So, I decided to take antibiotics. I can't sit here and do nothing. Due to financial problems, I felt that flagyl was the cheapest way to go at it. The LLMD, suggested I take it two weeks on and two weeks off. This will be the only antibiotic I'll be on.
I will be taking probiotics (I have systemic candida) and digestive enzymes ( I got enzyme deficiency). I am also taking vitamin D and I am on metformin for insulin resistance and hormonal issues.
I am going to do this for three months. Then I will try something natural (natural antibiotic supplements).
I have lost 16 pounds the past two months. I am feeling a little better, I changed my diet completely. I been doing yoga lately and it has been helping a lot.
I am just working on staying happy no matter what. The mind has so much power. I have to stop thinking negativity.
I will try my hardest to beat this. This is my goal for this year. I always end up quitting. Not this.
I am getting married next summer, and I want to have kids right away. I want to be healthy!
Do you guys have any suggestions for me? Is there anything I should add? Is flagyl a good antibiotic? I've taken it before, and I believe it helped.
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
My suggestion is to start Flagyl plus one Lyme-killing herb.
Flagyl by itself is ok, but I'm not sure it goes after the cell wall deficient forms (L-forms). I know it attacks the cysts and has some activity against the spirochetes.
My current protocol involves Andrographis with Flagyl. I don't pulse the Flagyl, because if I stop either the Flagyl or the Andrographis, I get a flare of symptoms.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I don't know of any Lyme patients who have taken ONLY flagyl. Not sure what it will address when taken alone.
Just be ready for depression. It sets off a firestorm for me. Hard to weather thru it.
I'm proud of you for your positive attitude! Just throwing out a warning on the med.
You may want to up your intake of magnesium while on flagyl.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Drink lots and lots of water with fresh lemon squeezed into it. This will detoxify you--help get rid of the dead germs the flagyl has killed.
According to my lyme doctor, flagyl kills lots of things, including parasites, so you can feel awful on it at first. Many people without lyme can't endure it because of this. I have a friend in this category.
So, do all you can do to detoxify yourself. You can also take Alka Seltzer Gold with some lemon squeezed into it if you feel bad. You can take it a few times per day.
These suggestions come from Dr. H's talk at a lyme conference. See notes here:
Herxheimer reaction (from 2010 Lyme Conference, Dr. H):
Take-home message: DETOXIFY YOUR LYME PATIENTS! It does NOT matter what antibiotic you give people, they will NOT get better without detoxification
For Herxheimer reactions: 2 Alka-Selzer Gold (no aluminum) in 8 ounces of water with lemon or lime followed by 6-8 capsules of glutathione or 1500 mg of oral liposomal glutathione.
70% will feel better in hours
On the topic of water: Dilution is the solution to pollution. This suggests that in order to help our bodies detoxify, we must drink more water
What kind of herb do you guys reccomened?
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
Oh, and another suggestion... Start the Flagyl slowly. I started with 1/4 of a tablet and increased by 1/4 tablet every few weeks.
It took me 4 months to get up to 2 tablets/day. This will reduce the severity of the herxing.
Herbs - there are many. Samento/Cat's Claw, Andrographis, Japanese Knotweed, Elutherococcus, etc.
Jernigan, Zhang, Cowden, Byron White, Buhner - all have herbal protocols.
Posted by didogs (Member # 40101) on :
I agree-start slowly!! Flagyl is strong stuff.
Good luck!!
Posted by canefan17 (Member # 22149) on :
Keep the Ginger Tea around in case you get big time nausea/headaches.
I use Yogi Tea brand.
Flagyl was good for me.
Posted by Hoops123 (Member # 18333) on :
Flagyl was the only antibiotic to effect my liver - take milk thistle, detox and drink alot of water
Posted by canefan17 (Member # 22149) on :
Great point Hoops
I take LiverLife and it's kept my number lows for over a year. Very good stuff.
Posted by Kudzuslipper (Member # 31915) on :
Flagyl and cipro togeth makes me feel amazing....until it doesn't. I did two weeks on and two weeks off... After the first two weeks, each time I started it again, I would get a deep, intense, depression starting on the 3rd day. Once I figured it out it was easier to deal with (kind of like understanding pms irrational tears). But be aware that it may effect your mood.
Posted by CherylSue (Member # 13077) on :
Ooooo, my LLMD does not believe in taking Flagyl by itself, only with another antibiotic. He said the cysts will burst and release the spirochetes, so you need an antibiotic to kill the "chetes." My first LLMD did not do that, and I had a relapse on just the Flagyl.
Also, Flagyl uses up a lot of Vitamin B (according to my LLMD). Make sure you supplement so you don't get depressed.
I read on another website that some LLMD's only recommend brand name Flagyl because it is better tolerated. Personally, I found that to be so.
I worked up gradually on the Flagyl. I pulse two consecutive days a week on high doses. At first I was a bit tired and uncomfortable. Now, maybe slightly off, but I feel so much better afterwards. The Flagyl is now like a placebo. However, I think I'm towards the end of my treatment.
Low dose mono abx and herbal supplements did not work as well for me. I needed aggressive treatment and I had to get over my fear of abx.
Good luck!
Posted by luvema (Member # 26650) on :
Thanks everyone for the help.
So flagyl by itself will not work? I am not sure why my Llmd only prescribed flagyl and nothing else. I guess on the two weeks off I will use an herb or do you guys think I should take the herb and flagyl togarher?
Thanks
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
I think both the herb and Flagyl should be taken at the same time. You can still pulse the Flagyl, but if I were you, I'd stay on the herb even when you aren't on the Flagyl.
My rationale:
Flagyl has strong activity against cysts, weaker activity against spirochetes (per my LLMD).
Anti-Lyme herbs may not be active against anything but the spirochetes, depends on the herb.
So if you just take Flagyl and nothing else, you'll break up cysts, but then those broken cysts will turn into spirochetes, which may not be dealt with effectively by the Flagyl.
So then if you stop the Flagyl and start an anti-spirochete herb, then the spirochetes will just go back into cysts.
Resulting in no gain...just a game of trading forms of Lyme (cysts into spirochetes, and vice versa) without much killing.
On the other hand, if you take Flagyl and an anti-spirochete herb (or abx), then you are killing both spirochetes and cysts.
Which means, you will make more progress...and the herxing will be more significant...
All of the above is my humble opinion, based on what I've learned from LLMD's and my own reading.
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
B VITAMINS! Flagyl can cause peripheral neuropathy that could become permanent (as per the label.)
B-vitamins will help protect your nerves.
Posted by Lymeorsomething (Member # 16359) on :