posted
I am supposed to start LEVAQUIN for bartonella. The more i read the more scary the drug seems. I would appreciate hearing of anyone's experience or if anyone knew of good alternatives to treat bartonella.. Are all floroquinolones so risky or are their safer ways to treat bart?
Posts: 27 | From winnipeg | Registered: Sep 2010
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Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16359
posted
I would recommend giving it the old college try just because it can be so effective. A fair percentage do get sides, I was one, but some lucky ones take it without issue. If you're lucky, it could work big time.
It's just worth a shot.
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
I had REALLY good results from Levaquin. It was my last resort before IV because of my cognitive symptoms. Ended up I didn't need IV.
There are some risks, and you just have to determine whether the possible benefit is worth, same as with any drug. For me, I thought it worth the risk.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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MariaA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9128
posted
I've so far had a similar experience as Sixgoofy, with Cipro. I think it changed the course of my treatment drastically- I had previously treated with Rifampin and several other things, but everything really turned around (*from a very bad place) when I added relatively low-dose cipro. I recently tried to use Factive, which was much more unpleasant. All these drugs are related, and maybe some people who have trouble with one can handle a different dosage or another drug in the same class.
-------------------- Symptom Free!!! Thank you all!!!!
posted
to mariaa, what was your low dose amount.i also had good results with cipro.it irritates instestines alot but my spine pain and rib cage pain was responding to it.
Posts: 125 | From western mass | Registered: Sep 2010
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posted
This is day 14 on levaquin for me. So far so good. no side effects. Good results only a day or two after taking it. Still maintaining the good results. But I still have symptoms including lyme and bart. Doing a lot of vitamin C and meg, and other herbs. I am also taking omnicef along with levaquin.
doage of levaquin: 500mg once per day
Posts: 99 | From NJ | Registered: Mar 2010
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posted
This day 17 on levaquin for me. My headache started to come back and is constently there, not as severe as before I started levaquin. I wonder why it came back after 2 weeks. Once I first started levaquin, it was gone in 24 hours...
I started herbs BLT as well cumanda. I wonder if I am herxing on these herbs, maybe that is why...
I will continue with levaquin for at least two more weeks, or more. so far, no side effects from levaquin...
Posts: 99 | From NJ | Registered: Mar 2010
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nefferdun
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 20157
posted
It knocked my bart down quickly but gave me tendonitis. I wish I had quit it sooner because I was floxed on it - couldn't tolerate any chemicals for months and months. So I had to try to keep things at bay with massive amounts of herbs, which failed.
I wound up right back where I started and it has been a much more difficult journey trying to get back. Levaquin can cause tendon rupture up to a year after taking it. It is thought to decrease circulation to the tendons.
Take massive amounts of magnesium and vitamin C. Also take DL Methionine as it is used to repair damage to the tendons etc.
And quit at the first sign of any pain, even if it seems to be in the muscles and not related to joints. I had muscle pain and then it hit like a knife stabbing me in the shoulder. Very sudden.
-------------------- 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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littlebit27
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 24477
posted
I wish I could have used the levaquin, but no insurance and a $500 prescrption was not happening. So I had to be switched to biaxin/bactrim.
posted
I took levaquin for 5 weeks in a row and noticed definite deterioration in muscle strength but no tendonitis. Did an alternate regimen for 2-3 wks and everything went back to normal muscle wise. So tried taking the levaquin again and got to day 8-9 and both arms, shoulders started hurting and multiple tendons were swollen and tender. Had to stop levaquin at that point and drop my weights on dumbells down to 5 pounds from the 25# I was doing pre-levaquin. I mentioned all this to a LLMD from Maryland at the ILADS conference and he said it was most likely a herx rather than the dreaded flox effect. I have been taking lots of C, Mag, and very small amounts of advil and it is getting better steadily but I think I may move on to Rifampin/clarithro next time for Bart treatment.
-------------------- Ideas not advice. Posts: 448 | From Downeast Maine | Registered: Jul 2009
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posted
I ate it for about six months. I did feel a difference in my achilles tendons. During that time I worked out quite hard at the gym and did some mild yoga-based stretching.
I was not, I don't think, cleared of Bart during that time (if I even have Bart). Bottoms of feet still ache.
Posts: 152 | From West Palm Bech, FL | Registered: May 2008
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posted
Rainbow, one of my concerns is that many of us may have high titres to Chlamydia pneumonia and Mycoplasma pneumonia. The symptoms of chronic Cpn seem very much like those of Lyme and coinfections. The Chlamydia people have there own website Cpnhelp.org. Their regimen overlaps with a combination of Borrelia and Bartonella medications. They use zithro, doxy,flagyl, rifampin, levaquin etc. over very long treatment periods. I have never had a blood titre for Chlamydia but I think I am going to so I can set my sights and expectations for the treatments I am taking accordingly. For me, levaquin did not solve all my Bartonella type symptoms but overall my energy level is steadily improving before and after levaquin on my overall treatment program. Currently clarith bid,doxy bid, bactrim bid, artemisinin tid 3wks on 1 wk off, metronidazole bid on the off Art weeks.
-------------------- Ideas not advice. Posts: 448 | From Downeast Maine | Registered: Jul 2009
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posted
I have develpoed bursitis in the shoulders, is getting better from mag/vitc/enzymes & glucosamine. It is a trade off to kill some of the nasty buggers!
Posts: 443 | From The North Star | Registered: Jan 2010
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