Burning Throat Bartonella Herx or Rifampin Side Effect?

I just started my rifampin twice daily and it’s rough.. I feel extremely fatigued and just sick all around. Very dizzy and anxious. I also have this weird burning sensation. It’s rhe same feeling you get in the back of your throat after a run in the cold. (Not that I could even attempt to run because I’m so sick.. )

Has anyone else hasn’t this when treating bartonella?

Post Edited (NicHostetler) : 4/16/2018 6:01:19 AM (GMT-6)

Girlie said...
I didn’t have that symptom treating Bart.

How many days have you taken it ? And are you taking it everyday?

I started a week and a half ago. The first week I did one pill a day then went up to 1 twice a day.

I just feel so helpless. Like nothing I try will ever work for me.. Just in a constant cycle of being excited to try something, the constantly let down.

NicHostetler said...

Girlie said...
I didn’t have that symptom treating Bart.

How many days have you taken it ? And are you taking it everyday?

I started a week and a half ago. The first week I did one pill a day then went up to 1 twice a day.

I just feel so helpless. Like nothing I try will ever work for me.. Just in a constant cycle of being excited to try something, the constantly let down.

/////////////////////////////////
I hear ya.

You really haven't been on it long though...and you're not up to full dose yet, right? You are going to titrate up to 300 mg twice daily?

Nic,

I've been having some burning issues for the past week. I've had pain in the back of my throat, roof of my mouth like the tissue is inflamed, and my tongue has a kind of burnt feeling especially in the back. I even felt the surface of my tongue and the back feels rough and dry like it's damaged.

I finally concluded mine is probably from either reflux or an immune reaction in my mouth tissues to the vapors coming up my throat when belching.

Have you noticed you've been belching more lately? You could have reflux issues even if you don't feel acid or food coming up in your throat or feel heartburn. It can also happen while you're sleeping and unaware.

Drugs can cause reflux. I'm pretty sure the whole Lyme scenario can, too.

You could try taking Zantac or Pepsid and sleeping with your head elevated. If it is reflux, it's best to get it under control and take preventive measures until you heal the tissue damage and remediate the cause. Reflux tends to perpetuate itself once it starts. I had silent reflux really bad 2.5 years ago and ended up on Rx Nexium and Zantac for 6 months before carefully weaning myself off. I believe I'm dealing with it again. Even when I've had symptoms before, when they return I'm slow to recognize it or remember I've had it before.

Mine started up after bad gut issues started a week ago.

You recently had major gut problems, too. Are you still having the pain, or has that resolved?

I'm suspecting bacteria in the gut can cause reflux in addition to pain, bloating, and anything else gut related.

I had this with Rifampin. I'd wake up with my throat on fire. I attributed it to a herx because it went away after two days and it only happened upon awakening. Was definitely from that because I went off it then resumed and it happened again.

Nic,

I was only on it for 10 weeks so it wasn't long enough to tell. What happened was I was taking it with Doxy and the Doxy started to give me wicked heartburn so I stopped the whole regimen and switched to herbals.

Did you ever try the monolaurin? I know a few people who did really well with it. I'm thinking of going back on it. I stopped when I got loose stools from very high doses but may try again and work up slower to prevent that. It's a good combo with serrapeptase or a systemic enzyme formula to break up biofilm.

Nic-have you checked your vitamin B-12 level? I’ve had some wicked mouth pain, including my tongue and inner cheeks. I also have some white lesions, ie Canker sores. I’ve NEVER had even one of these prior to Lyme (I’m of the REALLY chronic nature-tick bite in Connecticut 30 years ago, horribly exacerbated by two bites together in WI in about 2009. I was so sick I don’t even remember most of one year, and ended up in a cardiac arrest, life support, etc) And now, after finally being treated by a great LLMD in Seattle, this. My mouth feels just plain weird, as if my teeth are too big. Add extremely dry mouth to the picture! I’ve been beyond miserable. My LLMD ran blood work-and my Vitamin B-12 level came back markedly low. He is running another test to ensure I don’t have lack ‘intrinsic function.’ This means B-12 is not absorbed properly in the intestines-my identical sister has this genetic trait. If I’m not absorbing B-12 properly, it doesn’t do much good to take it orally; I start on B-12 injections in a few days.
In my research, I’ve found that, of course, Lyme patients often present with B-12 deficiency. It also causes some serious and signifant symptoms, many which mimic Lyme. Night sweats are also back with a vengeance!
Some have also linked a sore mouth to Bart.
I’m going to explore Vitamin B12 therapy first. If no help, I’ll ask to be evaluated again for Bart.
I hope this is helpful. It’s so much more miserable than it sounds. I feel discouraged also but we just have to find a way to keep going.

I've had that and still do some, LymePeace1. It may be Bartonella, and Rifampin is good for Bart especially combined with another ABX.

I have trouble speaking as well. Its like the muscles in my throat used for speaking are swollen and not responding well. Like they are recovering from over use.