the right combo.

Hubby was just put on malarone today also, but he is taking Levaquin already. He also takes artemisinin 5 days on and two days off. Is that a good combo?

Thanks for any thoughts/insights.

Posted by daise (Member # 13622) on :

HI!

No one can say, because we're not doctors.

LLMD's can differ in their approach and (most) see us as individuals. It's what the individual needs.

Ask your LLMD what he or she thinks the antibiotics future holds for you and your husband.

daise [Smile]

Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :

Malarone is for the babs.

Make sure you take it with fatty foods.

I took it with zith and then when I couldn't take zith anymore, with biaxin.

Hugs,

Geneal

Posted by Penn92 (Member # 9207) on :

Thanks for the replies. I've already been on Mepron+zith for 5-6 months about a year ago. Did the whole abx route for a year and switched to herbal tinctures last August. I've done well up until recently, but have not been able to increase the quina past 24 drops daily.

Now my joints hurt (ankles, knees, hips, fingers) and my muscles are stiff and sore (neck, lower back and, most of all, forearms). LLMD seems to think we need to hit babs again and he mentioned bart also, though I'm serologically negative for it. Today he did some kind of acupuncture points testing that he says showed I have mycoplasma, bart and yeast, so now he's looking at starting abx again if I don't improve a lot on the malarone this month. [Frown]

Posted by Rianna (Member # 11038) on :

Malarone is for Babs and apparantly many LLMD's are now using it alone, so without a macrolide.
My LLMD (ILADS Director) uses it alone with great success.

Rianna

Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :

Malarone can be used without a Macrolide, but Mepron cannot.

I had all my remaining symptoms clear up with bart treatment. I hope it works that well for you. I'm still dealing with babs though, which I would suspect for you with the quina problems. I know they don't claim the quina works for babs, but I know that I don't have any babs symptoms while on it, but will get air hunger for my two weeks off it.

Posted by Penn92 (Member # 9207) on :

Thanks for the info about malarone by itself. That was my major concern.

I am only taking 2 tablets daily right now, so I wonder whether he'll ramp me up to the 6+ tablets I've read about.

I knew babs was a problem and did great on the Mepron. I also asked him about whether the quina difficulties had to do with my babs and he said that it works on Lyme mostly, but a little on babs. I think he finally figured out that the babs isn't gone yet, so he's trying malarone.

So glad to find so many kind and knowledgeable folks here. Thanks, all! [group hug]