Hi...just D.C. With chronic Lyme and Bartonella since 1994. Seeing Dr. P in CT. Started on 500 mg day of tetracycline. It's only been a week.
3 days in, my usual fatigue became insane as well as neuropathy, legs buckling, nightmares, sleeping like I have mono, sobbing out of control... Some new syptoms along with constant old ones,
Can I be herxing so fast and on such a low dose? Dr P said not to increase dose of I start herxing from initial dosage. I'm just wondering what's going on inside me?
This is all so new.,,appreciate any thoughts. Thanks so much to this amazing group.
Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
It sounds like it is hitting something. I would follow your doctor's advice and take things slowly. Dr. P has a good reputation and knows his stuff.
I am taking tetracycline as well and it can be powerful. We all react differently based on the damage this disease has done. Good luck to you. I hope you start to get some relief.
Posted by Christopher J (Member # 46401) on :
I would work up to the full dose and just dont pay too much attention to the herx, etc. Early on in treatment, everything will make you herx and that shouldnt be a sign to stop, it should be a sign to double down and pound it. A part of your issue is that you are using too low a dose, which actually can work against you.
Posted by HopefulNY (Member # 46070) on :
Christopher 3, if you don't mind...how does a low dose work against me? Thanhs fur your help! And thanks as well Dpei!
Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
You have an excellent LLMD. I would definitely listen to his advice on this and contact him to report your response so far to the smaller dose of tetracycline. He started you off on a smaller dose for a reason.
Dr. P sees thousands of lyme patients - and has great expertise on success and failure with antibiotic treatment. Herxing too hard is not good either. Often we need to stay on smaller dose and gradually work up to a larger dose or even switch meds.
Good luck to you, hopefulNY and keep us posted.
Posted by WPinVA (Member # 33581) on :
Yes, that sounds like a herx. Your body is responding to all of the die-off. Definitely follow your doctor's advice and don't increase the dose until he tells you to. My guess is that he will have you work up slowly.
I would give his office a call and ask what he recommended for detox methods.
In the meantime, you can do gentle ones on your own, such as lemon water - lots, epsom salt baths, sweating in a sauna, and if you can gentle exercise gets the lymph system going which is good for moving the bad stuff out.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Yes, it sounds just like a herx and the timing is right for one.
To flush out all the dead germs, drink lots and lots of water all day long with fresh lemons squeezed into it.
You can also get some Alka Seltzer Gold (it has no aluminum in it) and take that 4 times a day with lemon squeezed into it. If you can't find that, take baking soda as a substitute.
These things really help.
The water will flush out everything and the lemon juice is a cleanser of the body.
Many people are amazed at how well these things work to make them feel better. When I was treating these diseases, I drank lemon water all day long. I made it my only drink. I give that the credit for my mild herxes.
Posted by Badtick (Member # 9794) on :
I started off on tetracycline also with the same LLMD when I was first properly treated many years back. Is was so bad off he was concerned that the herx could kill me.
Looking back, it was the correct approach and I eventually fully recovered under his care.
As others have mentioned, do everything you can to help detox as the Toxins are where the majority of your symptoms come from.
Posted by Christopher J (Member # 46401) on :
Hopeful a dose that low isnt sufficient to maintain kill blood levels. Burrascano says 500 mg tid or qid. Three or four times a day. Youre basically stunning it and then giving it time to regroup
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
From Burrascano, page 14:
"The TETRACYCLINES, including doxycycline and minocycline, are bacteriostatic unless given in high doses."
Do not fear, Hopeful. The lower dosage of tetra that you are taking is stopping the germs from multiplying. That is what "bacteriostatic" means. So, that is a good thing.
There is no "stunning it and then giving it time to regroup."
So, continue obeying your doctor. Remember, a dead patient can't take any meds at any dosage! It is the turtle that wins the race!
Treating lyme and coinfections is a marathon and not a sprint. We say that all the time. What it means is that it is a long race and you have to be willing to continue treating for a long, long time. Don't lose patience and do something that could be harmful to yourself.
Posted by HopefulNY (Member # 46070) on :
You all are fantastic. Thank you so much. Am calmer now. Will start detoxing and just breathe....
Don't know what I'd do without this bright group. 💪💪💪
Posted by Badtick (Member # 9794) on :
Dr P learned a long time ago that putting a patient with a high infection load into an aggressive tx right off the bat leads to set backs or worse and ultimately a longer recovery time.
Everyone has a different situation. It is not as simple as reading an ILADS guideline and dishing out the meds.
In my case I had pretty significant cardiac involvement in the beginning of treatment. If I followed the advice from J above I likely would have died.
Posted by me (Member # 45475) on :
Yup, I agree it sounds like a herx. Glad you are calmer now. Posted by HopefulNY (Member # 46070) on :
Sorry to annoy you guys, don't know why my same post showed up 3 times ughh....who knows what my brain is doing now.
Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
LOL. I was thinking it was me, not deleting my email notifications! Hopeful, you can delete or edit your own posts by highlighting/pressing the little icon with piece of paper with the pencil, found at the top of your post. You will be given opportunity to either edit or delete your posts. I hope I explained this okay.
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