Antibiotics pulse protocol

I haven't been on Rifampin yet...hope to add it soon, though.

Yes, definitely start one antibiotic at a time.

And, make sure you up your detox.

Rifampin is an effective bartonella treatment...but I've read it can be hard on the liver.

Rifampin is powerful. It hit the bartonella in my body hard. Go slow!

While in theory adding one abx at a time should tell you if you have issue with one of the drugs that's not really the case. It could just as easily be the combination of any or all the drugs or the die off that triggers a reaction.

I was on Biaxin, Rifampin, and Alinia to treat Bart. My LLND had me start each drug two days apart. Within 24 hours of starting the Alinia I could barely move and felt as if someone had lit me on fire. I was sure it was the Alinia and yet if I took Alinia without any of the other abx's I was fine. It's that the three abx's together make an amazing killing cocktail. My body adjusted over time.

It's been mentioned a lot recently that taking Alka Seltzer gold daily will help you handle the abx's and the herx by alkalizing your system. You can buy them online.

Maybe you should wait the two weeks before starting your abx. then. You've had lyme disease for many years - am i correct?
If that is the case, then two more weeks really won't make that much difference...if it gives you a little peace of mind with the work situation.
I know our health is most important, but we also need money (employment) to afford treatment.

Another reason to start one at a time...is this: If you do everything at once, your body could have a really strong herx - that is very unpleasant...and not healthy as it creates inflammation in the body....

If you start off with one...and you herx in a few days...you can get it under control with detox before adding in the next antibiotic.

Girlie, true, I see your point.
I guess I also have to ask - isn't pulse therapy supposed to knock the critters hard? And if I do things one at a time, I'm lessening the effect, right?
I'm not trying to side with taking them all, I'm just weighing all the pros and cons. I'm with you - I can't handle getting a huge herx from everything. I can't lose my job, not right now.... and I'm scared crapless about the herxing from all of them. I'm a writer and a writing teacher besides my day job and on August 5th I have to teach kids creative writing at a local camp for two hours! I need to be well enough for that....

anyway, I digress. Yes, my LLMD says I've been sick since infancy... with compromised immune issues and bowel problems after we went over my health history. I could have been bitten by a tick in childhood as I was at summer camp a lot.... or when I was 20 and 21 up in Maine when I worked and lived at an arts camp.... or last summer when my symptoms of fibro and CFS and peripheral neuropathy all exploded onto the scene - two weeks prior I was in Florida and then the Iowa woods.... so it could have been then. What's horrible and funny is WHILE i was looking at the research about chronic lyme and learning about it, I found a tick lodged in my scalp IN MY CAR!!! The irony of that is just sickening.

I was partially pos. for many bands on both IGG and IGM igenex tests for lyme... was positive for lupus and hashimotos and "on my way" to getting inflammatory bowel disease. Adrenal insufficiency and low magnesium and zinc and copper and NO fatty acids in my red blood cells. He was quite upset over that though I don't know what it means, medically speaking.

So that's my quick history.

Coco - you wouldn't be doing them one at a time - except at the beginning.

You would just start with one, and a week later add the second one, etc.

Eventually you would be on all of them...but just taking some time to get them all added in.

If it was me - I would start with doxy on Monday, then the next week add one, etc.

Is the Clindimyacin for babesia? I haven't heard it used for bart before...

So, he wants you to do all 4 antibiotics on M, W, F and ? for two weeks on , then two weeks off.
You said 4 days - so is it M, W, F, S?

All four together will pack quite a punch. So, definitely start with one only the first week, and add the second one in the next week. Hopefully only taking them for 4 days a week will minimize your herxing. Also, the two weeks off will give your body a break as well.

Is Diflucan a Yeast/Fungal med?

If so - is it preventative measures or do you already have a yeast issue?

If you have a yeast issue, then you should get on that right away - even before antibiotics.

Add the Flagyl in last.

Coco-clearly that's the easiest thing to address you as

Many people on here have serious yeast issues. I don't and I don't believe Girlie does either. From reading some of those posts yeast gets everywhere including the brain which is why Girlie said to start the yeast/fungal meds now. Piroutte has some great posts on how to treat yeast and she is more than happy to help anyone. Find her most recent thread and ask away or email her.

I agree with Girlie start with Doxy. If you are detoxing like crazy and have no issues add another drug. You will know after a few doses if you are going to be able to continue to fully function. None of the abx's stay in your system very long so if you have to reduce the dose or wait you should be fine within 24 hours.

Did you tell your LLMD that Flagyll made you suicidal last year? Lyme and the co infections and many of the abx's that work to treat them create tremendous amounts of anxiety and or depression. If that's a med that's dangerous for you to take, you shouldn't take it.

You mentioned a dairy reaction. Almost all of us are off dairy, gluten, sugar and so much more.
The situation with your husband is unfortunately very common. I'm really sorry you are not getting the support you need. I'm glad you found this board. You will get that support here.

Janet

So the Diflucan is only to be taken twice a week - even tho you have big yeast problems?
I would be interested in what Pirouette has to say, as I'm not familiar with the yeast/fungal meds - as I haven't been on them.