seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
I'm on my third day of Doxy now (200 mg 2 x day). I took Zithro (250 mg 1 x day) and Malarone (4 tablets) for three days prior to moving to Doxy.
Doxy has been hard on me. It feels like my stomach is churning constantly. Yesterday, I was feeling really good for once and around 9 PM it went downhill.
Major neck tightness, ton of muscle twitching, fatigue, tingling in foot, etc. I feel no better today. What a night and day difference.
The muscle twitching is terrible. It's in the facial area a lot. The tingling is intermittent. I was chilled a lot today too and haven't been in months. I guess three days of Babs treatment isn't effective.
It's gotta get better than this. I felt like doing jumping jacks yesterday just for feeling 50% of what I did before. It was rejuvanating.
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
Do any of the B-vitamins or Magnesium help with muscle twitching? If so, how much do you recommend that's safe? Any other ideas?
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
Hey seekhelp, sorry you're feeling so crummy. Sounds like you're herxing, and you've hit the infamous Day 3.
Try some ginger tea before taking your doxy, to settle your stomach. And don't forget to take it with food, and keep up with your probiotics (space them well away from the doxy).
B-12 injections have helped me quite a bit. Methylcobalamin, no preservatives. 1 cc per day. You'll need a scrip from your LLMD.
Whoa - do you have an LLMD? 3 days treatment for babs?? You need longer for babs treatment. I'm not familiar with your story, but can say that for sure!
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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seekhelp
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Member # 15067
posted
Yes, my LLMD recommended the three-day protocol. I discussed it in another thread. Some thought the Doxy may hit some of the Babesia as well.
I'm not sure if my symptom flare-up is more Lyme or Babesia related.
I definitely feel so much more anxious on bad days. I was so calm yesterday. It was refreshing. When the symptoms start, I'm jittery. I guess it's natural to be scared.
I am going to talk to my holistic doctor about those Vit B-12 injections. My LLMD wrote a script for B-12 injections daily, but he prescribed the wrong kind. At least that's what it seems from the research I've done. I paid $5 at the pharmacy instead of $25.
It seems the Methyl version is more effective?
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
Sorry, I just missed something. You said take Doxy with food? The drug handout at the pharmacy said not to do that. It said 1 hr after eating or 2 hrs before.
It said it won't be effective if I do that. I guess it's not effective if I can't tolerate it either!
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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groovy2
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6304
posted
Hi Seek
Food lowers doxi effect -
but you can eat a few soda crackers before taking doxi and it helps alot and is what is recommended in the Doxi info
Posts: 2999 | From Austin tx USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
I missed your other thread - sorry. I'm glad you have an LLMD!
Yes, I take my doxy with food, and LLMD has approved this. Taking it on an empty stomach gives me terrible nausea, and that stomach churning feeling.
I don't take it with dairy (dairy can lessen the effectiveness of the 'cyclines, I think). But I do take it with food because I want to protect my digestive tract.
Yes, the methyl form of B-12 seems more effective to me as well.
If it makes you feel any better, I'm feeling the effects of doxy today too. This is my 3rd day as well. The 3rd day is always the worst for me, hopefully this will pass soon for both of us.
I haven't been on doxy since I started treatment 3 years ago, and had forgotten all about the stomach upset (I posted that a few days ago).
Ginger tea seems to be helping a bit...
Hang in there.
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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cactus
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posted
Just saw Grooy's post - listen to him, he knows his stuff!
Maybe my LLMD has only okayed taking it with food because I have inflammatory bowel issues. So definitely check with your own LLMD, k?
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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posted
Ask your doc about over the counter prilosec. Take doxy with a big glass of water, sit up and if you need a few crackers-do it. This will pass- you will tolerate. It is a tough drug but very effective in treatment.
A Nurse, not a doc but I do teach Bloodbore Pathogens. Seeing I now have one myself!
Be well.
"Your point of power is always in the moment"
Posts: 7 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Aug 2008
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seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
Thanks for the advice. I have a bunch of OTC Prilosec. When do you take it in relation to the Doxy?
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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posted
If you have good insurance, you should see if you can get brand name Doryx rather than generic doxy. Doryx is enterically coated so it doesn't release the doxy until its safely down in your intestines, bypassing all of the stomach related side effects. At 400mg daily I've had no stomach upset or nausea with it. The only downside is the cost, about $600 for a month supply if you don't have insurance.
Posts: 195 | From Manchester, CT | Registered: Jun 2008
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seekhelp
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Member # 15067
posted
I think it's time to ask for a new drug but Doxy. I can't handle it. It's causing major congestion in my throat area which is making it hard to swallow.
Also, itchy skin, dizziness, etc. I don't believe it's a herx. Nothing helps with the congestion and I'm on a dairy-free / gluten-free diet so it should be manageable.
Hopefully I hear back from my LLMD Monday. His nurse called and said I could stop the drug for a day and see if things improve while I wait for the doc to return my call.
I hate Doxy. It has been nothing but trouble every time I've tried it. I especially have difficulty taking it in the PM (around 8-9 PM).
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
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posted
I started Methyl B-12 injections three days ago too. Any chance these could cause an issue?
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
The last pill I'm taking is Nystatin. I'm bumping this up. Do you think Zithro would be an effective alternative? I may ask my LLMD.
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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The worst for me was the initial 4 or 5 days. Anxiety so bad I was sure I was dying. I felt like an insane person, I was insane. I felt death in me. I really did.
It gradually tapered off. Did not kill everything though.
seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
Still bumping...really hoping for more feedback!
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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feelfit
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Member # 12770
posted
post a new thread about zith or whatever. Your doxy question has been answered. That is why no further responses to your new Q's. No one is still reading.
Feelfit
Posts: 3975 | From usa | Registered: Aug 2007
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Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16359
posted
I've been popping Doxy like chicklets and have never noticed any sides...
However, it hasn't been very successful on my symptoms either....
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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lymebytes
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11830
posted
EAT AS MUCH FOOD AS YOU CAN WITH DOXY!!!!!! It is impossible to "stomach" doxy without food - the insert doesn't matter one bit.
Take the pill 3/4 of the way into your meal then eat the other 1/4 of your meal, the more food with Doxy the better. I swear I felt like it was burning a hole in me without enough food.
Methyl b12 would not create this, if anything it would help you sleep and give you energy. Do about 300-400mg of magnesium citrate (2 hours away from Doxy) for muscle twitching, etc. it helps. (Let your LLMD know that you are supplementing with magnesium).
Doxy for me didn't last long, it was impossible, the herx horrendous, I had to switch abx.
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