Topic: What to do when stomach can't take anymore abx..
RZR
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Member # 20953
posted
I am really scared to stop abx. I may be better from Lyme...I don't know. Only symptoms I had were mild flu-like 6 weeks after tick bite. I have been on abx nearly 5 months. My symptoms now are intense burning all over.
My stomach is killing me...burning, hurting, nausea. Is it safe to take abx break? It could be yeast, abx stomach upset, etc.
If Lyme is not cured and I relapse, how bad could it be?
-------------------- Tick bite May 2009 Diagnosed June 2009 Posts: 2329 | From SouthEast | Registered: Jun 2009
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posted
Really really bad. The longer you refrain from treating, the more entrenched in your body the spirochete - and possibly coinfections - become. I was talking to a LLMD yesterday who addressed this very question and said that as bad as it may seem to treat now, it would be worse if you did not, and then had to deal with consequences later on.
Posts: 360 | From New York | Registered: Oct 2009
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posted
Really really bad. The longer you refrain from treating, the more entrenched in your body the spirochete - and possibly co-infections - become. I was talking to a LLMD yesterday who addressed this very question and said that as bad as it may seem to treat now, it would be worse if you did not, and then had to deal with consequences later on.
Posts: 360 | From New York | Registered: Oct 2009
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posted
Really really bad. The longer you refrain from treating, the more entrenched in your body the spirochete - and possibly co-infections - become. I was talking to a LLMD yesterday who addressed this very question and said that as bad as it may seem to treat now, it would be worse if you did not, and then had to deal with consequences later on.
Posts: 360 | From New York | Registered: Oct 2009
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Vermont_Lymie
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posted
What abx are you taking? If doxy, are you sure to take it with lots of food, after a big meal? That helps with ceftin and other abx too.
Also helps to take abx only twice/day rather than 3x/day.
There are lots of different types of abx used to treat lyme, so if one type is hard on your stomach, like doxy, best to talk to your doctor about other types, like bicillin.
Are you taking lots of probiotics?
Do you get heartburn from eating certain foods?
I had lots of stomach and GI problems before lyme treatment; my doctor thinks it was because of untreated lyme. Perhaps this is unusual, but oral abx actually helped my stomach and GI tract immensely, because it dealt with lyme. However, it is important to deal with yeast issues and take lots of probiotics frequently.
Posts: 2557 | From home | Registered: Aug 2006
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RZR
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posted
It doesn't matter what abx I take, I still have stomach issues. It started with Ceftin and continued with Biaxin.
I do take good quality probiotics.
Can I take Maalox or something before abx to coat my stomach?
How can I find out if this is yeast? Could yeast cause my whole body to burn, especially my stomach?
-------------------- Tick bite May 2009 Diagnosed June 2009 Posts: 2329 | From SouthEast | Registered: Jun 2009
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I am one of those that had to take a break after 4 months on abx. Only my problem was GI track, had such bad heartburn/lump in throat feeling as well as asthma issues from gastritis. I had to stop Azithromycin and take nothing at all by mouth and have been off for about 4 weeks now.
I have never felt better without the abx but I know now I need to take them again and I will begin next week with another abx Flagyl. Hopefully it will not have negative effect such as last abx did.
I have hated being off abx but had to be or could of done permanent damage. I had to go on Reglan in addition to my Nexium. I do not know how long I will need to be on them or how much I have lost in my progress being off abx for such a long period of time.
My LLMD said that when people have really bad herx or reaction like this sometimes they may need to be off for up to month so it does happen obviously.
You probably have other abx to try that wouldn't have the effect on your GI system, or stomach.
My LLMD said that eventually I awill relapse if I stay off which I wasn't planning on doing. I know I have a long way to go and found out early in my symptoms within about 7 month after they began that I had lyme disease. I too wonder what has happened with the disease inside my body without abx. I always felt so bad on abx and have been able to feel much better without them.
I guess this is normal. Good luck to you...I would think you should continue treatment with another abx after small break to give stomach a rest. Hopefully you can get some direction from your LLMD.
Also one more thing my LLMD said that if I can't tolerate orals then I will go to IM or IV's so there are other options besides oral abx.
Posts: 44 | From USA | Registered: Sep 2009
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posted
It seems to me like the best abx to take a "break" with is bicillin -discontinue all orals and just do 2.4 miu x2 week. It will maintain inhibitory concentration in the blood and bicillin is very mild on the gut (one of the safest ) -since a lot of its is excreted renally and its narrow spectrum
Continue take probiotics and anti yeast (Nystatin) such .There is a blood test to tell if you have yeast btw.
p.s.I personally plan to do 3-4 month cycles ( I havent finished first complete cycle yet) - every 3 month I will take a brake from abx for a month or even more - maybe just having maintenance dose of bicillin. But no orals at all
Posts: 856 | From MA | Registered: Jul 2009
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springshowers
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posted
How about IV ABX ?
Working for me. : )
Posts: 2747 | From Unites States Of America | Registered: Apr 2009
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WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
I would talk to your doctor about stopping the orals and switching to IV or Bicillin shots to give your stomach a break. Maybe you could take just the Biaxin at a sufficient dose along with Bicillin shots. Make sure you are eating food with these pills every single time. Pills can cause gastritis, reflux, all of that. You may need a break, then start back adding one med at a time. Things that are good for your tummy...prevacid, carafate (space pills away from it) zantac, etc. You could try ginger tea..see if that helps, or some DGL.
Another option for you might be doing herbs like the Cowden protocol, which is much easier on the stomach. You can combine those with things like Bicillin.
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posted
Maybe a good round of Diflucan would help you know if it's yeast or not. I doubt that it is, though I am the one always warning of yeast!
Maybe you've beaten your lyme?
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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RZR
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posted
quote:Originally posted by Lymetoo: Maybe a good round of Diflucan would help you know if it's yeast or not. I doubt that it is, though I am the one always warning of yeast!
Maybe you've beaten your lyme?
I am thinking I may have beaten the Lyme, but so scared to go off abx. I have only been on abx for 5 months, but started 6 weeks after bite.
I am taking Diflucan now and will see my PCP Wed, so maybe she can check for yeast.
-------------------- Tick bite May 2009 Diagnosed June 2009 Posts: 2329 | From SouthEast | Registered: Jun 2009
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RZR
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quote:Originally posted by coltman: It seems to me like the best abx to take a "break" with is bicillin -discontinue all orals and just do 2.4 miu x2 week. It will maintain inhibitory concentration in the blood and bicillin is very mild on the gut (one of the safest ) -since a lot of its is excreted renally and its narrow spectrum
Continue take probiotics and anti yeast (Nystatin) such .There is a blood test to tell if you have yeast btw.
p.s.I personally plan to do 3-4 month cycles ( I havent finished first complete cycle yet) - every 3 month I will take a brake from abx for a month or even more - maybe just having maintenance dose of bicillin. But no orals at all
Bicillin would be a dream right now. What is 2.4 miu? Only do this for 2 weeks and then go back on oral abx?
-------------------- Tick bite May 2009 Diagnosed June 2009 Posts: 2329 | From SouthEast | Registered: Jun 2009
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sutherngrl
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posted
Prilosec really helped my stomach pain. I take it on an empty stomach, away from antibiotics.
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
Diflucan can really hurt your stomach too so be careful!
2.4 MU means 2.4 Million units of Bicillin LA(long acting) usually those shots are done once weekly. One 1.2 MU shot in each hip.
1.2 MU is usually done 2-4 times weekly on one hip.
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quote:Originally posted by springshowers: How about IV ABX ?
IV should definitely be better , but there is still an issue if abx is excreted billiary - it still passes trough your gut ( afaik its the case with ceftriaxone for example)
Posts: 856 | From MA | Registered: Jul 2009
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gwb
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posted
I had this same problem all during the five years I took abx. That's why I don't take them anymore. It isn't healthy to take something that's burning your stomach up. What good are the abx if it ruins your stomach?
If it was me, I'd get off of them for awhile and maybe start looking around for an alternative treatment with herbs and supplements. That's what I'm doing now and it's helping me.
I still have a long way to go to get better, but abx just don't work for me, and they don't work for everyone. There are alternative treatments that can be very effective.
Massive doses of vitamin C has really done me a world of good. Eating a good diet has helped me tremendously too westonaprice.org/.
posted
My son waited 6 weeks after his bite to start treatment. He did 6 weeks amox and that's it and HE'S TOTALLY FINE today- 3 years later.
Of course his immune system is young- he's 10 now. But my point is that six weeks is not that long to delay treatment.
Posts: 524 | From Hudson Valley, NY | Registered: Jul 2007
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RZR
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quote:Originally posted by gwb: I had this same problem all during the five years I took abx. That's why I don't take them anymore. It isn't healthy to take something that's burning your stomach up. What good are the abx if it ruins your stomach?
If it was me, I'd get off of them for awhile and maybe start looking around for an alternative treatment with herbs and supplements. That's what I'm doing now and it's helping me.
I still have a long way to go to get better, but abx just don't work for me, and they don't work for everyone. There are alternative treatments that can be very effective.
Massive doses of vitamin C has really done me a world of good. Eating a good diet has helped me tremendously too westonaprice.org/.
Praying you get better.
Gary
Gary,
Thank you so much for prayers. That is really nice!
-------------------- Tick bite May 2009 Diagnosed June 2009 Posts: 2329 | From SouthEast | Registered: Jun 2009
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RZR
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 20953
posted
quote:Originally posted by catskillmamala: My son waited 6 weeks after his bite to start treatment. He did 6 weeks amox and that's it and HE'S TOTALLY FINE today- 3 years later.
Of course his immune system is young- he's 10 now. But my point is that six weeks is not that long to delay treatment.
How did you know it was safe to stop abx? I have hip pain that I did not have before and occasional sore throat. I had neck & back problems years before Lyme. That's why it's so hard to tell for me.
-------------------- Tick bite May 2009 Diagnosed June 2009 Posts: 2329 | From SouthEast | Registered: Jun 2009
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