I've felt much better after starting a Rifampin and Doxycycline combo to treat my Bartonella and Lyme co-ifections. I was on a Rocephin IV for 3.5 months prior to my current combo.
We have no LLMD's here in New Mexico and I have no money to travel; my family doctor is helping the best he knows how.
Most of my symptoms have cleared except for my eyes - I see tiny little swimming things or little comets when I look at blue sky so I know that I still have Lyme in me.
Can you fill me in on what your doctor's use Hydroxychloroquine for? Is it a cyst killer?
Also, would adding Omnicef to my Rifampin/doxy combo kill more Lyme? Can they all be taken together?
Please give me your feedback; it helps me and my doctor.
Thanks, Joe
Posted by darla135 (Member # 15688) on :
I am not familiar with hydroxychloroquine at all. However, I have taken all of the other meds you listed together. My understanding is that Omnicef is good for killing active lyme in ways that doxy is not. I have taken those 2 with the Rifampin simultaneously.
I'm so sorry about not having a LLMD in NM to help you out. Glad your doc is willing to do his best!
Posted by GEM282 (Member # 19081) on :
my understanding is that hydroxychloroquine (plaquenil) is used to work on the cycsts. Listed side effects do include increased anxiety and even psychosis - I've had docs make some serious medication mistakes (not lyme related) so I always make sure to either read the material that comes with the medications, look it up online or have a friend, family member do it for me.
Posted by joe-nm (Member # 18054) on :
Darla,
Thanks for your imput. Could you tell me what dose was the Omnicef and how many times a day you took it? Also, how many months were you on that combination? Did it bring your disease into remission? Please let me know!
Thanks, Joe
Posted by tcw (Member # 15698) on :
Hydroxychlorquine is tolerated pretty well by most ppl, it may work on cysts to some degree, it also may alter intracellular pH to allow more abx to penetrate.
Omnicef is a cephalosporin, similar in action to Rocephin, but probably not as good at brain/spine penetration. These abx work by destroying the bacteria cell wall.
Doxy and rimfampin work by disrupting bacterial protein synthesis, but they work at different locations within the bacteria. I am not sure about intracellular penetration of the these two, I can not remember but I can find out if you really need to know.
Rifampin in particular has a very significant effect on the metabolism of some other drugs due to its effect on the CYP450 enzyme system in the liver. Again, I can not remember the particulars (induces CYP1A2 maybe?) but it is something to keep in mind.
Posted by pamoisondelune (Member # 11846) on :
Omnicef, 300 mg, 2x/day
Hydroxychloroquine is Plaquenil; easy to find a lot of posts about it.