Has anyone had success with low doses of antibiotics?
my LLMD believes in treating bacteriostatically, rather than killing with beacteriocidal doses.
After four months I am feeling only a little better, and that came about when we added bactrim for bartonella; bactrim is the only drug that i am taking a "normal" dose of.
Here's what I take:
zith 300 mg every other day mino 100 mg every other day bactrim DS 2x day mepron 1 tsp 2x day (just started) modafilan (seaweed) for toxins
any ideas on this? I know that four months isn't very long.
I have noticed some improvement in my "asthma," which i think might be the mino.
I had huge improvement in sleep with bactrim. Minor improvements in mental stamina with bactrim.
i noticed improvement in my knees and hips recently.
cant think of any other improvements off hand -- ideas, anyone??
Posted by CD57 (Member # 11749) on :
Hmmm...interesting thought process...I can sort of understand his thinking.....bacteriostatic=less herxing/misery and the immune system can take over. Kinda like it.
Anyone else doing this?
Posted by arc35476 (Member # 12786) on :
I am on low doses of minocycline. I have just been able to build up to 100 mg (2 50mg tablets once day) from January. Next week I move up to 1 in the am. and 2 in the p.m. I had to start and stop a lot before I could build up to that because of herxing. . . . I actually started out taking 1 pill every other day for several weeks before I could take one every day.
A
Posted by ByronSBell 2007 (Member # 11496) on :
Only bad thing is it will take you alot longer to get well, if you do....
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
I am on low dose doxycylcine, 100mg MWF. This is a rheumatoid protocol developed at Georgetown University. It has a high success ratio to keep mycoplasmas at bay. mycoplasmas are one known cause of RA. Lyme is another and strep another.
In Dr Thomas M Brown's book "The Road Back" he says that lyme and strep take a more aggressive therapy. So he doesn't advocate low dose for lyme. Well, he didn't. He died in 1989. He was a rheumatologist and was highly respected. His research is recognized today although most rheumatologists think the minocycline acts as an immune suppressant rather than an antibiotic where RA is concerned.
I was diagnosed with lyme first, then RA. So, I opted this treatment rather than methotrexate or Enbrel. I felt it at least would not conflict with my lyme bacteria.
My current rheumatologist is an LLMD member of ILADS. She still has me take the low dose doxy (I did mino initially but had a drug induced lupus flare)but she also has me doing so much more than just that.
Her testing has revealed Babs ducani, mycoplasmas, c. pneumoniae, h. pylori, EBV, QFever and lyme. I test positive with ease. I must be a bacteria factory.
Additionally, I am toxic and have a very poor ability to detox. So, she is not just pumping me full of abx. She is working hard to detox me too and to keep the RA at bay, she has had me on plaquenil all along and has recently added Enbrel.
After fighting to stay away from those drugs for 2 yrs, she has finally convinced me I need them. I'm only on Enbrel though, not the MTX.
I have recently stumbled on reports that they are discovering the biologics like Enbrel actually stop the disease of RA and in some instances are repairing the damage done.
This drug is still new (15 yrs) and there is much to be learned yet but they are excited at what the drug is doing to fight RA.
Research is focused on stopping the immune response. My doctor is focused on getting rid of the bugs. I feel I am in very good hands.
Luvs
Posted by cottonbrain (Member # 13769) on :
thanks for the replies, everyone.
Luvs, how long have you been on the RA protocol? Do you know if it has helped with your other LYme symptoms,
or are they so overlapping with RA that it is hard to distinguish?