Medication break/Herx

Hi guys,

I haven’t been on for a while, I hope you are all faring well. I finally started proper antibiotic treatment with Dr. L in Dublin after attempting to self treat and failing miserably with Doxy and herbs.

I started on more of a Lyme focused protocol at first, herxed badly for 2 weeks, improved for 2 weeks, and then coinfection symptoms started to cycle again. He’s since increased doses and is now targeting Lyme and Bartonella. I was ok’ish on this for 5 days until another major herx hit.

The first herx was a little easier to deal with as I had so much fatigue it kind of knocked me out and went by in a blur without me having to stop meds. This one is hell as it’s hit my nervous system, vibrating, head and ear pressure is relentless, plus I’m nauseous, vomiting and wired this time rather than fatigued.

Dr’s advice is - if symptoms flare up stop until they settle and restart Mons Weds and Fri’s and build up to full dose again slowly over 2 weeks. I took 2 days off until it settled, restarted, and began to flare/herx like hell again the day after.

Can I just ask how long is it safe to be off meds for please before restarting? Also, does anyone know what a sharp pain at the bottom of right rib cage towards the middle is? It always comes with vein swelling in hands and arms and this miserable head pressure, and goes when the rest does. It drives me nuts trying to figure out what infection is causing what, although looking to much into everything probably isn’t doing me any good.

Sorry, the question on medication breaks has probably been asked before but I’m so bad today it’s taken me an hour to write this, can’t cope with a search.

i agree with Girlie

we all want to be through treatment and well as quickly as possible - but trying to go to hard or fast to begin with is often counter productive.

everyone has different tolerance for treatment - some can take full protocols from the off - and others just flare and have to stop

many LLMD's take a pulsing approach with 1-2 weeks off - in-between rounds - so i think 1 week is safe

i think of it as peeling away the layers of infection that have built up over years - cant all be done at once - we each have to go at a rate our bodies can tolerate

Hey Girlie and Garzie! I hope you’re both doing as well as the last time I was on, thank you for your replies.

Hello Paul! I hope you are well too. I was thinking about you recently and wondered how you are, you really helped me a while back, thank you - when you’re going through hell, keep going - is basically what you told me in a nutshell, you were right

It’s good to know I can afford at least a week off if need be. Dr. L. has a set way of doing things changing meds every 2-3 months if need be so I try to keep up with instruction, which is silly, you’re right. I do pulse the Azithromycin 3 days per week but it’s a double dose so probably knocking my socks off.

I think you’re right about the liver Paul, I just looked at a picture of where the liver is and it’s exactly where the pain is, I’ve had it on and off since the beginning too. Interesting that you mention Babesia as I’ve always attributed my head and ear pressure to it and the liver pain always comes with that and goes when it does. I’m probably neuro herxing and having a Babs flare at the same time over here as it’s not being treated yet. Flipping hell, I didn’t think about that. It’s not like one microbe is going to have a day off just because you’re in the midst of a herx is it 😱 I’m taking NAC but have just ordered some l-glutathione, thank you for the advice.

I recently took about a 9 day break from abx, because I overdid it. Sometimes you just have to.

Paul B said...
I'm happy to say that I've made very real progress in that area as well as in others. I now do head and neck massage to help keep things clear.

I’m happy to hear you’ve made very real progress And I’m not surprised what with your determination and positive outlook on the situation. Apple Cider Vinegar duly noted, I’m having some now 🍻