After just two days on Zithromax and Tinidazole, my upper lip was swollen and my "normal" 96.7 was 99.9. Eye aches, headache, toothache also, but I kind of expected that as I have been off abx for awhile. My LLMD said to wait a few days and try again, but it has taken 4 days for the swelling to go down.
Over the years, I have been on a number of antibiotic combinations, but have never experienced enough reaction to make me stop, except with Mepron, which after 10 days caused high fever and itchy rash over entire body. So I am wondering if anyone has had a similar reaction to Tinidazole, and if that might be a herx from reaching some of the babesia which I have not yet been able to successfully attack?
I have little in the way of classic Babesia symptoms, but did start testing positive for it after several years of lyme treatment, and my LLMD feels we really have to go after it before I can get rid of the lyme. This combo was only because I am supposed to travel next week, and I would not start the Lariam/doxy for babesia until we return.Now I am not sure I want to restart the zithro/Tini combo again as I'd rather not feel so rotten for my husband's birthday trip!
Thanks for any advice, or experiences. Ann
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
I did fine on tinidazole.
It was the zith that gave me the allergic reaction (face and neck swelled up and turned red)
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Well at least your doc was smarter than hubby's prior doc. The doc stopped his minocycline that he had been on for 14 months and put him on tinidazole. Can't remember if he was still on low dose zith or not.
But the tini definitely caused at least one ER visit due to uncontrollable seizure-like activity. I think we ended up adding back either mino or doxy and continued with the tini at a lower dose before ramping back up on it.
With another antibiotic on board hubby did well on the tini and took it daily for quite a few months before eventually switching to oral flagyl, which also caused a similar herx type reaction when starting it as well.
It is hard to say in your case if the tini is working on babs or lyme cysts - personally I think it has more effect on lyme than babs, but if you have not been on meds recently then it is harder to say which infection it is targeting.
Bea Seibert
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Is the plan to be on all 4 meds for babs? That is a somewhat unusual combo but does hit it from several angles. Depending on the dose of lariam you could be in for quite a herx reaction.
You might also consider malarone. Hubby did fine on malarone even though he also had the entire body hive reaction on the 10th day of mepron. In hindsight it was not an allergic reaction for him but a very severe herx.
Judie, had been on Zithromax before, so assumed it was the tinidazole, which I'd only been on once, years ago, but with no problems as well. Could have been either.
Bea, actually the lariam/doxy is what I'm supposed to be on. Just have been putting that off until I can have nothing important going on while taking lariam. Not doing malarone because of the mepron reaction.
Lymetoo, the fever went down and was gone within a couple of days when I stopped the abx. But the swelling was the biggest concern. Had never heard of drug fever. Good to know!
Thanks everyone. Don't think I am going to start anything until we get back. Still have that yucky feeling, but better that than traveling with a fever, and any more new symptoms.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Yes, I posted it so you can keep it in the back of your mind .. just in case.
The swelling is worrisome though. Be careful about possible allergic reaction.
Posted by Ann in CA (Member # 97) on :
"The swelling is worrisome though. Be careful about possible allergic reaction. "
Yes. That concerned me as the first day I'd had kind of a tightness in the connecting tissue under the tongue, and under the top lip. Throat a little weird too, so when I read about swelling and possible anaphylactic shock, while researcing swelling of the lip, I stopped the abx and called the docs. Kind of interesting that my usually helpful PCP office nurse said to call my LLMD since he prescribed it and I was "unique" patient, and they probably wouldn't have the expertise to handle that.
Interesting because my PCP was my first stop after the Mepron problem. He had spent a year on Lariam while in the tropics studying Malaria, so was familiar with Mepron, and said it was a "classic allergic reaction", and that I should never, ever take any related drug again. However, not sure the doc ever heard about this as the nurse intercepted the call the front desk person.. Don't want to be paranoid, but hope I am not on their " oh no, she's back again" list, as luckily I have not had to go to them very often, and with LLMDs being harder to reach in an emergency, I have been happy to have the PCP remain supportive, if not actively involved. My LLMD's office did get back to me same day, as promised, so that was great.
Thanks again..my eyes can't take much screen time,, so don't often post, but really appreciate all the collective wisdom.