gigimac
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33353
posted
I have a weeks worth of levaquin that was prescribed for "sinus infection" before I figured out I had lyme. The levaquin will expire soon and my doctor suspects I have bart.
Should I take this weeks worth of levaquin before it expires or would it be pointless to just take it for a week?
I also have a weeks worth of ceftriaxone that I got before I knew i had lyme. I only took a few pills cause I started feeling soo bad I ended up in the ER. At the time I did not know I was actually herxing.
Posts: 1534 | From Greensboro NC | Registered: Aug 2011
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If you have not taken levaquin recently then I would cut the pills in half or even just take 1/4 a pill. You should be able to tell really quickly if the med is helpful or not. Then you can discuss the results of this drug trial with your LLMD.
Back in early 2008 when hubby was extremely sick he stayed on levaquin at 250 mg for about 4 months before increasing it to 500 mg daily.
Of course you should check to make sure there are no drug interactions with any other meds you are taking.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
I'd suggest taking it. There are many strains of bart, but most respond pretty well to this class of drug.
With a week's supply you could find out if you have bart from your response to it.
Personally, I had a lot of neurological and emotional involvement from bart. They got a lot better when I took 250 mg of cipro twice a day. But I never got well.
I got a new LLMD who doubled the cipro to 500 twice a day. The herx was just horrible for a couple of weeks, but I feel better now than I did all last year.
You're not going to cure bart with a weeks supply, but you can probably learn if it's going to help.
Posts: 146 | From Maine | Registered: Aug 2011
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annxyzz
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 20404
posted
STOP if you have muscle tightness or tendon problems
-------------------- annxyzz Posts: 1178 | From East Texas | Registered: May 2009
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gigimac
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33353
posted
So, if don't have bart would that mean I would not herx from levaquin?
Posts: 1534 | From Greensboro NC | Registered: Aug 2011
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sammy
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13952
posted
You might not have a herx- like reaction. I never did with Levaquin (or Factive). I only noticed symptom improvements after I had been on the antibiotic for awhile.
If you want to try Levaquin it would be better to talk with your LLMD and have them tailor a treatment protocol for you.
I'm afraid that one week of trying the antibiotic probably won't tell you much about if it would really help you in the long run.
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
I am not a doctor-this is just my opinion. If you decide to take Levaquin (or any other fluroquinolone)you should take magnesium to avoid tendon damage.
I don't know which type of magnesium or how you should space it between doses of the levaquin.
Please educate yourself about this. There is ample info out there on the potential for tendon damage from fluroquinolone antibiotics as well as magnesium to reduce the possibility.
I agree with Sammy-I doubt one week of trying the antibiotic will tell you much.
-------------------- You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'
---Eleanor Roosevelt Posts: 748 | From somewhere | Registered: May 2010
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'Kete-tracker
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17189
posted
Taking Levaquin (levofloxacin) for just a week is not sufficient to treat bartonella- or any "BLO", if it's a deep-set infection.
And it does have side-effects, some serious as mentioned above.
Therefore my opinion is you should only be taking it under the guidance of a doctor, who can "extent" the script if it's proving effective.
Half-dosing might even prove to be counter-productive as any remaining bugs will be more resilient.
And, as was mentioned, take a good magnesium 'supp' if your on (while on) Levaquin.
Posts: 1233 | From Dover, NH | Registered: Sep 2008
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