This is topic How To Take Artemisinin? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.


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Posted by breezywings (Member # 9222) on :
 
I am new to this supplement. Dr. S gave it to me as he suspects babs co-infection. I am on iv Doxy for a month now and have had two really bad herxes. Sweats and other babs sx still there.

He gave me a website to order it from, fernsvitamins and I placed the order this morning. It says on the site to take 1-2 capsules one or two times a day before meals. Each capsule is 100 mg. Doc told me to follow dosing instructions, 'cept I don't know whether to take 4 a day or 2!!

I am nervous to take this as it is my first time. I took mepron/zith about 7 years ago and it kicked out the babs after a year. Doc just wants to try a new avenue this time around.

Can you help me to understand the side effects and the dosing?

Thanks so much for your help in advance.
 
Posted by Dave6002 (Member # 9064) on :
 
OXICITY

Well-documented clinical uses of Artemisinin and derivatives have shown few insignificant side effects, but findings in rats' studies are causing controversy. Intra-muscular arteether at 25-mg/ Kg/ day resulted in rats' brainstem pathology with damage to the auditory nuclei. Parenteral artemether in the treatment of cerebral malaria in Gambien children shows a prolonged recovery from coma and post-treatment convulsions than the same treatment with quinine. Also in Vietnamese adults, a prolonged recovery was noted, but no increased in mortality or neurological behaviour afterwards (Heppner and Ballou 1998). Others are transient heart block, transient decrease in blood neutrophills and brief episodes of fever.


See also:

http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=045723
 
Posted by Dave6002 (Member # 9064) on :
 
The book "Healing Lyme" suggests 3x100mg Artemisinin.

However at this dose I didn't feel obvious effects.

But 3x100mg of Artemether (Artemether=6XArtemisinin) did give me severe fatigue.
 
Posted by breezywings (Member # 9222) on :
 
Hi Dave and thanks for your quick reply. I am herxing pretty bad from the doxy iv right now and finding it hard to read alot of scientific data.

May I ask you if 200mg in the am and 200 in the pm like the label says sounds like a good dose?

I know none of us are doctors but from these boards and reading them over the years, I have gotten so much great information. I am just sad that I had to come back here again after a few years of feeling good and get back into the *club*. Although, I think once you have Lyme, you are forever in the club.

Thanks for the info.
 
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by breezywings:
It says on the site to take 1-2 capsules one or two times a day before meals. Each capsule is 100 mg. Doc told me to follow dosing instructions, 'cept I don't know whether to take 4 a day or 2!!

I am nervous to take this as it is my first time.

Breezy,
I had the same question about this when I started the Artemisinin, just recently. (I have never had any Babs treatment before.)

I started on 1 2x/day. I figured better to test the waters first. (yes, those chicken noises you're hearing are coming from me. [Big Grin] ) I believe it was the right decision for me. (I had also asked what dose to take and was told to follow what the bottle said.)


This is my thread from a few weeks ago. (there is a lot of extraneous stuff on there but my experiences were on only 100mgs on waking and at bedtime.)
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=045119#000005


None of that's meant to scare you, I have long standing completely untreated Babs, your mileage may differ!

But my completely subjective non-medical opinion would be to start with the lower dose, you can always raise it as you go. For me, it seemed to start hitting me harder on the 4th or 5th day, just as I was warned. so perhpas if you did it this way and it didn't have much effect by then you would know to raise it.

Those are just my thoughts, I don't know if that helps you at all.
 
Posted by stella marie (Member # 7216) on :
 
I can only tell you what my routine is, if you have any questions could you give a call into the doc's office just to make sure?

I am to work up to 6 caps of art 100mg 2x's a day along w/ mepron, clindamycin, ketek, and plaquenil(sp), Mon-Fri per LLMD instructions. This is for 3 weeks at a time.

Then I take a week break and start another treatment.

Stella Marie

[ 17. July 2006, 02:21 PM: Message edited by: stella marie ]
 
Posted by breezywings (Member # 9222) on :
 
Thank you for your replies Trueblue and Stella.

True, I called my doc and he said to start it the way that you did and then increase after my next appt. He likes to start everything slow with me. If the herx is anything like the mepron/zith combo, I am in for a hellish ride.

Being sick really stinks. When I am well, I can't seem to remember being so sick, and when I am this sick, it is terribly hard to remember being well.

Here's to better days. [group hug]
 
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by breezywings:
True, I called my doc and he said to start it the way that you did and then increase after my next appt. He likes to start everything slow with me.

Being sick really stinks. When I am well, I can't seem to remember being so sick, and when I am this sick, it is terribly hard to remember being well.

Here's to better days. [group hug]

I'm not unhappy that I'm starting off slow, I also can't handle much at once and assume it may be rasied when I go back. I have always done better working my way up. It's the only way I can stay on treatment. Throw me into something full dose and I'm off it in 2 months if not sooner.

And about being sick and well, I know exactly what you mean. I don't remember feeling well or having no pain, anymore.

I'm hoping, finally, treating the Babs will make a difference. I've been stuck here with a bad Doc for 9 years. Just left and am starting over.


Definately "Here's to better days!" They're coming you know; I'm sure of it!

[group hug]
 
Posted by SarahLong (Member # 9614) on :
 
Hi,

Many people report excellent, excellent results with Artemesinin. I personally have had no side effects with it whatsoever and have not heard from anyone else reporting any.

The way it works is quite interesting. The active component in Artemesinin contains a peroxide group within its molecular structure. When it come into contact with high concentrations of iron (such as in the red blood cells, where Babesiosis likes to hang out) it "explodes", shooting out free radicals and killing the Babs organism in the process. It does not harm the blood cell.

From what I understand, they cannot become resistant to Artemisinin because of the way it works. I was a bit concerned about all the free radicals, but was told to counteract it with high anti-oxidant food and supplements, just don't take them within a couple hours of the Artimisin.
 
Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :
 
the only side effect I have had is
when I take Art and Doxi at the same time-
upsets my stomic-

My doc says its OK to take 12 X 100mg a day-

I took this amount for 2 months or so-Jay-
 
Posted by JimBoB (Member # 8454) on :
 
The RECOMMENDED dose to get real results is to take 1200 to 1500mg A DAY, for THREE (3) days. THEN take TWO (2) weeks OFF. THEN hit it AGAIN, 3 days on, then TWO weeks off.

HOWEVER absulutely do NOT take it without a GOOD lymph system CLEANSER. RED ROOT is excellent in this regard. Use it in tincture form. Also taking Milk Thistle shouldn't hurt either.

Without taking it like that is only asking for trouble.

I would NOT take Artemisinin for TWO MONTHS STRAIGHT at 1200mg a day. NOT GOOD.

IF you are taking Artemisia annua, you can take it a little longer, as you get the benefits of the rest of the herb also. I have taken the whole herb at up to three WEEKS at a time at 600mg a day. AND I have taken it at 1200mg a day for up to TWO weeks at a time. BUT then I started herxing, (lymph system overload), so stopped immediately.

You should NOT be herxing a lot. You are doing something wrong, IF you are. Herxing is a direct result of OVERLOAD.

Jim [Cool]
 
Posted by Cisco* (Member # 5231) on :
 
My Dr. recommended I did not take the artemisinin at the same time as the antibiotics. He said to wait like half an hour between taking the artemisinin and taking the antibiotics. Any one has heard this?
 


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