I'm new to all this. Is there such a thing as a herx that comes on slowly, say over two weeks or so?
I started Cefzil two weeks ago, and I've been getting just a little worse everyday since. It's unbearable now and I had to stop taking it for now. No way I could continue like this.
Seems like other people I've read about have herxes hit them harder and quicker than this, not slowly. I'm worried this is a drug reaction or something.
Thanks for the input!
Posts: 748 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2015
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posted
Hey Sam, to answer your question it depends. First off what are your symptoms? Getting worse what does that mean, (aches, brain fog, heart palps, etc)
Most people by the 4th day of antibiotic their feeling the herx but were all different.
Herxes suck big time. You can do what your doing pulse therapy allowing the med half life to clear your system. Then restart treatment.
Detox increase your water. Lemons, liver support. Benadryl if needed. Write back with whats going on maybe we can help.
-------------------- HERX is a Four Letter Word! Posts: 716 | From If you're going through hell, keep going......Winston Churchill | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
Pretty much all my usual symptoms are amplified tremendously. I've had to double my propranolol to keep my heart rate down. My vision is super blurry, head is really pressurized, I can't think at all, and I'm super weak. My heart is skipping a lot. Chest pain is awful. My eyes haven't been this blurry and pressurized in months.
Posts: 748 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2015
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posted
The amplification has happened slowly though. I guess I'd be less concerned if it had hit me all at once. Is that normal?
Posts: 748 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2015
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- In other current posts, you say that you are "on Cefzil and Bactrim right now, and my doc wants to add another one soon but I'm not sure what . . ." (end quote)
I can't speak to that combination or those drugs but it may help others who've had that duo [to see what else you're taking].
Are you eating enough good food, frequently enough? Just be mindful of that. When we don't feel well, food is often skipped. And that is never good.
Some adjustments in dose - or with the kinds of liver support in your plan - might be of help:
posted
Yes your herxing, it sucks but treatment is working. Its normal for a herx. I think if it hit you all at once after initial antibiotic treatment Id be more concerned that it was a drug reaction. Usually that is right away although it could happen any time.
looks like the half life of cefzil is short at 1.3 hours. So it should clear your system in a few days.The herx could last longer though but slowly dissipate. You have to detox.
-------------------- HERX is a Four Letter Word! Posts: 716 | From If you're going through hell, keep going......Winston Churchill | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
Thanks for the info. I've been on Bactrim for about 3 months or so now, originally prescribed for prostatitis. When it seemed to help my other symptoms my pcp decided to keep me on it.
Saw my llmd for the first time about 3 weeks ago, and he added cefzil to the Bactrim. Definitely not self-treating, but I just couldn't take the cefzil anymore. Gonna call my llmd tomorrow.
Posts: 748 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2015
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posted
If herxing is too rough, it is generally okay to back down on or briefly pause the antibiotic for a little bit. Once the herx passes you can often restart it.
While it's nice to know we have a med that hits our infections, herxing isn't good for us at all. I hope you feel better soon.
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kidsgotlyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 23691
posted
Are you on supportive measures?
-------------------- symptoms since 1993 that I can remember. 9/2018 diagnosed with Borellia, Babesia Duncani, and Bartonella Hensalae thru DNA Connections. Posts: 1470 | From Tennessee | Registered: Dec 2009
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kidsgotlyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 23691
posted
Are you on supportive measures?
-------------------- symptoms since 1993 that I can remember. 9/2018 diagnosed with Borellia, Babesia Duncani, and Bartonella Hensalae thru DNA Connections. Posts: 1470 | From Tennessee | Registered: Dec 2009
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kidsgotlyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 23691
posted
Are you on supportive measures?
-------------------- symptoms since 1993 that I can remember. 9/2018 diagnosed with Borellia, Babesia Duncani, and Bartonella Hensalae thru DNA Connections. Posts: 1470 | From Tennessee | Registered: Dec 2009
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-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Judie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 38323
posted
quote:Originally posted by SickSam: Pretty much all my usual symptoms are amplified tremendously. I've had to double my propranolol to keep my heart rate down. My vision is super blurry, head is really pressurized, I can't think at all, and I'm super weak. My heart is skipping a lot. Chest pain is awful. My eyes haven't been this blurry and pressurized in months.
I'd ask for another drug. There are so many different ways to target these infections. This drug just might not agree with your body. Some of us lack the genes to clear certain drugs and they just get more toxic over time.
I don't believe in suffering so bad you can't function at all on the hopes you'll get better (especially if it's unknown if it's a herx, allergy, adverse drug reaction, etc...). If you've been progressively getting worse, listen to your body. You can't afford to keep going in that directions. Just my opinion.
Posts: 2839 | From California | Registered: Jul 2012
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posted
Thanks everyone. I pretty much can't function anyway, but this antibiotic has made me really bad. I've been going downhill for 6 months now and am just really starting treatment.
So difficult to know what to do, and honesty I'm scared by it all. I didn't know someone could be in so much constant agony... My doc is so helpful that I hate to bug him because I don't want to be a problem patient, but I put a call in to him.
I'm learning a great life lesson from all of this and certainly won't waste it when I'm well again!
Posts: 748 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2015
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posted
Patches, what would you suggest? I'm very interested. My pcp thinks at least some of this could be caused by Cipro that I took last year. I hate taking medicine, but I'm so bad off I don't know how else I would get well. I haven't been able to go to work since this all started 6 months ago.
Posts: 748 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2015
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posted
kidsgolyme, I'm taking magnesium, vitamin d, active folate, a probiotic, and a glutathione spray that has some other stuff in it. That's all I'm doing in addition to the antibiotics.
Posts: 748 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2015
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posted
This is awful. It's hard to know what to do, not knowing if most of my problem is from Lyme or Cipro. People damaged by Cipro develop sensitivities to other antibiotics also.
I do know that I only had minor health issues until a month after I started taking Cipro. Guess I'm still trying to figure out if Cipro stirred up the Lyme, if I got a tick bite after I took Cipro, or if I'm mostly suffering Cipro damage.
I'm convinced the Lyme test is positive, but just don't know which culprit is causing me the most trouble. Hopefully the Lyme!!!
Posts: 748 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2015
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posted
The crazy thing is its not the alive LD causing the symptoms, it's actually the die-off cytokine storm (immune system overreaction), that's causing discomfort.
Could be the Cipro stirred things up as it works. These things are a long process getting well. It sucks I know where you are.
-------------------- HERX is a Four Letter Word! Posts: 716 | From If you're going through hell, keep going......Winston Churchill | Registered: Apr 2007
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