The doc who diagnosed my Lyme is very reticent to prescribe more than 200 mg x 21 days of doxy. I've asked for 400 mg x 30 days. He agreed to give it to me, but also gave me a list of all kinds of horrifying things that could happen to me, since I am "outside the box" taking this drug. Should I be concerned? Of course, the alternative to knocking out this bug would be worse, I guess.
Posted by hurtingramma (Member # 7770) on :
Sounds like a duck to me. Get thee to a LLMD. Even 30 days is probably not sufficient.
Posted by trails (Member # 1620) on :
whether or not you get the proper treatment, for now, you must be taking probiotics. Are you familiar with them?
THe best one in my opinion BY FAR is theralac. Can be bought at www.theralac.com I am NOT affiliated with the Co and not trying to seel anything. Just know from YEARS of experience with ABX that this brand of probiotics will stave off many of the scary things your duck was talking about.
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
Watch being in sunlight with doxy.
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
I also second trails suggestion to take pro-biotics.
The abx can kill of the good flora while you are in treatemt.
It is important to space out the pro-biotics from the abx at least 2 hours apart.
Nausea is the most common side effect people report from taking doxy. here are a few tips to help. (personally I would rather be nauseated for a month than face a life time of pain and suffering caused by chronic lyme)
Drink at least 8 onuces of water to swallow the doxy and also to always take it with a full meal.
Try not to lay down for 2 hours after taking the doxy. it can cause reflux that can burn your throat.
And stay out of the sun or cover up extreamly well and stay in the shade.
I have taken doxy for 9 years on and off and if you follow these precautions theirs no reason for anything horrible to happen.
Good luck with your treatments.
In the mena time it would be wise to find a LLMD because a tick bite transmitts other infections other than lyme. And a knowledgable LLMD will know how to treat these.
I am not a doctor just my own personal experiences.
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
It is true that long-term antibiotics can have some negative consequences. Most people who choose long-term antibiotic therapy weigh the potential consequences against the benefit.
But, I would not consider 30 days long-term. Many of us on the board have been on abx for years. I was put on abx for 2 months years ago by an allergist to clear out my sinuses.
That said, always be aware of the potential side effects so you know if something happens that warrants a call to the doctor or pharmacist.
I also agree you should take probiotics to make sure you are refreshing your natural flora. I got bad yeast problems from my 2 months on abx for my sinuses because I didn't know better.
Posted by liz28 (Member # 4946) on :
That's completely idiotic. People all over the world take doxy on a daily basis for years, for both acne and malaria prophylaxis. Just look on any reputable website for either travel medicine or dermatology.
Posted by micul (Member # 6314) on :
So what are the horror stories that he told you could happen to you? 100 mg of Doxy 2 x's a day will not do hardly anything against lyme. I wouldn't even start Tx with this guy if he is under the impression that this will be effective. Many here have taken 300 mg's twice a day for 6 months to a year without any adverse horrific consequences. Just stay out of the sun, direct and indirect. Otherwise you will burn.
Posted by vachick (Member # 8353) on :
yes...i'm interested to know what horrible things would happen with taking abx for longer than 30 days?? Please enlighten us!
Posted by hatsnscarfs (Member # 6562) on :
I've been on antibiotics for almost 2 years. I feel way better now than I did before the antibiotics. My stomach and digestion are fine.
I take theralac, drink lots of water and follow a strict anti yeast diet.
People take antibiotics for years to treat acne! hatsnscarfs
Posted by jbass (Member # 9386) on :
I didn't write down the complete list of "horrible things" but it included:
The list was so long and his tone so somber that it was almost funny.
Posted by AZURE WISH (Member # 804) on :
I wonder if he knows all the horrible symptoms lyme can cause?
- My guess would be no.
In my opinion if you are reall long term abx your dr should be checking your blood to make sure your organs and whatnot are still functioning properly.
- Just my opinion as someone who has been in treatment quite awhile.
I would find a llmd now. That way if you need more treatment you will get it for the right duration at the right dose.
Best wishes Posted by lymie tony z (Member # 5130) on :
Gee I'm surprised he did'nt mention the "super bug" theory...
But if he does tell him the "super bug" is already here...
Ask him why he did'nt prescribe any pro-biotics while destroying your good flora...
cuz mainstream medicine ain't got none...that's why folks get colitis or clostridium difficile...
Fire this quack......and get a llmd.....zman
Posted by duramater (Member # 6480) on :
Your physician is correct -- all of those things (plus more) are side effects of the antibiotics prescribed. He is also correct that the longer one uses these drugs, the more likely one is to encounter a side effect (including simple things like nausea, susceptibility to sunburn, and terrible things, like c. difficile colitis). To deny these things is wrong and remiss.
Like all drugs, one needs to weight the risk of the drug's side effect profile and the likelihood of any given side effect (e.g., some are quite rare) with the risk of not treating the underlying disease. You also have to take into account other medically significant variables (eg., age, other existing disease processes, hypertension, etc). One should also consider the seriousness of any given side effect and whether or not it is manageable medically or otherwise (e.g., nausea vs c. difficile colitis). NONE of this should be done lightly.
Many here, including myself, have weighed those variables, FOR OUR INDIVIDUAL CASES, and decided to take antibiotics. Others on this site have made the opposite choice (there are many here using things like herbs, rife, and other non-Western medicine based treatments), a choice which carries its own set of risks.
You (and hopefully, a well informed physician or other medical practitioner) should make that judgment together and continue to assess that judgment over time as variables change.
Best success with your assessment for your own case.
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