posted
I just finished a month of artemisinin. I was taking 100 mg./3 times per day (in conjunction w/Zithromax). I weigh about 128 lbs., if that's useful.
Best of luck to you!
Posts: 67 | From SF Bay Area | Registered: Jun 2008
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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The toxicity concern stems from a very few reports in rats/mice and, often, with very high doses of a strong derivative of artemesia, not artemisinin itself.
Humans, at doses intended for humans, have shown no problems with toxicity. That is not to say this is a walk in the park. It's still something that makes many feel "icky" - but so does babesia.
Some of the problems with someone being able to tolerate this better than someone else can be due to the fact that artemisinin uses the Cytochrome P-450 liver detox pathway.
Stress on that pathway can result in excess porphyrins and that can create all sorts of toxic effects. Liver support and being sure to eat small amounts of complex carbs 6 times a day will help keep the porphyrins levels down if that is a concern. Fasting will create a higher level and, therefore, higher toxicity in general.
Blueberries and natural beta carotene are also excellent to reduce the porphyrin load.
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(Of course, you'd want to consume absolutely no alcohol whatsoever as that would change everything. Lyme patients are instructed to avoid alcohol but that does not always happen, so the safety note is really important.)
One of my 4 year old boys is taking artimisinin (100 mg twice per day). He weighs about 37 pounds.
Dr. J in CT has him on this, and after about 10 days of it, his night sweats went away! He is also continuing the Mepron, which he had been on for a month prior to the artimisinin. (He also is taking bactrim and azith, for his lyme and bart.
For what it's worth, Dr. J said that some babs is resistant to Mepron, especially the babesia duncani strain.
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Hey Miss G,
if I were you, I would start low...probably 300mg per day.
My doc had me start with 600mg and it was NOT a good thing! After a LONG delay in treatment I finally was able to work back up to 300mg and stay there.
Best to be on the safe side, you can always go up later if needed.
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