Best abx for Lyme?

For me metronidazole has been the best so far, but I'm still new to this. I take metronidazole every day, not pulsed.

500 mg twice daily. I got really sick and had to stop treatment. My LLMD put me on metronidazole for possible c-diff. I ended up having pancreatitis, but when that settled down, I realized most of my pain was gone! When the two week course ended, the pain all came back.

I saw my doc Friday, and she put me back on it for at least the next month. I'll be adding in ceftin and azithromycin. I started taking it again Friday, and each day my pain is decreasing.

I thought it was weird because metronidazole is supposed to just be a cyst buster. But I found a paper by Eva Sapi where she showed metronidazole (and tinidazole) also ave activity against the spirochete form. I also saw a news article that featured a Lyme patient that said metronidazole was her miracle drug. Who knew?

For me personally... Based on both my experience and own personal research.

I think the best 3 are minocycline, clarithromycin, and tinidazole.

It all depends on who you ask though, generally to fully treat Lyme you have to cycle antibiotics around. For example minocycline is better for the nerve infection and brain infection, clarithromycin is better for deep tissues and the musculoskeletal system.

Tetracycline actually shows results in test tube that it works better than doxy does... However in the body tetracycline doesn't necessarily get into all the tissues as well as doxy. Minocycline is the best of all the tetracyclines in terms of tissue penetration.

Tinidazole is the best overall drug to treat Lyme though. But it is also hard on the body. Flagyl is not as effective as tinidazole, and tinidazole is also better tolerated by most people. Both of these drugs get everywhere in the body, so that isn't an issue with these medications.

Most will find that a protein synthesis inhibitor with an Azole (flagyl or tinidazole) is the most effective combo.

I don't know about the cell wall drugs but 3rd generation cephalosporins are supposed to work well. Ceftin, supax, omnicef, are all pretty good cell wall drugs.

What is cephalexin?

Minocycline and flagyl are pretty good for Lyme though.

Keflex is "ineffective against Lyme and should not be used". Actually just quoted from out why can't you get better book. According to his work and clinical experience it isn't effective for Lyme disease treatment.

I took:

1. Minocycline
2. Minocycline + banderol + samento + Houttuynia
3. Minocycline + rifampin
4. Minocycline + septra DS + tinidazole
5. Minocycline + septra DS + Plaquenil + tinidazole
6. Minocycline + septra DS + Plaquenil + grapefruit seed extract
7. Amoxicillin + Houttuynia
8. Amoxicillin + septra DS + Houttuynia
9. Minocycline + tinidazole + wild cherry bark (mino + tind pulsed every second day)
10. Minocycline + septra DS + clarithromycin + Plaquenil + grapefruit seed extract. (Current)

Out of all of those combos I was on, the best one was minocycline + tinidazole + septra DS + Plaquenil. That got me well from the depths of deep Lyme disease to almost completely well in 6 weeks. This combo cleaned out my brain.

The clarithromycin is a close second I think because it worked well on musculoskeletal symptoms.

In this books he has the following combos for Lyme:

Amoxicillin + probencid + macrolide (biaxin XL is what he recommends as best, but azithromycin and clarithromycin are also good) + Plaquenil

Bicillin + Plaquenil + macrolide

Cephalosporin + macrolide + Plaquenil

Doxy + Plaquenil

Macrolide + Plaquenil

With bartonella add on: septra DS, quinolone, or rifampin. Quinolones cannot be mixed with macrolides or Lariam due to prolonged QT intervals.

With babesia add on: mepron , malarone, Latham, or cryptolepis with neem or aretemisia. He uses one babesia Rx and one babesia herbal.

So he treats: cell well drug + intracellular drug + cystic drug + bartonella drug (if co-infection present) + babesia Rx + babesia herbal.

Cystic drugs include: flagyl or tinidazole pulsed. GSE taken if a patient cannot tolerate flagyl or tinidazole.

Flagyl and tinidazole have the worst for herx reactions apparently. And can cause a neuropathy, so it is good to take vitamins B6 and B12.

Also based on research. Tinidazole is clearly now the better drug for Lyme of the Azoles. It even knocks out biofilms. Also it is recommended to use serrapetase, lumbrokinase, or nattokinase to break down biofilms and blood clots where bugs can hide.

I read another few Lyme doctors blogs though and many of them claim a cell wall drug is not always necessary. Because the intracellular drugs still get to inside cells and outside cells anyways.

For musculoskeletal symptoms, I had sore burning muscles, fatigue, some connective tissue pain. I also had muscle fascillations and twitches. I think the biaxin worked best for this. Oh the tinidazole worked for joint pain though. My knees cleared out of all issues. And so did all my other joints.

Ask for minocycline + clarithromycin + tinidazole if you feel you can handle it. The tinidazole is pulsed. Plaquenil can make intracellular drugs like minocycline and clarithromycin work 40% better.

Do you have any co infections like Bart?