Topic: Is there a medication that can treat lyme and some of the co-infections at the same
BackinStOlaf
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 23725
posted
time? Going to my doc today and he has not tested me for co-infections but I'd like to discuss with him the possibility of adding a drug that could treat a possible co-infection just in case. Of course, it would have to treat Lyme too since I know for sure that I have it.
Thanks
-------------------- First Symptom 9/09 Multiple docs, negative Labcorp test LLMD: 1/10 Positive Igenex/CDC test Treatment 2/10 2/10-8/10 Amox, ceftin, zith, flagyl Currently: Bicillin, Minocycline, still dealing with severe breathing issues
Posts: 1121 | From New York, New York | Registered: Dec 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Quite often docs start patients off on Doxy, as it hits Lyme, Ehrlichia and Rickettsia. Even if you test negative for those co-infections, it's a safe bet to use a Lyme drug to kill them anyway.
For Bartonella and Babesia, it gets trickier.
You could add Bactrim DS, which hits Bart and Babesia, but it sometimes causes some side effects.
Zithro may hit bart a little bit, and lyme a little bit. But I think it's the type of drug doctors usually pair up with something else -- they don't use it alone.
Posts: 584 | From NY | Registered: Feb 2009
| IP: Logged |
METALLlC BLUE
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6628
posted
Tetracycline, Doxycycline, Minocycline. For the Babesia, Artemesia (high quality), Malarone, and Mepron are the next best options. Bartonella, another infection that responds poorly (depending what this specific Bartonella strain is -- or if it's simply "Bartonella Like" -- sometimes respond to the cyclines, and or require Bactrim, Levaquin, Factive, Cipro etc.
Trying to keep it simple here. The combinations get much more complex in order to cover not only a lot of infections, but to cover them correctly so the "angles" of each infection are hit -- since many of these infections change forms, or have various strains and resistance mechanisms.
-------------------- I am not a physician, so do your own research to confirm any ideas given and then speak with a health care provider you trust.
Amanda
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14107
posted
A good point previously made is that some cross over drugs can help reduce more than one infection, but may not be equally effective for all of them.
Rifampin is potentially good for lyme, bartonella and ehrilica. In fact, a combination of rifampin and a tetracycline might work really well for all three of these infections.
If you are going the IV route, doxycycline can be effective for lyme, bart, ehlichia.
Babesea, I'm afraid, requires a completely different set of meds, and can be a real ***** to get rid of. So can bartonella. In fact, the term "co-infection" I think is a little misleading, because some times these infections are more difficult to treat than the lyme.
-------------------- "few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example" - Mark Twain Posts: 1008 | From US | Registered: Dec 2007
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic