Is anyone here taking Artmesenin? What do you take along with it and for how long? Were you on an antibiotic as well? -peedie
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
You have to take something with it or you will quickly become resistant.
I took Zith with it. I only had to take it a few months to finish off the babs. I had been on clindy/Q off and on for 2 yrs.
Wish I'd taken the zith/art earlier!
Posted by WildCondor (Member # 434) on :
TuTu can you post the information on the resistance to taking artemesia by itself? Thanks!
Most people take it with Mepron and Zithromax for the treatment of babesia.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Yes, you should definitely be on an antibiotic when you take it. It will not be effective on its own, is my understanding. Besides Mepron/zith, you can also try Bactrim DS.
I took Bactrim and then added artimesinin a month later. Take the art in a pulsed fashion, not every day.
I took it 3 days a week and then off 4 days.
Burrascano guidelines say to always add artimesinin to the antibiotic regimen for babesiosis. No talk of taking it alone.
Posted by Lauralyme (Member # 15021) on :
I think it's also best to pulse it as TF did. I am pulsing it... 2 days on 5 days off.
Posted by njlymemom (Member # 15088) on :
can artemisia be taken with malarone
can't take bactrim
and right now can't take zith
anyone know? thanks
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Yes, per Burrascano, you take atovaquone (Mepron or Malarone) plus an erythromycin-type drug, plus the artimesinin.
Ketek and Biaxin are 2 erythromycin-type drugs.
Here's what he says:
"the current regimen of choice for Babesiosis is the combination of atovaquone (Mepron, Malarone), 750 mg bid, plus an erythromycin-type drug, such as azithromycin (Zithromax), clarithromycin (Biaxin), or telithromycin (Ketek) in standard doses." (p. 24)
"Treatment failures usually are related to inadequate atovaquone levels. Therefore, patients who are not cured with this regimen can be retreated with higher doses (and atovaquone blood levels can be checked), as this has proven effective in many of my patients. Artemesia (a nonprescription herb) should be added in all cases." (p.24)
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
The point of pulsing is because your body builds up a couple of enzymes to break down artemesinin- which means you have to give yourself a break (I think once a week for a few days?) in order to keep those enzymes from working as effectively.
one of them is through the cytochrome p 450 pathway, and my doctor suggested taking grapefruit juice, but there's also another pathway through which your body breaks down artemesinin so it's not the only way to combat this problem. Grapefruit also interferes iwth a few other drug levels so research this further if you do it.
Posted by Peedie (Member # 15355) on :
Thanks all, I tested neg. for Babs. I don't know if my LLMD will rx. this treatment for me but I think I may have it and would like to give it a trial run. Can not afford Mepron/Malarone out of pocket. Zithromax will do. Thinking maybe I'll do a parasite cleanse first. Thanks for all the help. -peedie
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
Alinia is starting to be really cheap if you get it as an overseas pharmacy generic:
I don't think it's anywhere nearly as well-tested for babesia as Mepron/Malarone are, but it's been effective for a few people. I used it as part of babesia treatment towards the end of my treatment (and I'm on it now as a Flagyl alternative for Lyme) and I am fairly sure it helped me "turn the corner" with babesia symptoms that I couldn't otherwise get rid of. I was also on artemesinin and on the end of my Mepron treatment, but some symptoms persisted until I did another course of Alinia/cryptolepsis/artemesinin.