I'm wondering if anyone felt they couldn't tolerate Mepron because of severe GI issues (and maybe herx, though who knows...)....and found Malarone to be easier to deal with.
A very small amount of Mepron seems to just tear me up.
I just started IV Rocephin, in part because all the abx and mepron had just really done a number on my GI tract. I was trying to slowly work the mepron back in....but it's been rough as heck.
[ 01-30-2009, 02:24 AM: Message edited by: Michael_Venice ]
Posted by lymielauren28 (Member # 13742) on :
Well I start Mepron tomorrow, but have been on Malarone for the past five months.
I took four pills a day - two in the morning, two in the evening plus six hundred mg of zith.
I split the zith in half and took it in divided doses with the malarone.
If you take it on an empty stomach, it's bad. Make sure to take with a full meal and you'll be fine - no stomach pain at all.
Lauren
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Also be sure you're getting a lot of fat with Mepron, it's fat soluble.
Posted by Michael_Venice (Member # 17254) on :
Thanks for the replies.
I took it for a month before. I did the fat thing (thank you, though).
I don't get sick RIGHT after....it's more of a long-term stomach thrashing that I get. I get nauseous and STAY that way (and more, but I'll try to keep it simple)....
I just wondered if Malarone might be easier in this regard. I wouldn't think so, really, because the ingredients are so similar....but I thought I'd read someone or another had less trouble with malarone.
thanks again.
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I took Malarone for 2 months with fatty foods and had no trouble with stomach issues at all. In fact of all the meds I have been on I felt best while taking Malarone. We are all different however!
Posted by Michael_Venice (Member # 17254) on :
bumping in case anyone else has thoughts.
Posted by Skyler (Member # 11549) on :
I have tryed mepron twice now, and have become so ill from it.I know exactly what you are talking about!!! Its not fun at all and just intollerable. I could only last about 5 or 6 days on it.
I know babesia is a Huge problem for me,and I so my doctor just put malarone, and now, within 2 days I am sick as a dog.
First pill and the babesia symptoms that do not rear their head too often came on FULL FORCE.
And Now, its back to stomach issues. I have been taking the pill with heaving whipping cream, as it is hi in fat and is a milk product (obviously...hehhe)
But I am still with these problems. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
Michael, I thought I was the only one who had a hard time with this stuff.
Posted by Jill E. (Member # 9121) on :
I've been on Malarone for about six weeks and developed such bad GI problems I had to go off everything else and have been seeing two GI docs, a naturopath, my Lyme docs, etc. In five years of treatment, Malarone is the first drug to trash my GI tract, or as my naturopath said, maybe it was just the last straw.
I'm supposed to add in small amounts of Mepron and I'm dreading it!!!!
I had asked my LLMD about IV or IM to get around the GI tract - I had done Bicillin a couple years ago - but he wants me to try this Malarone/Mepron combo. Yikes!!
Plus I'm crying all the time on Malarone!
Jill
Posted by tick battler (Member # 21113) on :
Our ped LLMD said that sometimes Malarone is harder to tolerate than Mepron. My three young children are all taking Mepron and are tolerating it fine so far, after taking it for almost a year (along with other meds).
I know that Malarone has the active ingredient in Mepron (about 1/6 the amount or something like that) and also another drug.
tickbattler
Posted by Michael_Venice (Member # 17254) on :
Wow, this thread got resurrected from a while back, didn't it?
Mepron made me so sick...terrible GI issues (to ugly to relate to the nice people here). I also had some kind of further reaction to it. Herx or not, I don't know. But I was so sick I was practically hallucinating, extremely weak, very very ill. Bad news for me.
I haven't tried malarone. I'm on Alinia, Art and Enula for babesia now, and doing relatively okay on those. Also added in Mino recently. Doing okay on all of that. "Okay" is a relative term, but nothing near as sick as Mepron seemed to make me.
Jill....I'm sorry you're going through such rough stuff. Really sorry to hear.
Posted by CherylSue (Member # 13077) on :
I spoke with a gal from the Michigan Lyme Assn. She said about 50% do well on malarone and the other half do better on mepron. I've also been reading it depends on the strain of babesia you have which one works, too.
I also saw where Dr. H of NY likes malarone with cryptolepsis.
Buhner, the herbalist, is moving away from ART... and advocating cyrptolepsis.
My best guess is to eperiment and see what workds for you.
Jill- are you working while all this madness is going on? I just started back this week. It's been an up and down kind of week.
Posted by Jill E. (Member # 9121) on :
Thanks for the kind words, Michael.
CherylSue, I am still working through this madness but I am so profoundly fatigued and emotional that it's a mess and I have to keep resting, going to sleep early, etc.
I was on Alinia and Biaxin, then told to add in Malarone. I had also been on cryptolepsis and smilax. I am very, very sensitive, so this was the most aggressive protocol I'd been on in five years (yeah, sounds wimpy to most but I can usually only handle one or two meds at a time). I think it was the Malarone that caused the GI problems because nothing else had before.
Jill
Posted by CherylSue (Member # 13077) on :
Oh, Jill, I know exactly how difficult it is for you to work and go through this. I hope you feel better soon!
I am so sensitive to meds, too. Currently, I am on 1 malarone , Ceftin 500mg BID, and Nystatin.
Have you seen any progress in the last 5 years? When were you diagnosed?