posted
My cousin, Anne's husband had been treated for lyme for several months and is a zillion times better. Basically, all symptoms were gone and had been for a few months. Then his doc suggests he go on levaquin for a week. The doc said this would "light Reid up." I took this to mean that if there were any spirochetes lurking then they would come out and symptoms would resume.
Reid was on 750mg on levaquin for just a week. Nothing happened till the very end of the week's worth of meds. Then the pain in the shoulder came back, dull headache, etc. Reid went back to the doc who has now put him back on abx. Reid had been off about two weeks waiting to see what the levaquin would do.
Then Reid tells the doctor that my cousin was bitten by a tick about a year and a half ago. They were walking on trails in the southern part of RI which is like ground zero for ticks and Lyme. There were even signs stating it was a highly tick infected area.
She found a tick a few days later and her husband removed it. They took the tick and her to an urgent care and they said it wasn't a deer tick, but put her on three days of abx.
The lyme doc now suggests that she go on a week's worth of levaquin to see if she has any reaction to it. He (the doc) thinks this would provide faster results than lab work. She has symptoms that come and go. For a few days her wrists hurt, then that leaves, then her knees ( bad enough that she has trouble with the stairs) then that leaves, then problems with the stomach, then that goes. More than anything she is tired.
What do you think they should do? Does the doctor's recommendation sound crazy?
Posts: 160 | From Abington, PA, USA | Registered: May 2005
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adamm
Unregistered
posted
Is this doc an LLMD? I thought Levaquin didn't hit Lyme...
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posted
I don't think Levaquin works for Lyme??? Maybe he has underlying bartonella. Sounds like he needs a real LLMD.
I know my LLMD gives high doses of flagyl to see if it's time to go off abx.
AS for your cousin, she's in big trouble. Three days of abx initially just stirred things up. If she doesn't get comprehensive treatment ASAP, she will become chronic. [if she isn't already]
I have concerns about this dr throwing Levaquin around like it's candy. It can cause tendon damage, which MAY be why your cousin's shoulder is now hurting.... hard to say.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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METALLlC BLUE
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6628
posted
I have no idea if Levaquin hits Lyme Disease. Everywhere I've gone, I've heard it doesn't. However, it does hit a tick-borne co-infection called Bartonella.
Bartonella can present with a lot of those symptoms, just like Lyme.
-------------------- I am not a physician, so do your own research to confirm any ideas given and then speak with a health care provider you trust.
treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
posted
Worked on mine
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
I think the problem is Bart is often mistaken for lyme.
Agree!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Yes, I agree too. Seems like it would be very easy to confuse bart and lyme since there are so many overlapping symptoms.
My LLMD has me on levaquin for bart but he added additional abx for lyme. Like others, I've heard it does not cover lyme but if it does, it is not adequate on it's own apparently.
As others have said, I'd be wondering about the qualifications of the doctor.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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jamescase20
Unregistered
posted
NO floroquones are like multi purpose abx, broad spectrum. They screw with the bugs DNA or something, read the full Rx into. I actually did cipro for about 3 weeks BEFORE getting a lyme test, when I did I got live blood micro, and there was only 2 small sticks in my blood, thats active lyme, so, it would suggest that the cipro killed the active lyme in my blood, as 2 short sticks would suggest many died or went cyst. I was feeling terrible on the cipro, and I dont think it was a drug side effect. That doctor may be correct, I think they need to ask the doctor MORE info about why he feels levaquin is a tattle tail. This doc may know, and he maybe right. WE do know for a fact, and I am sure you'll all agree, flagyl taken alone in a high dose, is commonlly used as a lyme still there test. For me, flag. give me the runs, thats classic cysts still there suggestion.
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[Effect of an antibiotic combination on the propagation of Borrelia burgdorferi, causative agent of Lyme disease] [Article in Hungarian] a.. Lakos A, Nagy G. Kullancsbetegsegek Ambulanciaja, Budapest.
Surprisingly, the pefloxacin at a concentration less than 4 mg/l activated both the propagation and the metabolism of borreliae, showing a clear antagonistic effect with doxycycline and ceftriaxone.
Unless well-controlled animal model will prove the contrary, quinolones neither alone nor in combination should be used in Lyme borreliosis.
posted
I know my LLMD has also suggested Levaquin as a treatment for Lyme, and he's told me he usually puts patients on it after they're feeling better to see if the Lyme is actually out of their bodies or not.
Then again, seeing as how Danser mentioned Southern RI, we may be seeing the same doctor.
Posts: 23 | From Rhode Island | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Well hi everyone!!!!! This is Anne. I am impressed with the discussion that has resulted from my cousin posting about my husband and I. My husband has been under treatment for 10 months or so and has made wonderful progress. He had been on doxy and cefdinir. He tested positive for lyme on blood work done last June. He found the tick, had the rash, had the bull's eye. The doc we see may not quite be an LLMD but I suppose we could use the word "Lyme Friendly." He is in contact with Tom Mathers (University of RI, Tick Encounter Research) and Dr. P in CT. ( who is an official LLMD). One of you mentioned that the use of levaquin would be like a tattle tail to see if symtpoms of lyme would reappear. My husband was on levaquin for one week. He has since resumed abx since the symptoms ONLY came back after having been on the levaquin. His doc therefor feels that the lyme is not gone and has resumed treatment. My husband is already feeling better. He works, maintains his energy, is able to enjoy leisure activities. We are very lucky, believe me, we do realize that. I do appreciate all your comments. I have looked into levaquin and understand the problems that can result from it. Our doc has had lyme three times himself. He is fully aware of what can happen to someone infected. Again, I want to re-iterate he is in close communication with Dr. P and with Dr. Tom Mathers who has done extensive research on ticks in RI. We have always said that if we were not satisfied with progress or treatment we would go to docs in MA or CT. I sound a little defensive. I do not mean to be. You have been very informative and helpful (in some ways more so than the other site/sites I have visited). Thank you for your help. PS To my fellow Rhode Islander, there is a support group meeting this week (Thursday) at the Warwick Public Library on Sandy Lane. Hope to meet you. Time is 7-9 pm. Most of all thanks to my cousin Danser who put this out there for me.
Posts: 63 | From RI | Registered: Sep 2007
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