posted
Don't believe the pharmacy package that says to take it on an empty stomach. Take it with food. If you take it in the middle of the meal, it may help.
Another option is to take it about an hour and a half or two hours after you eat, so it will spend less time in your stomach. You may want to eat a small snack with it.
There is a drug called carafate, which is commonly used for stomach ulcers and is meant to coat the raw spots in your stomach. My LLMD gave me that to help with my doxy nausea, but said not to take it too close to the doxy or anything else, because it can prevent it from being absorbed.
I don't know why, but my nausea is far more frequent in the morning than at night, although I have had it at night too.
You are supposed to take doxy 2 hours or more away from dairy products, calcium and mineral supplements too.
I have also found that my doxy nausea is worse when I take it at the same time as my Biaxin. I don't know if that's those two specific drugs, or taking anything along with the doxy, but try taking the doxy without any other pills at the same time.
I also noticed that my nausea got much worse after I had been on a high dose of doxy for several months, and added Biaxin. I don't know whether that was because the doxy was hurting my stomach more over time, or because the two drugs together were worse than doxy alone.
Be sure you take a lot of probiotics, but at least 2 hours away from antibiotics. That won't do much for your stomach, but it will help prevent other digestive problems you could get from the antibiotics killing off the "good bacteria" in your gut.
-------------------- Don't forget to laugh! And when you're going through hell, keep going!
Bitten 5/25/2009 in Perry County, Indiana. Diagnosed by LLMD 12/2/2009. Posts: 756 | From Inside the tunnel | Registered: Jan 2010
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I was on 100 mg doxy 2 x day for 4 weeks. My doctor only said "lets see how you tolerate the abx.)
I didn't really get "sick", I got worse. My thinking, losing my balance, stiff neck, headache, just feeling bad.
I was told this is from the Spirochetes that were being killed by the Doxy. They release toxins into your body and you actually get worse before you get better. (Sorry for the bad news)
I was not on near the dose you are. I was told I could take with a meal if it upset my stomach.
She told me nothing about the dairy before and after. Nor about being out in the sun. DO NOT go out in the sun while on Doxy.
At least you have a Dr. that is giving you a higher dose that might actually do something to help your Lyme. I took 4 wks of 100 mg 2 x/day and now I'm done.
Late stage Lyme needs a lot more treatment than that. Now I feel I went through four weeks of hell for nothing and all the little Spirochetes are probably partying and multiplying like wildfire since I am taking nothing at this time.
Good luck to you.
-------------------- Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired!! Posts: 153 | From St. Louis, Missouri | Registered: Jun 2010
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'Kete-tracker
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17189
posted
hagamama- You're "hitting the dashboard" (initial herxing) pretty Hard if you went right to 400 mg per day of "doxy" w/o being on abx prior to this for your Lyme. I'd recommend starting up slower for the first week. The 100mg b.i.d. as Rx'ed would be a good initial level until after you get past the initial Jarsch-Herxheimer reactions.
Don't forget about ginger products to help relieve nause from the abx. My favorite was a good-Q, diet, DARK ginger ale. A Lymie friend preferred ginger tea with a bit of raw honey.
Posts: 1233 | From Dover, NH | Registered: Sep 2008
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I have noticed that in addition to the herxing in the am, the doxy knocks me out till it's over.
I am not sure if it my body's reaction to the pain and misery or if it's just another side effect.
My PCP a tually rx 100mg bid for 30 days but only b/c he was pressured to by CDC.
He initially told me that I did not have LD. Then I found a Prof of epidimiology who specializes in tick bourne illness. He checked my WB results and sent me to CDC.
My PCP called me that afternoon with th rx but said that he was only treating me for 30 days and then I'd be fine.
I dosed myself with the 400 mg per day after talking to the Prof and reading Dr. B's guidelines.
I think what I am going to try to do is take my am dose at 4 when the baby wakes up rather than @ 8 when I wake up. Maybe then the herx will have passed while I sleep.
Kete - I think I'd rather hit the dashboard then suffer for weeks. I am a full time mom to 4 boys under the age of 9. I don't have the time or the strength to linger.
Thanks for the info about the ginger... I have some fresh ginger in my fridge and some fresh honey from the be farm down the road. Looks like it's lots of tea for me.
Posts: 20 | From eastcoast | Registered: Jun 2010
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'Kete-tracker
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17189
posted
I think you misunderstand about recovery from disseminated Lyme (past early-stage). Taking abx for, say, 2 weeks at the ILADS recommended levels (~400mg/ day for avg. weight adult) is NOT better than 4 weeks at "IDSA strength." You Will relapse.
You NEED to keep on ANY Lyme-fighting antibiotic for atLEAST 1 full "growth cycle" (28 dayns) of the borrelia so that you don't risk developing an abx-resistant strain of the critters! I would check in with your professor friend & see if you two can't find a 2nd doc who is willing to treat you (properly) under ILADS guidelines. This 'other doctor' might' be a member of ILADS, for example. Your professor friend may know a member personally. My cousin's good friend, a retired college professor & Lyme sufferer, hooked me up with an LLMD opening an office right in my town! (I WAS lucky.) This LL-M.D. was a member of ILADS.
I'd hate to see you do 2 weeks at 200 b.i.d. & relapse. THEN where would you be?
Be Wise. Find an LLMD. Your long-term health... and the ability to properly care for your 2 boys down the road... hangs in the balance.
Posts: 1233 | From Dover, NH | Registered: Sep 2008
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Nancy2
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 95
posted
Ask your LLMD for Doryx..........it is coated Doxy which will not upset your stomach.
Nancy
Posts: 1487 | From New England | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
Hi Hagamama, For your morning dose of doxy, try drinking two tall, full glasses of water. I drink about 30 ounces of water with my doxy, on an empty stomach and I am not bothered by the nausea and cramps. If I only drink 1 glass of water I get really bad nausea.
As others have said, this thing takes more than 1 month to beat unless you have only had it for a few days. I was infected for 10 months before being diagnosed and I am now at 2.5 months of treatment and have finally started to notice steady improvement. It did get worse before it became better, but you can beat this thing!
Good luck to you and if you have any questions feel free to send me a pm. I go to an LLMD that follows Dr. B's protocol and I highly recommend it.
Posts: 43 | From Cleveland, OH | Registered: Apr 2010
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posted
be careful you don't end up with an intestinal infection - f.deficil. You need to find an LLMD you can trust and let him/her monitor your meds instead of medicating yourself.
-------------------- Dxd ALS 3/2010 Dxd cllinical Lyme 4/2010 Positive for Protomyxzoa but absolutely nothing else in Igenex Posts: 417 | From central ct | Registered: Apr 2010
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quote:Originally posted by Nancy2: Ask your LLMD for Doryx..........it is coated Doxy which will not upset your stomach.
It's WAY easier on the stomach... haga... you're going to need more than one month of doxy. If just ONE spirochete lives past that 28 day cycle, you will be up a creek without a paddle.
THEN, who will take care of those precious boys?
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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'Kete-tracker
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17189
posted
(be aware of brand new "members" peddling a sparsely recognized productb! )
hagamama,
Dr. B's guidelines (officially titled 'Advanced Topics In Lyme Disease') mentions that: "late L.B. (late-stage Lyme borreliosis) usually requires 4 to 6 months of continuous [abx] treatment." {pg. 16 of 2005 edition}
I'm not sure how long you've had the disease but if it's been a couple months or more since the responsible tick bite, you're getting past the early stage of Lyme and 4 to 6 weeks of treatment just Ain't gonna cut it.
Nor is being on one antibiotic "family" going to be sufficient, such as with a 'cycline drug like "doxy". It's a Good 1 but you usually have to be switched to another family of antibiotic after no further month-to-month improvement is seen.
A follow-up drug like Ceftin or "amoxy", or Biaxin, with certain "adjunct" meds taken along with it can often get you to the point of Lyme symptom remission, which is what all LLMDs strive for. (Adjunct meds are things like Probenecid, DiFlucan, Flagl, Zithromax, etc., etc.)
The drug "mix" that works best for you is as much an art as it is a science. This is why you need an LLMD to guide you.
Even after the 'script' meds, it's encouraged that the patient follow up with a careful diet (no alcohol or excessive sweets for awhile), probiotics, continuing exercise (not a problem for you, I suspect, with your 2 boys!) and herbal supplements.
Now... BECAUSE you didn't end up in the E.R. with major issues a day after starting that 200mg b.i.d of doxycycline, *I* believe you don't have anywhere's as deep & widespread an infection as most of us here, hence you'll likely be one of the lucky ones & be able to kiss your abx good-bye for Good sometime this fall!
Good luck!
Posts: 1233 | From Dover, NH | Registered: Sep 2008
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posted
Kete - I actually lucked out and found an epidimiologist at the college who has been tudying tick-bourne ilnesses for over 25 years and he is listed on the Seeking a Dr board and located here in town.
I have been to see him and we have gone over my test results and my history. I am late stage or as he calls it "chronic".
I have progressed already to cognitive and neurological symptoms. He is confident that I have also passed it to at least three of my 4 boys. Only one is showng any symptoms. All are awaiting WB test results.
He advised me to go 400mg per day rather than the 200mg rx by my quack of a PCP. And he warned me about the Herx, even told the day it would start. He nailed it!
My 1 day of Herxing I took my meds in the am with food and was sick for hours.
The 2nd day, I tried med without food and there was no change, still sick as a dog.
Today I took my meds when the baby woke up around 4am and then I went back to bed.
I slept right through the Herx today. Thank God. I woke up at 7:30am and went about my day with no problems.
I also started with Kefir and Jaro-Dolphilis and a Magnesium supplement.
My head feels like a bowling ball in relation to my hot air baloon body, but no other icky side effects.
I have a new appt with another Dr on Fri to discuss a treatment plan that will make some sense.
Are there any ?'s that I should as this new Dr?
Posts: 20 | From eastcoast | Registered: Jun 2010
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