This is topic Poll: How many of us have babesia? in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.


To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/1/54007

Posted by AZURE WISH (Member # 804) on :
 
Does it seem to anyone else who has been hanging out at lymenet for awhile that the majority of people that stay sick longer or have big relapses have babesia?


count me in the babs club [shake]
 
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
 
Yes, indeed!!

When I was first diagnosed with lyme after being so sick, I found
lymenet and heard about co-infections. But I did not want to
deal with it then -- the lyme diagnosis and treatment was
enough, emotionally and physically, to deal with.

How to handle other tick borne illnesses too?? At the time, it
seemed all too complex.

Now I can say that lymenetters were right -- treat co-infections
first. When a blood test came back positive for babesia and I
started malarone about two months ago, it was clear that this
is a real issue to deal with...
 
Posted by Cass A (Member # 11134) on :
 
Since my Bowen Research Labs test came back negative for Babesia, I didn't think I had a problem with it.

When I started the Buhner protocol, I decided to do the Babesia treatment "just in case," as I didn't seem to have many symptoms of Babesia. Since it was short and simple and relatively adverse-effect free, why not?

WOOOOHOOO! Got the most positive change in the shortest amount of time since I've been treating Lyme--over two years!

Best,

Cass A
 
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 
Absolutely!! And EVERYONE should do a trial run of meds, even if it's only herbs....just in case!!

Those tests are lousy!!
 
Posted by elle (Member # 7721) on :
 
Ferritin level is <1 Iron saturation is now at 4.0
Started back on mepron and zith last week.

Wasn't quite as bad the last time . . .
 
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
 
My daughter treated bartonella for a year, then Dr. F did his famous blood test on her and babesia showed up. We are now one month into treatment.

According to a presentation he did for our local Lyme group, he and many other doctors are finding that the "chronic lyme" is really a bartonella and babesia infection.

We are on mepron and zith. Will be adding hepron tomorrow (a lozenge form). Then add art in a week or two.

It's been a NASTY herx.

Kelly
 
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
 
I had a positive Babs test 8+ years ago and was told it was self limiting. [Mad]

So here I am all these years later finally doing something about it. I came to Lymenet almost 2 years ago to find out I did have symptoms and it needed treating. I'm only a few months into treatment, finally!!!!

I'm pretty sure I also have Bart, I didn't know about.


I was diagnosed with Lyme in 1993 and had it for at least 10-12 years then.
 
Posted by Michelle M (Member # 7200) on :
 
I have lyme + Babesia WA-1.

I'm convinced the hardest part has been babesia.

Coinfection makes lyme a lot worse.

"Immunological effects of coinfection with other pathogens. Multiple infections due to distinct pathogens in the same host may have nonspecific effects on each other through host immune responses. There have been studies that report on the antagonistic or synergistic effects of coinfecting agents. The establishment of a particular pattern of immune response (i.e., type 1 versus type 2) early in the course of many infections may radically affect the course of disease progression or resolution. The role of helper T cells and their differentiation into Th1 and Th2 subsets has been the focus of recent studies attempting to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the synergism observed during coinfection. Similar to the immunologic effects seen during infection with unrelated pathogens in the experiments conducted by Clark et al. in the 1970s (35-39), it is possible that immunologic interactions occur within the Lyme disease transmission cycle involving combinations of agents within the mouse reservoir; currently, the list includes Ehrlichia, Babesia, Borrelia, and Bartonella. It is reasonable to hypothesize that an immune response to one organism may have trickle-down effects related to the infection process due to a coinfecting agent, either synergistically or antagonistically."

(excerpted from here.)

Michelle
 
Posted by heiwalove (Member # 6467) on :
 
yep, i have babesia too.
 
Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :
 
Yep I have Babs too-
Babs is Very tuff bug-Jay-
 
Posted by clpgotlyme (Member # 7875) on :
 
Count me in. I am lucky that just Artemisinin is working for me. I could not tolerate the other meds.
Cindy
 
Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
 
Count me in too. Count my husband too!!

Hugs,

Geneal
 
Posted by lyme4 (Member # 10723) on :
 
Hi,

Yes, my whole family is being treated for babs and yes, we see a great improvement, more so than just abx for lyme.

My test came back positive, but my children did not. However, Dr. J is treating them for babs and wow, what a difference.

I ,too, believe, we all have some parasites from these ticks.

Lyme4
 
Posted by sickandtiredofbeingsandt (Member # 10189) on :
 
I guess I do even though my Bowen test was negative for Babs. I have many symptoms and my LLMD has just prescribed Lariam.

Scared to death to try it but I guess I won't know if it will help unless I do.
 
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
 
[hi] me ...tested positive .

Went threw treatment twice . The second was the charm. Got rid of my low grade fevers after 20 years!

God Bless my LLMD [kiss]
 
Posted by k-lyme (Member # 5574) on :
 
I Do! [Frown] B. Microti and B. Ducani, pain in the @$$ to get rid of.
 
Posted by Health (Member # 6034) on :
 
What have people found to be the most effective Babesia treatments?

I used clindamycin and quinine, I did not have the money for Mepron.

I herxed the worst on this combo, had to start off with small dosages and work up.

I read I think that Azithromycin and Quinine were good to, has anyone used this combo?
I havent asked my LLMD about this combo.
I am back in lyme treatment.

I tested negative for babesia Microti, but have not done other testing for the WA-1.

I did not have night sweats, what I had happen is that I became worse while IN lyme treatment, I started to get sick from light,

one AM woke up and became SICK overnight from light. I did not have any problems with light in all years of having this disease until then.

So, switched to Babesia treatment and the light started to get better, but after 1.5 years of treating babesia and lyme I am still only somewhat better

from the light.

I have a mixture of the babesia and the lyme I think. It is tough.

Trish
 
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
 
I thought adding the artemisinin to my brew helped alot .

You should run this by your doc first . Art is a powerful herb & can cause some bad side effects in people.

Re: the quinine~ I have heard it can help some peole but personally I couldn't stomach it.

take care
Dana
 
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
 
I'm in the babs club, too - tested pos for babs microti & WA-1 (through Quest!).

6 mos on mepron/ketek & 6 mos on malarone/zith cleared up most of my babs symptoms for a few months.

But my fever's been slowly creeping back up week by week so I'm getting nervous about a relapse.
 
Posted by valymemom (Member # 7076) on :
 
My two sons have babs. I think my hubby, too.
 
Posted by Jill E. (Member # 9121) on :
 
I'm negative on the test so far, but have enough petechiae to have two LLMDs think I have it.

Am battling Bartonella now - can't handle Babs treatment yet.

It's interesting that several Lymenetters have posted about Bart and Babs going hand in hand. My Bart symptoms are so much worse than my Lyme symptoms, I wouldn't be surprised if Babs is a big culprit too.

Jill
 
Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
 
ME too! [Big Grin]

Testing was useless for Babs. Treatment wasn't.
 
Posted by antsettler (Member # 7236) on :
 
bb, bab, bart;
my worst bug in quantity is bb; only meds that treat bab feel me better, which come as a surprise; now i'll restart the bart,i hope that being slow in growth give me time for treat later the bab;

is curious, that a friend and me when bb turn negative, bart turn positive, when bart turn negative, bb return positive
 
Posted by Parisa (Member # 10526) on :
 
My husband tested negative for babs but LLMD is pretty sure his symptoms add up to babs.
 
Posted by lymewreck36 (Member # 4395) on :
 
Going on my 5th year of babs treatment now. Tried every treatment known to man. Best treatment so far has been 4 malerone pills a day, but after three weeks of treatment became too sensitive to malerone and had to stop. Babs returned.

I have found that the more effective a treatment is, without clearing the problem, the harder the kick in the butt is when it returns. I use the metaphor of a spring. The harder you push it down, the more vigorous the spring back up is.

Don't know why that is, but many, many tick infected people I have talked to have told the same experience, as well as Dr. P in Connecticut observing this.

Mary
 
Posted by sweet pea (Member # 6495) on :
 
Treated for Lyme immediately, but later found out I have babesia and bartonella, which could help explain why 3 years later I'm still sick.
 
Posted by csperanza (Member # 9613) on :
 
My babs blood test was negative but my llmd was debating whether or not to treat me for it, since a lot of my symptoms looked "babs"ish. (he said there are more than 12 different strains of babs but the blood tests only check for 1 or 2, so a negative test is pretty meaningless) After 8 or 9 months, the babs symptoms became more prominent so he put me on malarone this month, and back on biaxin. Holy crap! I feel SO much better. No more night sweats, low-grade flushes of fever, headaches, my neck/shoulders aren't tight and achy, most of the brain fog is gone, fatigue is tons better.

This has been one crazy journey.
And it ain't over yet.
Carol
 
Posted by Foggy (Member # 1584) on :
 
How many people had to see multiple LLMD's to get a + Babs diagnosis & treatment?
 
Posted by JeffM (Member # 8919) on :
 
I got a clinical dx of babesia, am sure i had it, but tests were negative. It was not dx'd until my third LLMD.
 
Posted by charlie (Member # 25) on :
 
I think it's equally as, or more debilitating than lyme. I'm pretty sure most of us have it.
 
Posted by Ruth Ruth (Member # 11059) on :
 
Wow Michelle, that is a great Babesiosis article at Clinical Microbiology Reviews! Thanks for sharing it.

(Kind of scary, what they say about donated blood though.)

I have enough symptoms to guess I got it. I'm doing the blood smear/stain test soon to see what can be seen.

The co-infection connection is starting to click.
 
Posted by Squeegee (Member # 7219) on :
 
Tested negative but was diagnosed clinically (had symptoms and dramatic reaction to treatment). Feel better after treating it for several months.
 


Powered by UBB.classic™ 6.7.3