AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
Does it seem to anyone else who has been hanging out at lymenet for awhile that the majority of people that stay sick longer or have big relapses have babesia?
Vermont_Lymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9780
posted
Yes, indeed!!
When I was first diagnosed with lyme after being so sick, I found lymenet and heard about co-infections. But I did not want to deal with it then -- the lyme diagnosis and treatment was enough, emotionally and physically, to deal with.
How to handle other tick borne illnesses too?? At the time, it seemed all too complex.
Now I can say that lymenetters were right -- treat co-infections first. When a blood test came back positive for babesia and I started malarone about two months ago, it was clear that this is a real issue to deal with...
Posts: 2557 | From home | Registered: Aug 2006
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Cass A
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11134
posted
Since my Bowen Research Labs test came back negative for Babesia, I didn't think I had a problem with it.
When I started the Buhner protocol, I decided to do the Babesia treatment "just in case," as I didn't seem to have many symptoms of Babesia. Since it was short and simple and relatively adverse-effect free, why not?
WOOOOHOOO! Got the most positive change in the shortest amount of time since I've been treating Lyme--over two years!
Best,
Cass A
Posts: 1245 | From Thousand Oaks, CA | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
Ferritin level is <1 Iron saturation is now at 4.0 Started back on mepron and zith last week.
Wasn't quite as bad the last time . . .
-------------------- When I feel blue . . . . . . its time to take another breath Posts: 296 | From East Coast | Registered: Aug 2005
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kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
My daughter treated bartonella for a year, then Dr. F did his famous blood test on her and babesia showed up. We are now one month into treatment.
According to a presentation he did for our local Lyme group, he and many other doctors are finding that the "chronic lyme" is really a bartonella and babesia infection.
We are on mepron and zith. Will be adding hepron tomorrow (a lozenge form). Then add art in a week or two.
trueblue
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7348
posted
I had a positive Babs test 8+ years ago and was told it was self limiting.
So here I am all these years later finally doing something about it. I came to Lymenet almost 2 years ago to find out I did have symptoms and it needed treating. I'm only a few months into treatment, finally!!!!
I'm pretty sure I also have Bart, I didn't know about.
I was diagnosed with Lyme in 1993 and had it for at least 10-12 years then.
-------------------- more light, more love more truth and more innovation Posts: 3783 | From somewhere other than here | Registered: May 2005
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Michelle M
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7200
posted
I have lyme + Babesia WA-1.
I'm convinced the hardest part has been babesia.
Coinfection makes lyme a lot worse.
"Immunological effects of coinfection with other pathogens. Multiple infections due to distinct pathogens in the same host may have nonspecific effects on each other through host immune responses. There have been studies that report on the antagonistic or synergistic effects of coinfecting agents. The establishment of a particular pattern of immune response (i.e., type 1 versus type 2) early in the course of many infections may radically affect the course of disease progression or resolution. The role of helper T cells and their differentiation into Th1 and Th2 subsets has been the focus of recent studies attempting to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the synergism observed during coinfection. Similar to the immunologic effects seen during infection with unrelated pathogens in the experiments conducted by Clark et al. in the 1970s (35-39), it is possible that immunologic interactions occur within the Lyme disease transmission cycle involving combinations of agents within the mouse reservoir; currently, the list includes Ehrlichia, Babesia, Borrelia, and Bartonella. It is reasonable to hypothesize that an immune response to one organism may have trickle-down effects related to the infection process due to a coinfecting agent, either synergistically or antagonistically."
posted
I Do! B. Microti and B. Ducani, pain in the @$$ to get rid of.
Posts: 227 | From CA | Registered: Apr 2004
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Health
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6034
posted
What have people found to be the most effective Babesia treatments?
I used clindamycin and quinine, I did not have the money for Mepron.
I herxed the worst on this combo, had to start off with small dosages and work up.
I read I think that Azithromycin and Quinine were good to, has anyone used this combo? I havent asked my LLMD about this combo. I am back in lyme treatment.
I tested negative for babesia Microti, but have not done other testing for the WA-1.
I did not have night sweats, what I had happen is that I became worse while IN lyme treatment, I started to get sick from light,
one AM woke up and became SICK overnight from light. I did not have any problems with light in all years of having this disease until then.
So, switched to Babesia treatment and the light started to get better, but after 1.5 years of treating babesia and lyme I am still only somewhat better
from the light.
I have a mixture of the babesia and the lyme I think. It is tough.
Trish
Posts: 1250 | From Canada | Registered: Aug 2004
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5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
I thought adding the artemisinin to my brew helped alot .
You should run this by your doc first . Art is a powerful herb & can cause some bad side effects in people.
Re: the quinine~ I have heard it can help some peole but personally I couldn't stomach it.
take care Dana
-------------------- 5dana8 Posts: 4432 | From some where over the rainbow | Registered: Sep 2005
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
I'm in the babs club, too - tested pos for babs microti & WA-1 (through Quest!).
6 mos on mepron/ketek & 6 mos on malarone/zith cleared up most of my babs symptoms for a few months.
But my fever's been slowly creeping back up week by week so I'm getting nervous about a relapse.
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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valymemom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7076
posted
My two sons have babs. I think my hubby, too.
Posts: 1240 | From Centreville,VA | Registered: Mar 2005
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Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
I'm negative on the test so far, but have enough petechiae to have two LLMDs think I have it.
Am battling Bartonella now - can't handle Babs treatment yet.
It's interesting that several Lymenetters have posted about Bart and Babs going hand in hand. My Bart symptoms are so much worse than my Lyme symptoms, I wouldn't be surprised if Babs is a big culprit too.
Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
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Foggy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1584
posted
ME too!
Testing was useless for Babs. Treatment wasn't.
Posts: 2451 | From Lyme Central | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
bb, bab, bart; my worst bug in quantity is bb; only meds that treat bab feel me better, which come as a surprise; now i'll restart the bart,i hope that being slow in growth give me time for treat later the bab;
is curious, that a friend and me when bb turn negative, bart turn positive, when bart turn negative, bb return positive
Posts: 108 | From spain eur | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
My husband tested negative for babs but LLMD is pretty sure his symptoms add up to babs.
Posts: 984 | From San Diego | Registered: Nov 2006
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lymewreck36
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4395
posted
Going on my 5th year of babs treatment now. Tried every treatment known to man. Best treatment so far has been 4 malerone pills a day, but after three weeks of treatment became too sensitive to malerone and had to stop. Babs returned.
I have found that the more effective a treatment is, without clearing the problem, the harder the kick in the butt is when it returns. I use the metaphor of a spring. The harder you push it down, the more vigorous the spring back up is.
Don't know why that is, but many, many tick infected people I have talked to have told the same experience, as well as Dr. P in Connecticut observing this.
Mary
Posts: 1032 | From North Carolina | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Treated for Lyme immediately, but later found out I have babesia and bartonella, which could help explain why 3 years later I'm still sick.
Posts: 449 | From Vermont | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
My babs blood test was negative but my llmd was debating whether or not to treat me for it, since a lot of my symptoms looked "babs"ish. (he said there are more than 12 different strains of babs but the blood tests only check for 1 or 2, so a negative test is pretty meaningless) After 8 or 9 months, the babs symptoms became more prominent so he put me on malarone this month, and back on biaxin. Holy crap! I feel SO much better. No more night sweats, low-grade flushes of fever, headaches, my neck/shoulders aren't tight and achy, most of the brain fog is gone, fatigue is tons better.
This has been one crazy journey. And it ain't over yet. Carol
Posts: 56 | From southeastern PA | Registered: Jul 2006
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Foggy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1584
posted
How many people had to see multiple LLMD's to get a + Babs diagnosis & treatment?
Posts: 2451 | From Lyme Central | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
I got a clinical dx of babesia, am sure i had it, but tests were negative. It was not dx'd until my third LLMD.
-------------------- Jeff Posts: 533 | From CA | Registered: Mar 2006
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charlie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 25
posted
I think it's equally as, or more debilitating than lyme. I'm pretty sure most of us have it.
Posts: 2804 | From Texas | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
Tested negative but was diagnosed clinically (had symptoms and dramatic reaction to treatment). Feel better after treating it for several months.
Posts: 105 | From CA | Registered: Apr 2005
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B. Microti and B. Ducani, pain in the @$$ to get rid of.
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