Topic: Horrible sweats--from Babesia treatment or Celexa??
Rumigirl
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Member # 15091
posted
I am currently doing a much more ramped up Babesia treatment than I've ever done before, using:
Alinia 3-4 tsp/day of Mepron 4-6 caps/day of Artemesinin
(I hope it's ok to post these dosages here?? If not ok, I'll remove the dosages).
I've done each of these separately before, but not all together.
I've usually not had bad herxes from Babesia treatment, except when I first did Coartem (nuclear option for a week!!), and when I was rifing (bad herxes!).
I normally have a horrible time with severe sweats from the infections, but now it is completely unendurable; they are drenching sweats around the clock. I'm not sure if it's from this Babesia protocol and ensuing herxes, or:
I am concurrently trying to ramp up on generic Celexa. I have never been able to tolerate any antidepressant without getting unendurable side-effects that are worse than what I'm taking the med for. Except, I was once a decade or more ago, on Celexa at full dose for several years.
BUT, I had horrible sweats from it the whole time I was on it. I just bore up under it, because it did help with the level of overwhelm.
Now, I need something to take down the level of overwhelm way more than ever, but, as usual, can't tolerate any med at all. I am only at 1/2 of the usual dosage, but I am having almost non-stop drenching sweats.
I think it is more likely the generic Celexa, so I'll go down in dosage or eliminate that. I'm not even aware of it helping me, although maybe it is, and the stress is so bad I can't tell.
Plus, it's a generic, and, contrary to what people say, generics ARE NOT the same as brand. They are allowed to be 30% more or less of the active ingredient than the brand. That is a lot!! That can be a 60% spread. Plus, the excipients can make it be absorbed differently. But I'm not inclined to try the brand though, since I had that symptom on the brand in the past.
I guess I can only know for sure by changing one thing at a time and seeing what happens, starting with decreasing the Celexa, which I have ramped up on over many months, due to my sensitivity.
I was ramping up on both simultaneously, because I was taking months just to ramp up on the Celexa. Arghhh! It is sooo frustrating!
Please don't tell me to take 5 HTP, magnesium, fish oil, etc. I did all that for years, and still do, and it wasn't enough. Except that I stopped the 5 HTP while I am trying the Celexa.
Feedback? Experiences of sweating/severe Babs herxes with ramped up treatment like this?? Thank you. Sorry for the long post.
[ 04-10-2013, 06:06 PM: Message edited by: Rumigirl ]
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posted
UGH!! Since the celexa did that to you once before, I would think it is the culprit.
What other anti-deps have you tried?
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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MannaMe
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posted
Have you tried Relora? My husband says it helps him.
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Rumigirl
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Member # 15091
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quote:Originally posted by Lymetoo: UGH!! Since the celexa did that to you once before, I would think it is the culprit.
What other anti-deps have you tried?
Yeah, it probably is the Celexa.
What anti-deps HAVEN'T I tried is more to the point!! Over 14 years, I've tried every class and numerous ones within classes. I esp was trying different ones for pain and migraine prevention, but also as AD's.
I am extremely sensitive to too much serotonin. The severe sweating is a sign of the beginnings of serotonin toxicity, which is life-threatening when it's bad enough.
I can't take the SSNRI's, because they make my Sjorgren's dry mouth way worse, and the same for the TCI's (the older ones).
In addition, the SSNRI's that I've taken all gave me head-banging migraines from the very first dose. I could never get beyond a couple of doses, it was so bad. And the same for Wellbutrin and for seligiline.
Actually, ALL anti-depressants give me more migraines to varying degrees. Lovely, huh?
I also have taken a lot of Sam-e over the years, which helps with energy levels, etc., but isn't sufficient as an antidepressant for me.
Relora, no, I haven't tried that. I take other supplements for stress, which help, but aren't enough by themselves.
I'm pretty much stuck at this point, if it's the Celexa, which is most likely. Unless it's both together, which is possible. The weird thing is that the sweating is way worse than before, and this is only a 1/2 dose!! Which makes me wonder if it isn't the 2 things together--Celexa + Babesia herd. (I don't know what to do, the blasted auto-correct won't let me write herx---it keeps changing it to herd or hero!!).
[ 04-10-2013, 07:05 PM: Message edited by: Rumigirl ]
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sammy
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Member # 13952
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Rumi, it sounds like you need the celexa.
I was thinking that maybe you could try stopping the Alinia for a few days or a week to see if the sweating symptoms calm down.
I remember it definitely made my symptoms flare ( with crazy bad sweats) and I had already been on Malarone for awhile.
Maybe you could try cryptolepis with the mepron and artemisinin if you want to do more for awhile.
I still owe you an email but I hope that this may help in the mean time. I'd just hate for you to quit the celexa when you've just been working up to a helpful dose. Especially when we know that babesia herxes can be so rough.
I remember I sweated like crazy gross but not so much anymore. The Alinia did help that.
I know I still owe you an email but I hope that this can help you some too.
[ 04-11-2013, 04:54 AM: Message edited by: sammy ]
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Dogsandcats
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When I was fighting babs I looked like I had a lawn sprinkler attached on my head.
It would start on my head and the rain would start. It was an awful feeling, especially if I was out in public.
I still have occasional waterings, which makes me think I still have some of the bug tucked somewhere. I am the only person I know who sleeps year round in summer night wear.
I wish I could help you. I can agree it is miserable.
-------------------- God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.
Billy Graham Posts: 1967 | From California | Registered: Oct 2010
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Rumigirl
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quote:Originally posted by sammy: Rumi, it sounds like you need the celexa.
I was thinking that maybe you could try stopping the Alinia for a few days or a week to see if the sweating symptoms calm down.
I remember it definitely made my symptoms flare ( with crazy bad sweats) and I had already been on Malarone for awhile.
Maybe you could try cryptolepis with the mepron and artemisinin if you want to do more for awhile.
I'd just hate for you to quit the celexa when you've just been working up to a helpful dose. Especially when we know that babesia herxes can be so rough.
I know I sweated like crazy gross but not so much anymore. The Alinia did help.
Hmmm, I think that you are on to something about the herxes (auto-correct still won't let me type it without making it plural; it still wants me to say "herd!").
I took Alinia by itself and it wasn't this bad, but now that I am taking it with high dose Mepron and high dose Artemesinin---whew! Maybe it is just all too much, and I need to back down on dosages. Or stop the Alinia for a while. None of these meds did this to me before, but I never combined them like this before.
Maybe I am over zealous here. I am just so tired of Babesia and wanted to kick it's butt. But, actually, I am kicking my butt along the way.
And the kicker: I have been having daily horrible migraines, night and day, too, which are one of my bad Babesia symptoms. So, yes, time to back down or stop altogether for a few days.
It is so hard to know what is coming from what sometimes. Thank you, sammy! We'll see what happens.
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Rumigirl
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quote:Originally posted by Dogsandcats: When I was fighting babs I looked like I had a lawn sprinkler attached on my head.
It would start on my head and the rain would start. It was an awful feeling, especially if I was out in public.
I still have occasional waterings, which makes me think I still have some of the bug tucked somewhere. I am the only person I know who sleeps year round in summer night wear.
I wish I could help you. I can agree it is miserable.
Aha! Yes, the sweats are not to be believed. Every part of me runs and drips with sweat over and over and over again. It literally runs down me in streams! It makes me feel like a freak. Plus, my clothes get absolutely soaked in no time. It also wakes me up all night long (that happens all the time, not only when hitting Babs hard).
Thank you so much, Dogsandcats. This feedback from you and sammy is invaluable.
Dogsandcats, when this happened, did you back down a bit on the Babs meds, or did you just keep going full force?
I do think that I should probably back down a bit on the meds, this is so extreme. I just want to be done with Babesia though! I'm sure that no matter what I do, it won't be quick. I've treated it plenty before, but never got rid of it.
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Rumigirl
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Well, the next thing that happened last night, was in addition to the atrocious sweats and the around the clock migraines, was added non-stop, unendurable nausea. Nothing helped it.
I have some Zofran that I've never taken, because when I looked up the side-effects in the PDR, headache was in italics. For me that always means that I will get that side-effect. I was already dealing with an around the clock migraine for days that was completely testing my endurance, so no can do.
So, apparently, the worst of this, if not all of it, was a horrific Babs herx. So I laid off of ALL my Babs meds last night, plus the Celexa. I couldn't take in anything orally anyway, due to the unreal nausea. The migraine and nausea was so bad that I got less than 2 hours sleep last night. ANd today is IVIG all day with a nurse here. Lord have mercy!
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sammy
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Oh Rumi, I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling so sick. I'll be praying for you today as you get your IVIG. Hopefully that will help you feel better. And maybe having the nice nurse around for awhile will brighten your day
Hugs friend, I wish I could make you feel better.
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Rumigirl
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Oh, sammy, YOU should be getting your IVIG, too!!! Your situation is unreal. Lord have mercy in your situation, too.
Thank you for your concern and prayers.
At least since I laid off all meds last night, except my IV and melt in your mouth migraine meds, the symptoms are not as bad today. But I am beside myself exhausted, after less than 2 hours last night, and very few hours for many nights before that, due to the migraines and sweats.
xoxo
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Dogsandcats
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every time my sprinklers turn on - i think of you....
-------------------- God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.
Billy Graham Posts: 1967 | From California | Registered: Oct 2010
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Rumi... take care. Wish I could give you a big hug!!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Rumigirl
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quote:Originally posted by Dogsandcats: every time my sprinklers turn on - i think of you....
Dogsandcats, we can sit under the sprinkler together! Remember when we were kids and went out under the sprinkler in our bathing suits? At least we did. Much more fun than this sprinkler, however.
Thank you, sammy and Lymetoo. Although I still have the symptoms today, they are way better, due to stopping ALL of of the Babs meds and Celexa last night. I'm not taking any today either. I need to let my poor body recoup after all that.
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