Been away for a while, but now I'm mostly better and back to help!
I found that treating aggressively and addressing biofilms was key to my improvement. At first, I had tried a lower-dose protocol for about a year and a half, but then I plateaued and decided I needed to pull out the "big guns" :-)
Aggressive treatment is rough (at times I thought my doc was a sadist or something: "oh, you're feeling better? Here, let's add in three more abx!") but I recommend it if your body can handle it. I probably wouldn't have been able to at the outset; I was very weak and sick.
Hope this helps someone!
Posted by VV (Member # 38828) on :
Can you fill us in more on your treatment? Which ABX and what dosages?
Posted by ralphi (Member # 33834) on :
Oh geez, we also switched it up quite a bit, so the list will be long :-)
I THINK this is all, but I might have missed an antibiotic or two. Also, I took major liver and kidney supplements throughout to help those stay healthy, and tons of probiotics and 1 200mg Diflucan each week. My Dr. tweaks the protocol for each patient. So this list is only part of the story.
For Babesia: Mepron, 1 teaspoon twice daily OR Malarone 3, twice daily OR Coartem pulses (did several of these)
For Lyme (I think? Hits other stuff too): Cefdinir 300mg, twice daily AND Biaxin 500mg, twice daily
OR Augmentin XR 2, twice daily AND Clindamycin 600mg, twice daily
OR Ceftin 500mg, twice daily AND Azithromycin, 250mg, twice daily
For Bartonella (and gets other things): Bactrim DS, one tablet twice daily (Stayed on this the whole time)
Later, added in Tindamax 500mg, twice daily pulsing.
Also, herbs for babesia: Enula and Crypto-plus.
Posted by VV (Member # 38828) on :
Wow, that's a lot.
Thanks for the detailed info!
So you had the big three? Did you test positive for Bart and Babs, or did you diagnose by symptoms?
Posted by SacredHeart (Member # 44733) on :
How long have you been on the aggressive treatment?
Posted by ralphi (Member # 33834) on :
Yes, all three! Symptom diagnosis, never got a positive on Lyme either but CD57 was super low. I never had IgeneX testing though.
And yeah, a lot more meds than I was comfortable taking, for sure! I'm not 100% yet, but we're getting there. On a break right now to see what's left over after some yeast cleanup.
Posted by ralphi (Member # 33834) on :
SacredHeart, I was on it from May 2013 until October 2014, so about 1.5 years. So about 3 years total treatment. I was able to catch the Lyme right when I started getting neuro symptoms, so I think that helped. But everyone's case is different!
Posted by SacredHeart (Member # 44733) on :
Ok, interesting...Ya, you know I have not even been at the antibiotics but six months now... I don't want to give up early, but
I'm not seeing much difference..Although I would say I am now experiencing my first herx. It hurts. I dream I have cancer at night...But it doesn't really hurt like I thought it would.
I thought the pain would be unbearable.
Posted by ralphi (Member # 33834) on :
If you're herxing, it's working! I felt like poo for the first year on each type of treatment I did. Then only after that I started to feel better. And if you're only on one or two antibiotics and lower doses, your progress will likely be slower.
It's a marathon, not a sprint ;-)
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
Treating aggressively works if you can detox. For those who do not detox well, they have to go slower. Congrats to you, Ralphi, for getting through it all!
Posted by ralphi (Member # 33834) on :
Thanks Robin! I have 1 copy of the MTHFR gene mutation (A1298C), so I know a little bit about detox problems! Not as much as others, I'm sure.
Herxed constantly for a year with each protocol. But during the aggressive treatment I had lots of herbal support to help my liver out, a FIR sauna, Epsom salts baths, lemon water, liposomal glutathione and C, and I'm sure several other things I've forgotten. These made a huge difference in making it actually doable/survivable, in my experience.
But you're right; everyone has to go at their own pace.
Posted by CherylSue (Member # 13077) on :
Thanks for sharing. I believe in abx, too. They really turned my life around over time.