Quick background: I am trying to switch from omnicef (cefdinir - which is a cephalosporin) to amoxicillin. I have been on cefdinir for over six months.
It always takes me awhile to ramp up on meds (I have been unable to take even tiny doses of macrolides such as zithromax and biaxin due to severe anxiety and insomnia).
So my LLMD is switching me to amoxicillin and then augmentin to prep me for bicillin shots after I am able to tolerate the oral penicillins.
I can't believe that I am having this much trouble with 1/4 tablet of amoxicillin after taking a full dose of omnicef for so long. Are they that different for Lyme?
I am having severe head pressure, headache, anxiety, insomnia, heart palps/tachycardia/pounding, etc. I had to stop the amoxicillin for a few days to give myself a break.
I am also on doxy and i take lots of supplements for liver and herxing support.
Does anybody have any thoughts or experiences? Thank you!!!
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
According to the Deutsche Lyme guideline, both of them are betalactams with similar half lifes. Cephs obtain a concentration in CSF, whereas amox does not.
Is it possible that BB had adapted to survive in an Omnicef environment? And now, when you take an amox. more of them die? (For now...give them a month or so and they'll morph to survive...)
Are you pulsing a cyst buster, like flagyl or tinidazole?
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
I just read in the guidelines that third generation cephs are not as effective on lyme. Apparently bb is somewhat resistant to third generation cephs, which is why they aren't recommended for monotherapy.
Maybe the amox is giving those bb's a nasty shock Posted by Herbs15 (Member # 34777) on :
Thank you so much for your help That is interesting - and it makes sense! I had to back down from the amoxicillan for a day. I am going to restart tomorrow morning with small slivers.
I keep thinking I am doing pretty well and then wham! I am knocked into crazy neurological and cardiac herxes. I have tindazole in my medicine cabinet - but I do not have the courage to start it. (Along with the olive leaf extract, GSE, garlic, and all the other supplements and meds I am afraid of
Thanks again for the info - I always thought the third generation cephalosporins were stronger than amoxicillin. It makes me feel so much better to know I am not a total wimp Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
Have you ever taken amox before? Even pre-lyme? Just to rule out that you're not having an allergic reaction to the amox?
Did the pharmacist give you an info sheet when you bought the amox? On it should be symptoms of allergic reaction.
Just to be safe-maybe review those symptoms to be sure that your herx isn't really an allergic reaction.
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