posted
My gut is a wreck. But I absolutely cannot stop taking antibiotics.
My heart is so inflamed that I believe it would be dangerous for me to stop taking them. I tried to take an antibiotic break but got much sicker after only 5 days off of them. They're definitely doing something.
Right now I take 4 VSL packets twice a day, along with prescriptassist, florastor, and a chewable acidophilus.
Is there anything more I can do besides take probiotics to help my poor gut? I'm getting very concerned about it. I take diflucan too.
I guess I really need to figure out how to get probiotic foods???
Posts: 748 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2015
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bluelyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 47170
posted
Sourkrout bubbees is good..i do ok on goat yogurt...are you on magnisium ? How is bm?..thinking slippery elm peppermint ,dgl,triphala,there is one called restore i have heard good things .
..is it stomach or intestinal? Have you treated parasites? i read post here about zyrtec and bismuth mix from uk gets bb out of digestion...have you considered other tx modalities? .
.is heart enflamed from lyme ,bart or sulfa? palps, tachy branch block? Can you switch to im or iv?
-------------------- Blue Posts: 1539 | From southwest | Registered: Dec 2015
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Jordana
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 45305
posted
That's a lot of bacteria you're eating.
You know when people get very bad gut dysbiosis they sometimes do well on what's called a low-residue diet, which basically means no fiber. There are also preparations for IBS that contain rice protein -- they're liquid meal replacements which just give the gut a break with the least irritating type of protein there is.
You could also try taking butyrate in capsule form which is one of the byproducts of certain gut bacteria and is missing in bad dysbiosis.
You could also try cutting back on the probiotics. I know this is against the Lyme Rules but the problem is that you're basically eating all this bacteria and then killing it again with abx.
Here's a weird idea - what if doing that to that degree is actually training bad gut bugs to resist antibiotics?
I think it might help to choose one good probiotic and then try a low residue diet and maybe add butyrate if that doesn't work.
Posts: 2057 | From Florida | Registered: Feb 2015
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posted
The microbiomemedicinesummit is on right now and has been for a week. Its last day of several speakers is tomorrow and then Monday is a replay of all of them. You can sign up there to watch.
And then when Monday comes, pick out the ones to watch that interest you and sound like they'll be discussing what you're dealing with.
I've been so busy I only had time to start watching today and these folks really know their stuff re gut health.
Another thing you can do is take down their names and everyone has a good website with lots of information, also many have facebook pages so I think you could actually discuss what's on your mind with several of them and get some help.
Quick answer to your question - they've been discussing healthy diets, also testing to see the state of the gut, and depending on what they find, then help people take steps to heal their gut. Probably means working with an integrative functional medicine doctor.
But as I said, you may be able to engage in conversation at their site/facebook page. And if you can at least start watching them, you'll be ahead in gaining some more understanding.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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posted
What do you mean by "my gut is a wreck"? Do you have diarrhea, constipation, bloody stools, gas, bloating? Do you react to specific foods?
I had SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), and my problems were carbs, fiber, starches, fermented foods. So my diet was very restricted. The "good foods" (suggested by nutritionists, other Lyme patients, PCP and LLMD) literally killed my gut (rice, potatoes, veggies - foods like sauerkraut, onions, and garlic made me writhe in PAIN.
The gas and diarrhea were so painful that I thought I'd die.I actually had too many of the GOOD bacteria in my small intestine.
My LLMD kept giving me probiotics, and my gut health kept DECLINING.
Please google SIBO! Read Dr. Siebecker's website, read up on low FODMAPS and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.
Obviously, I don't know if you have SIBO, but if you do, you need to know that probiotics can make SIBO worse, much worse!
-------------------- I appreciate all your replies. If it takes me a while to respond, it is either because I'm too sick or because I am unable to log in. From European servers, Lymenet is very frequently inaccessible for days at a time ... Posts: 235 | From Europe | Registered: Jul 2012
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posted
I had gastritis. Taking any type of medicine killed my stomach. What healed my stomach was Slippery Elm. It works remarkably fast to heal the lining of the stomach. Regarding your meds, I think homeopathics are easier on the stomach than meds. Do you think that you could talk with your doctor and switch over to homeopathics (as recommended in the Buhner books) for a while while you take Slippery Elm capsules to heal your stomach?
I only take herbs and homeopathics for Lyme plus I take supplements and anytime I have to take a lot of them, I take a heaping tsp of yogurt before and after to coat the lining of the stomach. Yogurt protects the stomach lining from irritation. You don't want to take too much yogurt though because it can interfere with absorption.
Posts: 653 | From Northern Virginia | Registered: Oct 2014
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-------------------- I appreciate all your replies. If it takes me a while to respond, it is either because I'm too sick or because I am unable to log in. From European servers, Lymenet is very frequently inaccessible for days at a time ... Posts: 235 | From Europe | Registered: Jul 2012
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posted
I'm taking levaquin and Bicillin right now. I was taking bactrim too. I didn't think levaquin was helping me but I got much sicker when I stopped it for a few days.
I'm reading everything, thank you all so much. Too weak to write much now. Hopefully these abx will get me a little strength back soon.
Posts: 748 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2015
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posted
If Levaquin works, you might have Bartonella issues. Bart can also cause horrible stomach/gut issues.
But, frankly, I think your gut problems are caused by all the meds you've been taking. Is there any way you can continue to take the Levaquin and drop the Bicillin? Then again, you might need the Bicillin for your heart ...
Look into Buhner herbs. And by that I mean NOT his 11 year your old "Healing Lyme" book but ALL of his latest (four)books:
1) Healing Lyme: Natural Healing of Lyme Borreliosis and the Coinfections Chlamydia and Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis, 2nd Edition (2016)
2) Natural Treatments for Lyme Coinfections: Anaplasma, Babesia, and Ehrlichia (2015)
3) Healing Lyme Disease Coinfections: Complementary and Holistic Treatments for Bartonella and Mycoplasma (2013)
I can relate to you. I had diarrhea for 8 months straight, horrible gut pain, foul smelling gas and stools.
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet helped, and getting off pharmaceuticals and on herbal protocols.
Please, do yourself a favor and browse through Buhner's books (I know, reading is tough being so weak and tired).
I just want you to know that there ARE other options besides pharmaceuticals. Buhner's are NATURAL antibiotics, and very, very powerful.
Thinking of you, Sam ... :-)
-------------------- I appreciate all your replies. If it takes me a while to respond, it is either because I'm too sick or because I am unable to log in. From European servers, Lymenet is very frequently inaccessible for days at a time ... Posts: 235 | From Europe | Registered: Jul 2012
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-------------------- I appreciate all your replies. If it takes me a while to respond, it is either because I'm too sick or because I am unable to log in. From European servers, Lymenet is very frequently inaccessible for days at a time ... Posts: 235 | From Europe | Registered: Jul 2012
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WPinVA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 33581
posted
Researched Nutritionals Microbinate and digestive enzymes both seem to help with yeast, along with probiotics. They are not a total cure (really what is?!), but they do seem to help.
I take VSL3 too and like it a lot, but if you have been on it for a while, you may want to rotate it with a different probiotic.
I'm also about to start Candicid Forte, which looks really good, but can't speak to its efficacy yet.
Posts: 1737 | From Virginia | Registered: Aug 2011
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posted
Try taking some turmeric, maybe make some golden yogurt? But make sure you cook the turmeric, like make the paste and stir a spoon in, and sip golden milk 2-3 times/day. Turmeric is more active/available after heating, and more effective when taken with some kind of fat and a bit of black pepper.
also would be best to cut out all sugar, just use stevia or something, and don't eat any high glycemic index stuff as all that will jack up the inflammation factor. I'd try a homeopathic remedy to see if it can help with the symptoms, and I'd keep up the probios.. drink lots of water and if your heart area is inflamed, try cooling ice packs wrapped in a towel, maybe some lavender essential oil to soothe and cool it down.
Hope you feel better soon!
Gabe
-------------------- "Keep up, and you will be kept up." Y.B. Posts: 25 | From BC | Registered: Mar 2016
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