abx

I hope I can remember them all! I don't recall how long on each, but here goes. In the last 4 years, I've been on some combo oF:

Minocyclene/Benicar
Mepron
Biaxin
Samento
Colloidal Silver

I know there were others but there's significant brain fog at the moment.

Currently, I'm on 600 mg Zith + 500 mg Rifampin for Bart. Have been for 4 weeks. Have been herxing bad for the last week but it feels like it might be starting to break (I hope). No liver or gallbladder issues (thank God) but plenty of psychiatric, including brain fog, mood swings, rage, forgetfulness, etc etc etc.

I have tried doxy and cednefir for 14 days each, massive diarreah had to stop. I'm now on a weekly shot of bicillin and thena  daily of zithromax and seem to be tolerating both. Liver enzymes were fine, but I do get it check periodically. Mentally, lots of mood swings, being overly sensitive. Trying CELL FOOD seems to be helping with the energy.

I was on Minocycline for 1 year at 200 mg/day, that was two years ago, though. Since then I've been on several (4?) rounds of Doxy for re-infections. I feel much better today than I did for the past 5 years. I was infected with at least RMSF when I was 4 or 5 years old & didn't get any dx until I saw a LLMD 3 years ago.

I have several 'conditions' I now live with; thyroid, intestinal cramping (IBS related), and some 'Lyme arthritis' (I have no arthritis markers in my blood & my doc said it then had to be related to Lyme or other co's. I also take a small handful of selected supplements that have made a difference for me.

I have had my gall bladder removed (diseased & full of stones), and my appendix had to be removed.

I'm in that stage where I'm trying to figure out what's next for supplements, herbal/homeo tx's,etc.

All I claim to know is that I am feeling better, functioning a bit better, and that I'm pretty much on my own for trying to find a doc that understands TBI's well enough to be able to investigate further. Between the stress of a long trip (minimum of a 5 hour one-way drive) and the cost of a LLMD, I'm kinda left on my own.

Hopefully I haven't 'muddied the water' with my post, and maybe it will encourage someone who finds themselves in this same boat!

RMSF = Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (another tick-borne illness)

Abx I've been on over the past year (all via IV due to swallowing/gut troubles):

Cipro - for about 8 weeks or so...helped some, but triggered the start of bladder pain, which I've had whenever I stop abx ever since then...
Was used initially to treat a skin infection.

Vancomycin - 1 dose. Severe itching of head/neck/shoulders/chest, severe bladder pain radiating down both legs. Doc said it was allergic reaction & to never take this abx again.

Ceftazadime - on and off from March '09-Jan '10. Initially given for pleural effusion w/ possible pneumonia, but whenever stopped, my Lyme symptoms seemed to flare up bigtime. Also seemed to get rid of a suspicious lump under the skin next to my feeding tube (some kind of abcess, probably).

Doxycycline - Jan '10-current. Given because the Ceftazadime seemed to not be helping to get me any more improved...I guess I had plateau'd on it. And I begged to finally be given something that directly targets the Lyme. Had nausea and heavy fatigue initially, doc says herx and to skip a dose here and there. I did and the herxing has stopped. But the Lyme symptoms are not as well controlled and my apatite is gone. Going to talk w/ doc about it later this week.

When I tapered down on the Ceftaz., I started getting major anxiety attacks. Those have subsided again now that I'm on the Doxy.

Gallbladder: Was diagnosed with gallstones in 1999 after having increasing nausea and a bad pain attack consistant with gallbladder issues. Gallbladder was full of large stones, and after surgical removal, they told me it was also very inflammed. Good riddance...I don't miss it. 15 years of daily constant background nausea disappeared with that surgery.

Liver: I've never had liver problems until July 2008 when the doctors put me on IV feedings due to inability to swallow and slow stomach emptying. The fats in the IV feeding caused my liver enzymes to spike, and I've been battling to get the liver enzymes back down ever since, even though they removed the fats from my IV food. They tell me I have "fatty liver" and my doc says the sugar in the IV food also can cause this. I'm tapering off the IV food, but it is a slow process. I also take liver support/cleanse herbs daily (Bupleurum Liver Cleanse made by Planetary Formulas...purchased at a local health food store) because IV Milk Thistle causes too many problems with the PICC line. Milk thistle via IV did make my liver enzymes go down to normal, though...may have to go back on them once the TPN is done.

My biggest problem mentally is forgetfulness and brain fog (slow processing...verified w/ testing). Sometimes it feels like I get lost in my own brain...or "stuck" mentally and cannot think or get my brain to function for a few minutes. Hard to describe.

I am currently taking the following antibiotics:

Doxycycline 300mg daily(since June09)

Zithromax 500mg/daily

Ceftin 500mg/2x daily

momtomonsters

Bucci,

I am not able to do Glutathione IV due to genetic variants in my methylation cycle. In other words, I'd get very sick if I got a Glutathione infusion.

175$ for glutathione?? I know where you can get it for 12.50 for a 2gram injection. I do it myslef. do you have a picc? I dont and I still give it to myself IV. email me and I will tell you where to get it. just put glutathione in the topic or I might not open it.

thats crazy!!

melissa

I know ...merrygirl ..did youget my email..I would love a glutathione connection. I just posted this link about how glutathione depletion is the onset of things like chronic fatigue and other stuff.

this place is a ripp off but I am feeling better and can't stop now but I cancelled the glutathione and told them it was too much. merrygirl...drop me a line

email sent

I'm on 1500 mg of tetracycline. I was diagnosed with babesia in 07 then later diagnosed in 1/09 with late stage lyme, and my dr believes I was infected in 07 when I got babesia. I had tick-born meningitis and felt so awful words can't describe, even after finishing doxy. My dr. is well known, past president of ILADS. Anyways he noticed something with QT waves in my EKG and now I am not supposed to take certain antibiotics. One of which is z-pack which is part of the babesia treatment (which sucks because he is wondering if I still have some lingering parasites)

The tetracyline has worked well, I feel pretty good considering, have stopped taking cymbalta. If I miss a few doses, I will start to notice more symptoms, I don't know if it is in my head or not. I have been on it for 5 months now.