Not doing well....

The IV zith and mepron are fine. But the rifampin is giving me horrific morning panic that lasts all day! I'm taking 300 mgs so far. Was supposed to increase to 450 next week.

Called LLMD, and was told to back down to 150 mgs. I just can't bring myself to take it. I still woke today with the same horrific panic even though I didn't take it. I think I will skip a few days because I still have to drive an hour each way for my IV's until I get a PICC next week. I can't drive like this.

Maybe next week I'll try 150 mgs every other day for a week. Then 150 every day. Then 300 every other day.....

Why is this so horrible? This happened last time I took rifampin....back in Nov/Dec. it makes me sick with anxiety. Like every nerve is in panic. I shake, have a pounding heart, and buckets of adrenaline rushing thru my body! ALL DAY LONG! I want to jump in front of a bus to make it stop! Lol.

I'm not sure if this is a huge head herx since all of my symptoms are neuro, or if this is a lousy side effect of rifampin. Thing is, last time I took rifampin, it was for about 6 weeks. I never had any improvement. None! After a herx aren't you suppose to feel improvement?

I'm not sure how to get thru this. Detoxing does nothing. And I've tried a lot! Maybe it works for body herxes, but not the extreme head issues that I'm having. Pinella drops and Jernigan's CNS/PNS do nothing as well.

All I can say is that I'm suffering terribly. I can deal with a lot, but this kind of anxiety is pure torture. It makes me want to die! Which is crazy!

Sounds exactly like my bartonella when I'm not treating it. It really is a nightmare. I've been on bactrim for it for about 2 months and am seeing some results. The internal vibrating sensation with the terrible nervous panic feeling is surely enough to make someone want to die. You can't really understand it unless you've gone through it. I've tried explaining this symptom to so many people but I realized that they can't understand what kind of torture this symptom specifically is to me.

Hi Utahgal! I tried rifampin three years ago and I could not deal with the pain, gastro issues and anxiety. My LLMD back then never told me to go slow. I started rifampin again at Thanksgiving with a new LLMD who explained very slow to me because of my tolerance. I did 150 mg every other day for three weeks and then went to every day at 150 for three weeks. We then went to 150 mg in the morning and 150 mg in the evening for a month. I then increased it to 300 mg in the morning and 150 mg in the evening for about 3 weeks. Adding in the last 150 mg was easy. I only weigh 103 pounds and now the rifampin does not bother me.

I had anxiety the whole time but it was more tolerable and I took Valium for panic attacks as needed. I also was pulsing azithromycin, doxycycline and tinidazole the whole time while building up the rifampin.

I am hoping that rifampin does the trick for me. Good luck to you!

Thank you everyone. I really need your encouragement.

Thanks Lou! I will try to really go slow. Popping 300 mgs at once was way too much!

I actually take Pectasol-C. I haven't noticed any improvement on it.

If Pectasol-C has little or no effect, than the most likely cause is low GABA levels. Talk with your physician about this.

http://www.vitalityandwellness.com.au/health-blog/low-gaba-levels-increase-gaba-naturally

Hi utahgal i feel like this every second was really bad last night when i started doxy and plaquenil i really wanted to dye so i stopped and will.have to talk to my dr went back on ceftin because i can tolerate better not sure what to add i am so sensitive to everything may add herbals only but dont know where to start, you are not alone it sucks being scared all the time especially when you know its not you.hugs

Glad I could help!! and very happy to see you posting today!!