I was prescribed minocycline last week. I started it Sunday, but stopped yesterday morning because of horrible vertigo.
It's 24 hours later, and I'm still wobbling around like a drunken wombat. (Turns out that women are especially prone to vestibular disturbances when taking minocycline. One study showed that 70% of women volunteers experienced vestibular disturbances!)
Obviously, I'm going to call my LLMD. I think that he'll probably recommend switching to doxycycline.
I'm curious, though, for those who have had both minocycline and doxycycline--
Does doxycycline have similar vertigo-type side effects? (Particularly for women? My husband has no problems with his doxy dose.)
-AnnaL (the drunken wombat)
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Doxy does not seem to cause the same problems with vertigo for either men or women. It may, and vertigo often goes with lyme AND with liver damage but generally, doxy is easier to tolerate regarding the ears.
It may take another few days for the vertigo to subside. That has been my experience with this - the last time I was determined to use mino (as doxy gives me a rash) . . . just one mino capsule and I was spinning for at least a week. But, my ears are very much compromised - I would expect yours to settle down soon.
GINGER capsules right now should help that. Ginger tea can be nice but the capsules have the full strength.
Mino can be great for some but, for many, the vertigo is just too hard to tolerate. And that can imply some damage to the vestibular system.
Using a pelleted, timed-release mino (minocin) may be of help.
B-6 and NAC (as liver protection) have been found helpful to diminish vertigo from mino. Some researchers say it is ototoxic (to the ears) or vestibular system in general.
There is some discussion about that here: ----------------
Topic: TINNITUS: Ringing Between The Ears; Vestibular, Balance, Hearing with compiled links -
Posted by MayberryNut (Member # 16589) on :
Mino tends to have greater vestibular side effects than doxy. Mino is often used because it is more lipid soluble than doxy. In other words, it crosses the BBB at higher rates with lower doses than required by doxy.
Feel free to confirm this for me, others.
Will
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Yes, as MayberryNut says above about the BBB, etc.
Mino also does not have the same sun sensitivity for those in the sunny states this time of year. But in Seattle, you'll not have to worry about the sun and doxy until next June.
However, if the ears can't take it, there are other options. The ears must be protected at all costs since they affect everything we do, far beyond hearing. -
Posted by AnnaL (Member # 18464) on :
My LLMD waited until the fall to rx either mino or doxy due to the sun issue. But now, in Seattle, I don't think I'll see the sun for many months.
I was hoping that I could tolerate mino because of the BBB penetration. But the vertigo started on day one and just got worse, even with lots of liver support. I was nervous just walking down the stairs, for fear of falling.
But it sounds like doxy will be less likely to cause the vestibular side effects, so I'm not as nervous about trying it now.
Posted by ping (Member # 6974) on :
Anna,
If you have heavy neuro sx's, the mino is choice for that; usually, the doxy doesn't work as well on neuro. Don't know how many mgs. your doc has rx'd for you, but might want to ask if you can take half the dose; this might lessen or eliminate the vertigo.
As Keebler said, with doxy, sun sensitivity is a real problem. When I say stay out of the sun, I'm not kidding. Stay completely out of the sun, unless it's long sleeves, long pants, gloves, hat and 60 SPF. Even then, the UV rays can burn you through your clothes.
ping "We are more than containers for Lyme"
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
Mino made me really dizzy and increased my liver enzymes. I had to go off. Doxy made me dizzy at first but it got better after awhile. I made a lot of progress on Doxy.
I don't go outside much so exposure to sun wasn't a problem for me.
I'm now on Doryx and I'm a little less stable on my feet than normal but it's not too bad. Terry
Posted by disturbedme (Member # 12346) on :
Well, Doxy made me more dizzy than Mino did. But I was put on Doxy at the beginning of my treatment so it was like an initial herx most likely... and the dizziness it caused was not true dizziness but feeling like I was on a cruise with the boat rocking back and forth while on it. That weird sensation that is horrible.
With Mino (which I absolutely despise) I didn't really have any reactions. I really don't even remember an obvious herx with it. But I despise it so much because I never had neck or upper back pain or stiffness until I started this medicine and ever since then, my neck and back have been extremely painful and stiff, to the point of being unbearable, and I actually had to ask my doctor for prescription pain meds for it because it has been so AWFUL! It's obvious that Mino totally did something to the bugs that then did something to my neck... LOL... because I've never had issues with my neck like I have since I've taken Mino. And unfortunately, I'm still on it.
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
I like mino give it time.
Posted by joysie (Member # 11063) on :
In my experience with both, mino was initially much harder to tolerate. I did experience the dizziness, but it subsided with time. It was helpful for me, but so is doxy. Take care Kris
Posted by METALLlC BLUE (Member # 6628) on :
Reduce the dose to 1/4th of what you started on and that feeling should not result. Gradually increase it to full dose over 2-3 weeks and you'll do well (I'm pretty sure).
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
Forgot to mention that mino gave me hyperpigmentation. I still have it on my legs 3+ years later although it isn't as bad as it was at first.
Terry
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I was on Mino first and don't remember having balance issues. Now I have been on Doxy for almost 4 months and just lately started having dizziness and ear issues. I guess its the doxy, however, I had this symptom even before starting on any antibiotics. It can be just a lyme symptom.
I would always give the medication a week or two to see if side effects disappear(unless of course it becomes severe). Many times they do go away. If it doesn't go away soon, then I wouldn't take it.
I have actually sat in the sun for 10 minutes without sunscreen while on doxy and did not have a problem. Of course I will not push my luck on that. Too many stories of horrible sun sensitive issues. Defientely wear sunscreen and protect yourself on any of the cyclines.
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