Topic: IV Rifampin giving me Anxiety from HELL, Anyone else ?
lymetwister
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 19590
posted
Just 2 doses at 300mg each. I've been off everything for almost a month trying to give my body a well needed rest. Even still, was feeling terrible, so LLMD said lets try the Rifampin.
I'm a step away from the ER. Nothing knocks down the anxiety. Not Xanax, Valium, Benadryl, Nothing !!
I know it's a Herx as I've got the chills, some body aches, etc.
It's Anxiety, but it's that Sympathetic overdrive crap back again, this time with a vengence.
I don't know what to do.........
Posts: 1227 | From District of Columbia | Registered: Mar 2009
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17hens
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 23747
posted
I encourage you to try and wait it out. I was like that on Rifampin for the first 3 weeks and when it broke I felt more like myself than I have in years. It's hard but it's worth it.
I kept telling myself, "This too shall pass."
Did I mention I'm taking 150mg 2xdaily or oral? Quite a difference from what you're doing...
IgG � Igenex Positive; CDC/NYS Negative with 31+; 39 (IND); 41++; 58+ Posts: 339 | From Tennessee | Registered: Jun 2010
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Haley
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 22008
posted
HI Lymetwister, I have always wonder what the IV Rifampin was like. I have not heard of anyone doing this in IV form.
I had a tough time with oral Rifampin but I will try it again.
Keep in mind that sedatives are not as effective when taken with Rifampin. That was one of my big problems, other than the fact that I thought I was having a heart attack. My sleep meds didn't work, so on top of everything I couldn't sleep.
Ask your doc if you should increase the dose of the things that calm you down a bit. It should be just temporarily.
Please keep us posted on the IV Rifampin and how it works for you. I may do IV instead of oral.
Posts: 2232 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2009
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posted
I will probably get blasted for this comment but here goes.
I just don't understand what the docs are doing anymore. In the past many docs started patients on 50 mg of oral Rifampin because they knew how hard this drug was to tolerate. Sure it might take 6 or 8 months to get to therapeutic dose, but the patient could function in the meantime.
I remember when rifampin was first prescribed to tickborne patients back in late 2003. In the next year or so those that stuck to low dosing -- well eventually many of them recovered their lives and no longer post on lymenet.
Of course at that time we were just starting to understand how important it was to treat bartonella or BLO. But historically I think the most patients who went on to recover would say that that med was a very important factor in their treatment.
But I am not sure I ever read about anyone who started with 300 or 600 mg being able to tolerate that dose without having to stop treatment.
This is just my opinion and not medical advice.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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lululymemom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 26405
posted
seibert, makes complete sense to me.. It's good to put that out there so people know there is an option.
posted
I'm sorry you are having a rough time. That is terrible. Email me later and let me know how you are doing. Thinking of u.
-------------------- gatorade girl
"I still have Mt.Everest to climb, but I have traveled across the world and arrived at the mountain". Posts: 633 | From baltimore | Registered: Mar 2010
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lyme in Putnam
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11561
posted
I had to stop after 2 days of 600 and 3 days of 300. Havent recovered yet. Hope you feel better. I totally agree bea.
-------------------- He took u to it, He'll you through Posts: 2837 | From NE. | Registered: Apr 2007
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seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
150 mg of oral Rifampin literally made me insane.
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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posted
I think Rifampin is THE drug I would not take again.
Oral...made my heart and BP go crazy, I went crazy, insanely sick. I hadn't been in the hospital for 1.5 years and I ended up having to call an ambulance. I thought I was going down big.
It took 2 weeks for me to get back to my normal, horrible baseline.
Posts: 322 | From Venice, CA | Registered: Sep 2008
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Haley
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 22008
posted
Micheal - what dosage were you taking? Maybe that is what makes the difference.
Posts: 2232 | From USA | Registered: Aug 2009
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