I have not been in treatment at all since august. Gave up on everything when my husband died.
Now I had an llmd appt today and he feels it is babesia and lyme again. He is starting me on coartem 3 days a weeks twice a day and then two weeks off. Adding in ominicef once again in between since it is the only abx I can handle.
Anyone use coartem before and have issues iwth it, before I start and did it help you?
Posted by opus2828 (Member # 15407) on :
I did have a lot of issues with it - brought out all the symptoms and herxing and all but I felt it really did help.
But I did nothing after taking it and within two weeks it was back. So consider another babs med to take after you finish.
Posted by trubeee (Member # 34030) on :
hi- first of all i am so sorry about your husband, it must have been a very difficult time.
i tried coartem last yr-only one round, it did squat and i was actually terrified to take it with the heart-stuff people were posting about. i do agree w/ opus to take another babs med to follow, which i didn't do... good luck i'm sure it will go fine.
Posted by Amanda (Member # 14107) on :
i take it, have done about a dozen rounds now. It works great for a week, then symptoms come back again. I take it with larium, which keeps things under control, but it never seems to get rid of it.
but i'm a tough case, I did mepron for two years, and have tried everything else. The larium and coartem so far are best combo
Posted by annier1071 (Member # 28977) on :
My llmd called me tonight and said not to take it that he found out it would be a problem with my beta blocker that I take for my blood pressure?
He changed it to biaxin and said that would handle babs and lyme? I am glad he did further research on my other meds or I may have had a bad problem..
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
annier, I know i am seeing this late, but I'm so glad that you are getting treatment again!!! Finally.
I am so sorry abut your husband; what an unbearable grief, and on top of an already horrible illness.
I hope that things start to improve from here.
Posted by tdtid (Member # 10276) on :
I've done three rounds of Coartem and I too feel it definitely has you herxing but does seem to do its job.
Another thing I noticed is that my LLMD would have me do the round of Coartem, take a break, then do the Mepron/Zith combo. Then back to Coartem.
I found that this made the Mepron seem a lot stronger than when I had just taken the Mepron for long months.
Everyone is different, but I would definitely give it a try if your LLMD is recommending it.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Cathy
Posted by willbeatthis (Member # 31111) on :
Coartem made me feel normal... and then they followed with malerone. Very good stuff. I am guessing I will be going this way soon as they pulled malerone to see where I am and UGH the foot pain is back... It looks like it is BABS not Bart afterall... but I don't feel I know anything anymore with all of this...
Posted by rainbowriver (Member # 24772) on :
willbeathhis, I am trying to distinguish bart vs babs symptoms. how did you know yours was babs not bart?
Posted by Jennifer70 (Member # 30280) on :
I had increased anxiety, just very overwhelmed while on it, different than my usual anxiety I cant describe it exactly.
Then after I went off I felt the best I had in a while. Im due for another course of it as soon as it comes in. apparently it's on backorder.
Posted by desertwind (Member # 25256) on :
I am on day 2 of Coartem and feeling nasty.
LLMD switched up my babs protocol. HAd me stop all meds for 3 days. Then 3 days on the Coartem and a 3 day flush before starting meds again.
I am feeling all my old symptoms coming up again. Things that I recall feeling years ago but honestly some of my symptoms that are emerging while on Coartem do not ALL feel like Babs. Kinda feels a bit like Bart but who knows..