Started Doxy.. Anything I should know

Hi
Starting doxycycline tonight
Any advice ?
Can I take vitamins with it ?

Take a lot of probiotics. Titrate up slowly; it doesn't matter what your doctor says. Very slowly! Drink a ton of water with lemon. Take Epsom salt baths. Order a bottle of Burbur from iherb, and take that. If you don't do the last three things, you will have a herxheimer.

Yes, you can take most vitamins, but no pepto bismol I think it is? Or antacids? You can look it up. Take it with a meal. No grapefruit or grapefruit juice.

Don't go off of it for awhile. It takes awhile for it to work.

M

This may just be me, but I've found that if I take it with peanut products or anything citrus it makes me vomit. Also, I have to take it with a meal, not just crackers or something small like that...otherwise I vomit. And drink PLENTY of water with it! I've also found that taking milk thistle helps with the nausea.

I just started doxy on Friday. This is what my doc said to do, but please consult your physican as well:

-Take on an empty stomach to help it absorb. That said, if you to get nauseaous you can take a couple bites of something with it. Drink a big glass of water with the doxy. Don't lay down within an hour of taking it. In the afternoon wait a couple hours, then take the doxy. I snack until 3:30, take mine at 5:30, then eat dinner after or at 6:30 (give or take)

-Vitamins - I'm on magnesium, fish oil, and a probiotic. Get the probiotics from the frig section, it has live stains and better for your GI. Don't take any of these within 2-3 hours of the doxy

-Sunscreen! Although I haven't had any burns yet I have noticed that my body is absorbing the sun and I'm getting redder during my 15 minute commute.

-Obviously doxy will impact birth control pills, so use backup.

- No Dairy in the same 2-3 hour window of the doxy. I switched to almond milk in my coffee for this reason (and I like it better!)

-Hot tea really helps with the nausea, if you happen to like any hot teas (white, herbal, etc.)

I have read that it's best not to take doxy with food - may not absorb as well...but this is for your regular use of doxy -which is usually a couple of weeks. In that short of time, your stomach can probably handle it.

But, in Lyme disease, we are taking long term antibiotics and we can't do that to our stomach. Even 8 weeks of doxy on empty stomach wouldn't be a good idea.
If you don't protect your tummy, then you may not be able to take any antibiotics.

Traveler is absolutely right! Take a pharmacist's advice as well (me) - protect your stomach and eat first, take the doxy, then eat again. This will also prevent heartburn and protect your esophagus. Also dont lay down at least a half hour after taking it. I did this for months, and the doxy did its job well. I had to d/c it bc of the sunburn issues - so do be careful. sunscreen does NOT work - it is not a regular sunburn, but an actual chemical reaction btwn the doxy, the skin and the sun. So as traveler said - stay out of the sun, or keep yourself covered. I even was getting burned on my hands from just driving the car!!

and yes, probiotics of 50billion or more, and dont take vitamins or probiotics at the same time as the doxy.

good luck, send any more questions you may have!!

what dose are you on? I started herxing only on day 3 (and was only on 100mg twice a day) - but that depends how many symptoms you have. I was extremely sick when I started it.