HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Razzle (or anyone else) - a question on co-infections - esp. bart

Support Forums
>
Lyme Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 3/13/2010 3:01 AM (GMT 0)
Razzle, you brought up in the post on adrenals: "Some think that treating Lyme without treating coinfections (such as Babesia) enables the coinfections to surge forward while the Lyme is getting beaten back...thus no relief from the treatment for Lyme."

 

Maybe you or someone can answer something that's really puzzling me.

I was treated for lyme with doxy, zith, and flagyl in 2006 for 18 months. Never got to feeling 100%. I'm fortunate though that my lyme was not as serious as many here.

In Dec I got a new rash, enlarged lymph nodes,  severe headache etc. and the rash was identifiable as a bartonella rash.

So now I'm being treated with the same 3 abx  as in 2006. I guess I've had the bart in me all along (since 1992).

What I'm wondering is why didn't those abx knock the bart out of me along with the lyme back then. And why would my LLMD think it's going to get rid of it now?

I know that many LLMDs don't pick those abx for bart, so am wondering how I'll really get well. Wish it would have occurred to me to ask at that appt when it was prescribed.

I've been feeling much better after 6 weeks of abx, but wondering if it will last this time.

Maybe I'm asking an unanswerable question.

 

Posted 3/13/2010 3:12 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Korissa,

The antibiotics you are on are not effective for treating Bartonella. Levaquin or Rifampin are used to eradicate Bart. That's why it never knocked it out previously. Are you seeing a LLMD?
Posted 3/13/2010 4:38 AM (GMT 0)
I agree with CajunGrl that the abx you are on aren't likely going to work a second time around any better than they did the first time if your symptoms are indeed from Bartonella. If I were you, I'd contact your doctor and ask what they think is needed to get rid of Bart...maybe your doctor doesn't know how to treat Bart? It is hard to get rid of from what I understand, but that doesn't mean it is impossible...

Cheers,
Posted 3/13/2010 4:57 AM (GMT 0)
She is an LLMD. and an ILADS member. So I'm mystified by her choice.

I was suspecting bart when I saw her in Jan. and wish I'd informed myself about abx before I went. She recognized my rash as bart immediately.

I'm kind of scared of Levaquin and what it can do to tendons. Don't know much about Rifampin.

Since I'm halfway to my appt end of April, I'll continue what she prescribed and see what she says then.

She suspected lyme had returned, so maybe that's why I'm getting better.

I know it's supposed to be hard to get rid of bart, Razzle and see you have it listed in your tag-line as chronic. Did any of the meds you've taken help? And wondering if you had it and got rid of it CajunGirl???

.
Posted 3/13/2010 8:18 AM (GMT 0)
I was told it was chronic in my case, because I went so long before getting diagnosed. I have not had treatment for Bart officially, though I was on Cipro early last year for a skin infection...but the symptoms are still there, so I suspect so is the Bart.

I have heard that a combination of Vitamin C and Magnesium reduces the likelihood of tendon problems from the fluoroquinolone abx (such as Cipro, Levaquain, etc.).  I did not have any tendon problems when I was on Cipro, but I have been getting most of my nutrition (including magnesium) via IV due to swallowing problems and other gut problems.

Take care,

Posted 3/13/2010 10:06 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, I do have Bart and was put on Levaquin but had to get off of it because of high liver enzymes due to taking diflucan. I have been on and off of Levaquin for a few years now and have never had the tendon pain. Not saying that it couldn't happen, but for me, it didn't. I notice though that everytime I am on it, my symptoms reduce dramatically so I'm hoping to get back on it as soon as my enzymes get back to normal.

What symptoms of Bart do you have besides the rash? I have very bad headaches that do not go away easily, foot pain, anger issues(this has gotten better though), I have the wide, red stretch marks but always thought it was from pregnancy. I still have them after 15 years. I can't think of other symptoms that I have but there is a few more. Oh....I have the nodules under the skin and those red bumps on the skin as well.

I have read that co-infections need to be treated first before one feels better from Lyme. This is what my LLMD was doing with me before my liver enzymes went up.

You may want to read www.ILADS.org It will help guide you on what antibiotics are best to take.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply