I've had bartonella for many years, and I'm going to treat it now. Some of the abx I have used in the past is supposed to have some effect on bart, but my infection is still there.
Please share you experinces with treating bart:
- Which ABX - Dosage - For how long? - And, how well did it work for you?
I know this has been asked before, but I ask people to answer it more specific (dosage,effects ++)
this means a lot to me
Posted by hardynaka (Member # 8099) on :
I only treated it with herbs and microcurrent.
I published my protocol yesterday in Buhner's yahoo site. I had it for at least 2 years, got re-infected in May this year, but I think I got finally rid of it.
It's still too early to say, but I'm not treating it for the last weeks and I'm symptomless. Only time will tell though, but I wrote my protocol before I totally forget which herbs I took against it.
Selma
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
Get a quinilone abx like levaquin and another say biaxin xl.
Posted by kitkat32 (Member # 9682) on :
I started my bartonella treatment almost 3 weeks ago.
It is not going so great. I was taking Levaquin but I was in so much pain I had to stop.
We couldn't tell if it was a herx or tendon problems from the abx.
If you know of a better combo let me know.
Are you doing treatment for bart now?
Take care, kit
Posted by lymeladyinNY (Member # 10235) on :
Hi, I took one 250 mg levaquin for 4 days on/3 days off for 3 months.
This protocol did wonders for me as it helped with my walking and dramatically decreased the severe muscle spasms I suffered from bartonella.
The tendon pain was becoming severe so I ended treatment a month before I really wanted to.
Unfortunately, very slowly, the muscle spasms are again ramping up in intensity and my walking is beginning to fail again. The tendon pain has disappeared.
I don't believe I was treated long enough. I had to do low-dose levaquin because it's intolerable at regular strength for me.
Next week I will talk to my LLMD about possibly getting at least another 3 weeks of treatment in, and soon.
Posted by kitkat32 (Member # 9682) on :
Hi Lymelady,
I hope the Levaquin works out for you.
I am rather disappointed that I had problems with it. I was hoping to kill some bartonella butt.
Good luck to you, kit
Posted by lymeinhell (Member # 4622) on :
- Which ABX - Rifampin and Flagyl - Dosage - 300mg twice a day / 275mg once a day - For how long? 6 mos full dose, added in Cats Claw and cut Rifampin dose to 300mg once a day - And, how well did it work for you?
Kicked the h___ out of me at first. GO VERY SLOW building up to that 600mg of Rifampin. (Like 1/2 of the 300 mg once a day for a few days, then build up - with a doctor's ok of course.
I've been off abx 2 years and 9 months now. I have my life back. I feel normal and feel better than I have in more than 15 years.
But what works for some may not work for all.
Posted by bejoy (Member # 11129) on :
I used a one month homeopathic remedy from Deseret Biologicals. I herxed pretty hard and was on the floor for about two weeks, then came back out of it. I've been much better off since using this product.
Posted by CD57 (Member # 11749) on :
JULIE -- were you kicking Lyme and bart with your combo, or just bart? I have not heard of your combo for Lyme/bart, is unusual.
Posted by lymeinhell (Member # 4622) on :
cd57 - My combo was for both. My LLMD feels Rifampin hits both. As I had been undxd for Lyme for more than a decade, my LLMD felt the flagyl would bust cysts out of hiding and get hit with the rifampin. (I picked up Bart with a rebite about 9 mos before I had finally gotten dxd with both.)
So far 2yrs, 9 mos - no relapse. Just continual improvement.
Posted by clpgotlyme (Member # 7875) on :
I did 4 3-4 week stints of Levaquin. Cant remember the dosage, sorry! Guess my brain is still a little Lymie.
It has pretty much taken away my symptoms and I had no side effects. I did have ligament pain, but that was a Bart symptom for me. It did get worse when I herxed, but then got much better.
Hope you find something that works for you, Cindy
Posted by CD57 (Member # 11749) on :
for bart and Lyme. I'm 6 weeks in and have noticed some improvement in physical symptoms, but dramatic worsening in primarily psych symptoms (extreme anxiety/depression, bouts of crying and hopelessness). Also heart racing from time to time. Doc says to keep plugging along, probably for 6 more months.
I think Rifampin hits cystic Lyme too. Something else is definitely going on here. Plus Rifampin will work on mycoplasma p, which I have also. LLMD says I will notice improvement soon and that this combo is "getting at the deep infection, peeling it away by layers". Sounds about right to me, and I do trust him implicitly.
Posted by peter j (Member # 11825) on :
thanks for the replies, and please keep them coming.
kitkat32: I'm not on anything now.
Posted by kelmo (Member # 8797) on :
My daughter worked up to 500mg zith daily. Then, at six months, added Rifampin. She was supposed to go to 600mg daily, but could only manage 300mg.
After 4-5 months, her stomach was a mess so she cut back to 4 days a week.
Because she rarely ventures outdoors, she was deficient in Vitamin D, which they are finding is essential. When she added that, she herxed BIG.
But, her ANA numbers came tumbling down. It took a year to feel it was knocked down pretty good.
It must've also hit her mycoplasma p. because she is breathing much better.
Now, we are on Babesia treatment.
Posted by peter j (Member # 11825) on :
kelmo: how is your daughter now?
Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :
I take rifampin (dose similar to others') and pulse tindimax in addition to a high dose of ceftin
Most of my symptoms are at-bay, I'm back at work, but I'm continuing treatment, bec my CD57 count is still very low.
Andie
Posted by AndrewInCA (Member # 2010) on :
I'm at 8 weeks treating Bart with Factive. So far a few of my physical symptoms improved, but my psych symptoms have worsened. That could be a side effect, or that the Factive isn't working well enough.
My LLMD added in Bicillin shots (1.2 mu twice/week) to boost the Factive and kill off some Lyme. I seem to be herxing, so i think it's getting the Lyme.
Next course of action is to either double the Factive dose or switch to Levaquin.
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
I've taken various abx over the years that should have some effect on bart, but am still having bart issues.
Tried Levaquin, but developed tendon problems and stopped after a few months.
I've never tried Rifampin, but may ask about it at next visit.
and will be pulsing Tindamax (500mg twice daily) 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off
LLMD wanted to add Plaquenil but I don't tolerate it well (headache & vision issues)
Also, supplementing Vit D (thanks kelmo!)
Anyone else taking Bactrim or Septra for bart? Am I the only one??
Posted by Ellie K (Member # 12056) on :
I'm finally starting to have some nasty herxes on Levaquin (500mg). It took about 2 weeks to feel anything, though.
Has anyone else had a delayed reaction like this?
They're very intense: last about 6 hours each; my fever shoots up to 103; sweating; tailbone begins to send shooting pains down my legs; repetitive vomiting; everything itches; ears start popping; headache; and horrible anxiety sets in.
Unlike my other herxes on Rifampin, when they're over, they're over, and I don't get one until the next day.
At first I was discouraged by Levaquin, but now that I'm finally starting to see something, I think I may stay on it before starting my Rifampin/Mino combo.
Part of me sort of worries that this is not Bart but really Babesia, even though I tested negative. Posted by peter j (Member # 11825) on :
Ellie K:
your herx sounds horrible
"Part of me sort of worries that this is not Bart but really Babesia, even though I tested negative"
"tailbone begins to send shooting pains down my legs"
I've seen this with many others - and myself as well when we treat with abx which hit the bart.
In my case (many years ago) it felt like an intense "tooth ache pain" in my left leg.
Is that somewhat similar to what you experience?
Posted by peter j (Member # 11825) on :
It's been almost a month, and I still haven't got my duck to start treatment (!) Please keep your answers coming..
Posted by shoney (Member # 9925) on :
Cactus-I'm taking bactrim for bart and babs (along with zith.) Was doing well until starting month 4-then downhill. Starting month 5 and slowly climbing up again.
Posted by Ellie K (Member # 12056) on :
Peter,
I really hope you can start treatment soon! My LLMD says Bart is very fast-growing, especially compared to Lyme.
I'm sorry I did not reply to your question sooner regarding the widespread pain that I experienced while on Levaquin.
I think you could indeed describe it as "toothache-like" in that it was sort of dull and shooting at the same time, and felt very deep (like close to the nerves, if that makes sense).
I treated Bart for a little over 2 months before moving on to treat Lyme with Bicillin. I just wanted to say that I have found my Lyme herxes to be less painful and less severe than my ones with Bart, which I was very happy to discover.
For me, Bart involved a lot of itching, sharp shooting pains, burning skin, along with vomiting and high fevers.
My lyme herxes, on the other hand, tend to involve more eye/ear issues, anxiety and insomnia, but less pain, and no fevers or vomiting. As I have only been in this for a few weeks, I realize that I may be speaking prematurely.
I am not sure if my Bart is gone or not, though I certainly hope so. I may need to return and treat it after working on Lyme for a while.
One final note: I agree with others that it can be very difficult (if not impossible!) to return to Rifampin after taking a break from it.
I was on Rifampin/Septra for one month, followed by a month of Levaquin 500mg-- however, when I returned to Rifampin at 600mg (along with 300mg Mino) for my 3rd month of tx, I swear it practically killed me.
I have never felt so awful as I did on Rifampin for the second round. I literally vomited over ten times a day. I felt as though I had been poisoned. I don't if this phenomenon has a scientific basis, but it was pretty remarkable.
I know Levaquin has a bad rep on this board, but I personally credit it with the most progress that I made in my war against Bart. If you have stomach issues, it's probably preferable to Rifampin.
Good luck, Peter, keep us updated with your progress!
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I don't if this phenomenon has a scientific basis, but it was pretty remarkable.![[spinning smile]](graemlins/spinsmile.gif)