This is topic Tolerating Dapsone anemia in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.


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Posted by 5vforest (Member # 29365) on :
 
Question for those of you who have taken Dapsone: have you had an issues tolerating the folic acid-induced anemia that comes with it?

After a few weeks of Dapsone, my hemoglobin had dropped by 3 grams / dL (which Dr H says is normal), but I started to get a whole host of anemia-like symptoms: my heart rate would spike easily, I would have shortness of breath, headaches, and I would get severe leg cramps.

I was on all of the supportive supplements and medications that Dr H recommends.

I stopped the Dapsone and haven't restarted yet. (It's been a month or so.)

I was previously very optimistic about Dapsone, but dealing with the severity of these symptoms while I take it would be pretty rough. Kinda wondering... is it just me?

(editing out doctor's last name per Lymenet T&C)

[ 10-06-2018, 04:31 PM: Message edited by: Robin123 ]
 
Posted by duncan (Member # 46242) on :
 
It's not just you.

I have been on this protocol for several months. I too have anemia, but I wonder if it is not hemalytic anemia due to either bartonella or babesia - the testing for both suck. Then again, dapsone can cause hemalytic anemia, too.

It is also difficult to know if the crappy symptoms since embracing the protocol are from herxing, or the dapsone etc, or from the resultant anemia - or some combination of them. OR, from another tbd, or something else.

It's hard sometimes to see the forest for the trees on this therapy.
 
Posted by 5vforest (Member # 29365) on :
 
Thanks, Duncan. It's very helpful to hear from you. This treatment is very new so I don't think most Drs (except "H") have much experience.

I don't think my anemia was hemolytic.

IIRC, H says in his book that of the many patients they've treated, even ones with G6DP deficiency, they haven't seen Dapsone-induced hemolysis.

I'm still very much on the fence about whether or not to restart the protocol. Can you share any more about your decision to continue?
 
Posted by duncan (Member # 46242) on :
 
After so many years of struggling with Lyme, I could not justify to myself not trying. That does not mean I don't second guess myself. I think for some of us, no amount of known abx will resolve Lyme & Co. As you seem to suggest, it is a personal decision if only because of the unknowns.

That was my logic, though: I have to give it a go.
 
Posted by 5vforest (Member # 29365) on :
 
Cool, thanks again, Duncan. If you're open to chatting more, would you mind sending me a PM? No worries if not.
 
Posted by duncan (Member # 46242) on :
 
It's been years since I have attempted to pm someone on this forum. I will try to figure it out tomorrow.

It may help if you pm me and I just respond.

I would like to discuss dapsone and the 3 other parts of the protocol with someone else who has embraced them. It is a small population, I think. This is the second time I've been on dapsone.
 
Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
 
Any more positive or negative responses to dapsone? I just started to see a new doc who has seen many good results for those with borrelia miyamotoi.
 
Posted by 5vforest (Member # 29365) on :
 
Sorry, I don't spend much time on this forum and didn't see your post until now.

I have not taken Dapsone since posting this thread, but might try again. I am now sick/desperate enough that I don't care about pesky anemia symptoms while I am taking it.


My general sense is that there are probably 10x as many patients using Disulfiram as are on Dapsone. There are Facebook groups for each.
 
Posted by Willy (Member # 52247) on :
 
Disulfuram shuts down liver metabolism and has resulted in liver failure.

Dapsone is carcinogenic.

They are both bad ideas.

for anemia this works good.

https://www.integrativepro.com/products/iron-complex
 
Posted by 5vforest (Member # 29365) on :
 
Willy, I am afraid that you are missing the point. Anemia on Dapsone is due to its effect on folic acid, supplementing with iron will not remedy this.

With regard to side effects, I respect that with any treatment there are potential risks to weigh, however, the two treatments you mention are also the ones with the latest and strongest research behind them. (Which is still not very strong, which is a shame.)
 
Posted by Willy (Member # 52247) on :
 
. The Iron complex I posted is not just Iron, it has a folate as well as B12.


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK533576/

"An increased incidence of tumours of the thyroid was found in rats of each sex in one study and in males in a further study."
.

[ 01-27-2021, 04:55 AM: Message edited by: Willy ]
 


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