LymeNet Flash: cant tell the difference between sick with antibiotic and sick with lymes

This is topic cant tell the difference between sick with antibiotic and sick with lymes in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by joyless (Member # 26501) on :

I just got lymes this month and really have been so sick with the antibiotic (mimocycline) that now that I have got off that antibiotic, I still feel many symptoms. How can I tell if it is Lymes or the residule effects of antibiotic. Symptoms: lightheaded, weak, dizzy, nausea, sore ears and full, closing throat, foggy thinking, pressure in back of neck/base of skull. I feel awful [confused]

Posted by joames (Member # 26444) on :

That sounds like LYME still to me....exactly.

Posted by dmc (Member # 5102) on :

Lyme (no S) can cause dizziness etc.

Go to drugs.com and read the side effects of the drugs to see if side effects is what you're experiencing.

now treating Lyme can cause a Herxheimer reaction (also known as Jarisch-Herxheimer or Herx) occurs when large quantities of toxins are released into the body as bacteria is killed.

Print out the green booklet from http://lymepa.org

It is a helpful primer on lyme & other tick diseases (co-infections)

Hope ya feel better soon [Smile]

Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :

It can be hard to tell for sure. When I treated with doxy I got much sicker but knew I was herxing, and that included really bad body pain, vertigo and brain fog. Later on certain drugs brought out the dizziness and I just didn't want to take them so I tried something different. Later, when I was more well, I found I could tolerate the drugs I could not use before. Lately it was the herb andrographis that brought on dizziness. Since quitting it is gone.

Some drugs have a side effect of causing dizziness so you have to check - try drugs.com
Still you never know if it is a good thing or a bad thing. It could be attacking the bacteria right where you need to get it and the die off is overwhelming you.

Posted by joyless (Member # 26501) on :

The antibiotic does have those side effects. That's what makes it so confusing. Plus my doctor told me to stop taking them since I was so sick. Now I'm afraid I will just get worse. Maybe I should go back on, but at a lower doseage. I hate to self medicate,but I can't get a lyme specialist in my area- Eastern Ontario - there is one 5 hours away, near Toronto, but long waiting list.

Posted by Sophie1234 (Member # 26412) on :

I am not saying to do this, this is just what I have done in the past. I have taken 1/2 the prescribing dose of meds that hit me hard.

Can you call your dr and see if this is an option? Or perhaps ask about pulsing?

Posted by kidsgotlyme (Member # 23691) on :

Try to get on the waiting list to the lyme specialist ASAP!

Just my opinion, but I would think that taking a half dose would be better than taking nothing.

Posted by BHealthyNow (Member # 22537) on :

Minocycline made me have seasick type vertigo. It was way different from my lyme dizziness.

Did you have the dizziness before?

Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :

I personally start out very small to see if I can handle a treatment - means trying a small portion of a tablet or contents of a capsule. If I'm doing ok, then I increase the amount.