posted
I was just fine with our LLMD's recommendation that my 10 year old daughter start on artemisinin to combat her just-diagnosed babesiosis, but I just researched art on the forums and I'm seeing a number of posts that indicate that just zith plus art can lead to resistant babs. Anyone able to confirm or deny this conclusion?
She is on 250 mg of zith and was told to take 100 mg of art daily. Just ordered the art, so it isn't here yet and I'm trying to straighten this out so we can move forward when it gets here. Thanks for your thoughts/experiences.
-------------------- Getting older is when we would rather not have a good time than have to get over it. - Oscar Wilde Posts: 386 | From Radnor, PA - where the ticks run free | Registered: May 2006
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We "spoke" a few weeks back about our daughter's treatment of lyme and their llmd's. My daughter is on 200 mg Zith, she has been since March. Her llmd added Mepron June 12th for suspected babs. She has been doing well on this so far. No major problems with abx, besides some eye pain. Her llmd never mentioned art and I don't know that much about it. I will do a search and see what I come up with. Alot of people do the Zith/Mepron/Art combo. Let me know what you find out. I think she needs the Mepron.
Posts: 263 | From Georgia | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
Lymetoo -- Art can become resistant even with taking Zith. The combination of Zith with Art or Malerone/Mepron just helps it kill babs better.
You still must take the Art on and off or it will become resistant.
JimBob--- wrote --"HOWEVER, it is STRONGLY recommended NOT to stay STEADY on Artemisinin, UNLESS of course you are on the very lowest dosage of it." -- "I take 600mg a day now for three weeks then off for two weeks."
posted
Thanks for the replies. She is supposed to take the lowest dose - 100 mg - once a day, so I suppose that it's OK to keep her steady rather than pulsing. Also, just got Buhner's book out of the library and he recommends art 100mg 3x daily for 30-40 days along with red root tincture and boneset tea for shaking chills/sweats/fever, so I think we'll go ahead and let her be on it for the 30 days until we see the LLMD again. Hmmm, maybe I'll mention that boneset tea over on Connie's thread about babs. Might help her out.
Any other thoughts or comments are still appreciated...
-------------------- Getting older is when we would rather not have a good time than have to get over it. - Oscar Wilde Posts: 386 | From Radnor, PA - where the ticks run free | Registered: May 2006
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posted
Does someone have a reference for the need to pulse art? I asked doc about it and was told to take it straight through my babs tx (zith + Mepron).
TIA if anyone has something.
-------------------- Suzanne Shaps STAND UP FOR LYME Texas (www.standupforlyme.org) (Please email all correspondence related to protecting Texas LLMDs to [email protected] with copy to [email protected]) Posts: 977 | From Austin, TX, USA | Registered: May 2004
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posted
Can anyone answer about the need to pulse art? I'm curious since I may have babs also. Waiting for bloodwork to come back...
-------------------- Getting older is when we would rather not have a good time than have to get over it. - Oscar Wilde Posts: 386 | From Radnor, PA - where the ticks run free | Registered: May 2006
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Michelle M
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7200
posted
I tested positive for Babesia WA1 and am finishing up my second month of Mepron/Zith/Art.
The Artemisinin is 600 mg per day (two 100-mg pills 3 times a day).
My LLMD has not suggested to me that I pulse it. It is a continuous regimen.
Perhaps this is just an individual preference of different Lyme doctors?
Michelle
Posts: 3193 | From Northern California | Registered: Apr 2005
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"On an Empty Stomach The research professors and the physicians are all in agreement that these derivatives need to be taken on an empty stomach away from food, so that it will not interact with the iron in the food. In the evening this would mean at least two or more hours after the last meal.
Dr. Singh has suggested taking it with a glass of milk and Dr. Rowen in his article says that he has his patients take it with cod liver oil and conjugated linoleic acid. The artemether form is fat-soluble and the artesunate is partly fat-soluble, so taking it with fatty acids will probably assist its absorption.
Intestinal Absorption & Resistance One study found that simultaneous consumption of concentrated grapefruit juice increased the absorption of artemisinin derivatives. Although this may seem like an inexpensive way to increase the dose of these compounds, it may deter the effectiveness of the therapy in a different way.
Grapefruit juice contains antioxidants that may slow down the free radical action of the artemisinin compounds in the cancer cell. Dr. Lai suggests just taking more derivatives rather than relying on the unknown action of grapefruit juice.
Decreasing absorption of artemisinin derivatives may be a problem for the longer-term use required for treatment of cancer.
In treating malaria the artemisinin derivatives are given for a short four or five day course. In these short treatments no absorption resistance has been observed to occur.
Recent information has come to light that indicates that the intestine builds up resistance to absorbing oral artemisinin compounds very quickly, within several days. Resistance is demonstrated by a drop to >30% of the original rate of absorption. Research indicates that this resistance can be overcome very quickly by discontinuing use of the artemisinin compounds for several days to a week; when resumed, their absorption will be at the previous higher level. (Ashton, et al., Artemisinin pharmacokinetics is time-dependent during repeated oral administration in healthy male adults, Drug Metabolism and Disposition 26 {1998} 25-27.)
Dr. Lai pointed out that this intestinal resistance and subsequent lowered absorption rate may be the basis of the plateau that many people reach on these compounds. After an initial quick response, many people seem to stabilize without a complete remission."
Just as important is the use of antioxidants. Art works by oxidizing. Taking Vit C, Milk Thistle, Vit E, and other antioxidants within 4 hrs of taking Art will greatly reduce it's effect.
-------------------- You're only a failure when you stop trying. Posts: 945 | From U.S | Registered: Oct 2004
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