LymeNet Flash: New to Bart treatment, need input

This is topic New to Bart treatment, need input in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.

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Posted by Ariel1 (Member # 22227) on :

So I am now on Bart treatment after 10 months of
Lyme treatment.

I would like to hear from others about whether my current protocol is typical and if the treatment symptoms I am experiencing are typical.

I am on:

100mg of Minocycline twice daily

600mg of Rifampin daily during the weekdays

600mg of Zithromax daily on the weekends

Is this typical for Bart treatment?

I have been on this protocol for 3 weeks now with no major herx.

Pretty much been feeling tired, a few episodes of lightheadedness, and a brief episode of dry heaving.

Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :

No, this is not typical treatment for bart. See this page for treatment recommendations:

http://www.lymebook.com/antibiotic-treatment-for-babesia-bartonella-ehrlichia-co-infections

You are on very low doses, taking rifampin and zith just on weekends.

Also, my lyme doc went after bart after 2 months of lyme treatment. Why wait 10 months before treating your bart disease?

I got rid of my lyme, babesiosis, and bartonella over 5 years ago and I am still symptom-free, enjoying my life.

My doc treated all 3 of my diseases in one year.

Posted by deerose (Member # 27484) on :

thanks TF i read this and am now confident I am on the "right" abx.

I had asked the LLND but she did not explain it a well as this author.

Posted by Ariel1 (Member # 22227) on :

TF,

Thank you for the information. My LLMD was not

sure if I had Bart until I had lingering symptoms

with my Lyme treatment. So I was clinically

diagnosed with Bart. I am concerned though that

my dosages are too low. I am happy that you are

well and symptom-free. I hope to get there at

some point.

Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :

I think the dosage is about right - but you should be taking it every day. If you take the Rifampin at night you won't feel so sleepy in the daytime (hopefully).

After 8 months of daily abx for bartonella and feeling pretty well (but not 100%), I decided to wean myself back to four days a week and I relapsed in a month. Now I am back on full schedule, having added more abx to the mix, and I'm still not back to where I was. In fact the symptoms keep coming back stronger and stronger.

So I don't see how taking abx two days a week is going to help you. It could just make the bacteria resistant to that drug.

Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :

Zith has a very long half-life, and is often pulsed, as she is doing.

Posted by nefferdun (Member # 20157) on :

I believe Zithro is 72 hours and it is often pulsed for other illnesses but she is only taking it two days a week and those days are consecutive. Bartonella is such a horrible disease, in my opinion much worse than lyme, as it affects my mind so much leaving me feeling like a zombie - It is not something I would recommend poking at. You need to be very aggressive.