Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
I have been on Mepron and Zithromax for 3 1/2 months, and I feel like I have taken it as far as it is going to go.
I feel like my bartonella is flaring big time.
I don't have any babesia symptoms anymore, but then again, I didn't have to many when I started Mepron.
I would like to have children in the next few years, so my goal isn't to just notice my babesia symptoms are gone. If that were the case I would have stopped it already.
Instead, I want to eradicate the babesia, so I know it won't flare during pregnancy.
So that is why I'm terrified to go off too soon.
My main remaining symptom is just bad fatigue. It is hard to tell if a longer Mepron course would help this though.
Mepron makes me exhausted. I feel like if I were to go off, my fatigue would be better, but still not completely gone. Does that mean I should stay on it until I "know" that once I stop it the fatigue will be completely gone?
I know that it's not a case of "keep going until you're not fatigued"...because Mepron CAUSES me to have severe fatigue. Every day it gets slowly worse, but lately it's almost like this Mepron is a 50 lb weight on me.
I know I'll do it for 4 months, because I've heard that is the "minimum."
I'm just worried that if my babesia is gone, and I treat for another 3 months, I am only wasting valuable time that I should be using to treat bartonella. I don't want to just stay on this stuff and stagnate, if my other infections would have a chance to heal once I remove aforementioned 50 lb weight.
What do you all think?
I almost feel like if I stay on it until December, which would be 6 months, I would have missed a good window to treat my Bart. I feel like part of it is just how incredibly taxing taking Mepron is for me.
Even if I were to "treat" my Bartonella while on Mepron, I question if it would even work considering how much Mepron is weighing me down.
What do you guys think I should do?
Thanks!
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
I don't know if 4 months will do it. I've seen folks here that have been trying to get rid of Babesia for 12 to 24 months using Mepron and other things without much success.
Posts: 655 | From USA | Registered: Sep 2007
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
Why not switch over to Malarone, Levaquin and Mino? I took that combo and it was great. I also took Tindamax and Lariam with those meds. That way you would be treating both at the same time.
Of course, you'd need to ask your LLMD what he thinks.
According to Derek's recent post about Dr. B's talk, Dr. B also thinks bart should be treated first.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
I do mepron 2 x a day with cipro in the am and biaxin in the pm.
Still take diflucan daily as per the diflucan protocol.
My bart symptoms were/are flaring big time during babesia therapy.
My anxiety has decreased, my foot pain increased.
BTW, I am on my 8th month of mepron.
Just had two nights in a row of drenching night sweats.
However, since adding in the cipro my air hunger has decreased.
Go figure.
Fatigue has been overwhelming for me as well.
It is a good day when I don't feel like taking a nap about 2 hours after I've gotten up.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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Dawn in VA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9693
posted
Hi Hoosier.
I just wanted to add that I was on the mepron combo for 9 months and just had a positive babs blood smear come back from the lab a couple of weeks ago. So I'm back on the yellow goop again. My LLMD said that from his clinical experience it can take up to 2 years.
Blech.
-------------------- (The ole disclaimer: I'm not a doctor.) Posts: 1349 | From VA | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
For those of you who've been on Mepron for 8+ months, what dose are you taking?
I'm on 2tsp twice a day. My first month only was 1 tsp twice a day. I think I've been on it for 3 months now.
I'm also taking Alinia, Azithromycin, artemesinin, doxycycline, Enula, red root and boneset.
I'm so desperate to get over this whole thing that I started seeing an accupuncturist who was referred to me, and while she does do a little accupuncture, she mainly gives me Chinese herbs...you know the real thing...pieces of bark, slices of dried up branches, who knows what it all is...that you have to cook for a while, then drink the decoction, which smells and tastes pretty bad. I have no idea what she's giving me, because she writes it in Chinese, but I can tell you it's knocking me out far more than my meds alone were. She knows about my medications and said that she'll get me off of those in time.
In addition I still use my infrared light machine, which also makes me herx, but not like the Chinese herbs.
We shall see.
Posts: 975 | From California | Registered: Apr 2007
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djf2005
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11449
posted
5 months min
-------------------- "Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you."
sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
Psano, I was on 2 tsp twice daily for 9 months, then Malarone/Lariam, then 2 tsp twice daily for another four months, now Malarone/Lariam again. I also have taken artemisia the whole time.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
5 months on mepron/zith/doxy, then 5 months on malarone levaquin doxy. I test today for the babs, but I'm pretty sure I still have this.
Posts: 158 | From Santa Monica | Registered: May 2007
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Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
That's the thing.....that 3 1/2 months in, I'm not sure if I even have it anymore.
The only bad symptom I have left is fatigue....the kind that makes you want to never get dressed and leave the house. And it is NOT depression related, just that I am so fatigued.
So I'm not sure if I still have it. Or if Mepron will make that symptom go away.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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Vermont_Lymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9780
posted
Yes, I agree with the others, 5 months minimum.
A couple of things to think about with your doctor:
Maybe you could treat babs and bart at the same time? Rifampin, mepron and zith -- what a combo!
Maybe it is the zith making you tired? Zith does that to me, while babs treatment with malarone did not make me tired. Of course, everyone is a bit different, but if it were the zith making you tired, you could try something else like biaxin with the mepron?
If it is the mepron adding the 50lb weight; perhaps you could try another babs tx, like malarone, and see if that is better?
Whatever, hope you feel better. Personally, I would keep going with the babs tx at least the 5 months.
Posts: 2557 | From home | Registered: Aug 2006
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Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
Thank you for your reply, Vermont Lymie.
I too have considered that the Zithromax is what is making me tired, but I sort of "forgot." Maybe I will consider Biaxin, though I have taken in it the past as was fatigued as well.
Good idea about the Mepron, Zith, and Rifampin....I also considered that, was about to take it, had the scripts and everything, until I read about an interaction where Rifampin lowers Mepron's effectiveness by about 50%.
So when I faxed that study to my LLMD, at first he said, don't bother, but then at another appointment, he said, "well, we can just up your Mepron dosage."
For some reason it was left up in the air. I was also considering adding Bactrim for the Bartonella, which I just started a topic about.
As for the Malarone....another good idea. I have taken it in the past, with Zithromax and Cipro, and it didn't get me better but also didn't make me feel as crummy as this Mepron. In the past I saw better results with Mepron than Malarone (this is my second Mepron course.....1st course I only did 3 months! eek)
So since I was on Zithromax with the Malarone, maybe it is partially the Mepron and not the Zithromax.
I appreciate all your suggestions, especially the 5 months suggestion. I think that will end up being just about right for me....considering I stopped too early before, 5 months won't kill me.
Thanks again!
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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