I think I need to take a break from abx for awhile.
I've been on them for pretty much a year straight.
Taking Tindamax and Erythromycin and Diflucanole right now.
My stomach feels like its just ripped apart.
It hurts every time I eat and sometimes when I don't.
When I take my herbs/vitamins I get extremely nauseous.
The abx have helped with most of the Lyme symptoms but now they seem to be causing so many digestive problems...
I'm afraid all of this will beat my immune system so low that I won't be able to fight anything off this winter.
I think I'm going to take a break from the abx for awhile (I'll check with LLMD first).
But I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for calming down the whole digestive system?
I can't really eat and I REALLY can't handle the herbs/vitamins even.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!!
Posted by aiden424 (Member # 7633) on :
I take Carafate and Zantac. They seem to have really helped.
Kathy
Posted by Annxyz (Member # 9097) on :
You might try Prilosec or ask doc about prevacid , which I preferred . Also , I know people who found aloe vera juice ( you can mix it with other juices if you are not fond of it ) very soothing to their GI tract . I would try it a few weeks.
I would also try a high quality probiotic a couple times a day . I do not think it will take long to improve.
Posted by lymeinhell (Member # 4622) on :
New Chapter's Supercritical Omega 7
Sold at any Vitamin Shoppe online (and frequently in the store) and Vitacost.com
Made from SeaBuckthorne. It rebuilds the mucous membranes of your GI tract. Take 2 about 20 minutes before a meal. Give it 3 days - you won't believe it... Honestly, the best $20ish you ever spent.
My stomach was so trashed I had lost 50 lbs. This stuff was a LIFESAVER. I was beyond dehydrated from chronic runs for months.
Is anyone familiar with Slippery Elm? I was thinking of trying it. Actually, my mom has some for her dog. I'll try it and let you know. Wish me luck!
Posted by gemofnj (Member # 15551) on :
Hi Pammy,
Sorry you are having such a time with your digestive system.
Maybe you might try nexium or prolisec to start healing irritated stomach lining, and take it by itself and nothing else.
The same if you choose VSL#3. I use this product and its very good, even if you only take one pill a day (at bedtime is the best time by itself), and then alternate your regular kind during the day.
Do you take the erith with food or after eating? Its tolerated so much better with food.
Vitamins can make you nauseas if you have an empty tummy too.
Good advice from others too. Hope you have luck with changing up a few things.
Posted by laura j (Member # 14257) on :
So I took the Slippery Elm and it did seem to help some. It's a powder that you mix w/cold water and then mix continuously while simmering on stove until it forms a syrup. You can also add a little honey.
Posted by painted turtle (Member # 7801) on :
Ginger Tea (Traditional Medicinals) is amazingly helpful for me.
Slippery Elm Tea has also been helpful for the lower GI tract.
I also use a heating pad on my abdoman when it's really disruptive.
Posted by terri3boys (Member # 12993) on :
Ask your doctor about Xifaxan. My GI doc put me on a 10 day round of this.
It's an abx that ONLY works on the gut. It doesn't go into your bloodstream, it simply works on restoring the balance in your gut.
It did WONDERS for me! I had been ripped apart by abx as well. After I took one Xifaxan for 10 days in a row, I felt a LOT better. He said that sometimes he has people do 1,2 or even 3 rounds of the Xifaxan, but he thought that doing one round for me did the trick.
After that, he put me on a much better probiotic than I had previously been taking. Now I take VSL#3 ------ one in the morning and one at night. It's been FANTASTIC and I'm never going to stop taking it!
I haven't resumed any abx since, but I don't know what's going to happen in that yet.......I'm seeing several of my doctors this week and next week.
I stopped Diflucan, Zithromax and Tindamax on Labor Day weekend. I was so sick from that combo, which I had been taking for 2-3 months. Previously, I had been taking Doxy for about 9 months or so, and Diflucan for about 7 months. (Something like that......)
I still take my other meds and supplements that I was already taking. A laundry list.........
Didn't mean to ramble on like that, but ask your doc about that Xifaxan and also the VSL#3. I feel so much better taking a break from the abx, along with working on getting my gut healthy.
My immune system is SHOT and my viral load is all screwed up and high ---- now I'm dealing with that. Also, they're wanting to do surgery on my neck (C5-6) ----- if I keep typing, I'll remember what else is wrong!!!
Gotta run. Good luck and take care, terri3boys Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I didn't read all of the responses.....Get your liver enzymes checked. The Diflucan can cause liver damage if it's not checked frequently.
Also.. yes, slippery elm is very good and you should also take milk thistle when you take abx.
Milk thistle protects your liver.
Posted by Pammy (Member # 15695) on :
Thank you so much for all of the suggestions!
I have been taking everything with food... and I am on a good probiotic.
I only took the Fluconazole today. I didn't want to take any abx or even my supplements.
EVERYTHING irritates my stomach and even my heartburn is acting up a little.
It does feel a little better today than it has.
I think I will try the slippery elm and the Omega 7. I was on salmon oil but ran out recently...maybe that's part of the problem.
I have a Dr. appt on Friday so we're going to review everything I'm on.
I'll ask him about the Xifaxan, but I'd really like to take a break from the abx altogether if I can.
Thanks again!!! I can't tell you how much it helps to have these boards!
Posted by laura j (Member # 14257) on :
The Slipper Elm didn't help me for long. I just took a couple Pepto tablets. Hopefully that helps.
Posted by Shosty (Member # 12232) on :
A lot of the mainstream GI doctors won't be as helpful as an alternative type doctor or nutritionist. We found that out the hard way.
Taking prilosec etc. is okay very short term, but these proton-pump inhibitor drugs can encourage yeast and further alter the balance in your gut between good and bad bacteria, because they stop acid production. When you think about it, acid is needed for digestion, too. I actually liked using zantac better, but only used it a few times, when GERD was really bad.
Two of us in my family reached this point, and could not continue with antibiotics. My most important comment is that patience is needed. It too a while for your gut to be "trashed," and healing can take a few months. But you WILL get better.
Our MD used gastrocrom, a clear liquid in plastic vials, that is an anti-inflammatory. Also used for asthma, made from an Egyptian plant, no side effects. It is a mainstream prescription, covered by insurance.
Are you confident that yeast is under control? If not, do at least 200mg fluconazole for a month or so.
Consider food allergies. Our daughter was only eating ice cream at one point, because the cold soothed her stomach, and she could get it down. Guess what? She soon found out her main food allergy was dairy!
Antibiotic treatment can cause food allergies. Many people being treated for Lyme seem to develop this problem. Try eliminating gluten (wheat etc.), dairy, citrus, soy, corn, eggs, nuts, tomatoes from your diet for a couple of weeks. Improvement would be fairly clear in that time. Then, reintroduce foods one at a time to "challenge" them. Any foods you do not react to, you can eat, preferably rotating them every few days.
The results we had with this were shocking. My daughter has healed, avoiding dairy and gluten. The biggest surprise for me was that I turned out to have reactions to almost everything!
Not only did our stomachs heal, but our daughter's daily headache completely disappeared, and my numbness and tingling got 80% better, a symptom with was originally from Lyme.
For your nutrition in the meantime, there are products like Sustain that you can eat to keep yourself up.
Work on your stomach can be followed by work on your immune system, detoxing and so on, if you like, but healing your gut sure is the priority.
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