How long is or was everyone on Antibiotics

Well, I've been treating since end of Aug, 2014.

I did take two breaks: 2 1/2 months in 2015 plus about 4 months in 2016.

if you subtract the 6 1/2 months it's just over 3 1/2 years.... (It should have only taken me 2 years tops to get to where I am now)

Don't let that discourage you....if you get with a good LLMD who is willing to look at all the infections (not just lyme or just lyme and bart) - you won't waste the time I did - when I stalled out after lyme and bart treatment and the LLND wasn't treating me for babesia.

I took clarithromycin and rifampin for 6 months on the advice of a doctor who supposedly specialized in treating Lyme disease. This doctor obviously didn't know what he was doing. It didn't work. I got some herx, but didn't get much better overall.

So I quit going to that doctor, continued the clarithromycin, and switched from rifampin to amoxicillin. Amoxicillin does not kill borrelia, but puts it into a dormant state.

After that, I felt fine. I really didn't feel sick at all, but I knew the infection was not gone. I wanted to get off the antibiotics because it was giving me diarrhea. I figured it was time to kill off the rest of the infection, so I took valproate.

Valproate kills borrelia burgdorferi. Even the dormant round-body form. Even the biofilm colonies. It doesn't matter. It kills it.

Ho Lee Crap that made me herx.

Pain everywhere as the bacteria died off, and I was so tired I would sleep 16+ hours a day, and some days just didn't even get out of bed.

The herx was so bad I backed off the antibiotics after a month, but the bacteria continued to die and I continued to herx. I am still herxing months later.

So anyway, about a year total on antibiotics, and yes I did get good results.

I was infected in March 2016, misdiagnosed until December 2017. Started treatment in January 2018. First with lyme/Babesia targeted approach. Then in March 2018 switched to lyme/Bartonella focused approach. Then in November 2018, i went to a lighter pulsing protocol.

i have had my biggest wins with the long stretch on rifabutin for lyme/bartonella. i think i am nearing the end of treatment soon.

Thanks folks all good information I hope more people respond and thanks for the encouragement girlie

I was on a combo of abx and herbs between 2-3 years and then was in remission for close to 6 years. Just remember to take some really good probiotics!

about 2.5 years undiagnosed. I added herbs in my last 3-4 months of abx and continued herbs only for another couple months. I used an herbal powder blend that contained Japanese Knotweed, Sida Acuda, Cats Claw, and Houttuynia. The product is called Samsara Tick Recovery. I had to take about 2-3 times the dose the package recommended to knock symptoms back.

Started on Doxy in Feb/Mar 2018 until I sought an LLMD - officially started treatment in August 2018. Just coming short of 5 months now.

Plenty(some?) herxing still, but im worried about my treatment stalling. Ive barely touched any of the harder abx, but im not expecting any miracles. Done too much research and read too many stories... as most experienced members have.

Lets be honest here; I don't expect ever to be 100%. And im not exactly sure what to expect if hypothetically i **did** find myself well enough to stop Abx.

You'll find people have been treating from anywhere from 0 - 10 years imo; though 1-5 is probably most common. YMMV though; its a multifactorial problem(s).

Missouri said...
Have you tried Ceftin or Minocycline? Both worked very well for me where Doxycycline was not effective at all

For what infection? Lyme, or something else? Or was the diagnosis unclear?