I can't believe after all the time I spend reading Lymenet, on LymeChat, and other websites that I didn't know this!
Two nights ago, I swallowed my two Doxy pills with a sip of water and went to sleep. A few hours later I awoke with SEVERE chest pain, sweating, and nausea; I thought I was having a heart attack!
The pain did seem to be in my esophagus, not really my heart, so I tried some Tums....water...couldn't sleep the rest of the night due to the pain.
In the morning I googled a few words, hoping to save myself an ER visit, and lo and behold, there it was.....I had sustained a chemical burn in my esophagus from the Doxy not going all the way down. It had dissolved right in my esophagus...bad, bad, bad.
For two days, I couldnt' swallow any solid food and was in constant pain. Tonight, it is finally a little better, though it still hurts and still feels like I have something stuck in there.
So, just to make sure I'm not the only who didn't know this.....
DON'T TAKE YOUR DOXY (OR OTHER ABX) LYING DOWN!!!
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
You are to drink at least a cup of water after you take the doxy.
Also, my lyme doc doesn't want the patient to lay down for at least 3 hours afterwards. All for this reason.
Posted by aklnwlf (Member # 5960) on :
I found that out the hard way too Tracy9.
Not with Doxy but other orals.
With cranial nerve damage and resultant swallowing problems my meds have a hard time going down even if I'm standing up! LOL!
Thanks for posting this for those who need to know. Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
AAAWwWW Tracy,
That sounds like a nightmare! Glad that you are seeming to feel better day by day....hope that it continues.
My doxy says right on the bottle "do not lie down until 1/2 hour after taking."
If it hadn't, I would not have known either....
best, Feelfit
Posted by jamescase20 (Member # 14124) on :
Yep, I have had many pills get stuck in my throat...and I would burp up powder later on.
Posted by Clint31 (Member # 16420) on :
yeah even my clueless doc told me it can burn a hole in your chest
Posted by Tracy9 (Member # 7521) on :
Ugh, guess I really should read those bottles.
Tried to eat some dinner, still absolutely cannot swallow any solid food without excruciating pain!
Oh well....ice cream and pudding it is.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Ugh... I haven't done that, but I've had pain at least close to what you describe. Awful. I've been sleeping propped up on pillows for months now.
Also... Do NOT take doxy or any other abx without FOOD!!!
I hope you get over this really quickly! Posted by Connie Reese (Member # 15615) on :
Awwww....check this out....was in hosp. in April with lyme, 104 fever and hooked up to 3 diff. abx. Iv's and nurse gives me an oral doxy....Now I know from taking doxy at home not to take it laying down....too sick to say anything...hospitals......crazy...try cold applesauce....it helps me.....prayers and hugs.... Posted by applewine (Member # 26220) on :
Any antibiotic in the tetracycline family has to be swallowed with extreme care! This happened to me too!
Regular doctors, even lyme doctors are NOT warning people of HOW to take antibiotics in this family, not even pharmacists or bottles are warning people. It mentions specific instructions in the fine print!
You MUST take this antibiotic like it is a careful surgery procedure!
I took tetracycline for acne when I was a teenager. I was not warned of how to take this antibiotic. I got an extreme chemical burn in the esophagus that put me in extreme pain for about 6 months. It was one of the worst pain experiences in my life. Every single meal and every bite of food felt like agony. Every bit of food felt like I was eating barbed wire!
The chemical burn took a VERY long time to heal. If I had simply been told how to take the antibiotic I could have prevented this. Paying the doctor to prescribe this for me was a waste of money! I would have been safer buying it myself on a free market and reading the fine print without even consulting a doctor! But I would consult a doctor too...
I'm on minocycline now for lyme and I take it with 8oz of water a full tall cup as the instructions say and ONLY first thing in the morning so I will not be laying down. I do NOT even bend over upside down to pick up my shoes. Keep yourself upright for 1-2 hours with the 8oz of water on an empty stomach and you should be fine.
Posted by BHealthyNow (Member # 22537) on :
I have to take Nexium twice a day because of Doxy. Oral doxy gave me such bad heartburn that it burned in the back of my neck. Even though I'm on IV doxy, I still have reflux issues. Be very careful about taking before bed!
Posted by nomoremuscles (Member # 9560) on :
I had it too. It lasted about two weeks, and felt like a block of wood had passed through my throat sideways. It was not a happy two weeks.
Posted by apljack (Member # 14233) on :
I learned that lesson the hard way too. Came home late one night and took my doxy with 2 advil. Was in pain for days.
Reflux issues for me were from lyme & friends. I no longer have reflux. GI wanted me on Prilosec for the rest of my life (I was 47 at the time). I wouldn't do it and lo and behold, it went away with treatment for lyme.
Posted by the3030club (Member # 21898) on :
?? they usually put a sticker right on the bottle warning against this.??
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