Is it possible to add another abx to treat
Babesia at the same time or is that unwise?

I specifically asked about mepron and
Zithromax but the assistant told me one
of them was like $700 a bottle. She
mentioned there were less expensive
options that treat almost as well.
I just need to call back tomorrow and
find out what they are.

Anyone have a link to the message where
NP40 talks about not treating babesia
early? I have been on doxy 21 days now
at 600mg. No Herxing that I know of yet.
Just 30 mins of sickness after I take
the Doxy then the sickness goes away. I
was told a true herx would last longer so
I don't think I have herxed yet.

Be patient. Give the doxy another few weeks. Sometimes you don't have a really bad herx until after about 2 months on a med. Some people NEVER herx. [I hate those kind! ]

here's the link about babesia http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/034156.html

quote:

---

Originally posted by tom63376:

Anyone have a link to the message where
NP40 talks about not treating babesia
early? I have been on doxy 21 days now
at 600mg. No Herxing that I know of yet.
Just 30 mins of sickness after I take
the Doxy then the sickness goes away. I
was told a true herx would last longer so
I don't think I have herxed yet.

This is why I'm in a hurry to treat Babesia.
If the Doxy is doing little for me, why not
go after the co-infections too.

---

Hi Tom,

Doxy is the standard initial tx, not only for lyme, buy namely for erlichiosis which can be fatal. That's why doc's always precribe it initially, to rid erlichiosis if you have it. 600mg is plenty, believe me.

My son did an initial 400mg of doxy, 250mg of zithromax, and omnicef for the first 30 days. Never even made a dent in his symptoms. He then went to IV's after this, but no noticeable improvement emerged until about 3 1/2 months into tx.

Our doc said tx cannot be rushed, if so, the herx's could be so tremendous that the tx becomes counterproductive. Be careful, 600mg of doxy is an awful lot of abx, and adding to it may create some huge herx reactions. I would gradually add any additional abx at a slow pace.

The doxy is eliminating any erlichiosis you may have, which is essential.

Take doxy with food in the stomach
Take with a full glass of liquid
Don't lie down for 30 minutes
Be careful of sun sensitivity

quote:

---

Originally posted by janet thomas:

When you learn the alternative meds for treating Babesia please post it here.

---

Well, there's artemisinin.

He drew blood for a Lyme Test today and
said from the test he could tell if
I was in stage 1 or 2 or 3 of Lyme.

He said that in stage 3 lyme has
entered the central nervous system
and that anyone going untreated for
several years is almost surely in
stage 3.

Now here is the kicker. He said that
if the tests come back and I am
determined to be in stage 3 that the
ONLY effective treatment will be IV
abx. He said that anyone in stage 3
is wasteing time with oral abx.

It seemed like he was implying that
Dr. C was in grave error in not
going straight to IV abx for late
stage Lyme suffers. I hope to get
results of the test on Monday.

I also wonder about the statement that the primary care doc will be able to tell the stage of disease by a blood test. In some diseases the IgM shows up first and then IgG later, which is what he may be thinking. However, in Lyme, either or both may be positive or negative. You could also have a positive IgM in late stage disease because the spiros have re-entered the bloodstream and been detected, so up jump more early stage antibodies.

This is just another one of those complicating factors that make Lyme so inscrutable and misunderstood.

BTW, I was treated for both at the same time. But the lyme had already been treated for quite a while when it turned out that I also had babs.

You can tell that by your symptoms to some extent and by how long you've had it.

I'm at 95% with ONLY oral abx. I've had Lyme at least 46 yrs and have only been treated for 4 1/2 yrs. I am now off abx.

Have you read Dr C's handout on the Western Blot? Read it again. It explains about the IgG and IgM.

So I guess your primary ordered another Western Blot, which you've already had done?

When I was reading the previous responses, I don't think I saw Malarone mentioned as treatment for Babs.
It's not as strong as Mepron & pills instead of a liquid.
One LLMD refers to it as "Mepron Lite".
May have to combine it with Zith, too - I don't know.

Artemesia has been mentioned.

Regarding the Lyme test today -
What test is your Primary Dr running?
What lab is he using?

You said you're hoping to get the results on Mon, so it sounds like a local lab, not a lab that specializes in Tick-Borne Diseases (like IGeneX, Medical Diag Lab or Bowen).

I'm not a dr, but if I were in your situation, I'd depend on Dr C to make all the decisions about treating Lyme.

Be sure to let us know what your Lyme test reveals.

youre pcp is wrong. there is now known test to tell if your in stage 1,2 or 3 , in fact they odn't know for sure that these stages even exist! My son went right into cns involvement immediately within a week of being biten!! if your llmd is treating you for lyme and then babs later you don't need to spend money on testing at all! lyme is a clinical diagnosis based on sympotms... you don't need testing.

Iv's are not used very often anymore..only very rarely when all orals have been tried and failed...most people tend to get well on orals...I had lyme, babs and bartonella for 19 years and got to 95% where I am in remission now after 3 years of abx and alternative meds..all orals no ivs...and I was extremenly sick, totally in my cns...

you don't neeed expensive ivs all the times...orals , they're finding many times work just as effectively...

so , I said my peace...as usual some will be mad..but i'm an old timer and have my humble opinions...

stick with your llmd. I treated my babs at he same time as my lyme , pretty aggressively...others wait..it's preference really...

Lisa

I agree with everyone else but wanted to add treatment takes time. I've been sick for well over 10 years and have cns symptoms too.

When first starting tx last August I took 200 mg of doxy and it just about did me in. I had the worst herx...didn't know it was a herx at the time. My bacteria load was pretty bad not only because of lyme but having 2 steroid injections a few weeks apart.

Remember to be patient. I know it's hard to do in this situation but you will get there and do what your LLMD says. My thought is this is why I pay them the big bucks.

Hope your feeling better soon!

P.S. your doc doesn't know what he's talking about in my opinion. He knows how to test stages of lyme...news to me.

The Primary was very firm saying that
when they encounter people with
Lyme that they put them on IV abx
immediately because he said IVs were
proven supperior over oral abx.

I'm just explaining what happened to
me yesterday. I am not trying to make
anyone mad. I am very sick so when
things like this happen, I ask my pals
on lymenet for advice.

Before I wrote this, my Mom who lives
clear across the country did some
research and said that a prominent
NJ LLMD posts a 83% success rate in
treating long term Lyme patients with
IV abx. This NJ LLMD also states that
he has treated over 3000 Lyme
patients. I don't have the link to his
web site but my Mom said she'd email it
to me. Hearing something like this also
gets me excited about IV abx.

I have medical Insurance so unless they
don't cover IV abx, I would be very open
to the idea if they worked faster. I
think I read a post somewhere that IV abx
work faster at killing Lyme.

We know you're not trying to make us mad! But these regular docs get our dander up sometimes. The things they say are so pathetic.

If you do IV, consider claforan or Primaxin instead of Rocephin. And you have to follow up with orals. Either way, you're looking at this taking awhile.

I don't know of anyone who gets IV for a few months and is cured. It's just not that easy once Lyme has dug in its heels.

Patience....and keep reading those handouts. You're in the hands of one of the best LLMD's in the country.

I have been frustrated with this issue as well. Same LLMD. I want to be treated for babs now since I have so many babs symptoms, but it isn't until later in Dr. C's protocol. SO if Dr. B's treatment guidelines say to treat us with Babs first, why isn't Dr. C using this as his protocol?

I specifically asked him about testing for coinfections and he said he didn't recommend it. All the other LLMDs are testing for coinfection. I DO LOVE Dr. C so don't get me wrong. He is giving me my life back. I, like you, was just wondering what other LLMDS are doing around the nation for this. Dr. C does say that he welcomes second opinions. I guess like Lymetoo said, we have to be patient. I feel like I've already had this for years and am tired of patience...... and being a patient.

Our LLMD's experience [15 years] has taught him that patients in his opinion respond better to babs treatment once their bacterial load is softened.

There is no set course of tx with lyme. LLMD's attack it differently. Our LLMD treated my son's babesia with zith/plaquenil/artemisinin, because he didn't tolerate mepron very well.

Some doc's tx babs with zith/flagyl, while some use this as a cyst buster remedy to kill keets in cyst form.

bigmamma, Dr C will test you for babs if you want him to. I had the test, and it came out "borderline"....when he treated me for it, I herxed bigtime!

He always says to me [and others] that he wants to "save our pocketbooks" if he possibly can. Since the tests are so inaccurate and he's going to treat you for it anyway, it seems rather pointless.

I was tested 4 1/2 yrs ago...in later years he stopped doing the testing unless someone asks for it. It's your money!

I think an LLMD would be remiss to begin with babs treatment when you could have ehrlichiosis, which needs immediate treatment. There again, he doesn't usually test for it! He treats it!

Some may think that's bad, but if you don't like it, let him know. He REALLY listens to his patients and if you have something to say, he'll listen! That's one of his best attributes.

The main thing is will he get you well? I think as long as you do your part, you'll get there. It just takes awhile sometimes.