well i had to call my sister. my bp today has been around the 205 over 157 range. waayyy too high.
it's because of the excruciating mind numbing lower abdominal pain. not too much diahhrea just a 10 plus pain.
she's the radiologist. as soon as she found out i had taken the baixin, well, she threw a total tizzy fit.
"that's the worst thing for you to ever take. don't do it again. biaxin is famous for causing severe colitis and gi issues. stop it immediately. anybody who has ibs like you or other gastrointestional issues should never, ever take that stuff. i've seen people here bleeding out of their rectum in bad shape because they take this. take the vicodin and get that bp down. it's stroke level, you idiot!! and if it doesn't come down within just an hour or so, get your butt to the er. hopefully the colitis will clear within a day or two, if not, er time. and keep pumping the water." (she has the wonderful bedside manner of a surgeon ((she said they have the absolute worst reputation for communication skills))
so yes it was the biaxin causing this. i did the research and sure enough, i was reading a medical drug book and it said the same thing.
the pain has eased and my bp is coming down. it's only about 140 over 100 now, and that's because i've taken several vicodin today.
so please anyone who is taking biaxin please be aware of this horrible side effect.
i have always had predominant constipation ibs and i have diverticulosis also.
it's not always a herx!!
and i'm taking plenty of probiotics right now also with florastor just to be sure. she also told me to get back on digestive enzymes and maybe go on liquids for a day or so.
so don't be stupid like me and be very careful about taking these abx. i've taken biaxin before and never had this reaction, but i only took four and look what it did!!
so it's total herbal for me. i am never, ever messing with abx again unless i'm laid out in an accident!!
she also mentioned getting a medical id bracelet as i'm highly allergic to morphine and tetracycline. (something ya'll may want to consider). and i can't take steroids either because of the lyme.
ah well live and learn...
Posted by TX Lyme Mom (Member # 3162) on :
Yes, Biaxen is notorious for irritating the GI tract. Zithro is a much better macrolide for treating Lyme than Biaxen is, and it doesn't upset the GI tract as Biaxen does.
Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Just because one antibiotic messed up your gut, it doesn't mean that you can't take other antibiotics. Your gut problems should cease almost as quickly as they started now that you are off Biaxen.
However, the "baddest" antibiotic of all (for many people, but not all) is Bactrim (aka: Septra or generic: SMZ/TMP). Here's a website that you might want to bookmark warning about Bactrim/Septra, which is a sulfa drug:
oooohhh, sulfa, i'm allergic to any sulfa drugs too.
seems like since i've gotten lyme the list just keeps growing and growing.
i break out in horrible red and purple blotches, swell and can't breathe, plus the migraine with sulfa.
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
Just FYI, I don't know if I would put "no steroids" on your med alert bracelet, because if you are in a situation where you can't communicate anything and you need the bracelet, you may need the steroids to save your life, and at that point, it would be worth it.
Whereas, if you are at a point where you can communicate and it is not life threatening, you can tell them "no steroids."
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Hoosiers is right. Steroids can save your life if you are in a bad car accident.
But DO get an ID bracelet and DO stay away from abx. Your gut obviously cannot handle them.
PS.. For once, your sister is right.
Posted by bcb1200 (Member # 25745) on :
quote:Originally posted by TX Lyme Mom: Yes, Biaxen is notorious for irritating the GI tract. Zithro is a much better macrolide for treating Lyme than Biaxen is, and it doesn't upset the GI tract as Biaxen does.
Dr. B disagrees with you. Excerpt from his treatment guidelines.
"Clarithromycin...clinically more effective than Azithromycin."
Posted by TX Lyme Mom (Member # 3162) on :
Thanks for catching that, BCB1200. I missed seeing Dr. B's comment about Biaxen. I stand corrected.
Nevertheless, many LLMDs seem to prefer Zithro in combination with other antibiotics, probably because it is less likely to cause GI problems which could confuse the Herx picture, making it difficult to sort things out.
Posted by karenl (Member # 17753) on :
Have you ever been tested for heliobacter pyloris? It can cause all your Gi problems.