posted
I don't know what has happened. I am so sick, and I haven't felt this bad since before I started treatment. Over the last week, things have gotten just plain weird.
I started taking Chantix on 7/8, and just as my cravings for cigarettes started to drop off, I started getting these horrible headaches. I also felt like I wasn't in my body. (That's the best way I can explain it.) By 7/14 (Monday) the headaches were so bad that I stopped taking the Chantix, which was still the lowest dose so I didn't need to wean myself off. The headache subsided on 7/15 (Tuesday), but I had a couple weird spells in which I started sweating profusely, shaking hard, and had strong heart palpitations. Wednesday, Thursday and today have been really horrible. It is like every nerve in my body is screaming, my headache is back, and now my throat is sore and beet red.
I am on a two week break from antibiotics which started on Saturday 7/13. I was taking doxy, zith, mepron and 800 mg artimisnin on M-W-F + add Flagyl on the last Thursday and Friday of my cycle. I had been doing so well. My LLMD told me that I should expect ``blue sky days'' during this break. Have you ever had anything like this happen? I'm wondering if I have a viral infection (hence the sore throat) which has aggravated my Lyme and co. I want to go to the ER but I have no faith they would help me. I've already missed 3 days of work and have slept almost all day since Tuesday. HELP!
-------------------- Mountaingirl
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 138 | From West Virginia | Registered: Sep 2007
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Clarissa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4715
posted
MtnGirl: I'm just breaking up your post so people with vision problems can read more easily and then you'll get more responses!!
You wrote:
I don't know what has happened. I am so sick, and I haven't felt this bad since before I started treatment. Over the last week, things have gotten just plain weird.
I started taking Chantix on 7/8, and just as my cravings for cigarettes started to drop off, I started getting these horrible headaches. I also felt like I wasn't in my body. (That's the best way I can explain it.)
By 7/14 (Monday) the headaches were so bad that I stopped taking the Chantix, which was still the lowest dose so I didn't need to wean myself off.
The headache subsided on 7/15 (Tuesday), but I had a couple weird spells in which I started sweating profusely, shaking hard, and had strong heart palpitations.
Wednesday, Thursday and today have been really horrible. It is like every nerve in my body is screaming, my headache is back, and now my throat is sore and beet red.
I am on a two week break from antibiotics which started on Saturday 7/13. I was taking doxy, zith, mepron and 800 mg artimisnin on M-W-F + add Flagyl on the last Thursday and Friday of my cycle.
I had been doing so well. My LLMD told me that I should expect ``blue sky days'' during this break. Have you ever had anything like this happen?
I'm wondering if I have a viral infection (hence the sore throat) which has aggravated my Lyme and co. I want to go to the ER but I have no faith they would help me.
I've already missed 3 days of work and have slept almost all day since Tuesday. HELP!
Clarissa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4715
posted
My personal opinion of what is going on:
The week of being off abx is kicking in...in a bad way.
The buggers are realizing that you've pulled out your ammunition and now they're partying.
I'm confused/concerned that your LLMD said you would see "blue skies". If you were to see them, it would have happened the first week...then go downhill from there.
I'd get back on the meds and blindside those buggers HARD. You'll probably have a massive killing, hence a massive herx but at least you'll be back on track.
I'm just not understanding why the abx holiday? Were you having gut issues? What was your LLMD's reasoning?
Need just a little more info to figure out the puzzle.
Nonetheless, I'm soooooo sorry you're in such pain!!
posted
Babesia can come back quickly. My LLMD had me stop abx early on due to GI issues. However, he said I should immediately start back on babs meds if I had a worsening of symptoms. This was while we were waiting for C. Diff results.
I lasted three days, then started back on the babs meds.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
There is no reason such as GI issues or yeast for the break. Dr. J in SC often does a three week on, one or two weeks off schedule. He said because I was doing so well, I should see the "blue sky days", and two weeks off would allow my immune system to do some of the work of the abx.
The sweating spell with the heart palps and shaking was horrible. Maybe that was/is babs. But why do I have such a horrible sore throat, and neck aches in the front of my neck? Maybe lymph nodes, but nothing feels swollen.
-------------------- Mountaingirl
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 138 | From West Virginia | Registered: Sep 2007
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posted
neither. Chantix gave me horrible headaches so I quit taking it. I'm still smoking, although barely now that my throat is so sore.
-------------------- Mountaingirl
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 138 | From West Virginia | Registered: Sep 2007
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
I am sorry you are feeling so poorly.
I am going into my 5th month of mepron/biaxin combo.
As per my LLMD, I take mepron for 3 weeks on and one week off.
On my week off, by day 3 I get a stiff, aching neck,
Increased air hunger, palpatations, night sweats, etc.
Can't wait to go back on mepron.
Call your LLMD and let them know what is going on with you.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
The night sweats and heart palp's sound like Babesia.
However, the neck pain, swollen lymph nodes, and head pain sound like Bartonella.
Our personal experience with Bart is NO PULSING - EVER. Tried it and made me instantly worse (back to being bedridden).
It looks like you are treating bart too.
As for the nicotene addiction...I did that too. Quit when I was in my mid 20's, the withdrawal from nicotene took a long time.
I hope you find relief. I would call the llmd.
-------------------- This is NOT medical advice - and should NOT be used to replace your MD's advice. Info is only the opinion of those who publish the site.
The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at a time.
cb Posts: 669 | From somewherebetweentherocks | Registered: Mar 2008
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