This article explains a situation where prednisone dependent people weaned off the steriods and maintained their health.
Biaxin works deep into the CNS system (that is why you shouldnt take CNS drugs...SSRI), but also it decreases inflammation substationally. Also, it is very easy on the gut flora. Biaxin is the closest cure we have until there is a cure.
Posted by coltman (Member # 21272) on :
I am not a fan of this particular macrolide (due to short half life and low bioavailability).
Imho telithromycin and roxithromycin are superior to biaxin.
I think main reason this drug and azithromycin are pushed in US is due to US pharma holding patents on them, not because they are better
Posted by julielynne4 (Member # 20336) on :
I have read this before about not taking SSRIs and Biaxin - but then I read opposing information. Not sure what to believe - is it dangerous for me to be on Biaxin and Lexapro?
Posted by springshowers (Member # 19863) on :
So.. how are you feeling on Biaxin?
Everyone? Anyone?
Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
Best Abx I've ever taken
Posted by Lymeorsomething (Member # 16359) on :
I felt pretty good while on Biaxin and it is generally well-tolerated as stated. However, you can't go by one unrelated study and suggest that it's an end-all be-all for lyme.
When it's paired with Plaquenil, it may play an effective role but probably not for everyone.
Posted by CD57 (Member # 11749) on :
how bizarre...I have never heard of a reaction between a macrolide and an SSRI? we would hear about that I think.
Posted by sapphire101 (Member # 6638) on :
Back in July hubby was given biaxin and he ended up in the psyche ward. He was also on an SSRI, don't remember which one. He's a lymie, too but choosing not to treat. UGH!!
The strangest thing happened while he was in the hospital. He said during the night a dr (not his) came in with some info printed off and handed it to him.
He said I think I know what has happened to you. To this day we don't know who the dr was. I didn't even know this till the other day.
It was info showing how biaxin could cause you to go into a manic state. That's what happened to hubby.
I was asking him how they figured out it was the biaxin and he told me about this dr coming in his room that night. Weird huh? I would love to find out who he is just to thank him.
Hubby is better now mentally than he's been in a long time. He's seeing a psychiatrist and he finally got his meds like they need to be. So really, I look at this like a blessing. It was rough getting through it at the time.
Posted by btmb03 (Member # 18394) on :
I love Biaxin though I'm on a small dose. It's the only med so far I can tolerate that gets me out of bed..and onto the couch!! Posted by jennie46 (Member # 20953) on :
I took clarithromycin for 3 months while on a very small dose of sertraline and had no side effects at all. I had no idea there could be an interaction between the two. I was on sertraline before lyme at 25mg every other day because I was tapering off. I was on that same dose while on clarithromycin.
Posted by coltman (Member # 21272) on :
SSRI are bad drugs anyways -should not be taken regardless, unless you want further damage your CNS
Posted by Amanda (Member # 14107) on :
Biaxin has a tendancy to promote yeast overgrowth, much more so that the other macrolides. So ,if yeast is a problem for you, you might want to avoid this drug.
Posted by abigail (Member # 14936) on :
I have always liked Biaxin. Dr. D in Boston puts people on it and plaquenil in the summer and tetracycline in the winter. I am not a big fan of tetracycline, but liked Biaxin and still do. I now see Dr. C in Missouri. He recently put me on Biaxin and malarone. I haven't tried that yet. But thumbs up to Biaxin as maybe the best all around for me...but have never taken it alone. So far always with plaquenil, and on this combo, bugs stay pretty quiet.
Posted by swedish lyme sufferer (Member # 14579) on :
Biaxin makes me herx like HELL. It does something. I hope I am killing the bugs.........
Posted by swedish lyme sufferer (Member # 14579) on :
But the penetration to CNS is poor, not good though.
Posted by marsward (Member # 17810) on :
I have been on Plaquenil, and Biaxin for almost 2 years it has had no bad side efficts but also not done anything to change my bloodwork for the better
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I thought the cycline meds were much better at crossing the BBB!
Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
SG, my famous LLMD stated Doxy is much more effective than Minocycline and has better BBB penetration. Strangely, this is exact opposite of what others say here and an ID doc I saw indicated. Doxy has 63% response rate, mino 45%. lol. Everything is in response rate % terms.
I'm guessing Biaxin does have some BBB penetration.
Posted by marsward (Member # 17810) on :
Started doxy friday no herx maybe to soon will keep you updated
Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :
Hi All --
Biaxin Definitely Helps Lyme and maybe Babs also -
It works Slow but it Works--Jay--
Posted by cantgiveupyet (Member # 8165) on :
It caused me severe constipation...after about a week on it. I fear trying it again.
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
quote:Originally posted by Amanda: Biaxin has a tendancy to promote yeast overgrowth, much more so that the other macrolides. So ,if yeast is a problem for you, you might want to avoid this drug.
Eat Yogurt twice a day. And take a good probiotic acidophilis 3 or four tmes a day 2 hrs after taking antibiotic. Wont be a yeast problem then and if there is your eating way to much sugar and if you want bring out the big guns diflucan or similar antiyeast med. This is in general speak. I took 2or3 capsuls at a time 1 dose. I usualy ate 2 or 3 yogurts a day no sugar except fruit in it or the plain with my own starbeerys added. No pop soda no potatoes no beets no sugar no bread unless & very lttle whole wheat.
etc. You want one that will cause yeast over growth then do the smurf pill Ceftin!! that ill doer! Posted by trigal2 (Member # 20578) on :
Well, I just started on Biaxin yesterday and either the meds are making me sick or it is already doing somthing to the blood suckers...Feel crappy already - but I feel like this anytime I first start abx tx.
My LLMD suggested Biaxin because of its ability to penetration the blood/brain barrier ( I have lots of Neuro. symptoms and cannot take Ceftin.'s)and he said the XR version keeps a nice steady sustaining amount in the body.
I will be curious to see how it works...TG
Posted by swedish lyme sufferer (Member # 14579) on :
How strange about the penetration to the CNS. What I have seen everywhere on the internet is that penetration is poor to the CNS. Let�s hope your doc is right!
Posted by abigail (Member # 14936) on :
I like Biaxan ER best.
Posted by trigal2 (Member # 20578) on :
I hope my LLMD is right as well! I have alot of faith in him...Wonder if anyone else can chime in regarding Biaxin and CNS penetration??
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
Not able to read what others wrote. I have been on biaxin prescribed by the primary doc for a year now.
AT first I was able to do more. But, the past 3 seasons, I have been very limited on what I am able to do.
I am taking the generic biaxin.
Posted by LizaLu (Member # 21483) on :
I'm taking Biaxin, and i also take a low dose SSRI, and my LLMD says that will not contradict any antibiotic treatment.
My LLMD also took me of Biaxin for 2-3 months and when I saw him last, he couldnt remember why he did and seemed mad at himself about it. My nervous system was shot...but i am hoping it starts to even out again and the Lyme pain will go back to the muscles and joints.
Funny we have to be grateful for a different type of feeling sick....
Posted by NellieK (Member # 23554) on :
Biaxin gave me a strange reaction -- lowered my blood pressure to below 80/60 and raised my heart rate to over 100 bpm. I felt very out of it, so the dr put me on something else -- sorry, Lyme brain can't remember what -- instead. I recently called her and asked if my reaction was just a strong herx reaction, so that meant the Biaxin was working and maybe I should try a lower dose? She is looking into that now but said my reaction was dangerous so Biaxin even in a smaller dose would probably not be good for me.
Posted by Need Lots of Help (Member # 18603) on :
Biaxin gives me insomnia........
Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
Changed from Biaxin to Zithromax the last month. Crap move. Zithromax as always does nothing to relieve my symptoms. Biaxin helped rid some. This leads me to my next question. What does Biaxin treat more effectively than Zithromax?
Posted by trigal2 (Member # 20578) on :
Well I have been on Biaxin for 5 days now.
I don't know if others have experienced this but I get the WROST anxiety a few hours after taking it.
I take 2X500mg.'s with dinner and almost like clock work 2 or 3 hours later the atomic anxiety bomb explodes inside of me. It is terible! At first I thought it might be reactive hypogycemia but it does not feel like that.
I also get some irregular heart beats and slight increse in HR (up from high 50's to 80's) - which I THINK is secondary to the anxiety response. Though I know heart stuff can be a bad side effect of the drug.
Wierd thing is that I am able to sleep (with the help of Beneadryl) and by the time I wake up in the AM the anxiety is gone and heart is beating nice and steady and calm again.
Then I repeat the cycle in the evening....By morning I am fine again. Odd...
Does anyone else get transient anxiety with Biaxin a few hours after they take it???? I am on the ER version. TG
Posted by btmb03 (Member # 18394) on :
TG - the answer is 'absolutely yes'..the anxiety can be a 'weird' sort of 'energy', and definitely for me it does trigger reactive hypoglycemia.
It *may* settle down for you, but I still get it. 2 X 500 mg at night? Wow. I'm still on a baby dose. It's potentially a great drug so if you can stay on it and tolerate the 'anxiety' might help you in the long run. Good luck!
Posted by trigal2 (Member # 20578) on :
btmbo3; Thanks so much for your feedback - helps alot!!!
I have had other non-lyme related abx triggered hypoglycemia in the past so I will re-eval my symptoms to see if that might be part of it.
Well, that dosage may be too much for me to start out. What is your dosage? Do you know if the dosage is based on body weight?
I am going to split my dosage and take one in the am and one in the pm - that might help.
I agree about it being a great drug from what my llmd says and I will do whatever I can to tolerate the wierd anxiety since it may be well worth it.
Thanks again! TG
Posted by btmb03 (Member # 18394) on :
TG - you're welcome, I can only go by what my LLMD told me. Basically to take Biaxin a.m. and p.m. If your doc told you differently he/she may have had his/her own reasons.
Perhaps trying an a.m. dose might help reduce some of the nighttime 'anxiety'? Do keep us posted!
Posted by trigal2 (Member # 20578) on :
Well....my LLMD did not say exactly how to take the dosage...All it says on the bottle is take 2 tablets a day.
I assumed to take it all at once - but common sense would have me calling his office - which I will do!
Maybe splitting the dose will reduce the bizarre nightmares as well! Thanks TG
Posted by springshowers (Member # 19863) on :
What is the deal with this med.. I too had an onset predicable reaction about 2 hours after taking it like clockwork.
So severe had to stop it.. No way could I live that way...
I have experienced though that in time I can react differently to the same med. It has been a good six months I think so I might try it (i would know within the first day) and see if that would still happen.
I find it so odd how our bodies and situations can change drastically enough to have a totally different response to the same med but at a different time frame.
Posted by NellieK (Member # 23554) on :
TG: same here with Biaxin! I just felt "weird" -- you could call it anxious -- like something was definitely wrong with me or I was going to pass out or something. I also felt my heart beating out of my chest. So I took my blood pressure and note it had dropped about 10 pts (both upper and lower) from where it usually is, and my heart rate was 100+. Maybe it's doing the same to you, and that's making you feel anxious. I know it made me feel so bad I told my husband to keep an eye on me in case I pass out or something, and I hardly EVER ask for his help LOL!
Posted by trigal2 (Member # 20578) on :
Springshower; Now that is odd that you get that reaction around the same time. I searched on the med and it seems that the peak for Biaxin is 2-4 hours. So, maybe that is just when the levels peak in our bodies. I have split my dose and it has helped. It seems to be helping so I want to try to hang on for the full 6 weeks...
NellieK; I do think the slight increase in heart rate and few skippers here and there are secondary to the anxiety ( I am a Psychologist so feel pretty sure about my self-diagnosis:)). But never the less...that feeling is terrible. That feeling that you are talking about..almost like a depersonalization feeling? That does go hand in hand with anxiety and panic so maybe that is coming on from the meds as well. But the BP thing? That is a bit concerning as well as the heart rate... Are you staying on the meds? What has your LLMD said about your symptoms? Hang in there !!!! TG
Posted by NellieK (Member # 23554) on :
The doc just took me off of Biaxin and switched to Amox-Clav, which isn't giving the same reaction. I asked her if it was just a herx reaction, but she said that kind of reaction is just a little too dangerous to keep me on Biaxin. The Flagyll has been the most effective, both in producing herx reactions and in taking away my knee pain. She has approved a longer dose of Flayll -- two weeks a month rather than just a week. I'll see if I can stand that!
Posted by springshowers (Member # 19863) on :
Yeah. Flagyl worked so much better for me.. too
I am still pulsing it but was on it IV for two straight months daily.. 2 x a day..
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This leads me to my next question. What does Biaxin treat more effectively than Zithromax?