Tindamax is making me relive a traumatic experience that happened 17 years ago and I just keep thinking of the same limited thoughts over and over again of what I could have done differently in the instances leading up to The unfortunate event.
My mind just becomes a broken record and although I'm capable of understanding this fixation is not helpful there's no breathing exercise or anything like that that is going to turn off the broken record once the medication starts doing whatever it's doing.
I'm worried this isn't a herx and I'm just doing harm to myself.
I had a really strong response to mepron. My vision turned yellow, I paced for 48 hours. Had an actual flashback to the above mentioned incident.
I only took mepron for a week and a half. That was in October.
What is happening? Am I just not a good fit for these kinds of drugs?
I'll take any advice you can give me. I'm pulsing the Tindamax three days a week. It's been almost 24 hours since my last dose and I'm already feeling better but I don't think I can do this again...
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
Please let your Dr. know. And ((good vibes and healing))
coming your way. Can you take an epsom salt bath? Make sure bowels are moving, too, to help detox. Magnesium helps.
Maybe instead of antibiotics for now, you could slowly (like a drop!) try some herbal tinctures.
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
Also, can you rent a funny/ feel good movie?
This too shall pass. I promise. I've had a few dark night of the soul times myself, please hang on, and I promise it will pass.
Posted by VV (Member # 38828) on :
It's hard to say why there are so many different reactions in people.
I am taking Tindamax now and have not had a any major disruptions from it.
4 days of Biaxin was a trip to hell though (which really set me back).
Posted by lookup (Member # 44574) on :
Hi Samlyme,
I am sorry you are going through this.
Read The Tick Slayer. She had a rough time with antibiotics, too.
Here is some other info:
"The Bach Flower Remedies can help deal with PTSD, here is a small list of some of the remedies that can help:
Star of Bethlehem: Helps remove the trauma Aspen: Helps when you have fears but cannot put a name on them Mimulus: Helps when you have fears that you can put a name on White Chestnut: Helps when you have repeated unwanted thoughts Elm: When you feel overwhelmed and depressed Red Chestnut: When you fear bad things might happen to your loved ones Rock Rose: When you have frozen fears, unable to think, react or move Sweet Chestnut: When you need faith that everything will be okay
Also homeopathic Arnica can help with traumatic flashbacks. One dose at bedtime.
Posted by Samlyme (Member # 43732) on :
Thanks for your kind words. Biaxin really helped me. I guess it is sort of funny how they hit us all differently.
I have some A-bab tincture by Byron white that I'm supposed to start taking. Maybe I'll try that. Not right away though.
Tindamax kills my appetite as well so I'm also not really nourishing myself.
im not the type to not handle things like this but man this disease really does change a person.
[ 12-07-2014, 08:19 PM: Message edited by: Samlyme ]
Posted by Samlyme (Member # 43732) on :
Thanks lookup for spelling out what all of the Bach flower remedies can do. I'm not familiar with them and it's very helpful to see their uses listed.
Posted by Samlyme (Member # 43732) on :
Also, how do we know if we're having neurological signs?
My ruminating feels really like some kind of neurological sign… Could that be what they're talking about?
From Tindamax website Neurological Adverse Reactions:
Convulsive seizures and peripheral neuropathy, the latter characterized mainly by numbness or paresthesia of an extremity, have been reported in patients treated with tinidazole.
The appearance of abnormal neurologic signs demands the prompt discontinuation of tinidazole therapy.
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
Sorry you are going thru this Samlyme.
My doc uses tinidazole in protocols for lyme, bart, babs and proto.
He says the OCD repetitive thinking, is typically a bartonella symptom in his patients.
I was having some trouble with the repetitive intrusive thoughts and memories shortly after taking ivermectin.
Which he also says stirs up bartonella.
So we started bart treatment again and it helped to quiet those memories down.
Surprise is bang-on in suggesting detoxing methods.
What helps me is activated charcoal and broken cell chlorella taken four hours away from abx. It binds to the neurotoxins in the phase 2 part of detox and prevents them from being reabsorbed by the intestines.
Otherwise, the neurotoxins get dumped into the digestive tract via the liver, and then are reabsorbed before they are pooped out.
For lack of a better term...sorry.
Also are you pulsing tinidazole? Week on, week off etc?
A week off may help alleviate your symptom.
Take care, many hugs for you, Greta
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
I'd stop the tindamax ASAP if it were me. It has similar adverse effects as levaquin such as peripheral neuropathy.
Levaquin can cause terrible mental and neurological issues (some permanent).
Not all the adverse reactions are listed on the labels of meds.
Even though tindamax is not a fluoroquinolone, it can cause some similar adverse reactions.
Good luck. It sounds awful.
Experts: Top antibiotic carries hidden side effects not listed on the label
Thanks guys, I decided to definitely take a week off pulsing tindamax. I pulse three days a week. I was all set to quit all my antibiotics (plaq & doxy) this morning but realized that my cause more side effects anyway.
It feels good to have made somewhat of a decision. If I do take the tindamax again it won't be at a full dose. I'm just not ready for it.
Man this lyme stuff is so incredibly hard. I've only been on it three weeks and I'm already just one weeks worth of weight loss away from looking frighteningly thin...
I'll have a better idea of what I need to do with a little time to regroup.
ugh... There's no way I could handle that cycle starting up again on Thursday... I really wish that weren't the case but I have to accept it for what it is. Hopefully I'll find my way through this.
I hadn't seen the levaquin neuro side effects yet Julie but I did recently come across reports about some anti malaria drug that is cheaper than mepron that is commonly used for malaria which can cause permanent neurological issues. I read an article about a peace corp volunteer who was negatively effected by it.
It's disturbing to read that kind of stuff but it's definitely helpful to be mindful of the seriousness of the drugs we are taking. That being said Lyme can cause permanent neurological issues as well so we're in quite the bind.
I just put some charcoal in my que on amazon. Thanks Gretta for explaining the usefulness of that detox process. I'll check out the chlorella too.
I'm glad I'm taking a reprieve now as well to get a hold of myself before having to visit the brand new in-laws for christmas.
Posted by Samlyme (Member # 43732) on :
How normal is it for people to have extreme anxiety from antibiotics. Is this a normal adverse response to Tindamax?
I know people frequently become severely depressed on Mepron so that's a common side effect. Doxy can be rough on your stomach. Biaxin gives you that nasty metallic taste in your mouth.
What do people normally do on Tindmax. I've heard a lot of people say it's very hard on them but I'm curious if there are any common problems people have with it.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Flagyl can cause severe depression... tindamax is a kissing cousin to flagyl.
Take more magnesium and let your Dr know how the tindamax affects you.
Personally, if it affected me that way I would never take it again. I will never take flagyl or tindamax again.
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
I think Dr.s forget to tell us lyme and co. people (or maybe they do tell us, but we forget!)
to start out very low and slow. Low and slow. We say that a lot with the kids. And it's true for us, too.
Tindamax was great for me (with Bicillin shots) but I had to start low and build. And detox.
Detox is just as important (and expensive) as the treatments.
Posted by Samlyme (Member # 43732) on :
Thanks guys, I probably should have taken a significant break after I had a ridiculously bad response to mepron. I couldn't have waited more than three or four weeks before I started in on tindamax.
I guess I've learned what overdoing antibiotics feels like for me. It seems like it all came on pretty fast. I've been treating for five months.
I guess it's like me to tolerate everything like a champ until I just don't. I thought I was progressing at a normal rate but you're right Surprise, if I had any difficulties previously my llmd probably would have had treatment progress slower.
I guess it's a matter of learning what your pace is.
& Thanks Lymetoo, I let my Doc know. They just said stop taking it and that they'll see me in at my next scheduled visit in a month.
They don't have a lot of experience so they don't offer much insight into things. That's what you all are for!
Posted by S13 (Member # 42830) on :
One option you should consider, and GretaM has mentioned this earlier, is that bartonella is taking over.
For whatever reason, bartonella (or BLO) can become more virulent / active when babesia is supressed. Several websites and patients mention that when you treat babesia, the bartonella symptoms really kick in. Even Burrascano mentions it in his treatment guidelines somewhere. Babesia treatment can make bartonella treatment less effective, so treat bart/BLO before babs.
I find the same thing is true for my bart and babs. And GretaM seems to have stumbled upon the same thing, since Ivermectin treats babs. Tinidazole also treats babs, as it is primarily an antiprotozoan. Youve mentioned a similar reaction when on Mepron.
Do not just give up your treatments yet, but look in to this possibility and see what changes you can make to get the abx to work. Tinidazole can be very beneficial for both lyme and babs, so its really worth it to find out the cause of your anxiety.
Knowing what you know now, you may want to proceed carefully with other babesia treatments as well. Be aware that bactrim/septra also hits babesia and may or may not hit bartonella, so this might not be your best bet. The only thing ive found effective to at least suppress the horrible bart anxiety is rifampin. I cant take cipro/levo because of tendon pain, but i suppose that would work against my bart as well.
Posted by Samlyme (Member # 43732) on :
ugh...
I've been so strongly against eneptertaining the possibility that I have bartonella. I don't know why.
No foot pain or rash. Night sweats and air hunger pointed toward babesia.
I guess I wanted to keep the possibility of additional coinfections to a minimum.
So S13 you're saying I can't just treat babs. If I don't also take something to hit Bart I'll end up stirring the Bart up too much with bab treatment.
Interesting development. What a process this is.
Posted by S13 (Member # 42830) on :
Im not saying you shouldnt treat babs though. In fact, if you know you have babs then you are doing the right thing to treat it. I just want you to keep in mind that there might be something else causing your anxiety (something other than a mere side effect of tinidazole). And if you can treat that other cause (which may or may not be bartonella) then you will be able to continue with your babesia treatment more easily.
FYI, I dont get a bart rash either.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Since lyme can cause anxiety and bart can cause anxiety, it is common for the treatments to cause anxiety in people.
In other words, the anxiety is the herxheimer reaction to the treatment.
But, certain antibiotics can also cause anxiety as a side effect. My husband, who does not have lyme, has had this side effect to various meds including antibiotics.
When my first lyme doctor was treating me with Biaxin, I had some nervousness but also had more and more trouble eating and sleeping. By about the 4th day on Biaxin, I could not bring myself to eat any food at all all day long. Not even one spoonful. (Anorexia) And, by the 4th day, I wasn't sleeping a wink all night long. (Insomnia) Both anorexia and insomnia, plus nervousness, are potential side effects of Biaxin.
So, I called the doctor and he just laughed and said that was a side effect to Biaxin and for me to stop that med. He then gave me something else.
It took about 3-4 days for these side effects to go away once I stopped the med.
So, it is common for lyme patients not to be able to tolerate a med. Since there are usually many other meds that can do the job, you just switch meds.
Later down the road when you have lessened your germ load, you may want to try this med again to see if you get the same reaction. Hopefully you won't, but it may be that this is just a med that you always want to avoid.