In my 4th week of treatment and its been hell - like clockwork I woke up feeling ok then took my antibiotics with breakfast and one hr later ..... Bam ... Extreme fatigue , dizziness , pain on left side of my body ( right below arm pit ) then hit with hot flashes and numbness in my left fingers ...... Please give some encouraging words ! Should I stop meds for a little ? I can push through if I knew it was helping me
Posted by Kbone (Member # 43682) on :
I wouldn't consider this an abnormal thing but everyone's body is different. My symptoms are all over the place after I take my meds.
I'm on Mepron and minocycline. I find that I can't take Mepron on an empty stomach (even though the instructions say otherwise).
I take my meds after breakfast and suffer at work all day. Then I start to feel better for my drive home, and when I get home I take my evening dose and then it's bedtime for this chick!
You know when you start to feel better it's time to take your meds again!!!
It's an awful cycle I'm on week three of treatment, stick with it and just remember there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
Posted by lostlyme (Member # 38561) on :
Keep track of symptoms using a pad and rate symptoms from 1- 10 along with the dates and meds .
This way your doctor can help you manage your meds and also may be pinpoint a possible Coincection
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
The fourth week is generally the worst as you are having the 28th day herx. The 28th day herx (28 days after starting good treatment) is the worst herx most people have.
So, drink lots and lots of water with lemons squeezed into it. People are surprised how effective this is. Take Alka Seltzer Gold (or baking soda) up to 4 times per day for this rough period. And, if you have any glutathione, take it.
"Another very important factor is response to treatment- presence or absence of Jarisch Herxheimer-like reactions, the classic four-week cycle of waxing and waning of symptoms, and improvement with therapy." (page 7)
"With treatment, these monthly symptom flares are exaggerated and presumably represent recurrent Herxheimer-like reactions as Bb enters its vulnerable growth phase and then are lysed. For unknown reasons, the worst occurs at the fourth week of treatment. Observation suggest that the more severe this reaction, the higher the germ load, and the more ill the patient." (page 17)
"It has been observed that symptoms will flare in cycles every four weeks. It is thought that this reflects the organism’s cell cycle, with the growth phase occurring once per month (intermittent growth is common in Borrelia species). As antibiotics will only kill bacteria during their growth phase, therapy is designed to bracket at least one whole generation cycle. This is why the minimum treatment duration should be at least four weeks.
If the antibiotics are working, over time these flares will lessen in severity and duration. The very occurrence of ongoing monthly cycles indicates that living organisms are still present and that antibiotics should be continued." (page 17)
So, welcome to high-dose combo lyme treatment. If you can't stand this herx, you can stop meds for 2-3 days so your body can catch up with detoxing.
Keep track on the calendar of this first herx, and watch as the 28-day pattern develops. See if the herxes lessen.
Herxheimer reaction (from 2010 Lyme Conference, Dr. H):
Take-home message: DETOXIFY YOUR LYME PATIENTS!
It does NOT matter what antibiotic you give people, they will NOT get better without detoxification
For Herxheimer reactions: 2 Alka-Selzer Gold (no aluminum) in 8 ounces of water with lemon or lime followed by 6-8 capsules of glutathione or 1500 mg of oral liposomal glutathione.
70% will feel better in hours
On the topic of water: Dilution is the solution to pollution. This suggests that in order to help our bodies detoxify, we must drink more water
I always found it helpful to stop meds for one or two days just to get my head above water.
Do what you feel is best for you.
Hang in there!!!
Make sure you are taking tons of probiotics!
Posted by big lenny (Member # 3048) on :
Thank you all for the great advice ! Knowing that I am on the right path keeps my motivation strong !
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
Hang in there Big Lenny!
All excellent advice from the other LNers.
The 28 day cycle, and the 7 day babs cycle catch me also.
This is good-you're getting the buggers!
Posted by Sammi (Member # 110) on :
quote:Originally posted by Kbone: I'm on Mepron and minocycline. I find that I can't take Mepron on an empty stomach (even though the instructions say otherwise).
Kbone, when you take Mepron you need to eat something with significant fat for it to be absorbed properly.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
I'm on week three of treatment, stick with it and just remember there's a light at the end of the tunnel.