Babs has been found again in my blood despite longterm Mepron + macrolide + artemesia (+ sulfa at times) treatment.
Just wondering if there is ANYONE here that has managed to get rid of Babs??? What did you take?
Many thanks Emma (UK)
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
No, I haven't ..... I have been on babs treatment for 14 months ... I have no more Lyme/bart symptoms, but this dang babs seems to be hanging on.
Posted by savebabe (Member # 9847) on :
When I addressed all three of my co-infections at the same time, is when all my babs blood work came back negative.
Here is my treatment,
IM bicillin
Septra
Art
Mepron
Biaxin
Plaq
Feel better.
Posted by yanivnaced (Member # 13212) on :
Somebody on another website mentioned low dose artemisinin for 18 months (no other med) got rid of their daughter's babesia and hasn't relapsed even months after stopping.
food for thought.
Posted by psano2 (Member # 11711) on :
There's also another post further down by minoucat who says her husband's babesia seems to have been cured by clindamycin and quinine. I believe he took this combo for only 5.5 months and has been off of it for 7 months w/o relapse. Look down the list, you'll find her post.
Posted by KH (Member # 4170) on :
Try Riamet by Novartis. We did this after being on art/mepron/zith for over a year, and it finally worked. It is not available in the US, but we ordered in online and took our chances. That was the first and only time I've ordered without a MD and online. You being in the UK should be able to find this, it is commonly used for travlers going to Malaria prone areas.
I would do 2 rounds, wait 2 week for the second round.
Posted by yanivnaced (Member # 13212) on :
How come Riamet is not available in the US?
Posted by Dawn in VA (Member # 9693) on :
Check out minoucat's post about it; think she posted it either yesterday or day before. It's about clindamycin and quinine.
Posted by Bugg (Member # 8095) on :
Emma--
So sorry you are suffering. I strongly believe you can feel better and eradicate the babs. In my humble opinion, based on all of the research I've done and my own LLMD's opinion, different strains of babs need different different abx combos. It's trial-and-error, for many.
In my LLMD's opinion, if you are NOT responding positively to babs treatment within FOUR months either 1) you're not on the correct abx combo for your strain of babs or 2) Like Savebabe just posted, you may have other co-infections and need to be treated for bart, for example, at the same time. There is a school of thought out there that, in order to get on top of babs and bart, you need to treat both at the same time (see Savebabe's combo she posted above)...
If you only have babesia, you may want to speak with your LLMD about examining other combos of abx for babs....Also, don't forget to examine hypercoagulation issues which may be impeding the abx from traveling to areas where it needs to penetrate...I know of some who have tried heparin and increased their success with treatment....
Finally, on a personal note, I did clindamycin, quinine, and malarone combo to no avail for babs. I just finished four months of mepron, zith,and artemisinin and am MUCH IMPROVED. In fact, I just ran up a flight of stairs yesterday (that's after staggering around for the past three years including being bedridden for a full year)...I just did bloodwork and have to see if I need more (longer) treatment for babs but at least I've FINALLY seen some improvement after a loooonnnnnggg plateau....Hang in there!!!
(To be clear, my LLMD is NOT SAYING all babs can be cleared in four months. He's saying you should see a POSITIVE response to your combo in four months. In some instances, however, he has seen cases eradicated(put in remission) after four months. My LLMD is in NYC, in case anyone is wondering.)
Posted by Lymen (Member # 6882) on :
suki444,
What dose of Mepron did you use?
Some people have to take 4 teaspoons a day to get well but most LLMD prescribe just 2 tsp a day.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I took two tsp. Mepron twice daily, plus Biaxin and art for babs.
It is true that I only got well once I treated the babs and bart together.
My problem was not a failure to improve ... I got back to 98% well. Most of my remaining symptoms were more adrenal-related.
However, when we cut back babs meds to only Lariam, the air hunger returned even though I had been symptom-free from babs for months.
Now I'm back on Malarone, Lariam, Art, and Enula. I'm herxing from it. I had only cut back to only Lariam for six weeks.
BTW, I never tested positive for babs.
Posted by suki444 (Member # 4261) on :
hi thanks for all your replies - in suggesting different options.
I did try the higher dose Mepron also for a while - 2 teaspoons twice a day. The Mepron knocks down my load but the Babs always comes back so far.
I've never tested positive either through standard Babs tests but a UK doc can see Babesia-like ring forms in my blood. They had disappeared from view for a while. I have the returning symptoms also...chills, slight fever, brain fog, sudden weakness & my US LLMD thinks it is Babs flaring.
I just need to keep trying stuff I guess! Emma
Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :
Hi Emma -
Bactrim DS helped me Alot for Babs -
I took 3 or more Bactrim DS aday --Jay--
Posted by Health (Member # 6034) on :
I agree with Bugg, because I have Babesia, and I thought it was mostly gone, had stopped Babesia treatment,
was treated with Rifampin for suspected Bartonella because of the marks, and I did not get better, but I did have my Babesia symptoms come out WORSE, my EMF is mostly I would say from
Babesia, and the EMF got SO much worse, after treating with Rifampin, and my breathing got worse after Rifampin about 3 weeks after I stopped it. My immune was so bad.
So, I can say from experience that the train of thought that you need to treat Babesia and Bartonella together I say is correct,
I was told that Babesia hides lyme, that was SO correct for myself, once babesia is killed, the lyme can be easier to kill, that was my experience, so it is good to know.
Trish
Posted by Health (Member # 6034) on :
I agree with Bugg, because I have Babesia, and I thought it was mostly gone, had stopped Babesia treatment,
was treated with Rifampin for suspected Bartonella because of the marks, and I did not get better, but I did have my Babesia symptoms come out WORSE, my EMF is mostly I would say from
Babesia, and the EMF got SO much worse, after treating with Rifampin, and my breathing got worse after Rifampin about 3 weeks after I stopped it. My immune was so bad.
So, I can say from experience that the train of thought that you need to treat Babesia and Bartonella together I say is correct,
I was told that Babesia hides lyme, that was SO correct for myself, once babesia is killed, the lyme can be easier to kill, that was my experience, so it is good to know.
Trish
Posted by oxygenbabe (Member # 5831) on :
Riamet is not that new. My former hyperbaric doc learned microscopy, and she told me a babs-relapsing couple she knew took it twice. Both times babs temporarily disappeared, only to reappeear (maltese cross) soon after.
So Riamet is not a cure probably.
The problem is babs is not malaria, and the meds for malaria may be only partially effective for babs. It needs to be studied directly.
Posted by lymewreck36 (Member # 4395) on :
I have been treated for babs and have used all the above mentioned combinations. I have had repeated babs tests, and have had a very high positive every single time. Babs torments me, and I don't know that I'll ever be rid of it.