posted
I started malarone around 3 weeks ago. I had taken 3 weeks of mepron around 3 months ago, but it didn't knock out the babs.
OK, here's my question. Day2-4, I felt horrible, a few days relief, then the next 2 weeks were hell-dizzy, fatigue, major nausea. I am finishing up week 4. I can switch to amoxy/bactrim. If I stay on the malarone, does it get easier? I guess what I'm asking is am I herxing, or does the malarone side effects make you sick-I have heart palps, racing heart, fatigue, tingling arms (anyone else have this).
Thanks for your help
Posts: 561 | From eastcoast | Registered: Aug 2006
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Geneal
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Member # 10375
posted
Dear Shoney,
I take 1000mg of malarone daily.(I weigh 114 lbs) I just started back 4 days ago.
I initially did two months of malarone. Unknowingly, thanks to pharmacy and lyme brain did not know to take it with fatty foods the first month.
In addition to the malarone, I was taking 500 mg of zithromax, 250mg of flagyl one time a week, and diflucan 100mg 2 x a week.
Second month of malarone, LLMD added 1600mg of bactrim too.
I didn't really see "progress" with air hunger issues until around day 25 or 26 of second month. Only had a 30 day supply.
Night sweats stopped second month, so did piercing, stabbing pains in head.
Back on Malarone again, as I saw my LLMD last week and was getting air hunger again, headaches, etc.
I was just thinking to myself yesterday how much I hate a babs herx!!!!
Yes, I get tingling in my hands and feet. I don't get nauseated from the malarone, but I know others have.
Make sure to take it with fatty foods for best absorbtion. I eat half of something, then take the malarone, the finish the snack/meal.
My LLMD said that Malarone is mostly inert and not likely to cause an allergic reaction.
Are you currently on any other meds?
Strange thing I noticed yesterday also was that my body temp has come up. I am normally at 97.2 to 97.5.
Now I am at 98.1 sometimes. I feel as if I am running a fever. I am getting headaches too.
Also feeling more "off balance" than usual.
I think these are all part of my babs herx.
Hang in there. I was very discouraged my first month, thought I wasn't getting better until the end of my second month.
Here I go again on my third month. I have researched malarone on this board and see that many people have to go through 3-4 months of consistent treatment.
Often having to repeat babs treatments again and again.
Tough booger to kill.
Sending you calming thoughts and healing prayers.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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TerryK
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posted
If you are having trouble getting rid of babesia, I would highly recommend getting the book by Dr. S. on diagnosis and treatment of babesia.
He details treatment options, goes into detail about the various medications, how they work, contraindications, side effects etc..
As most people here know, getting rid of babesia is not an exact science and there are quite a few different strains but this book is very helpful in sorting through the medications and what he knows about them.
He discusses what Dr. B. thinks is the most effective means of dealing with babesia. Zithromax is usally combined with mepron in order to prevent resistance to mepron. Also, some from of sweet wormwood is added.
Malarone is a combination of mepron and proguanil. Some think that CoQ10 supplementation may interfere with mepron's effectiveness in killing babs.
Babs is treated typically for 5 months because many people have the chills, fevers or sweats until around 5 months of treatment. He states that this information would seem to support the red blood cell four-month life span hypothesis. If some red blood cells are left behind, then the infection can reoccur or persist, causing a relapse. The success rate also indicates that 5 months is better than 4 months.
There is much useful info in this book and it is well worth the money for anyone fighting babs.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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TerryK
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posted
quote: OK, here's my question. Day2-4, I felt horrible, a few days relief, then the next 2 weeks were hell-dizzy, fatigue, major nausea. I am finishing up week 4.
Sorry meant to comment on this -
common side effects of malarone are nausea, dizziness, flu symptoms - fatigue is not mentioned but plenty of other symptoms that could cause fatigue such as insomnia and others. He suggests that anti-nausea meds may be needed.
He talks about die-off in relation to the mepron zith combo saying that Dr. B. noticed that it occurs on day 4 and the 4th week of therapy.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
Terry-thanks for your response. I wondered what the nausea is from. I don't have chills,headache fever or sweats-I tested positive though. My LLMD thinks it is a mild infection.
Posts: 561 | From eastcoast | Registered: Aug 2006
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TerryK
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posted
Glad the info was useful and I'm glad you have a mild case instead of severe. I don't know for sure but I wouldn't think it matters in terms of the needed treatment time whether you have a mild case or not if the determining factor is the life of the red blood cell.
I plan to push for a min of 5 months treatment just to be sure to get rid of the infection. Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
Terry/Geneal-So even though you are on mepron, you did start to feel better while still on the meds?
I was under the impression I won't feel better till I am off the meds. If this isn't true-I'll try to hang in there another month or so.
My last titer was negative, but I hear they are not accurate
Posts: 561 | From eastcoast | Registered: Aug 2006
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Geneal
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Member # 10375
posted
Dear Shoney,
I take malarone too, not mepron.
I did not test positive for babs (Igenex fsh), but based on symptoms I am being treated.
I just started feeling "better" around the beginning of the 8th week, but then was out of malarone without a refill.
LLMD wanted to see me before refilling Rx.
At that 8 week time, I was able to get a good, deep breath without trying, night sweats had stopped, no dizziness or balance issues noted, no headaches, etc.
That is not to say that my Lyme symptoms were steadily creeping in, but the other symptoms were gone....briefly.
Hang in there. I remember posting after a couple of weeks asking if I should be discouraged.
The answer was emphatically "no".
Some people actually test positive for babs after several months of treatment for it when they have been negative via testing before.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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TerryK
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posted
I was giving you info out of the book that was recently released by Dr. S.. One of our LLMD's. Some in his family had babs. Looks like many in my family also have it.
I am on zithro, doxy and artimesinin and will start my next med at the end of this month which I am under the impression will be mepron. I don't think my personal experience will be of much help to you since that is the extent of my treatment for babs right now.
In looking at the info from Dr. S., it looks like the majority of your symtpoms are side effects of mepron but it's always possible that some of them could be a herx too but I'm not a doctor so you should ask your own doctor. I just wanted you to have the info from the book because it seemed to be helpful in answering your questions.
In writing the book, it looks like he is drawing from his own personal experience, his clinical experience and he mentions several other protocols and experiences by our LLMD's.
Perhaps others will respond with their own personal experience. Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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And what do you guys think of adding Bactrim/Septra 160mg/800mg twice daily? I'm guessing one would also be one Zythromax as well.
I'm looking for a good Babesia Microti treatment to suggest to my LLMD.
Thanks
Posts: 310 | From TN | Registered: Jan 2007
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CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
Malarone is better for tissue stage Babs and certain strains like WA1 tend more toward tissue than Microti!!! So it partially depends on what kind of Babs you have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
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posted
Dear Jason,
I am on Malarone, bactrim and zithromax together. Something is working or the combo is working as I am feeling better.
The bactrim was added the second month and I have to admit my night sweats stopped about 3 days after adding it.
Also, all my lymph nodes have significantly decreased in size.
Not sure what is working, just glad something in this combo is.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
Re Dr. S's book... May I buy a vowel? I can't figure out the name of the mystery man. Can you send me an e-mail with the full name, please? Thank you, [email protected]Posts: 123 | From Los Angeles | Registered: Oct 2006
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