posted
I started Rifampin about a week ago every other day because the last time I was on it my behavior was awful, my mood swings were bad, so Dr decided we would go slow 150 mg every other day. Well last night was my 4th dose and I woke up feeling like I never have in my whole life, my arms were numb and I felt like I couldn't feel my body, my aniexty was so bad I started shaking and couldn't stop, I felt like jumping out of my body to stop the feeling, I couldn't even drive myself home, my emotions are awful, cry, laugh, irritable can't control it.
Anyonee here with any experience with this kind of reaction please respond, I don't feel like myself at all. I am scared is this a herx or a reaction I do test high positive for Bartonella and cant take the levaquin family.
Posts: 200 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
I don't really have any advice for you, but I started Rifampin (for the first time) four days ago. I'm having a terrible time with my emotions, and I am scared of myself at times.
I'm not normally this scattered when it comes to my emotions, and the feelings I have been experiencing are not ones I'm used to. I'm sorry I can't give you advice, but it might help to know that someone else is going through it, too.
-------------------- Lyme918 Posts: 188 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Dec 2010
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17hens
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 23747
posted
I experienced a difficult emotional time during the 1st 3 weeks of Rifampin. After that it was great - my favorite of the bunch! If you can tough it out, it'll be worth it! And yes, I'd say it's a herx.
Tell yourself (and anyone living with you) this is from the bugs dying and it's NOT you. It will pass, you can do this. This is the time for pep talks, post it notes, self love.
If you know something hard is temporary, not lasting forever, you can get thru it. Like child birth, the results will be worth every minute, taking you to another level of healing! At least, this was my experience.
-------------------- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:26
bit 4/09, diagnosed 1/10 Posts: 3043 | From PA | Registered: Dec 2009
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posted
I had a similar reaction when I started bicillin injections. My doctor has me start cholesteramine (spelling?) To detox the toxins in my brain. I do think it is helping. I also started rifampin recently, and it was the worst herx I have ever experienced! Massive pain, chills/goosebumps that lasted hours on end, sweats, crying uncontrollably. It sounds like you are herxing to me. Detox, detox, detox!
Posts: 427 | From Pacific Northwest | Registered: Oct 2010
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posted
Thanks everyone for responding, I just feel so weird that words can't describe it, I am fortunate to still maintain a job, but I cannot possibly work like this: dizzy, off balance, arm so weak can hardly lift,eyes hurt, aniexty through the roof,shaking I guess if its a herx I will just have to go at a slower pace, I need to be able to work, to get better Finacially, I left work today in a panic, I guess I have to see how long it last and how many glasses of lemon juice.
Posts: 200 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Apr 2007
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posted
I had that reaction and my llmd stopped the meds immediately. He said it was a drug reaction and since this is the second time around at such a low dose I feel you should let them know and consider another abx.
There are many to treat bart and rifampin has its bad side effects and can give you a severe herx that is dangerous to your body...
I dont mean to scare you but I was left with permanent issues from the drug and it is months now. They had to use botox to stop the eye twitching after 2 months. One eye stayed almost all the say closed. Please be careful.
I shook inside from head to toe, head pain that was unbearable..please check your blood pressure..mine went very very high. It took four weeks for the symptoms to stop and it was only 2 300 mg pills that I had taken. Every nerve in my body could be felt from my head to my toes through my stomach, chest and even into my bladder. Anxiety was beyond control even on xanax. I could not sleep at all for 7 days straight and much more that I want to forget now.
Just be safe please
-------------------- Diagnosed with chronic neuro lyme 12/10 after 30 years of vertigo.2 tick bites in 3 yrs from upstate NY. Was on omincef for nine mths..zith and rifampin stopped.Remission~ All the pain and symptoms are back and I am not treating now with biaxin. Posts: 788 | From New york..queens | Registered: Nov 2010
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map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
My experience with rifampin was not good either.
Looking back 15-18 mths ago and I was determined I was going to stir up bart with levaquin and then I went to rifampin.
I wish I'd not done that today. I knew abx had become my enemy and after years of detoxing and clearing toxins out, I entered the abx world and I made a big mistake.
Made a big mess of things and now I've got to go back and repair what I've done. I will find another way.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6478 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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lymeboy
Unregistered
posted
does anyone have a good experience with Rifampin?
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posted
Yes. Been on it 6 months now and I feel very good.
Posts: 520 | From Maryland | Registered: Jan 2007
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timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
I started 300 mg twice a day the end of April. I did have a herx that included 2 bouts of tachycardia, a bad night with headaches and feeling poorly, sore left hip and right knee among other things. But, that has passed....thankfully....took about 4 weeks to get through the worst of it.
I will wait to see if it will improve my health from this point forward.
Best, Timaca
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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lymeinhell
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4622
posted
It's probably a herx. My skin caught fire the first week I was on it (full dose).
Rifampin can be tough at first - but it does the job. Got me back to the living and got rid of Bart for good.
Are you taking milk thistle to help your liver? It needs all the help it can get clearing it, so up the milk thistle if you are already taking it.
-------------------- Julie _ _ ___ _ _ lymeinhell
Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
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map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
Well I'm finding that rifampin can cause bigger issues than just a herx/healing crisis.
I'm not sharing what is going on with me until all my tests are completed by my doctor. But I did more harm than good with this abx.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6478 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Yes. Been on it 6 months now and I feel very good.
Posts: 520 | From Maryland | Registered: Jan 2007
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scorpiogirl
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Member # 31907
posted
Hi,
I was on Rifampin for 12 months and had no problem. I tolerated the meds well with no side effects and that for me is an anomaly b/c I'm sensitive to EVERYTHING!! We stopped all oral meds two months ago and I'm now doing IV antibiotics.
We will be adding Rifampin IV shortly. I never could tolerate Levaquin (tried it twice but I had severe tendon pains and had to stop). Took a month for that pain to go away! So I will never touch Levaquin with a ten foot pole! So compare to that Rifampin for me is the drug of choice.
-------------------- Posts: 1391 | From Lyme Land | Registered: May 2011
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map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
I glad for those of you that it helped. I really am. But everyone needs to know the harmful side of protocols also.
Nobody twisted my arm to take it. But I really failed to read enough on this abx. I should have taken my time to research it and consider the negative(s) that could happen.
I'm not blaming anyone but myself. It was just another abx failure and toxic mess for me to have to clean up in my overtaxed body.
I will never do abx again. So I better hope that anything that gets tossed my way can be eliminated by something else besides abx.
Never say never. But this my promise to my being. TBTG, I have other options.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6478 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Well I haven't taken Rifampin in 2 days per LLMD and I drank enough lemon and water that I think I am a lemon, and I feel much better the shaking has stopped and the aniexty is under control, I was taking Diflucan, Zith, Plaq everyday and Rifampin every other day, maybe something interacted, I know that the Rifampin made the nodes in my head go down and my thigh and foot pain and calves go away, NOW the pain is all back. Was this a herx or not !!! Posts: 200 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Apr 2007
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