My fist presenting symptoms, lucky me, were vertigo and a SEVERE migraine along with head and neck presure, fever, you get the point.

Ive been on abx a year now. I've not really , how can I say this.. All througout this year, I have heard people say that the herx is worse than the symptoms sometimes

but that has NEVER been the case with me, ever. I did herx, but surely not to the equivalency of how I had felt when my symptoms first started.

I also improved, A LOT.

But every single time I take this doxy, I get head/neck pressure and intense migraine. Im really quite p'ed off. Im doing all the stomach medication in the world in some hope THAT may help and it does.

But nothing, not even advil, aleve, tylenol.. trust me, Ive taken them all is helping with this crap. Then comes the vertigo shortly after the head/neck pressure.

I also feel like Im going up real quick and falling back down even when Im sitting real still.

WHAT IS THIS? I mean, to get this crap come out every single time , every DAY I take doxy is enough. When I go off doxy, I feel good!

If this is that intracranial pressure crap that doxy can cause , then sc**w it! I'm looking forward to IV come August anyway according to my LLMD, but that still leaves me stuck on this til then.

I thought the general trend was to herx, get better, herx, get better, NOT feel like CRAP all the time. Sorry, Im a bit beyond upset due to the re-emergence of vertigo and head and neck pressure that I havent had FOR A YEAR.

These symptoms definately are not because I am not on coinfection medications anymore either because on the days I DONT take doxy, I dont have this issue. If it were a coinfection, it would persist regardless. ( Although septra and artemisinin IS being added in just in case, tomorrow after my college exams. )

HA! I have a college exam tomorrow. Sweet. Finals - wanna see me fail? I dont know how I can pass when stuff keeps going up and coming back down. GOD!

Maybe its MCS and enough is enough for my body and I should take a break. In fact, I swore just two days ago when I was so bad I almost had a severe severe migraine like in the beginning, that this

WAS enough and I was going to quit abx.

Sorry for byatching. Im just really MAD. Usually I run around and put out as much humor as I can in hopes to brighten someone's day.. but I dont see CRAP being too darn bright when I feel like this.

ANyone have this with doxy? My head is going to blow the heck off. If there ANYTHIng I can take with it that can stop this nonsense? I want to get better yes, but I also don't want to put myself through necessary evil. If this were herx related, too bad, and I have no right to byatch. But its not, its every freaking time I TOUCH this abx.

I wish I had a good suggestion, but I don't know what to offer. The only thing I can think of is detoxing, and talking to your doctor about the intracranial pressure that can happen with doxy.

I did good on doxy and didn't have severe headaches like what you are describing. I went off Minocin because of some other side effects I couldn't take.

I did take a break for about 3 months, I felt much better than when I'm on abx. I did alot of detoxing.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help, I hope you feel better soon.

Anyone have any idears where to get one of those?

It seems like everytime I take the doxy, it hits me right away and the symptoms get more severe for the first three hours, then they taper off. By the time its time for the next dose I kinda just look at it grin and bare it.

Bev, I have wanted to take a long break so bad. In fact, my LLMD told me to take a break before for a WHILE and I only did take a break for one week and then later,two, but thats it.

Im just kinda scared that if I take a break, considering severe migraines and vertigo are my thing, that I wont have ANY good days if it comes back while off abx. At least this way, I get good days when I go off.

But, I may try it.

Lord only knows what else I have contributing to the symptoms, mycoplasmas, etc. I think with all the coughing, joint pain and then the five day finger swell ( just one finger hehe) that I have had with dodxy, another infection MAY be at play.

Who knows?

Thanks for the replies.

Jodie

In the 18 months that I've been on aggressvie abs, sometimes 4 at a time....doxy is the only one that I could not tolerate becasue of the head pressure and severe, severe head pain. I had to stop it after 4 dyas...and i think it set me back months. I wish i hadn't stayed on it even that long!

it didnt'' hurt me one bit to go off it and use other meds. I'm now at about 95% better. my point is, if it hurts you , it's not worth it! find a different med that will do the same job!

please, don't do this to yourself...i wish i hadn't even done the 4 days worth...it hurt so bad, and sometimes now when i herx i still can feel the leftover pain in my right temple...

take care of you! other meds will work just as well...

Exactly!!!! I do have the Septra, which thank goodness I can afford.

I dont know what else I can take that is cheap. THis sucks without insurance, but you are right- this is NOT worth it.

I have to say, the only thing that helped was heat, and going off the meds. Maybe doxy just isn't the drug for you.

Has your LLMD done energy testing on you to see which meds will be ok for you? My LLMD did this for me when I first saw her. Interesting enough, out of the giant box of pills she had me hold, Tetra and Doxy where 'bad for me'.

Or maybe you're really herxing now, because the doxy is working so well....detoxing with Milk Thistle might help provide some faster relief.

Check with your LLMD about switching or maybe starting a very low dosage, and working your way up to a higher dose. I had to do this with Rifampin because of the neck/head/jaw pain and dizziness. Not everything works the same for all.

Healing thoughts to you.

YES my dear crazy head junk. I get buzzing ringing. I get dizzy and cannot look up at anything or i will fall over or get dizzy. Now the bad vertigo i thank the LORD dont have with doxy i got that sever with Flaygle.

I would raise up off the bed and go a whirling. It would hit anytime. Now i just get dizzy and have the headaches and neck pain. I also get lots of back itching. I ran out of doxy and wouldnt take my zithro cause didnt want the kriters to run off and hide. Was off a week still felt crummy which is odd. But from what i have read that stuff can stay in you a while.

Now im back on it and whammy. But its not as sever as my herx time is. Waiting for that to come the first of the month. If i just stay crummy then i might have to change.

If it whalaps me then im keeping it. Six months and you would think i would have more than one goofy day of doing good.

Floaters are back to today.
When i first took doxy and was on like fourthousand mg a day my goodness i cried i thought my head would burst. Then i got a cold and when i would cough ugh. Then the upset stomach did it to. Scared me thought i would have a stroke.

Its not like that now on what im taking i take three hundred a day. I dont have your post in front of me so dont know how much your own. Maybe if you lower it some it might not be as hard on you. Of coarse discuss this with your doc first.

Hang in there and hope your test goes well. I dont know how you guys do it. I am in bed period right now i will be glad when i can do more stuff. I force myself to ride to the store and walk as much as i can before giving out and going to the car.

But to have to go out to a job or school ugh no way. Your better people then me.

Guess im a big whimp. But i did build a house and carry lots of stuff when i first got sick. But its like now i cant seem to get the strenght back. With each relaps seems i loose some of my strength.

I tend to blab about different herbs a lot, but if one could be considered the best (and cheapest) so far for neuro symptoms, it's coptis. Four days after I started taking the liquid extract, I had a localized herx in that exact spot you're talking about, right between your ears in the center of your head. It lasted a couple of days, and then subsided. My concentration improved a lot after that. It's not a magic bullet, of course, but it did seem to give a nice, immediate boost.

Graneet is right on. We now have 3 in our boat. Shall we just drown ?? Just kidding-please believe me ! !

Md has just upped my dose to 300-which he said he wouldn,t do because of my weight.

Well-darned if he didn't DO it. Told him he had to be joking. No-Got to get it in that brain.

Was supposed to up it last night-COULDN'T do it. So ok-will do it tonight. 11 pm. Swear I don't think I will-maybe tomorrow.

No more-except I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING.

Now-about that hot water bottle. Go to Walgreens or Eckerds-look in feminine products section-You should find a box that says: For douches-enemas and a hot water bottle. Make sure it says all three.

Bring that sucker home and put it together. Have never found one at WallMart or K-mart- have been buying them off and on FOR YEARS.

Ask the manager to order one for you ASAP if not on the shelf. Just bought one 2 days ago. At Eckerds. One near you ?

Crime-I so empathize with you. What can I say ? Please know you are not suffering all alone. I may not have the nerve to up it but I really am going to try.

Guess those of us with really bad neuro are doomed to Doxy. for awhile. I agree-isn't there something else?

My daughter's MD took her off right away when she had a reaction that we haven't mentioned here. No sense in making Doxy. sound more evil.

Tonight I thought-Well, maybe if I really pray over the bottle I can handle it!

Bu t think I will play Scarlet O'Hara and wait till tomorrow.

Best wishes - we'll all figure it out. There just has to be an antidote to the reactions.

You know i think we need our own lyme dictionary for all the crazy symptoms we encounter.

I also have the migraines, dizziness, vertigo issues.

About two months ago I had a migraine which lasted for a straight week, never letting up day or night. I honestly thought I was not going to make it (and wasn't sure if I cared because of the pain). I was searching for anything to help.

I went to the chiropractor (for the first time ever) and had a TENS treatment and used the massage table. I did not have any kind of adjustment at that time.

It was a really weird experience because after I left the office my headache started getting worse. I was really scared because it was already so bad I was crying. I began to feel the sensation of pulsing like I was still on the TENS machine. My headache got so intense that I thought I would have to pull over to the side of the road (or pass out).

When my head was so painful that I was in tears yet again, all of a sudden the pain stopped. It only stopped for about 2 minutes, but the pain was completely gone and I had this sensation of joy that I don't know how to describe. Then the pain started back at full intensity. I went through this several times but each time the pain stopped it was for a little longer. This was over a period of several hours.

Eventually this all evened out. I still had the headache but at least it was bearable. The whole point of this long rambling is to say that I have been going to the chiropractor ever since to help control my headaches. Perhaps you could just find someplace with a TENS or a massage. I know it's expensive (I don't get to go as often as I need to) but on those really awful, awful days, it might just be worth it.

Hope you find some relief. I understand just how bad it can get.

i have had the same reaction with doxy..just trying to stick it out instead of switching all the time. like others i lowered my dosage to 400mg from 600mg..i also used to take two at a time now i just take one and spread them out through out the day..not sure if the best idea but vertigo and headaches are now just a dull annoyance..i do use a bean bag type thing for heat instead of a hot water bottle. it works well for all parts of body aches...i got it for xmas but it has a website address on it www.hotheadz.net maybe try something there...i love it..i use mine EVERYDAY...good luck and i do hope you feel better soon..oh i also find massages a help...

There are other antibiotics you can use besides the doxy.
Why can't you make a change?

I have read that lyme bacteria is "slow-growing". If you cannot change antibiotics, then why don't you lay off of the doxy until your finals are over?
Laying off the doxy will definitely not burn a hole in your wallet.

Sounds like your symptoms/complications have gotten to the point to where doxy is doing you more harm than good, and we definitely do not want that!
There is lots of lyme literature stating that herx's can do more harm to the patient than good.

What does your doctor think of all of this?
I am so sorry that I do not have a magic pill for you. All I can do is give encourage you to keep the faith.

We want you to get better!
So get better! We are all cheering you on!

DMC

There are other antibiotics you can use besides the doxy.
Why can't you make a change?

You paying? Cant afford it.

I have read that lyme bacteria is "slow-growing". If you cannot change antibiotics, then why don't you lay off of the doxy until your finals are over?
Laying off the doxy will definitely not burn a hole in your wallet.

I did! Yay and I passed.

What does your doctor think of all of this?
Dont know DBrayer, but my doctor is ALSO Dr. C of MO.

I am so sorry that I do not have a magic pill for you. All I can do is give encourage you to keep the faith.

Thanks, but wasnt asking for one! I want it to get better also, and eventually it will.

DMC

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