My LLMD prescribed me Bactrim DS but I dont understand the dosage...
for example my Doxy my PCP prescriped was 100mg 2x a day... these bactrim ds doesnt say anythin about mg just says take 2 per day? how much batrim ds is that
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Look at the label on your medicine bottle. Also look on the pill, itself for markings. -
Posted by yankees237 (Member # 25791) on :
no mention of mg anywhere , pills just say 58/98
Posted by Beachinit (Member # 21040) on :
Bactrim DS contains 800mg of sulfamethoxazole and significantly lesser amount of trimethoprim and is usually prescribed as 1 tablet twice per day.
Beachinit.
Posted by Geneal (Member # 10375) on :
My bactrim ds was also 800mg a pill.
I took two a day also.
Make sure you drink plenty of water with this.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posted by Florence1 (Member # 22960) on :
mine doesnt give mg aswell......think DS is a standard dose.........
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
DS stands for "double strength," and Bactrim is a combination antibiotic:
Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim) is a synthetic antibacterial combination product available in DS (double strength) tablets, each containing 800 mg sulfamethoxazole and 160 mg trimethoprim
Usual dosage given by a lyme doc is one Bactrim DS twice per day.
Posted by yankees237 (Member # 25791) on :
so just out of curiousity, is the standard dosage of bactrim ds more powerful then the 200mg of doxycycline my PCP prescribed me?
Posted by Stacyb (Member # 13084) on :
OK what is the standard dose for kids then? 11 yrs old and 85 lbs? LLMD says 1 2x day of reg. strength not DS Any one dose this sound right?
Sorry to high jack the post
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Doxy is for lyme and bactrim isn't, so you can't really compare the two as to which is more powerful.
200 mg doxy per day is a low dose for lyme. You need at least 300 mg per day generally. Some say 400 mg per day.
A lyme doc does not prescribe 200 mg per day of doxy generally. It's the docs who DON'T know lyme that are ALWAYS prescribing that dose. Sorry.
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
Bactrim is usually for co-infections, and usually not used by itself for Lyme. Doxycycline is mostly for Lyme, erlichia, and/or rocky mountain spotted fever but can be helpful in some cases of other coinfections.
The two drugs aren't really comparable, like TF said. Usually if you're prescribed Bactrim AND you have Lyme, an MD will have prescribed something else for the Lyme primarily.
Posted by yankees237 (Member # 25791) on :
im a little confused why my lyme doc only has me on bactrim ds....you guys are saying it doesnt treat lyme...what the heck...im 1 month in from my tick bite i cant afford to be taking chances. he is a LLMD so id like to think he knows what hes doing but im quite nervous
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
How long were you on the doxy your PCP gave you? Maybe your lyme doc is considering that in the current treatment.
Some docs believe in treating the coinfections first, and lyme second. Some treat lyme a little, then move on to the cos, then go back and treat lyme again at the end. There are various ways to treat all 3 of the diseases. Some docs treat all 3 at the same time; some treat them one at a time.
But, for a new bite, that is something else all together.
When I got a new bite, my lyme doc put me on doxy and Bactrim DS together. He said that would cover lyme, ehrlichia, babs, and bart.
But, I began treatment within 1 week of the bite. I was on 300 mg doxy and the Bactrim. After a few weeks, the doxy was lowered to 200 mg since I never had any symptoms, just the bulls eye rash.
I had a mild herx at about day 2-3 on this combo. (No stamina for one day. Had to keep lying down.)
Does your lyme doc think that you don't have lyme, just coinfections?
Don't know the entire story here. Did you have a rash, test positive, that type of thing.
Maybe if you told us the story we could figure this treatment rationale out for you.
Posted by yankees237 (Member # 25791) on :
well i was bit a month ago, started doxy within 2
days 200mg at first, then 300mg for a total of 4
weeks. then started bactrim which was prescribed
by my LLMD. he diagnosed me with lyme on the spot
when i showed him the rash at my first appt.
he had asked me if i mind having to avoid the sun
while on doxy and if so, he would give me a
medication where i didnt have to avoid sun
exposure. i told him i didnt mind and the most
important thing was to kill this lyme ASAP. Then
he prescribed Bactrim DS. So im under the
impression he's using it for Lyme?
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Have you had any symptoms besides the rash?
Posted by yankees237 (Member # 25791) on :
the last couple weeks ive been feeling a little
more fatigued, and a overall lack of well being
feeling. nothing serious, usually goes away in a
couple hours. muscle twitching, and some weird
sensations in my feet (but i had some nueropathy
from my EBV infection which has all happened
within the past year). so i dont blame the
neuropathy on the lyme & co's necessarily.
I just dont want to take any chances and i haven't
found much information supporting Bactrim DS
use for Lyme. i know its an Antibiotic, so
i'd like to believe its killing bacteria but im
not really sure what to think.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
You don't say how long you took 200 mg doxy and how long you took 300 mg doxy. Also, how long have you been on the Bactrim DS?
Perhaps if you started the 300 mg doxy right away (like, after a few days of 200 mg), I could see your lyme doc thinking that the lyme has been treated enough. Now, it is time to attack the cos with Bactrim.
If you went to my doc, I believe you would be on both doxy and Bactrim as soon as you reported having symptoms. So, if you have not reported these symptoms, I would advise you to call your lyme doc and report them. If he doesn't add in a lyme med at that point, then, say you believe that lyme is still a problem and you want treated with both doxy and Bactrim--a more aggressive treatment--until all of your symptoms are gone.
What I learned from asking Dr. Burrascano a question about my case is that "if the treatment is inadequate, the disease will continue to progress." So, tell the doc you are afraid the treatment is inadequate and the disease is progressing rather than going away (based on how you are feeling lately) so you want to take 2 lyme meds at once.
Then, start looking for a new doc. If you have to start telling the doc how to treat you, it is time for a new doc.
Do not try to dismiss your symptoms. That is not a wise thing to do. Rather, assume the worst and treat them as a result of the bite. And, keep treating until all symptoms are resolved. That is the safer course.
If you have not yet read the Burrascano lyme treatment guidelines, why not read and study them. They are here:
On pages 18-19 he lists all the meds that treat lyme. The discussion of lyme treatment starts on page 13.
The only mention of Bactrim is under treatment of babesiosis. (You can search the document on-line and you will see that this is the only mention of "Bactrim" in the document. I also searched "Septra" SMT, etc. No other mention of this med.) So, I think you have cause for concern. Burrascano is the lyme disease guru of the U.S. and the world. If Bactrim treated lyme disease, he would have said so. He wrote his Treatment Guidelines for other doctors-- to teach other doctors how to get rid of lyme and coinfections.
This is your best opportunity to get rid of this disease, so don't let fear of a doctor getting upset with you, etc. stop you from asking for more aggressive treatment. And, to be fair to the doc, you should be reporting how you are not feeling so well. That is his clue right there, to change treatment.
Posted by yankees237 (Member # 25791) on :
Doxy 200mg for the first two weeks then 300 mg for the next two weeks. total 4 weeks of doxy. then the last 2 weeks have been Bactrim until today...
i broke out with some hives and my LLMD said to stop the medication, take benadryl and wait a couple days then he's going to prescribe something else.
Posted by canefan17 (Member # 22149) on :
TF,
Does DR S have a favorite herbal protocol (cowden, buhner, zhang)?
I know he uses art with babs treatment.
I just didn't know if he believes in herbal protocols at all.