I have 500mg pills here...and am supposed to take 2 pills twice daily (2000 mg total). Doc didn't tell me how to start. Wondering what everyone else did.
Should I just start with 500mg/day?
What were your experiences starting it? Hard, easy, herx hits you days or weeks later, etc?
Posted by Lymeorsomething (Member # 16359) on :
Hoosiers, I only did a nine day course of 1000 mgs per day and didn't notice anything. I took it for cryptosporidium...
I didn't notice any ill effects at the lower dose...
Posted by bv (Member # 9578) on :
I took 500 mg 2x a day for several months. No particular side effects except it turned all my bodily fluids a radioactive yellow (goes away after you stop alinia).
I just jumbed right in---took 2 tablets first day & every day thereafter. As abx go, its quite tolerable.
Posted by abbyjo (Member # 16073) on :
I think I started with 1 pill two times a day. Maybe 1.5. I increased within 6 or so weeks. I
did herx on Alinia. About the first 3 weeks I would get really bad headaches, which have never
been a symptom for me and just felt wiped out. I'm taking 3 a day now and doing great.
bv- I'm so glad you mentioned the yellow bodily fluids!! I was starting to freak out about that not knowing what it was from!
Posted by riverpatrol (Member # 12182) on :
I was told to start out slow, 1/2 pill 2x a day, and ramp up slowly to 3 a day over a week to 10 days.
Well, dummy me read the directions on the bottle instead of the doctor's instructions, and I took a whole pill the first time. Oh boy did I ever regret that! One little ol' pill...
My babs HATED that Alinia. The next day I couldn't move! Extreme muscle and tendon pain, blinding migraine-like headache, utter exhaustion, raging fever, sweats and chills, memory loss, etc, etc.
Needless to say I did not take any pills at all that day. The next day I could move a bit, so I cut some pills in half and started taking 2 halves a day. I herxed horribly off and on for about a month, then the herxes started to subside in strength. The herxes seemed to cycle about every 8 days or so and last for about 2 -3 days.
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
Okay thanks....I will start with 1/2 pill twice a day, just in case.
I am herxing right now from something called BLT (bartonella lyme tincture) so I don't want to send myself off the edge. Already getting bad headaches from this BLT stuff.
Posted by riverpatrol (Member # 12182) on :
quote:Originally posted by Hoosiers51: I am herxing right now from something called BLT (bartonella lyme tincture) so I don't want to send myself off the edge. Already getting bad headaches from this BLT stuff.
Oh yeah!!! I stopped taking the BLT before I started the Alinia. I know those headaches! Like a 1 inch thick spike had been shoved through my left eye and came out the back of my skull, and a hatchet buried in the top of my skull for good measure. And one that lasted 1 1/2 weeks. I was ready to go to ER because I couldn't function anymore: as I was trying to get myself together enough to go, I (for whatever reason) decided to take some SAMe. Within 20 minutes, the headache was gone. Nothing else had come close to touching the headache, but the SAMe totally knocked it out. Caffeine also helped.
The BLT also caused severe insomnia, some significant anxiety issues and some gastrointestinal issues. I might start taking it again later, but after I have pushed through this babesia nightmare.
Good luck in your treatment!
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
So far from the BLT I'm just getting headaches, some joint pain perhaps (though I just started bicillin too, so hard to know what's what), and maybe increased fatigue.
The headaches are not unbearable right now, but they are definitely making their presence known. I am only on 5 drops twice daily.
What I would like to know about the BLT, is if there are any people that had lasting positive effects from it? Because it seems like there are a lot of herbal combos out there that will make people herx, but there are never benefits.
I would hate to think this is one of those things. I need some kind of success story with it to keep me motivated.....
So far with the Alinia it is hard to tell if anything is happening yet.
Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :
Hi All
My LLMD had me take Alinia after my First office visit-- One 500mg per day to stir the bugs up before getting lyme tests done -- (5 days)
3 hours after taking the first dose I was herxing like crazy -- thought I might end up in ER but I went threw it and came out OK --
Alinia has become one of the treatments that is in favor now --
When I took it most people here had no idea what it was--
I have taken several rounds of Alinia- and I think it helped clear out some of the bugs--
One thing it did do was FIX my stomach -- I have had Zero stomach problems since taking it--Jay--