I started Biaxin 3,5 days ago on 2 x 250 mg a dag. First day i felt completely drugged and when taking the second dose i had a bit difficulty breathing.
Since then my headache is gone really really major, i'm feeling drugged all day long, anxiety rises sky high, have extreme restlessness and yesterday i had the feeling that i'd pass out when showering. Today i woke up and the restlessness was there right away.
Are the common side effects? Will they eventualle become less? I can't hardly continue when the effects are so rough. This morning i tried to take only 3/4 pill so hopefully that'll be better.
My stomach seems to handle it pretty well though and i have almost no metallic taste.
Posted by KH111 (Member # 25829) on :
You just need to push through with it and stay on the full dosage. Also are you taking anything else with it? You need to be on 3 different types of abx at the same time to address the 3 different forms of lyme. You should be on a cell wall drug, a cell wall deviant drug, and an abx that targets the cysts. An example would be amox, with biaxin, with tinidazole. Look at the 2008 Guidelines listed at the top of the forum page, it lists out all the different forms of abx. Taking tinidazole is key, if you take only one drug you will push the spirochetes into cyst form and will never be able to fully recover. Be sure to take a lot of probiotics, I took over 400 billion a day. Take 2 hours after your abx.
Posted by jayz (Member # 43741) on :
I already lowered the dose a bit to 3/4 tab twice a day.
This is the only med i'm on at the moment and i'm using Questran A (still looking for the sugar version i hate aspartame).
My body can't handle a lot of meds at the same time. My CNS is overwhelmed and just the tiniest pills/supplements etc can make it go crazy.
I'll ask my doctor about tinidazole, but i thought it wasn't available here in holland.
Posted by VV (Member # 38828) on :
Biaxin was a horrible drug for me.
I had a mix of side effects and herx that were way too much for my body and did major damage.
I was only on it for 4 days but the effects took well over 6 months to start subsiding.
I will never take it again.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Anxiety, nervousness, headache, insomnia are all side effects of Biaxin. So, this is where your restlessness is coming from.
I only lasted 5 days on it. By the 4th day I could no longer bring myself to eat any food all day, not even a spoonful. And, I could not sleep even one minute all night long. These problems began as soon as I started the med and just got worse every day that I took it.
Plus, it gave me anxiety.
So, my lyme doctor laughed and changed me to another medication.
So, in my case, the side effects didn't lessen--at least not in the 5 days that I took it. They just increased each day.
It took at least 3 days after stopping the med for these side effects to go away also.
Posted by carriekaye (Member # 43533) on :
My daughter couldn't tolerate biaxin either. She had terrible abdominal pain, even at half dosage (never even got up to full dose). Abdominal pain is a listed side-effect, in 3% of cases. I had her LLMD switch her to something else.
I highly recommend everyone get a good drug book, like nurses use. With all the meds everyone is on, it's good to have that kind of resource that will tell you what side effects the drug causes, which are common, which are dangerous.
Davis's Drug Guide is one good one.
Posted by VV (Member # 38828) on :
"Anxiety, nervousness, headache, insomnia are all side effects of Biaxin. So, this is where your restlessness is coming from.
I only lasted 5 days on it. By the 4th day I could no longer bring myself to eat any food all day, not even a spoonful. And, I could not sleep even one minute all night long. These problems began as soon as I started the med and just got worse every day that I took it." - TF
I had a lot of these same issues along with:
severe intrusive thoughts gastroparesis tremors light and sound sensitivity urinary incontinence tachycardia cold extremities
It was hell.
Posted by jayz (Member # 43741) on :
I'm on day 6 now and really willing to continue but the unreal feeling is getting more and more each day. Anxiety is pretty high and i've even got angry attacks, mood swings. This is a heavy drug i can tell for sure.
Maybe i should switch to zithromax but i've heard that can cause heart problems and thats in my family.
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
We are all different. I responded very well to Biaxin, and recently it was a miracle for my daughter.
If it's a never taken antibiotic and possibly hitting active infection, it can be hard to differentiate, as the symptoms VV posted sound like Bart die off, too-
Maybe up detox, take charcoal binders or such, see if it gets better.
Posted by jayz (Member # 43741) on :
I'm using CSM (cholestyramine, Questran-A) it that a so called charcoal binder?
I never took this abx before, only doxy (2 x months, in november and februari) and as far as i can remember i never used anything else in my live before.
Thanks
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Yes, CSM is a binder.
Posted by pointermom (Member # 43153) on :
About a month age, my LLMD switched Biaxin for the Doxy in my abx cocktail.
I think she prescribed it because of my ongoing sinus problems.
Had some strange (scary) dreams when I first started it, and it continues to cause sinus drainage and a nasty taste in my mouth that affects my appetite.
I'm hoping that means it's working. I seem to have fewer headaches
Posted by jayz (Member # 43741) on :
I bought activated charcoal which seems to be sold as norit over here. Took 2 200 mg capsules without much difference het. Took it about an hour ago. I do notice some extra headache and thirst though
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
Charcoal can constipate you, drink lots of water, be aware- important to keep those bowels moving.
Also assuming you didn't start the Biaxin and CSM at the same time-
Hang in there, hope it gets better-
Posted by jayz (Member # 43741) on :
I didn't start biaxin and csm at the same time. I even toon them apart every day. Biaxin with breakfast and dinner and csm half an hour before lunch and night.
I decided to quit the biaxin yesterday. I got angry attacks, extreme irritated, depressed more dizzy etc etc. These are side effects for i think and no herx.
Today i'm continuing the carchoal and leave the csm. Took csm for 4 weeks and did notice an improvement. However i got more fatigue on it and extremely fatigue when using more then 4 grams a day. Then i couldn't stop jawning anymore. Maybe thats due to the aspartame