Babesia questions....

I haven't had any improvement in my symptoms after treating Lyme with aggressive abx for 4 months. Horowitz's book was recommended to me by several members on this forum.

I just read that many of his treatment resistant patients were actually found to have an underlying babesia problem. He mentions that babesia is a pig problem where he lives. He lives only 2 hrs away from me. So, I think I can safely assume that if babesia is a big problem there, then it is probably a big problem here.

My babesia test from labcorp came back negative. I understand that this is common and does not rule out babesia for me. Horowitz suggests using IGenex, with several tests...FISH, PCR, and IFA.

He also says to test BOTH babesia microti AND WA-1/duncani.

My symptoms are: severe weakness, anxiety, severe brain fog, insomnia.

I do not have classic air hunger. I did experience bad drenching night sweats while on rifampin, but LLMD says that was indicative of a herx.

So, could I have babesia even though I don't have air hunger or night sweats?

I did notice bad anxiety, weakness, and brain fog on babesia symptom list. Obviously they are Lyme symptoms too. But I honestly doubt that I ONLY have Lyme and NO other co infections.

Another local woman here said it took her 4 yrs to beat Lyme. She has been 100% symptom free for the last few years. She runs marathons and such! She said she did not get better until she finally treated babesia. She tested negative for it, but actually did have it! And her LLMD treated her with malarone. But it wasn't until she switched to a different babesia drug, that she got better. She couldn't remember the drug, but the malarone did not help her!

Thoughts?

....

I've never tested positive for Babesia, but when I had trouble responding to treatment for Lyme, my LLMD decided to try treating Babesia. I don't know if I experience classic air hunger. Sometimes it seems like I yawn a lot, but I also have a lot of fatigue. I never had night sweats before, but I started having them when I started herbal treatment for Babesia.

Does anyone know which herb I should take that would most likely evoke a herx response?

Buhner says Sida acuta, some say artemesin.
http://www.buhnerhealinglyme.com/basics/dosages-for-current-babesia-herbs/

I think you will like the taurine. Never tried it myself but it's good stuff. Dr K is giving it to many of his patients. From what I remember it's amino acid. Gaba is also good from what I am reading, but never tried it myself. I know 2 people that are using taurine and they are both improved with mental focus. One person of the 2 is using it to stop seizures. And it did stop seizures. Turns out that person was tested and was low on Taurine, so by given Taurine, the seizures stopped. That person is in Germany. Here, they just tell you the cause of seizures in unknown and they give you Keppra or whatever. I guess in Germany they are a little more serious and try to find out the cause of illness, rather than treating the symptoms.

I like Gaba - I am sleeping well and taking it...not positive it's because of it...though.

I tried Taurine and I didn't notice anything, but it's worth a try.

Our daughter tested negative for both microti and duncani through Igenex. She never had night sweats or air hunger. Our LLMD did not think babesia was involved. We trialed malarone and did get improvement in cognitive/executive function but not lasting. It didn't do anything for the remaining bartonella symptoms

A trial of CSA (cryptolepis, sida, alchornea) produced a babesia herx - air hunger, dry cough, chest pressure, thigh pain, no night sweats though. The LLMD diagnosed clinical babesia. CSA also resolved the remaining bartonella symptoms.

Buhner recommends more than sida for babesia. Check his webpage for the protocol. If you have questions contact Julie McIntyre. His full babesia, ehrlichia and anaplasma protocols should be out this spring.

We use taurine daily - 500 mg BID. And just a heads up, black walnut also caused babesia herx symptoms for our daughter.

Utahgal—

I think it's great that you are proactively looking for other viable reasons your tx is not moving forward.

When I first started seeing my LLMD, Babesia sx were dominant but they have mostly subsided for the time being, unless I take the BW A-Babs. I have been on/off the herbs for the past couple of months.

My sx were too many to mention but also included night sweats most nights, air hunger, cough, low blood pressure, chills, imbalance and a few other sx that could be either lyme or bart, which I have positive test results for. My babesia test for microti and duncani were negative.

But those are only 2 of many strains (I've read there are over 20 and have read that there are over 200 strains of babesia). So, the test is worthless, as expected.

She started me on BW A-Babs. Whenever I take it, I get diarrhea, the sweats, headache, and my feet feel extremely weird—warm and clammy and all the dry dead skin sloughs off. That is SO STRANGE but true. But most sx are not really bad just annoying.

That might not be a bad idea to use A-Bab to draw a herx—but a tiny bottle is $85 and you can generally only get it from a practitioner. I have an idea though if you want to email me.

When I advance with my lyme tx a little bit she's going to start me on malarone or mepron.

-p

You can purchase the BW formulas here:

http://www.forresthealth.com/byron-white-formulas.html

but will need an informational consult with their Dr before you will be allowed to purchase. I'm not sure how much that costs.