What can you tell me about minocycline?

Just got my lab work done again...to check my liver enzymes. My Alkaline Phosphate is in range, so is my GGT, and my ALT is just a tad over the range (it's 59 and should be <50)

So, I'm going to start the mino tomorrow.

I'm assuming it's like the rest - take with food. I am going to start 100 mg once daily - my LLND actually instructed me to do that...he said to watch for dizziness and blue skin and teeth.
Strange, as he's never talked to me about starting any of the antibiotics at half dose...or discussed potential side effects.

After a week - I can go up to 200 mg daily (100 x2) - unless I look like a dizzy SMURF, then I guess i will stop taking it.

So...what's been your experience with mino? Any issues? heavy herxing? hard on the guts?
Did you get dizzy? ....or blue?

I think I read it was hard on the liver...which won't be good.

bump

Hey Girlie,

I was fine with mino through the summer months. It was also easy on my gut and could handle mino and most other ABX on an empty stomach.

I have a dead cochlear with constant tinnitus since Aug 1991 caused by a phantom virus way before Lyme treatment, so I can't tell if all the abx I took made it worse.

Good luck with it.

So - I know with Doxy even if Dr said take on mt stomach - it is suggested to take with food because we are on antibiotics long term.

So with Mino - we shld be taking on an empty stomach?

I am concerned about the tinnitus. If I get it, and discontinue the Mino right away, will it go away?

I couldn't do doxy - I stayed on it for a month last July and I was extremely sun sensitive with it. I am a blue eyed, freckled fair skinned gal - and burn in half an hour in the sun anyway - so the doxy was not good.

I'm thinking Mino may be the same.

Which makes me angry - I could have been on the Mino in February - so now it's summer and I gotta cover up and even that might not be good enough.

Maybe I will wait til next week to take it. Or stop it on Monday for a few days - as we are going on a three day vacay - will be at a resort with an outdoor pool/hot tub and the weather is supposed to be sunny.

I'm so tired of this - I want my life back!!

Thanks Celeste!

Well, I'm so anxious to get going on it...what about starting it on the half dose my LLND suggested...and take it for three days...stop for three days...and start up again.
I'm having some symptoms return since my 'break' and am starting to get worried...

I may feel crappy anyway...as I'm backsliding....I kind of want to nip it in the bud...even if it's only three days of abx.

One things about Doxy/Mino is that they seem to really have some positive side effects:

These findings specifically concern to minocycline as it has recently been found to have multiple non-antibiotic biological effects that are beneficial in experimental models of various diseases with an inflammatory basis, including dermatitis, periodontitis, atherosclerosis and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Of note, minocycline has also emerged as the most effective tetracycline derivative at providing neuroprotection. This effect has been confirmed in experimental models of ischaemia, traumatic brain injury and neuropathic pain, and of several neurodegenerative conditions including Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury. Moreover, other pre-clinical studies have shown its ability to inhibit malignant cell growth and activation and replication of human immunodeficiency virus, and to prevent bone resorption. Considering the above-mentioned findings, this review will cover the most important topics in the pharmacology of minocycline to date, supporting its evaluation as a new therapeutic approach for many of the diseases described herein.