Having previously been on Mepron for 8 months finishing last April........I am now starting Malarone. (I'm on Ketek already and will add Artemesia too).
I really didn't have much side effects from the Mepron, just a bit gloomy (homicidal ), sleepy at first, but nothing major.
I read some of the old threads on Malarone and wonder - are you more likely to have side effects from Malarone??? It seems that way having read of people throwing up and feeling absolutely horrible on Malarone.
Why? I thought Malarone was more gentle?
I am supposed to start with 250mg x2, 2x a day (i.e. 500mg twice a day), working up to 250 x3, 2x a day. Does that sound like a normal dose?
DLL
Posted by lymster (Member # 5964) on :
Hi DLL:
After been on mepron 10 months along with zithro/artemesia and some other abx; I got switched to malarone and I didn't have any mayor herxing but I relapse from babs within a month..........so.......LLMD put me back on mepron.
I am still on mepron 17 months and counting -with the exception of that 1 month on malarone-, still having babs sx, less severe but still present. LLMD said maybe primaquine next time I see him.
Take care, nice to hear from you, Lymster in WA
Posted by dontlikeliver (Member # 4749) on :
Thanks Lymster,
I would say that my Babs sx are mild, and they may be the Lyme, but as we're not sure, we're treating again.
Did you have any particular side-effects on the malarone?
DLL
Posted by lymster (Member # 5964) on :
No side effects on malarone at all, just a slow and steady relapse on my babs.
My babs has allways been a big issue on my case, sx were really severe before tx and they got worse for the first 6 months of treatment including: daily fever, unbearable headaches, incredible weight loss, nausea, vomit, drenching night sweats 3-4 times per night and inhability to walk because of lack of balance. I did tested positive for babs with a really high number.
My first 3 months on mepron were horrendous, back then I really believed that if Lyme hadn't killed me yet, the lovely mepron will kill me by sure;.........but...... I stayed the course, never stopped meds and by the fourth month things really started to change for the better.
Hope this helps, TAKE CARE Lymster in WA
Posted by dontlikeliver (Member # 4749) on :
Thanks. I'm glad you're doing better Lymester.
Last year I had hardly any headaches after finishing the Mepron, and after years of headaches that made me feel like I would have a seizure (and I might have had a couple of small ones also), or like my head would just explode or I would have a stroke.
After nearly a year of no or much less headaches, they are increasing again - start in the back of my neck on left side usually, and work their way up my head, on left,and down my spine to about between my shoulder blades with a collosal headache after a couple of hours that might take a couple of days to clear. When it clears, I feel washed out and weird/toxic.
My balance, same thing, was fine during/after Mepron, and now once in a while I feel like I'm walking on a mattress again.
Nightsweats still there, they never went away....but I would say that they are not severe, and only maybe 7 days out of the month and not always all over, usually it seems like I have a 'spout' in the middle of my chest and I just sweat a greasy horrible sweat from there.....Does anyone else have that? I think it's a bit weird.
BTW, do you have to take a lot of fat/fatty meal with the Malarone like with Mepron?
DLL
Posted by Christine202 (Member # 6158) on :
No side effects with Malarone for me either... I am not sure if it is as efffective as Mepron...
I take it with fatty meals like the Mepron... My pharmasists told me to
Good Luck and keep us posted!
Posted by dontlikeliver (Member # 4749) on :
Thanks Christine.
Posted by dontlikeliver (Member # 4749) on :
Anyone else?
Posted by LymeLaura (Member # 6624) on :
I've been taking Malarone for almost three months now. My doctor likes to use it for at least 5 months.
I previously was on Mepron/Zith (2 months) and Mepron/Ketek (3 weeks) and was horribly sick on both. As a side note, it turns out I can't take Biaxin, Ketek or Zithromax - it causes my blood pressure to become dangerously high.
I had knee surgery in the fall and the horrible sweats came back. My new llmd started the Malarone after that and I haven't really had problems with it. Just make sure you take it with a fatty meal (just like Mepron).
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), sleepy at first, but nothing major.