Topic: Lots of heart palpitations -- could babs be back?
Vermont_Lymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9780
posted
For the past month or so, the heart palpitations that had gone away over the past year with treatment for lyme and babs have returned.
Does anyone else have this symptom, and what do you think it could be caused by?
I am having lots of daily heart palpitations for the past couple of weeks, like 10-25 spread out during each day, and a few long lasting ones that make me hold onto the furniture and catch my breath.
Since I have not changed treatment or meds since August, I am not sure why they are back; I am taking 50mg/day of mino, 400mg/day plaquenil, and two bicillin shots each week.
I treated for babs this spring and summer with 5 months of malarone, one pill/day. That was pretty rough for me! I was extremely glad when the five months were up, and hopeful that I had gotten rid of babs. The malarone did positively impact my breathing while taking it, and my heart palps were gone this summer and fall.
I hate to admit it, but those other possible markers of babs are back also. I have had more difficulty breathing at night recently, and certainly had some night sweats (although it is really hard to tell, because the neighbor's heating system is cranked up high at night, so any night sweats may be just because the room is hot!!!)
I never had any positive babs FSH tests, but blood tests showed very high b.microti antibodies.
What do you think? Thanks very much for any thoughts. My llmd is willing to put me on mepron and zith; I disliked malarone and would rather try something different if it is necessary.....
Posts: 2557 | From home | Registered: Aug 2006
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
Darn that babs!
Grrrrrrrrrrrr...
Might well be.. but I MUST say be sure to have ANY heart related condition checked out ASAP. We don't play with heart stuff.. and I want you to be safe.
If you get the all clear otherwise.. might want to consider Babs... or... a new infection with Lyme (reinfected)???
Sorry you are having these nasty and worrisome symptoms.
savebabe
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9847
posted
Sorry to hear you are having heart palps.
I noticed that babs treatment reduced the severity of the palpitations, but bart meds have helped the most.
Also, how is your blood pressure? Hypotension was another condition that caused an increase in my heartrate.
Posts: 1603 | From ny | Registered: Aug 2006
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groovy2
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6304
posted
Hi VL
Babs is hard to get rid of -
Babs meds tend to loose there good effect at some point in treatment --
It is Defiantly Not a good idea to Stop and Start Babs meds -doing this will allow the bugs build up tolerance to meds quickly --
I was in a situation where I could not get anymore mepron and I relapsed quickly -
So after getting help from folks LN I started taking Bactrim DS --
I started with 2 Bactrim DS aday and it Helped me alot and is Much Much cheaper than mepron -
Bactrim DS has been around a long time so ALL doctors are famular with it and will prescribe it more easily -
When I first started Bactrim I herxed Big Time- was the worst herx that I have been threw and No Fun --
Bactrim DS did help me ALOT -
Another thing that helped me Alot was drinking Tonic Water -- It has a small amount of Quinine in it - and it works surprisingly well --
Tonic Water also made me herx perty strong -
I drink 1 to 3 liters aday but I have slowed down now because I feel better and TW tastes perty bad to me - but some folks like it -
You can get Tonic Water at most supermarkets- it will be by the wine - beer ect -
Its cheap 50 cents a liter and I get the Diet kind- No since feeding candida --
Also you can get Mepron for free from -- Bridges to Access - they will send you a one year supply --
Its not hard to qualify - Your LLMD Has to make One phone call- and it takes less than 5 minutes on the phone- you have to fill out a short form- make sure to do it carefully --
Your Doc has to write 2 scripts for the mepron- One for 3 months -One for 9 months -
You will be able to get your first mepron that same day if your pharmacy has it in stock-
Make Sure to Only accept SEALED Bottles- This is Important because mepron is High $$ and there is a insentive for pharmacy to tamper with it --
Bridges to Access sends the rest of the mepron to you using UPS to your house- in 3 months amounts -
Hope this helps you --Jay--
Posts: 2999 | From Austin tx USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
I know how tired the palps can make one feel even when they are benign. I had palps that started after I was on Samento. I had mine checked and the palps were benign but I think anyone who has palpitations needs to have their heart checked out.
I got rid of my palpitatons by using colloidal trace minerals. Herxing seems to use up minerals (we need them for detoxing).
Now when I get palps (not very often), I use the minerals for a few days and that takes care of them.
I have no idea if trace minerals would help you and I would suggest that you get your heart checked before taking minerals.
I also have babs which is currently being treated.
I'm not a doctor, this is just what worked for me. Good luck.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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sometimesdilly
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9982
posted
dear vermont-
sending you a PM, good lady.
dilly
Posts: 2507 | From lost in the maze | Registered: Aug 2006
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
My heart palpatations were really bad with hypotension also.
Cortef then florinef really helped with this.
Any other babs symptoms?
I, myself, believe I will be going after that one again.
It will be my third and I pray final time.
I had a nuclear stress test done a year ago and my heart was perfect.
Hope you get to feeling better soon.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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disturbedme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12346
posted
Augh. I know what it's like to have heart palps and it's terrible. :-( I had heart palps for quite a long time and it took a while for me to do anything about it. I started getting them when I was 19 or so (I'm 24 now).
One night at work it got bad enough that I felt like I was going to faint because it felt like I couldn't get a breath in. That's what made me get it checked out the first time. Had many tests done including wearing a holter monitor. Everything came back normal. Continued to have heart palps. Had it checked again a few years later, then again, and then AGAIN more recently (as I was most ill this last time I had it checked). Everything always came back fine.
My palps have gotten better with Lyme and Bart treatment. My LLMD and myself were thinking I had Babs because of the night sweats and shortness of breath and palps, but have not treated babs and have treated Bart (as I got a positive for that) and they have almost completely gone away (*knock on wood*). I still notice them once in a very great while, but they have gotten so much better. Hope it stays that way!!!
I'm sorry they are back. I'd definitely get them checked out and tell your LLMD about them returning.
-------------------- One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. ~ Helen Keller
My Lyme Story Posts: 2965 | From Land of Confusion (bitten in KS, moved to PA, now living in MD) | Registered: Jun 2007
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sometimesdilly
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9982
posted
vermont-
your mailbox is full..
short version of the PM i can't send-
i'll call you call you tomorrow with a still warm H and H bagel and lox in hand, and 86th street in plain view.
hugs, dilly
Posts: 2507 | From lost in the maze | Registered: Aug 2006
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Vermont_Lymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9780
posted
Thanks so much everyone for your incredibly helpful, kind and informative replies!!
Tincup, Thanks for your thoughts. Yes, I have to see a cardiologist, was referred to one by the llmd. Have been procrastinating on that one; it takes so much time to have TBDs!! (First have to see the allergist; then the opthamologist and llmd, deal with insurance, etc...)
The one thing I am sure of is that I have not been reinfected -- there is no one more careful (paranoid) than me about ticks and vectors! I pretty much stick to non-vegetated surfaces these days
Savebabe -- thanks, it is good to hear that bart treatment helped you. I must be the only person in the world actually looking forward to taking rifampin or levaquin; I am supposed to start one of these (prob rifampin) in the next two months. I have not treated bart yet and would not be surprised if it really helps, though the first month or so sounds tough.
Yes, I have low blood pressure, and since the summer, occasional hypotension. Will look into that.
Jay, thanks so much for your info on mepron, bactrim and tonic, incredibly helpful. I did not know that bactrim impacts babs.
I tried the tonic water, and felt it had an impact too. My only problem is that I can't drink the version with sugar b/c of yeast, and I am not sure the artificial sweeteners in the non-sugar tonic water are good for us!
Terry, thanks so much for your info too. I will check into the colloidal minerals, although I already take daily Mg and Ca.
Geneal, I remember that you had to go back to retreating babs! I hope you are all through it this time, or will be soon....Glad to hear that your heart test was fine. I am a bit afraid of what I might find.
Disturbed, I am glad to hear that your palps got better with bart treatment. That is in my near future, and I hope it will help! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Hi Dilly -- In the Upper West Side!!! Wow! Thanks for writing, I just cleared out some of my PMs for you! Will look forward to speaking with you. Safe travels.
Posts: 2557 | From home | Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
Quote::: 5 months of malarone one pill a day::
Is that a complete treatment for babs?
I don't remember hearing malarone all by its self being a full treatment for babs, but I could be wrong.
My LLMD told me not to take ART by itself as to not develop a resistant strain.
It sounds to me like maybe you want to talk yourself out of having babs. And I sure can't blame you..... But I think you know what is going on.
Von
(funny thing, babs treatment has halted my 'early menopause' hot flashes. Darn it! I would rather have menopause or the flu, or the west nile virus for that matter)
Posts: 258 | From Washington State | Registered: Nov 2005
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Vermont wrote:
quote:Terry, thanks so much for your info too. I will check into the colloidal minerals, although I already take daily Mg and Ca.
Vermont_Lymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9780
posted
Thanks again Terry! I will check this out.
Thanks Von, you got that right. I would rather NOT have babs again! Oh no. I am fine with most abx, but the first two months on malarone were very challenging and just about made me dysfunctional in every way. Got easier after that, but never did like taking it.
Malarone is a composite of two active ingredients (one of which is the active ingredient in mepron), so my llmd says it is a complete tx itself for babs without risking resistance. He has seen people get over babs in less than 5 months, so I hoped that taking it five months (and a few days extra) could eliminate it....
Thanks all for the feedback. Will do mepron and zith, if bart and continuing lyme tx does not take care of these symptoms....
Wishing everyone great health for the new year.
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