Can’t tolerate antibiotics, getting worried

i was in the exact same position as you taking daily abx for over a year and i was ready to jump off a building due to the constant bug die off.

you have a few choices. you can go to a pulsing protocol to lessen the effects of the abx or switch to herbs (though herbs may still cause extreme herxing if you take them daily).

this isn't unusual you aren't the first person that can't handle the toxins released from killing too many bugs via daily abx intake. the published pulsing protocol via ILADS is either 4 days on/3 days off or vice versa. Dr. J in DC only does pulsing and he says its meant to not only control herxing and give you a better quality of life but also to let your immune system do some of the heavy lifting.

i would definitely talk to your LLMD about pulsing. you can still treat and not feel like death warmed over all the time.

This was my greatest fear in starting treatment for these demon bugs! I expressed this concern to my doctor who suggested we start slow and at the very bottom with support for my body before even attempting to kill the infections. So we are starting by finding out what vitamins/minerals/nutrients I could be lacking, and looking into malabsorption issues (due to my sleeve and celiac) and supporting my digestive system first. A LOT of misery seems to come from a digestive system that is not working properly or has been damaged or is completely out of balance! Having my genetic info has been helpful as well so that we can see what gene mutations I have that may need to be addressed and she can customize her recommendations.

Also when on antibiotics...keep an eye out for yeast problems. Yeast (especially for me) causes all kinds of abdominal pain, gas, and just all around misery so maybe taking a break from the antibiotics and treating for yeast is a possibility to help calm your system back down. We are discovering that it's likely I have some resistant yeast that may need more aggressive treatment before we can even start attempting to treat the other infections. When you talk to your doctor, maybe you can ask to go back to the beginning and get all issues and symptoms out there and maybe even more testing to find out if there are other problems that could be complicating things. Lay it all out with honesty about what you can or can't tolerate too! Saying things like, if I have nausea or pain or muscle spasms, what should I do? How can that be treated so I don't feel like jumping off a bridge?

I do have the MTHFR mutation so we are working with that but since I'm newly diagnosed and just starting, I can't say for sure yet what works or not. Right now I'm on a trial of something called molybdenum and we are setting up hyperbaric chamber treatments. My doctor has found that they are awesome for helping with both pain and detox and says that many of her patients find them so amazingly helpful that they will actually go out and invest in their own chamber at home! Have you ever tried that? Personally I'm a bit of a claustrophobic with ear issues so I'm nervous about trying it but we have a test treatment set up for the 23rd with a shorter milder pressure to see how I do. But if it helps at all with pain and detox, it's going to be very worth it!

I am very stubborn and with all the misery I'm already in, I refused to jump into any kind of treatment that could potentially make me feel worse without first building a strong support system. That not only includes talking to friends and family about who can be there for me when I need them and for what, but also other things, like medications to relieve symptoms, heating pads and ice packs etc, making sure my doctors keep informed and are fully supportive of all of my decisions, just everything I can think of so that I do not have to suffer 1 second longer or more than I absolutely have to. Because I firmly believe that it is going to make the difference between me making it through this or not!

Rikky1 said...
Rare your LLMD is smart in that everyone should start by stabilizing themselves before going into kill the bugs mode which really taxes your entire system. Buhner believes that taking herbs that directly kill the bugs isn't even necessary many times if the rest of your systems are working well as your body itself will get them under control. Didn't work for me but the advice is sound.

Very interesting. That's for sharing that.

Hi and just want to say you have received great responses from other members .

Remember there are always other paths of treatment that may work for you if another one does not.

There is a lot of support here when you need it, so feel free to keep asking questions and reaching out.


I was able to switch from ABX to herbals and I am coming along ok, but you still can herx from herbals too. Just have to start slow.


If I did ever decide to go back to ABX , I would definitely follow the pulsing approach from what I have learned in the last few years from others here on the forum.


Take care