Topic: Feedback needed if you know about Alinia or Coartem
Rumigirl
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I was given a new protocol for Babesia a while ago, and then the LLMD changed it recently to a far more conservative protocol.
I want to know what is ok to take simultaneously or not when taking either Coartem or Alinia (not those 2 at the same time), ie,
can you take Mepron with either one?
Can you take rocephin with either one?
Should you do a washout period of 4 days or so of everything before and after Coartem?
I am trying to figure out what makes sense to me, given that he so radially changed the protocol with no new symptoms.
He changed it, because the PA was concerned about my taking so many meds simultaneously (not TBD meds, but thyroid, Cortef, neurontin, etc.).
Another question/concern is that the dr I see now rx's Coartem 2 tabs twice a day for 5 days, instead of the usual dosage of 4 tabs twice a day for 3 days. I'd rather take it the usual way, but this is how this dr rx's it : - (
Has anyone else heard of dosing Coartem this way?? I'm sure that no one else rx's like this---I've never heard of it elsewhere. Sigh. I handled it fine the way it is normally rx'd (after the first time).
I wish that I had my MD, as I always wanted, but I don't, sadly---due to this blasted illness, long before I knew what it was that I had.Thank you!
[ 03-28-2013, 01:23 AM: Message edited by: Rumigirl ]
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Rumigirl
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up.
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Catgirl
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I'm not sure about coartem. I take malarone, doxy and alinia at the same time. You can always ask your pharmacist if any of your meds/thyroid support, etc. conflict with one another.
-------------------- --Keep an open mind about everything. Also, remember to visit ACTIVISM (we can change things together). Posts: 5418 | From earth | Registered: Mar 2011
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Rumigirl
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quote:Originally posted by Catgirl: I'm not sure about coartem. I take malarone, doxy and alinia at the same time. You can always ask your pharmacist if any of your meds/thyroid support, etc. conflict with one another.
Thank you, Catgirl. Anyone about Coartem?
I DO know, and always check, about interactions, and there are none for taking rocephin with Alinia or Coartem. I don't think there are specific interactions of Coartem with Mepron, but I think that those two together are not such a good idea, due to Coartem being so strong.
[ 03-28-2013, 01:17 AM: Message edited by: Rumigirl ]
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Rumigirl
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up for more feedback.
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Google "drug interactions"---lot of sites will tell you what drugs cannot be combined.
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Rumigirl
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quote:Originally posted by bv: Google "drug interactions"---lot of sites will tell you what drugs cannot be combined.
Yes, I have checked already about interactions, and Coartem does interact with a lot of meds. But with Coartem, it goes beyond that, as it can be intense. Although, I only had that experience the first time that I took it. Plus, my doctor rx's it at 1/2 dose for 5 days, instead of 3 at full dose. I would much rather take it at full dose for 3 days.
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sammy
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Hi Rumi,
I took Alinia (for about 6mo) along with malarone, levaquin, invanz, and GSE. It really helped with babesia symptoms. It also seemed to have a noticeable lyme herx/cyst busting effect at first. My doctor just had me stop it because he thought I'd been on it too long.
I've also taken pulses of Coartem (last year). I did a course every other week. I felt better while on the Coartem but couldn't continue the protocol long enough to kick my babesia.
Coartem interacted with some other meds that I needed, levaquin especially, so I had to stop them for a couple days before and after the coartem course. My bartonella symptoms started to flare out of control when I couldn't take my levaquin every day. I was able to continue rocephin while on the Coartem.
Hope this helps!
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Amanda
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I have been taking coartem for a year and a half, with dozens of different abx and other med combo.
The 4 pills twice a day for 3 days is the dosing recommended for malaria. I know several other people, including myself, who take it at a different dosing than the standard. Makes since, since the standard was to treat malarai, and we are treating babesea
The thign to look out for is that coartem can change Qt intervals (heart rythems) in some people. But this is ture for many, many of the drugs we take (zithromyacin for example).
The only think my LLMD seemed concerend about was taking the coartem with diflucan( an antifungal). I was told to wait36 hours after last dose of coartem before starting the diflucan.
But don't take my word for it. The best thing to do is go to a pharmacy and ask to speak with the consulting pharmacist.
Teh bottom line for all of us is no one person repsonds the same to medications, thus LLMDs are always trying to tailor drug doses to your specific needs
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Rumigirl
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Thank you, sammy and Amanda.
Still trying to figure out the optimal Babesia tx for me for right now: I'm thinking Coartem every 2 or 3 weeks, or at least once/month, plus Mepron and Artemsesinin in between (I'm stocked on those at the moment), and 2 weeks of Alinia once a month---or something like that.
The second protocol the dr came up with was the polar opposite of the first, and was way too conservative IMO. We'll see.
I've never had Malarone, and I wonder if that is more effective, due to 2 meds at once. Mepron did always help me in the past, though, and I have plenty of it right now.
I do worry about becoming Mepron resistant if I don't take it with enough to prevent that. My current dr doesn't believe in organisms becoming resistant when only taking 1 med at a time per organism (or something like that). I think that's crazy. Who else thinks like that? No one, as far as know. I don't agree, that's for sure.
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I took coartem per the instructions (3 days, 4 pills morning and night) then artemisinin for 2 weeks for 3 months and it did nothing for me. Now I do 3 pills morning & night on M,W,F,S plus malarone.
I check with my pharmacist and look up drug and vitamin interactions online. My LLMD asked me to stop all supplements, however, because of the "experimental" nature of long-term coartem.
I'd previously been on Mepron/zith for babs for 8 months. Worked well and I got about 80% better for a few months, then just stopped working. Back to square one.
My LLMD has been having success with coartem with her other patients, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I haven't seen improvement from my long-term symptoms yet.
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