Does anyone know why only doxy is given after initial tick bite and why other abx are not given to address coinfections at the same time?
Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
IDSA gives 200 mg daily for 10-21 days. They don't give anything for co-infections because they don't believe they exist really and are easily handled by one's immune system. You'll NEVER get testing for them even.
ILADS docs are different (well some of them). They'd give 400 mg of Doxy for a minimum of 6 weeks or until symptom free. They'd test or treat for co-infections clinically. Whole different ballgame. Who knows who is right?
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
doxy does kill erlichia easily-so you don't have to worry about that even after 10 days at 200mg
but it doesn't get any of the others and seek is right about the dosage for lyme
Posted by Jill E. (Member # 9121) on :
As Ipkayak said, Doxy is supposed to kill Ehrlichia easily, that's why LLMDs usually use Doxy as first drug of choice.
But I've been on Doxy for two very long courses, plus Rifampin for many months, and still test positive for Ehrlichia, so I must have a resistant strain. So Doxy isn't an absolute in terms of Ehrlichia, but I think probably works in many cases.
When my dad was bitten (I had been bitten four years before and it went untreated for a long time), the coinfections were not addressed because we got him into treatment so early, the LLMDs thought his immune system could squash the coinfections. However, he now has a Bartonella rash two years later.
Jill
Posted by 'Kete-tracker (Member # 17189) on :
Doxy tends to concentrate in the skin, imagine2. This & the Important fact that it addresses [most] Ehrlichia & anaplasma co-infections, which affect the red blood cells (and Can be serious).
As most (infected) tick bites leave the majority of the infecting microbes in the bite area, the doxycycline- which develops at relatively higher tissue concentration in the skin layers- is an excellent abx agent to address the situation.
However, it is bacteriostatic ("subdues" but doesn't lyse) at lower levels, so you really need to make sure you're taking enough for your body weight/ build(lanky vs. tubby) to have it be effective.
Most ILADS docs will typ give 200mg b.i.d. (not 100mg) for 4 weeks BEYOND resolution of all symptoms & rashes for diagnosed early Lyme (typically 5-6 weeks total). Most patients (not all) can tolerate this dosing level, though sometimes employing ginger products (tea, diet dark gingerale) to relieve any upset stomach after a dose.
Important to stay out of the sun, though! "Doxy" ultra-sensitizes your skin to sunlight, esp. UV-A rays, as a side effect. NOT cool.
Posted by imagine2 (Member # 3136) on :
If a very high percentage of lyme patients are also coinfected with Babesia, wouldn't it be prudent to simultaneously, treat with, at least, zithromax to cover even the possibility of Babesia?
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
i first got tx in 98 and the protocol by well known llmd was to always tx babs first
i was giving wrong dose and couldn't tolerate even the low dose so only did 3 weeks...
then he moved on to oother stuff
on my own i used artemesia and it got rid of my sweats and eye pain
so many llmds have told me the testing is so inaccurate it isn't worth doing...after tx even a pos may not be a pos
and a neg of course never means anything-esp when they keep coming up with new strains
i'm beginning to agree with some llmds that the best we can do is cover evrything we know about-then focus on sx left and try to zap them with something stronger or a little different than the first time. getting rid of sx is the best indication to stop tx---i still have a lot of pain-esp transient pain-but my fatigues is gone-my debilitating ball of the foot pain is gone...so i know it is possible to get rid of some sx-my fatitiges has been one 9 yrs now-even with regression in other areas so it is possible
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by imagine2: [QB] If a very high percentage of lyme patients are also coinfected with Babesia, wouldn't it be prudent to simultaneously, treat with, at least, zithromax to cover even the possibility of Babesia?
Sure it would. But we are under the IDSA's set of "guidelines." They do nothing logical.
Posted by imagine2 (Member # 3136) on :
I wonder why Dr. B's guidelines don't address it either.
A friend was just bitten, has a "bright new bullseye" and was started immediately with doxy.
Knowing what the rest of us go through with the coinfections, it brought up this question for me.There must be a way to stop these coinfections before they do so much damage.
Thanks so much for everyone's invaluable input, as always:)
![[Cool]](cool.gif)
NOT cool.