posted
I'm up to 1/8 teaspoon of mepron (I know it doesn't sound like a lot but it is really helping me already!).
PROBLEM: I am having a *slight* allergic reaction to it. My lips, face, and fingers are a tiny bit swollen. So mild in fact that you can't even see it if you are looking at me, but I can feel it. It doesn't seem overly bothersome, but I fear it could get worse if I keep taking Mepron and especially with the long half life.
My doctor doesn't know what to do (I've mentioned this before, he is Lyme Literate but very very new to this stuff).
I REALLY don't want to stop the mepron as I'm already seeing some improvements.
I am pretty sure its an allergic reaction and not a herx because I've had this kind of allergy before to other meds that don't kill Lyme.
I'm feeling depressed (not from the herx but from the prospect of not being able to take mepron!).
Did anyone have mild allergic symptoms to a drug and press through and have them resolve? I've read before about how AIDS patients can take slivers of Bactrim if they are allergic to it to "de-sensitize" themselves.
Perhaps instead of upping the dose of Mepron I should stay at 1/8 teaspoon for a week to "de-sensitize" myself? I know allergic reactions are dangerous but untreated babs is even more dangerous?
Allergies to pine pollen don't kill us, maybe I should just live with this and keep going?
Help...
Thanks
Posts: 641 | From Nevada | Registered: May 2009
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Sammi
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posted
I would not take a chance with an allergic reaction. You do not want your airway to swell or the other allery symptoms to get worse.
There are other things you can take to treat Babesiosis. I would talk with your doctor about this.
Posts: 4681 | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
How long have you been on the medication? For some strange reason most people that have hives or a rash from mepron seem to develop this symptom around day 10 or by day 14.
Read my response on the babesia dizzyness thread.
Without more definite allergy symptoms -- if this was me I would have an epi pen ready but keep going. Be sure to keep in close touch with your doc. You could also talk to your doc about switching to malarone as another possibility.
this is not medical advice, just my opinion based on hubbY's experiences.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Has anyone been able to take benadryl and get rid of symptoms and then re-start med without allergy?
Posts: 641 | From Nevada | Registered: May 2009
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lululymemom
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posted
Considering that the body builds a resistance once medication is stopped, you might be able to tolerate it better once you re-start. This is pure speculation on my part, and it would be nice to hear from someone who has had that experience with any abx and benadryl.
posted
I'm presently reading about desensitization protocols for many drugs and basically they involve giving TINY doses of the medication every 15 minutes and building up to a desired dose:
I just licked my mepron bottle and got a "tiny" dose; I'll let everyone know what happens. I may take a tiny bit (like 1/100 teaspoon), put it in a glass of water and sip it throughout the day.
Posts: 641 | From Nevada | Registered: May 2009
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posted
Hmmm ... interesting that the "allergic" symptoms I'm having are concentrated in my right eye, which is RIGHT where all of my past Lyme / co-infection symptoms have always been. Maybe its a herx?
Still, though, I'm having little itching spells on various parts of my body. No hives, but itching, and 5% feeling of chest tightness / airway constriction. Crap. I really want to keep going.
Posts: 641 | From Nevada | Registered: May 2009
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lululymemom
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Member # 26405
posted
You really should try Cryptolepis to ease some of those symptoms. www.woodlandessence.com
Dr. H. recommends this herb to all his patients that do not test positive for Babesia but are symptomatic to see if there is a response.
posted
I'm on Cryptolepsis; it is definitely doing something. But, mepron seems quite a bit more powerful, which is why I'd like to stay on it.
Posts: 641 | From Nevada | Registered: May 2009
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lululymemom
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Great! I think it's a good addition to any babesia treatment. Good luck with the Mepron. I'm not sure if itching is a sign of an allergy, I know a rash is.. Hopefully it is a herx.
Bartonella henselae 1:100 Posts: 2027 | From British Columbia | Registered: Jun 2010
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Remember to Smile
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posted
quote:Originally posted by dan67: just licked my mepron bottle and got a "tiny" dose; I'll let everyone know what happens.
I may take a tiny bit (like 1/100 teaspoon), put it in a glass of water and sip it throughout the day.
dan67, are you aware that Mepron is "barely water soluble"? It's inappropriate to mix with water.
Mepron and/or Malarone must be ingested with 25 to 27 grams of total fat in order to be properly absorbed & utilized by the body. So, most LD patients take their Mepron in two doses, once with breakfast and once with dinner.
If not ingesting 25 to 27 grams of total fat along with Mepron, you're wasting $$$ and potentially harming your liver for no good reason.
Therapeutic doses must be determined by an ILADS-active LLMD considering lab results for blood levels of the active ingredient (atovaquone) and indications of the health of your liver. Adults may need up to 2 tsp twice a day for more than 5 months to achieve control of babesiosis.
My 2 cents: Get bold and up your dose as per your LLMDs Rx. You hired this LLMD. If you don't trust him, find another. If you do trust this LLMD, continue with the protocol.
You're correct, babesiosis can be fatal, esp for the elderly and those without a spleen.
And many don't realize Babesia can be contracted in the womb, just like Borrelia and Bartonella.
Be careful, be wise, but be bold and get healed! Good luck! Smile
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Smile, my hesitation to take full dose is the allergic reaction I'm experiencing -- do you have any insight on this reaction? See my first post in this thread.
Posts: 641 | From Nevada | Registered: May 2009
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posted
I read the entire thread before posting. You'd written of slight, mild swelling that was barely even perceptible and not overly bothersome. Also about fear and depression.
When you wrote you may take a tiny bit of Mepron in water to sip throughout the day, I sensed you needed to get back in line with appropriate dosing Rx by your LLMD.
I interpreted your current situation as primarily fear-based. I sensed you may be over-focusing on Mepron and may need to balance other aspects of your life right now. I may be quite wrong as I am not you, haven't met you, and am not a health care professional. If my suggestion(s) don't click for you, that's ok. I'm just a Lymie...
If you were to sip Mepron throughout the day, then you'd either miss dosing your other necessary nutritional supplements, or take them along with the Mepron and possibly cause other problems. Just wrong.
As a LD patient with babesiosis, I've taken Mepron. I think the "yellow paint" looks real odd, but the results can be great! Mepron gave me my best month in several years and relieved an air hunger symptom I'd had for more than 40 yrs.
From reading your posts in this thread, it doesn't seem clear to me that you've had an allergic reaction to Mepron, or any sort of a herx from Mepron.
How about calling a local pharmacist or two for advice? I've found pharmacists very helpful. Most are quite knowledgeable.
Bartonella henselae 1:100 Posts: 2027 | From British Columbia | Registered: Jun 2010
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Lady Barbara has great optimism and shares positive energy. I like her site. I've ended up there several times after a web search. Would be nice to visit her in Eugene, OR.
Or let her come to you! Her site advertises that she makes "Garden Calls."
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