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Posted 10/14/2014 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
I started biaxin a couple weeks ago. When I ramped up to full dose, herxed quite bad, so backed off to 1/2 dose for a few days, symptoms of herx got better. Ramped back up again...and had bad night last night...vibrations, sore in the middle of night...and not feeling great this morning...doing the detox and it's helping slighlty.
So I am going back to half dose again for a few days...when I ramp up next time, i will do it slower...I will go to 3/4 dose for a few days, then full dose.

Although the herxes are bad...I can handle them as long as I know that's what it is...and it's killing the lyme bacteria, which will help me heal.
But, I often question...is that what's happening?

So...if I didn't have lyme disease and took these antibiotics...this wouldn't happen would it? If a person who doesn't have lyme disease takes these antibiotics...they wouldn't get an increase in symptoms...correct?

Just wanting confirmation....
Posted 10/14/2014 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
"So...if I didn't have lyme disease and took these antibiotics...this wouldn't happen would it? If a person who doesn't have lyme disease takes these antibiotics...they wouldn't get an increase in symptoms...correct?"

Correct!
Posted 10/14/2014 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks sarah. When I feel so lousy, it worries me - that I'm ignoring something else .... like cancer.
But, if it's a herx...then I can deal with it.

That makes sense, doesn't it....people who are taking antibiotics for other reasons - like a pneumonia, or bladder infection...they don't get an increase in symptoms, and additional ones...
Posted 10/14/2014 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
Not really. I used to get a lot worse when I took abx for bronchitis that would get pretty severe, but I had untreated Lyme too! So it's quite possible that it was a herx from the Lyme and not the other infection.

There really aren't a lot of others that get the herx other than tick-borne infections, Syphilis, and Candida as far as I'm aware of. Cancer doesn't respond to abx like that.

I would say it's most likely this is another herx, since you just raised your abx dose, and that you have a good plan - remember us talking about this before? You said that you would have trouble raising your dose more slowly, but thought you could find a way.

Do more detoxing and raise your dose slowly and I'll be you will make progress!
Posted 10/14/2014 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
Lyme is such a wretched awful thing.
Posted 10/15/2014 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
Also - if you don't do anything specific for the herx, and it subsides...within several hours...does that mean it wasn't a herx?

I herxed part-way through the night last night, and it continued this morning. I had to be somewhere, so had a shower, drank some water with lemon and went on my way.

By about 3:00 p.m. most symptoms had calmed down. But, I didn't do much...is that possible? - just a warm shower and lemon water...was going to do a bath, but ran out of time. Maybe it wasn't a herx?
Posted 10/15/2014 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
Girlie,
When you herx your body isn't getting rid of the toxins fast enough so you feel bad till you can get it flushed out. Some people herx for days, I've never herxed for days, I can get rid of the feeling bad usually if I do the detox drops pretty frequent and drink tons of water within 1/2 day or so, sometimes in a few hours.

I guess everybody is different. I usually back off on my meds if it gets to bad and only had one bad herx when I thought I was going to die and almost went to the ER. It also passed within a day but took me a few more to get back to my normal bad feeling self, lol.

Almost 1 yr into treatment, feeling so much better now. Still have a few symptoms here and there but going days without pain meds. I clean big homes for a living and a big house used to make me feel like I was beaten but now it's like I didn't do anything.

Hang in there, it will get better.
Posted 10/15/2014 11:39 AM (GMT 0)
How are you doing today, Girlie? Any better?
Posted 10/15/2014 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with Revive - it really depends on so many things as to how badly and how long a person herxes.

I just came out of a three week herx due to having to restart my herbs - it was like the flu from he11 - but I made it, so now that I'm detoxing regularly, I shouldn't deal with any more herxing, other than a slight increase when I overdo it - at least that's how I'm hoping it goes again!!
Posted 10/15/2014 4:09 PM (GMT 0)
"So...if I didn't have lyme disease and took these antibiotics...this wouldn't happen would it? If a person who doesn't have lyme disease takes these antibiotics...they wouldn't get an increase in symptoms...correct?"

yes - I agree with this. Because I took antibiotics (way too often) for various reasons before I had lyme, and I never herxed. This is also how I know I didn't have lyme before October 2013!

As you read on my other thread, I am herxing now, and I tend to herx constantly until I get rid of all of the toxins. As time goes by, the herxing level gets lesser and lesser. As in the previous responses, herxing is different for everyone.

I detox by drinking tons of lemon water, taking alkaseltzer gold twice a day, taking charcoal caps at night, and taking daily Epson salt baths.

how are you feeling today??
Posted 10/15/2014 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone!

I am feeling better so far today...it's just after 10:00 a.m. here...so kind of early to tell.

I ended up staying on the full dose of biaxin...was going to reduce...but decided I could handle it.

I think part of my problem is my symptom severity gets clouded with the one main issue - my upper left side - the nerve pain, weakness, poor r.o.m. in my left shoulder blade, arm, hand, and index finger.
I think that some of my other symptoms are somewhat better, but that particular one is quite severe...so I don't notice so much when my others have improved...if that makes any sense?
I am charting my symptoms twice a day...but it is difficult - have about 30 on the chart..."is it a 3/10 today...or a 4/10? then an hour later..."oh, now it's a 5" ....two hours later..."it's now a 2".
So I have decided to rate them twice - once within five minutes of waking....and then in the evening when things are usually at their worst.

That one day, though, two weeks ago when I was almost symptom free for a few hours...my left side felt good, too.
That does give me hope that if it can happen once...it's most likely not permanent damage...and can be fixable...maybe I'm sticking my head in the sand...but at this point I have to believe...

I have my telephone Dr. appt. Friday - and this may sound stupid...but I'm concerned to tell him that I'm not much better...for fear he will stop treating me.
The one thing that has changed, though, is symptoms that seem to be bart are coming to the forefront - feet hurt more, rib pain, chills (not sure if chills are bart though)
Posted 10/15/2014 5:17 PM (GMT 0)
regarding detoxing - I can't seem to find Alka seltzer gold in Canada...maybe I should order online...if it's a good detox agent.

I have to get off my butt, I was going to order burbur and/or pinella, too.

Maybe i should start a new thread and see if I should do both burbur and pinella...or is it overkill.

Also wondering about the charcoal...how does it work...and does it pull the antibiotics out of your system? Can you only do it at night?
Posted 10/15/2014 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
I haven't really been on the biaxin that long - I know it can take 4-6 weeks. It's just over two weeks, but I lowered dose for a few days in that time...
Maybe the doxy/zithro just wasn't working for me...and the biaxin just needs more time.
Posted 10/15/2014 5:27 PM (GMT 0)
Activated charcoal is a binder, so you need to take it 2 hours before any meds/supplements/herbs/food and 2 hours after any meds/supplements/herbs/food - or it will bind with them and not the toxins and usher it out of the body. Basically you need a 4 hour time period where you are not eating, drinking, taking anything that you don't want the charcoal to bind to. I find it's easiest for me to take it in the middle of the night when I get up to use the bathroom - it's like clockwork for me!! eyes

You may only need to use one or the other of the pinella and burbur - I'm not sure what they specifically detox. You should still start only one at a time to see how well you tolerate and how well they work for you.
Posted 10/15/2014 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
Yes charcoal. Is good stuff! And traveler gave all the right advice. I usually stay up til midnight so that's when I take it!
Posted 10/15/2014 9:00 PM (GMT 0)
I totally get what you're saying Girlie. Sometimes I can tell I'm having a herx. Other times I'm not so sure, cause the symptoms are weird to me, plus it comes and goes during the day and lasts for a few days and disappears. I have gastric issues and have lost a lot of weight. So of course the first thing that comes to mind is cancer. I still sometimes worry the doctors missed something and it's just hiding in me somewhere. But other times I think it's just Lyme and I'm overreacting.

Traveler- just reading what you wrote about cancer not reacting to abx like that, felt sooooo good to read. I was thinking about how my energy level has improved over the last couple months I've been on abx, plus my weight has leveled off a bit. I'm still heavy, just not losing it as fast. So I was thinking, if it was serious, like cancer, my energy would still be next to nothing, I would still be losing weight and I would still feel as bad as I was at my worst. Thank you so much. You just made my day.

Chapelle- You said you take alka seltzer gold twice a day. My new llmd gave me some for herxing and said to use as needed. Will it detox me regularly? Do you take it after meals? After meds? i have gastric issues and use to take tums daily. But I laid off them when they were testing me and said they can cause more damage down the line. So I've been hesitant to take it. Suggestions?
Posted 10/15/2014 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
cheetah - yes alkaseltzer gold is excellent for detoxing. I was herxing constantly for a long time, so I was on it regularly. I stopped for a few weeks, but I am taking it again. I take it with meals, yes, and with all my other supplements. Tums is calcium, and alkaseltzer is potassium and sodium (plus citric acid) - so they are different from eachother. I do know that a possible but Rare side effect of alkaseltzer could be damage to the gastric and/or intestinal lining. I would definitely run this by your GI doctor before adding it to your regimen.

girlie - I am an ebay seller, so I looked alkaseltzer up for you. you can buy it on ebay, and they ship internationally. check out this link (I am not the seller of this, LOL)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alka-Seltzer-antacid-relief-gold-effervescent-tablets-36-ea-Ships-Worldwide-/191272281423?pt=US_Dietary_Supplements_Nutrition&hash=item2c88b7654f
Posted 10/16/2014 12:22 AM (GMT 0)
Girlie... Out of azithromycin, doxycycline, and even amoxicillin... Biaxin is the best one for lyme.

I thought I was well, with no symptoms,.. Then I went on the biaxin... And I herxed for like 2-3 weeks straight! Then all of a sudden nothing! Lol. It was just like another pill. I took a biaxin yesterday and I had a very faint spinal herx that lasted for 5 minutes and that was it.

Stay on that one! And for some reason I really like the taste in my mouth from that one. Like 2-3 hours after taking it I get a metallic like taste in my mouth? Do you get that? Anyways I really like that taste, I don't know why... The tastiest antibiotic I've ever taken.
Posted 10/16/2014 2:23 AM (GMT 0)
I hope you are having some improvements. I'm still not well but better. I'm finding that I'm slowly doing stuff that I couldn't do before but I'm still not able to work. I've had a few moments of feeling pretty good, then I sink back down.

I feel like I have little signs that I'm on the right track but I still fear something could be missed. I'm just too fed up with doctors right now to bother. But watch for those little signs.

I'm working on removing my mercury before going back to lyme treatment. Like I couldn't bend my knee and it was in incredible pain. I was having a hard time walking. I had one little filling removed and my knee got way better. I gained weight after the remediation. It's a slow process to put all the pieces together and to be patient for progress, but I think you'll get the confirmation you need.
Posted 10/16/2014 2:24 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the feedback everyone!

I will try to find the alka seltzer gold here in canada..maybe a different pharmacy will have it...if not I will check out the link, Chapelle.

Lymepickle! I thought you were being sarcastic about the taste of biaxin...yuck...you really like that aftertaste? I do not like it at all.
But, one good thing...a few days ago I couldn't remember if I had taken it...and I waited...and yup...got the taste...so knew I had taken it.

The ammoxicillin doesn't have an after taste...but it has a "before" taste...which I don't like either.
I've always had really sensitive taste buds...

OK - I will stay on the biaxin...and herx til the cows come home...
Posted 10/16/2014 2:28 AM (GMT 0)
Louise - I can tell you're getting better...as I remember what some of your posts were like before. Hope you continue to improve!

My son mentioned to me and a friend of mine that I was doing better. And I said, "I don't know...maybe I've just learned how to deal with it after having this pain for so long".

But, who knows...maybe other people can see a difference before we can, sometimes?
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