posted
I met with my LLMD for the first time on Thursday. He has lots of personal experience with Lyme (his wife, daughter, and son have all had it), and he seems like a very knowledgeable and committed doctor. He diagnosed my with Lyme and Bartonella pending the lab results from Igenex. He prescribed Ceftin, 1500mg/day, and Bactrim DS for the Bart. He also gave me various supplements and advice on diet, which I was already following before I saw him.
Warning: those who blush at mention of certain anatomical parts of the body stop reading.
I started taking the abx on Friday and starting on Friday afternoon I began having itching on various places of my body, mainly my eyes, armpits, chest, and abdomen. More troubling, I have had a red, itchy, irritated penis almost constantly since then. I don't have pain when I'm urinating, but I have been drinking lots of water and don't feel the need to urinate very often. When I do it is difficult. My privates itch like crazy and are sensitive to the touch.
Is this herx or something more serious? I have read that Bartonella kill-off causes problems with the urinary tract. My doc was quite certain that I had Bart. If this is just herx then I am perfectly willing to endure the torture to kill the Bart. Anyone had the same experience?
I would, of course, ask my LLMD about it, but I don't want to have to wait until Monday to know if this reaction is common for people with Borrelia and Bart. Thanks for your help!
-------------------- Bart and Babesia seropositive Current tx: Rifampin, Biaxin, Bactrim DS, Artemisinin, Resveratrol (japanese knotweed), Red Root, Boneset Posts: 168 | From PA | Registered: Feb 2010
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MariaA
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posted
Bactrim allergies can start as itching! Please read up on that- it can become VERY serious.
I am not a doctor , but I would recommend that you stop the drugs till you talk to him. It's probably Bactrim. There are ways to be desensitized to Bactrim (it's worth doing as it's a great drug) but you don't want to end up with a systemic reaction to it.
-------------------- Symptom Free!!! Thank you all!!!!
dmc
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5102
posted
It's side effect. Bactrim isa a sulfa drug...lots of people allegic to those type of drugs
"Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Bactrim:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); blistered, peeling, red, or swollen skin; bloody or black, tarry stools;
chest pain; chills, fever, or sore throat; confusion; dark urine; decreased urination; depression; hallucinations; irregular heartbeat; joint or muscle pain; mental or mood changes; painful or stiff neck; purple patches under the skin; seizures; severe diarrhea; severe or persistent cough; severe or persistent headache; severe or persistent nausea or vomiting;
shortness of breath; stomach cramps/pain; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual tiredness or weakness; unusually pale skin; vaginal irritation or discharge; yellowing of the skin or eyes."
Posts: 2675 | From ct, usa | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
So you think that it's an allergic reaction and not herx? I've never been allergic to any medication before, but I'm sure it's possible. I'll keep taking it for now, but if it gets unbearable I'll stop until I can talk to my doc. Does anyone think that it's herx and not an allergic reaction? Thanks.
-------------------- Bart and Babesia seropositive Current tx: Rifampin, Biaxin, Bactrim DS, Artemisinin, Resveratrol (japanese knotweed), Red Root, Boneset Posts: 168 | From PA | Registered: Feb 2010
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MariaA
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posted
People who get sulfa allergies say that it can progress to an all-over horrible high-fever reaction that requires hospitalization and makes you want to die- google it first before you decide whether that's what might be going on, and whether you want to risk pushing through before talking to your doctor.
I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure you won't lose any ground by stopping for a day until you're able to reach the doctor.
-------------------- Symptom Free!!! Thank you all!!!!
MariaA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9128
posted
here are some scary stories. Please note that askapatient.com inherently self-selects for people who've had bad reactions rather than good ones (ie I found it while looking up a reaction to another drug), but still, it's possibly quite scary in the case of this particular drug:
MariaA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9128
posted
by the way, I personally LOVE bactrim, it keeps all kinds of issues at bay for me and has made me much better, but you don't want to risk the possible side effects since they're so well known to be common.
-------------------- Symptom Free!!! Thank you all!!!!
posted
I guess I'm just confused because a lot of the side effects are also effects of herx. Isn't itching often a herx symptom? I guess I'll stop the Bactrim until I can speak with my doc. Should I keep on taking the Ceftin?
-------------------- Bart and Babesia seropositive Current tx: Rifampin, Biaxin, Bactrim DS, Artemisinin, Resveratrol (japanese knotweed), Red Root, Boneset Posts: 168 | From PA | Registered: Feb 2010
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MariaA
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posted
it's rare for itching to be one of the herx symptoms, although just about ANYTHING can turn out to be a herx since this disease manifests in so many different ways.
I'll feel bad for giving you this advice if your doctor disagrees about this, but really you wont' screw anything up by waiting a day or two until you speak with the doctor. I've often stopped and restarted Bactrim when I feel like my body needs a break for some reason, like today (was getting spacey). some doctors have very sensitive patients 'pulse' some of their meds, taking breaks from them- and I think bactrim is one where it's OK to do that.
check everything you read here against other sources on the internet, assuming you're able to read OK unlike some new patients with eye or neuro issues.
MariaA
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9128
posted
I dont know anything about Ceftin, unfortunately. If this happened to me, I'd stop both drugs, wait for itching to subside so that I'd know whether it was even caused by the drugs or not, and then start one at a time.
When my LLMd had me start rifampin and bactrim, he told me to take the Bactrim first, a week later adding the Rifampin. He specifically mentioned that the order was because more people have Bactrim issues than rifampin ones.
-------------------- Symptom Free!!! Thank you all!!!!
Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
I would stop the Bactrim and the Ceftin right away. These reactions can be serious, and it is NOT something you want to mess around with.
Google Stevens Johnson Syndrome so you are aware of what it is and what the warning signs are. It is a rare side effect from certain antibiotics.
Even if it's not SJS, extreme itching is a serious side effect that shouldn't be ignored. To be safe, I would stop the drugs immediately until you talk to your doctor!!! It's too bad you don't know which one is causing it, so to be safe, I would stop both.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
I don't feel like I'm having the symptoms associated with SJS or other allergic reactions. It isn't even itching anymore. The only problem I'm having is severe irritation and redness of my penis. Of all the organs to have irritated this one probably is the most torturous.
I will take both of your advice and exercise caution, stopping both abx until I speak with my doctor. Still, I wonder if any new patients have ever had this penis problem. I haven't had fever, nausea, rashes, respiratory issues, heart issues, or any major problems with the rest of my body, just the usual transient Lyme aches and pain and fog. I still wonder whether it's really an allergic reaction. Wouldn't more parts of my body other than my penis be inflamed and irritated? Maybe I just had a ton of Bart living in my urinary tract and now that it's dying my penis is hurting me?
Regardless I'm suspending treatment, but please advise me if any of you have had this happen when beginning abx. Thanks for your advice guys, as always!
-------------------- Bart and Babesia seropositive Current tx: Rifampin, Biaxin, Bactrim DS, Artemisinin, Resveratrol (japanese knotweed), Red Root, Boneset Posts: 168 | From PA | Registered: Feb 2010
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posted
Could it be a penile yeast infection? The symptoms match almost spot on. I know that I've had oral and internal candida for the last couple months. Could it have spread to my penis?
-------------------- Bart and Babesia seropositive Current tx: Rifampin, Biaxin, Bactrim DS, Artemisinin, Resveratrol (japanese knotweed), Red Root, Boneset Posts: 168 | From PA | Registered: Feb 2010
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posted
I have had the itchy or fleetingly tingling -pain- seems too strong a word but discomfort at the penile glans or tip. Only on doxy at the time. I do think Bb loves the glands eg testes and probably prostate. Some have claimed to have seen Bb on semen smears under the microscope. I think some Bart (like organisms) like the bladder so that sx could be herx related. I got sensitive skin eg dry and itchy over both upper outer hip regions on bactrim ds. I had recently tried upping dose to 1.5 tabs twice a day when that happened. I took benadryl and waited over-nite and all was well the next day. Given the risk for SJS I stopped the bactrim till now which I hated to do since I was feeling quite good in every other way while taking it. Have since read that vitamin C @ 1 gm/day helps prevent the sulfa component of bactrim from forming its nitroso metabolite (which is thought to trigger nasty effects of Bactrim and was shown to do so in mice). I am hoping to cautiously restart the bactrim at 1/2 tablet dose to see if I can safely resume this very useful med.
Beachinit.
-------------------- Ideas not advice. Posts: 448 | From Downeast Maine | Registered: Jul 2009
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posted
Wow, thanks for the great info Beachinit! I'll up my vitamin C. I'm still going to wait on going back on the abx until I talk to my doc, but it is good to hear that someone has had a somewhat similar experience to me (although I'm also sad to hear it). I'm upping probiotics as well, to try to keep the candida in check.
Anyone have the really severe penile itching? I keep being compelled to mess with it, but the tip is so sensitive that that just makes things worse.
-------------------- Bart and Babesia seropositive Current tx: Rifampin, Biaxin, Bactrim DS, Artemisinin, Resveratrol (japanese knotweed), Red Root, Boneset Posts: 168 | From PA | Registered: Feb 2010
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