My daughter is sufffering really bad she started Doryx and Cipro on Dec 30, she is in the worst pain she has ever been in she said her head hurts so bad she took 1 percocet and its not touching her, do you think this is a herx and how long will it last. please anyone
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
I believe it's a herx. You can call your doctor and ask if she can back off a bit.
I have a daughter who is pretty sick as well. Give your daughter a gentle hug and tell her it will get better.
Somewhere I heard that you can give a tsp of children's benedryl to help a herx. As the doc about that.
Kelmo
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
mrs. Scampi,
I wish that I had some advice to offer. I can only tell you that I have head pain that vicodon and darvocet does not even touch.
Let her know that she is not alone. Hopefully it will pass soon. Has she had a MRI?
You should let her doctor know that she is having such a rough time, they might have recommendations.
Best, Feelfit
Posted by pab (Member # 904) on :
MrsScampi,
Doryx can increase your intracranial pressure. When it happens to me, I get a lot of pain/pressure in my eyes. I take Diamox to relieve the intracranial pressure pain.
Posted by Paul M in MA (Member # 14630) on :
We just took our daughter to an opthamologist yesterday and he found that she had papilledema, which is swelling of the optic disc due to increased head pressue.
He couldn't detect it using just a light so he used a machine to diagnose her.
He feels this increased pressure in her head and eyes is due to Lyme infection and die-off caused by her increasing her anti-biotics.
After she has her lumbar puncture soon, they should start her on Acetazolamide or Methazolamide.
Her headache had been so bad for 2 years that she had to quit work and college.
The only meds that would give her some relief were Vicodin and the Fentanyl patch (50 mcg) which are powerful and addicting for some people. That's why we need to get this headache resolved as soon as possible and get her off of these meds.
We waited a long time to see an opthomolgist because we thought the neurologists had covered looking at her eyes but they only used a light and didn't dilate the eyes.
Good luck with everything. Paul.
Posted by Wimenin (Member # 15294) on :
Be careful with the lumbar puncture. Can I ask, why are they doing it? If its to detect Bb, realize that csf isnt very good for detecting lyme.
Also, be careful that she doesn't end up with an even more severe headache after the lp. If that happens, its likely from a leak of csf, and may need a "blood patch" to seal the spinal hole. If she does get the headache, she may have to lie on her back (literally), for 3-7 days. The only o ther thing I found that helped after a lp headache was caffeine and a pain med together.
As for the herx, toxin die off... google the herx affect and way to counter it. I posted a lengthy list a short time ago that may help her with her detox issues.
Good luck!
Posted by pab (Member # 904) on :
I'm not Paul, but I have 2 sons with Pseudo-Tumor Cerebri (increased intracranial pressure). The LP is to drain fluid off to relief the pressure on her eyes and brain. (My sons do not have papilledema.)
Any of the cycline meds can cause PTC. My sons have shunts after many years of 9-10 (scale 1-10) headaches. Their headaches are better (6-7). They have had a headache 24/7 since at least 1999.
Intracranial pressure headaches are really bad, much worse than a migraine. I take Diamox daily to keep the headaches under control. Melanie Reber used Methazolamide/Neptazane.
PTC is like Lyme disease, it's hard to get a diagnosis and the treatments don't always work.
I agree with only having the LP unless it is absolutly necessary; if it is just to look for proof of lyme I wouldn't do it.
Also, I believe addiction does not occur with people who are taking these types of meds due to the severe pain your daughter is in. Addiction happens when people are taking them for the "high". There is info out there on this. She obviously needs it, don't worry about the addiction, in my opinion.