Can anyone offer any insight into taking biaxin for bartonella?
I am going to start a combination of ceftin/biaxin to treat my lyme/bartonella.
Is it generally easily tolerated? Effective against bartonella?
Is this in the same family as Zithromax? I am not allergic to Zithromax, so shouldn't have any issues with biaxin in that case (I think).
Any information is greatly appreciated.
Thanks very much!
[ 07-10-2010, 11:21 AM: Message edited by: jwick25 ]
Posts: 711 | From Bucks County, PA | Registered: Apr 2008
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lymebytes
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11830
posted
Worked for me twice, once from cat bite, and secondly from tick bite. It is slow going though be aware of that, took one year the first time on it and one and half years the second time. Specifically killed B.henselae strain for me.
posted
I was just on a drug site reading about Bactrim and the possible negative effects.
I must have read almost 90 user reviews, and almost all of them were HORRIBLE!
Complaints of severe reactions, ER visits, throats swelling, all over rashes, severe headaches....you name it!
I haven't filled the prescription yet and am now wondering if I should ask my LLMD for something different...?
It seems like this is an awful drug that is not well tolerated at all.
Is this the case?
Posts: 711 | From Bucks County, PA | Registered: Apr 2008
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
I took Bactrim DS for almost one year, daily, to treat babesiosis and bartonella. I didn't have any negative side effects.
Bactrim worked for me. It is now over 5 years since I completed my lyme treatement and I am still symptom-free, enjoying my life.
If you are going to react to a drug, whether it is bactrim or biaxin, etc., it generally happens within the first few weeks. So, you will know if you will be able to take it fairly soon.
I could NOT take biaxin. After about 4 days on it, I was a mess. It gave me anorexia (could not eat even one spoonful of food in a day by day 3), insomnia (could not sleep a wink by day 3), and anxiety.
So, you see, everyone in different when it comes to drug reactions.
Bactrim is an old drug that has worked for many, many people. Give it a try.
Take a look at this web page and what it says about reactions to Bactrim:
posted
Thank you all too for such great info!
Posts: 243 | From Charleston, SC | Registered: Oct 2008
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nefferdun
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 20157
posted
I got hives the first time a used a sulpha drug, 40 years ago, and thought I would be allergic to Bactrim. But I didn't have many options left and read that starting with a very low dose can help desensitize you to it. So I started at 1/8 pill once a day and very slowly worked my way up to the full dose. I have had no problems with it at all and it is clearing my bart. I have been on it longer than any other drug without developing side effects - since October.
I feel 90% well but if I quit I relapse. I quit abx when my prescription ran out, for two weeks, and was quickly back into the bart funk, then the shin pain and headaches.
-------------------- old joke: idiopathic means the patient is pathological and the the doctor is an idiot Posts: 4676 | From western Montana | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
Bactrim has been great for me - been on it over a year with no problems!
-------------------- Increasingly ill over past 10 yrs; treating since October '08. Posts: 180 | From Philadelphia, PA | Registered: Oct 2008
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blinkie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14470
posted
All you can do is try it. We are all guinea pigs in this. Paving the way for future lymies.
I have seen some people her have great success with long term bactrim. 9-12 months.
Remember, if you get a rash, stop it, but wait until the rash goes and try it again. You will be fine.
I have done some scary drugs in this battle but so far, don't have any permanent side effects (knock on wood).
Posts: 1104 | From N.California | Registered: Jan 2008
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