I started antibiotics, etc in August. My LLMD started with clarythromycin and plaquenil. That all seemed to go as he expected; slowly upped the dose. I had bad days (very sleepy, headaches) but they'd improve.
I was switched to tetracycline, just once per day, the 15 th of November and I haven't had a good day since-- plus I'm experiencing new symptoms.
The sleepiness is less as are the headaches, but I have neck/shoulder pain and my arms/hands feel like they did when carpal tunnel symptoms were a problem. Also, my breasts are very painful, even putting on a shirt hurts.
I am just looking for feedback on people's experiences with herxing after medication changes; new symptoms after med switches...
Thank you
-------------------- Kirsten, NH
+Lyme 2000, 10 days abx RA, sero- 2002 Heart murmur 2006 Narcolepsy 2008 current: LLMD since 8/09 Posts: 11 | From NH | Registered: Aug 2009
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Vermont_Lymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9780
posted
I always herx with changes in treatment (abx).
Since I have lyme with co-infections, I think that it is because different abx hits different bacteria (or hits the same type of bacteria differently).
Hope that makes sense. With lyme treatment, I found that I could measure improvement only after being on a new treatment for several months, minimum. I usually have the symptoms you describe -- sleepiness, headaches, neck and shoulder pain -- after starting a new abx.
Posts: 2557 | From home | Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
I took zith, then biaxin, for a few months first. I felt much better pretty quickly on these. Then my LLMD wanted me to try doxy.
When I got on doxy, all of my symptoms got worse for the whole month I was on it. To me, it didn't feel like a herx, but that is just my sense. It felt like I was missing my needed zith.
He agreed to put me back on zith and my symptoms improved to almost unnoticeable again.
More recently, I was taking Ceftin and Levaquin. I was told to stop taking the Ceftin and start taking Flagyl. When I did, I got worse symptoms. I thought at first it was the expected Flagyl herx, but it didn't get any better even when I stopped the Flagyl. After 4 weeks, I decided on my own to re-try the Ceftin and I could feel an immediate improvement.
So I believe my increased symptoms were not herxes but resulting from not taking the right antibiotics. For the Flagyl, maybe it was a herx but I needed the Ceftin also.
Most of the LLMD's I have seen have said if you herx too badly, you can stop for a few days and you should get better. You could try to do this and see what happens. Or you could ask your LLMD if you could try to go back to the Biaxin/Placqenil and see what happens.
Posts: 984 | From US | Registered: Dec 2007
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when I first switched antibiotics, I felt terrible for almost 6 weeks. It was a herx- not my Lyme getting worse- or at least, that's what I think, since around the 6 week mark it got better very quickly.
In my view, the worse you feel, the more effective the antibiotic (unless you're having a reaction/experiencing side effects from the antibiotic)
Posts: 503 | From Alberta, Canada | Registered: Jun 2009
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