LymeNet Flash: How is zithromax for treating Bartonella?

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»	LymeNet Flash » Questions and Discussion » Medical Questions » How is zithromax for treating Bartonella?

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Topic: How is zithromax for treating Bartonella?

pippy
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 6005

posted

I want to take care of as many co-infections as possible. Am going to do Zithromax w/ Mepron and want to know if 500mg zithromax would be ok for knocking down some bartonella??

I tested neg for it and doc thinks I have babesia but I want to be sure if there is bartonella that it is taken care of as well!

Thanks
-pip

[This message has been edited by pippy (edited 15 July 2005).]

Posts: 446 | From California | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged |

liz28
Unregistered

posted

The two big guns for bartonella are rifampin and levaquin. Dr. J and some other LLMDs do prescribe zith and rifampin together. Look for posts by Pattiecake, Beachcomber and Auntybiotic for more on this subject.

A lot of people have recovered from bart on levaquin, but the overwhelming consensus is that it's too strong to take with any other abx besides doxy. I've tried both and love rifampin, but some people can't stomach it (literally). I also think the latest generation of zith, called ketek, is far superior, but it's also more costly.

Bartonella symptoms are hard to tell apart from Lyme when you are at your sickest, but are easy to spot once you start getting better:

Constant splitting headache
Neck glands swollen like water balloons
Furious rages over stupid stuff
Sore throat
Severe insomnia
Scritchy eyes

Babesia is more like this:

Dizzyness
Vertigo
Constant exhaustion
Lowgrade fever
Anxiety
Sweating that makes you feel like you're standing under a waterfall
Chills

IP: Logged |

Lymester
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 5848

posted

I am currently having great success since starting zith with my doxy in May.

I'm knocking on everything

Posts: 519 | From CT | Registered: Jun 2004 | IP: Logged |

lla2
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 2364

posted

cave, what symptoms do you have with bart?

Posts: 4713 | From saunderstown, ri Usa | Registered: Apr 2002 | IP: Logged |

pattiecake
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 6424

posted

I tried 500mg of zith for bart and it helped but did not get it all for me and soon it started creeping back in.

I am on biaxin/levaquin now and its kicking butt.
pattiecake

Posts: 687 | From PA | Registered: Oct 2004 | IP: Logged |

Rene
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 4870

posted

I took 11 months of zithromax along with mepron and feel it kept the bart in check. It has not been until I began Levaquin 3 weeks ago that I have really felt that bart is being killed. The herx is horrid, but I know it is working.

Posts: 366 | From Louisville KY. | Registered: Nov 2003 | IP: Logged |

liz28
Unregistered

posted

Cave, how did you catch the bart if you didn't have symptoms? Was it just that the Lyme abx weren't working properly, so you knew you had an undiagnosed co-infection?

IP: Logged |

pippy
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 6005

posted

Hi
i am having the same problem trying to figure out what co-infections i have. Doc is sure I have babesia but tests were neg.

He never mentioned bart but I had a neg test for it. seems I've got symptoms of all of them and they all overlap so much its hard to tell what is what!

My new tests will be coming back from Igenex soon and I am so hoping at least one is positive for a co-infection. Lyme test was so high from the beginning it was easier to accept treatment and believe that is what I had.
This co-infection thing makes is so much trickier and murkier!

Posts: 446 | From California | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged |

lymesux
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 6248

posted

I'm confused (constant state), isn't mepron just for babs?

For bart, my doc uses iv levaquin for a short while, then oral and I believe that is with zith (i have not gotten there yet).

I have tried doxy/rifampin but it made me sick to my stomach, my 10 year old took it for a while (not sure how long) and it seemed to help.

Too bad there isn't a magic cure. Good luck!

Posts: 799 | From home | Registered: Sep 2004 | IP: Logged |

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