posted
I decided to take a break from abx and I'm feeling really good! I've been off for a week or so and have very minimal symptoms now. I had been feeling really bad before the break. How can I go from feeling horrible on abx to feeling well off? I'm still taking al my supps and antidepressants. At this point I'm hesitant to go back on. Maybe its just a coincidence and I could wake up tomorrow sick again. I don't know...but it sure is nice even if it temporary Any comments on this and if I should continue treatment or stay off? Thanks.
I have not had a break in 3.5 years. High dose I feel bad and even when I just cut my dose down I feel bad for about 2 weeks and then better. I want to go all the way and stop all abx, so this interests me for sure.
How long have you been on abx w/o a break?
Were the first few days after you stopped easy or hard?
It isn't unusual according to Dr. B to feel better off abx for awhile because Bb is slow growing, but he also says you can start to feel worse over time.
I have a friend who quit all abx last year. The first few months she really struggled, then she stabilized and feels much better off abx and has not gone back on them. She is still symptomatic, but at a stable point, nothing gets better, nothing gets worse. She's happy and says she won't treat anymore.
Everyone is different. Co-infections will make you "relapse" according again to Dr. B in a few days. Lyme takes longer. We once again, are all different.
Keep us posted. I'd like to know how you first felt when you stopped, if the first few days were rough, that is usually normal for some reason and then things level out for some.
posted
I had only been treating since july, so about 6 months. I just felt I wasn't improving and just felt very tired and weak. My head felt like mush and was So dizzy. I just felt a break would do me good and also am traveling to germany to see some dr.s and wanted to be off abx in case they wanted to retest. For me, the improvement seemed very fast. I didn't get worse. I keep waiting for the crap to hit again but so far it hasn't. This is a very pleasant, unexpected suprise. I didn't get off and break with hopes of feeling better. I just thought my body needed a timeout. I took a small break a few months ago when I ran out of meds but I didn't have improvement that time..I think I either got worse or stayed the same. Not sure on what to do...stay off or get back on?
posted
Probably too early to know for sure how the lyme/co.'s might be effected by your break.
My thought is that if you felt alot better pretty quickly after stopping then possibly some of what you were feeling may have been side effects of the meds.
Abx.'s are very powerful and as much as we need them they do cause alot of side effects. Maybe you are feeling better because of that but I would certainly talk to your LLMD. TG
Posts: 376 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jun 2009
| IP: Logged |
nefferdun
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 20157
posted
You might have things under control well enough to be able to switch to herbs. Don't wait until you begin to feel sick again before you start something. Bb has a four week cycle and it takes you about that long to relapse.
-------------------- old joke: idiopathic means the patient is pathological and the the doctor is an idiot Posts: 4676 | From western Montana | Registered: Apr 2009
| IP: Logged |
TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
When on abx you are killing borrelia and thus your body is dealing with die-off. The die-off (toxins) are a big cause of symptoms. When you stop abx, your body clears out toxins and you feel better.
This is a common scenario with lyme disease. So common in fact that the IDSA used to say that some patients needed to wait for awhile after going off abx before feeling better.
Terry I'm not a doctor
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
btmb03
Unregistered
posted
My doc feels a lot of our probs are due to constant immune activation..cytokine release, increased inflammation, etc.
ENJOY feeling better - wait..great!! And do let us know what your LLMD's thoughts are about this..
IP: Logged |
The harder you work the luckier you get! Posts: 965 | From Nebraska Cornhuskers fan in Massachusetts | Registered: Dec 2007
| IP: Logged |
TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
btm wrote: My doc feels a lot of our probs are due to constant immune activation..cytokine release, increased inflammation, etc.
We know for sure that cytokine release and inflammation can be greatly exacerbated by die off. My sister actually developed lupus (an auto-immune condition) while in treatement. When she stopped treatment, it went away.
Terry I'm not a doctor
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
I stopped abx in may after about 6mos of treatment. Not from choice but lost ins. and had no income to cover expences.
I did feel wonderful for about a month and questioned whether I was still sick too. Well, now I'm as worse as ever. It was a slow progression back to where I was before abx. one symptom at a time started back up.
If I knew then what I know now and had the money, I should have started back on abx when the first of the symptoms came back.
I don't look forward to the herxing but I sure wish I hadn't stopped so soon.
-------------------- "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"--Carl Sagan Posts: 317 | From Kansas and New Jersey | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
quote:Originally posted by TerryK: When on abx you are killing borrelia and thus your body is dealing with die-off. The die-off (toxins) are a big cause of symptoms. When you stop abx, your body clears out toxins and you feel better.
This is a common scenario with lyme disease. So common in fact that the IDSA used to say that some patients needed to wait for awhile after going off abx before feeling better.
quote:Originally posted by TerryK: [QB] When on abx you are killing borrelia and thus your body is dealing with die-off. The die-off (toxins) are a big cause of symptoms. When you stop abx, your body clears out toxins and you feel better.
I agree with this. How long were you ill before starting abx?
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks for the input. I'm sure I will start the abx again just to safe. it is encouraging that I can feel better. Terry, I'm sure the abx were causing a lot of side effects. This is part of the reason I took the break. Lymetoo, I have been treating for 6 months.
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic