posted
I'm starting Plaquenil and Biaxin soon. I looked up the Biaxin side effects, as posted by other patients here: http://www.askapatient.com/index.asp Now I'm getting worried. It sounds awful.
Did you have side effects, describe. Did they go away over time. How many of you had an awful taste, did it lessen over time. Mental changes?
Did you take it with food.... Thanks All, Hatsnscarfs
posted
I also just started on the Biaxin/Plaquenil protocol.
I am looking forward to responses from others with experience taking these two.
I also am having the metallic taste in the mouth. Fatigue also (I think) but mother in law passed away last week and am trying to recover from a difficult week.
Posts: 46 | From Norman, OK, USA | Registered: Jun 2004
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Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
Remember, people who post bad side effects are often not the average case. I was on Biaxin for months and the only side effect I had was dry mouth. That got me to drink more water which is good for you anyway.
I did get increased muscle pain in my legs, but I would say that was from herxing.
Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Biaxin leaves a terrible taste in your mouth for several hours. Drink lots of water.
Posts: 66 | From BC Canada | Registered: Jan 2005
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HEATHERKISS
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6789
posted
Biaxin xl helped me tremendously. and have added Plaquenil 2 weeks ago.
My side effects are: in between teeth darkening, and metal taste.
In the big picture it's such a small price to pay.
I have a really thourough Oral Hygenist
Posts: 1974 | From ABERDEEN, NJ 07747 | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
..'biaxin'... (clarithromycin)... was very helpful for me when used in combination with amoxicillin or doxucycline. there were two main side effects-
1) it tends tio give you the runs. By the time I had been on it a couple months, this got consaiderably better, probably partly because I started taking small amounts of psyllium seed husk powder to help control it.
2) It gives you a rude taste in your mouth and nose and everywhere else. I could handle it, though-- I just thought about how that 'biaxin' was apparently getting to my nerves, where the chetes were having a big party. Thinking about that party being rudely interrupted with spirochetes shriveling up and dying upon tasting THAT, made it much easier to take!
It was actually much easier on my system than 'ceftin' and doxycycline, though many of the problems I had were probably due to the lyme, as well as to the pain ...'med'... ...'celebrex'... that almost sent me to the "aviary for aquatic waterfowl...". DaveS
Posts: 4567 | From ithaca, NY, usa | Registered: Nov 2000
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mlkeen
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1260
posted
We've all had Biaxin here, my son is the only one on it full time. The rest of us take it only on the week-ends so we can play outside and have experienced the after taste.
My son takes only one pill a day and has no after taste at the level. The added benifit is the biaixn has reduced his teen-age acne considerably.
Our llmd switched his diagnosis to acne, something the insurance company is happy with treating with long term abx and will fly under the radar of the witch hunters in PA.
posted
Does the bad taste go away or does it last all day? Does it lessen once you adjust to the drug? Do you take the Biaxin with a snack?, a meal? hats
Posts: 956 | From MA | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
The taste does mostly go away- by the time you're ready for the next dose... ( ) Yes you should take it with food- I found a bit of rice an beans with cooked veggies was about the best I could do. When I was on 'biaxin', which was for about a year, I was on 1000 mg of 'biaxin' a day, but at the same time, was also on 6 grams of amoxicillin. I took both antibiotics together. Half in the morning (A LOT of pills) and half in the early evening (and ANOTHER seven pills...). In between I took lots of acidophilus and yogurt, especially at night. I also had to squeeze in at other times, on an empty stomach (a rare occurance for me...), 25 drops (250 mg) of grapefruitseed extract in 8 oz water and 250 mg of olive leaf extract, one or two times a day! And various other pills- pain pills (including some poisonous ones, called ...'celebrex'..., which caused a big crisis..), supplements (nutrijoint) and vitamins. I certainly got my daily allowange of gelatin!! (as well as, no doubt, some other ruder things they put in some of those pills...) Yarrow tea was very helpful to somewhat protect my GI tract from all that rude stuff. Gingko Biloba, leaf or tincture is very helpful- it is a blood thinner and seems to help reduce stress. DaveS Posts: 4567 | From ithaca, NY, usa | Registered: Nov 2000
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I can only speak from my own experience, but when I took Biaxin I found it to be a great medicine which gave me no side effects whatsoever even when I took high doses and long term. It killed what I was taking it for (non-Lyme) and I felt great. No, I don't work for the drug company LOL.
Of course, everyone is different. I mean, most people can take Motrin, and if I take it I hallucinate. Literally. It's a very rare reaction which only affects a very, very small number of people, but it just goes to show you that different bodies can react differently to the same medications.
dontlikeliver
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4749
posted
I have been on Biaxin for 9 months and have not had any problem, but do still get the horrible taste in my mouth.
DLL
Posts: 2824 | From The Back of Beyond | Registered: Oct 2003
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TheCrimeOfLyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4019
posted
What kind of biaxin is it?
I have no personal experience with straight biaxin, but I have read on here that it is horrible , horrible on the gut.
I did Biaxin XL for three months straight and it damn near put me in remission. I went back to college, was up painting my sons room, was remodeling my house, you get the picture.
I KNOW it rotted my teeth , the back of my teeth that is. And I had a horrid arse mouth taste for all those three months.
Along with that, it had a small tendency to give me some wicked vertigo when I first started it and a bit of head pressure.
But after the vertigo and head pressure it gave me, it just rotted my teeth
I never had any side effects from it other than that.
Posts: 3169 | From Greensburg, Pennsylvania | Registered: Jun 2003
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map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
Biaxin was the only abx in the early years of my treatment that seemed to keep my head above water. I actually took it twice for about 6 months and I had no side effects other than metal taste in mouth.
And then one day it quit working for me.
Pam
Posts: 6495 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Biaxin side effects are minimal...especially when compared to Doxycycline.
Posts: 4 | From Austin, TX, USA | Registered: Aug 2004
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