doxycycline and side effects

On around January 1, 2014, i was first diagnosed with Lyme and coinfections of bartonella, babesia, and candida. My naturopath immediately started me out for 3 weeks on doxycycline for 6 weeks plus natural supplements.

Almost immediately, i suffered severe pains in my right knee and right elbow. It was thought that this was good for me in that it was a strong herx reaction and i accepted this logic. It is now 3 years later, and somehow the elbow is now back to normal but the right knee is another on-going problem. My being able to walk at all is now in question as the knee seems to go into collapse mode every several steps i take and i have to have an adjacent wall beside me or a cane at all times. Even walking a 100 foot distance is a big undertaking for me now. Because this is now a condition that has lasted and morphed over the last 3 years into this current state, the explanation for my knee problem has to be looked as not a bad herx after those initial 6 weeks of doxyxycline. My current thinking is that i am suffering from a bad side effect of doxyxycline wherein it destroyed some of my basic knee structure and so far no amount of naturopathic remedies has had significant effect in giving me relief from my knee pains nor has anything helped in getting me to walk better. In fact, now, 3 years later, my ability to walk is worse than ever over the last 3 years.

My thinking has changed and i am now in an anger state at this drug doxycycline. The herx was a misinterpretation of a bad side effect of this doxycycline. When one looks this doxy up on the internet, one sees mention of knee pain and major joint pain. I am going to be asking my naturopath what the makers of doxycycline perscribe for curing the bad side effects of this medication. I can say that a 3 year herx is not a herx and i hope that my knee is not permanently maimed to a point where it is unrepearable.

My feeling of anger at the situation i find myself is very high and i do not know where to put this anger and frustration and the knee pain will go on one step at a painful step at one time. I find myself using a silent ouch now so often when i walk anywhere any time, and that includes in house trips to the kitchen and washroom. Thanks to doxycyclene i am not a certified as a handicapped person ready to be fitted into a wheel chair the rest of my life. Thanks to doxy and thanks to the naturopath not recognizing the cause of the injury to my knee.

I don't think doxy caused this. The infections, particularly Lyme, go after our soft connective tissue.

Matter of fact, I found a number of scientific sites that state doxy has been used successfully in reducing the cartilage deterioration of joints.
Here's one: /www.antiaging-systems.com/61-doxycycline

What often happens when we begin treatment that threatens to destroy the Borrelia bacteria is it goes deeper into our tissues and bony areas as part of it's evasive measures.
Herx's tend to be located in areas where the bacteria have been congregating too.

Using doxy or any abx could have made the situation obvious, but I don't think it was a direct cause.

Post Edited (julymorning) : 4/2/2017 5:29:28 PM (GMT-6)

julymorning said...
Girlie, he made a thread about this back in January. I can't link it here, sorry.

I remember him talking about his knee and the ND fixing his elbow...but can't remember what happened - did he try the treatment on the knee as well?

I will do a search for it.

Okay - here is the one talking about stem cell treatment:

www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3580013

I thought it was PRP he had done...I was mistaken.

xfmlg - what about the procedure you had on your elbow - can it be done for your knee?

Girlie: You mention stem cell therapy. I have had many sessions of stem cell therapy over the second half of 2016. That did have some positive effects. I know it did shrink my knee from a diameter of 7" or even 8" but it seemed to get stalled once my knee reduced to 6" diameter. We stopped that treatment and 3 weeks ago, the naturopath did more testing of me and completely changed my list of supplements. I was at a point of using 25 different ones and i think some of these were fighting each other in my stomach and i complained. He reduced this to only 6 and i have been on the new regime not even a month. I hope there will be progress. It just hit me today thinking about my situation. What was the cause of that explosion in my knee and elbow. Why did the elbow heal and the knee did not? Why did new swellings arise in my left ankle and foot? What is going on? The naturopath hinted that maybe my problem is because of my blood type. I have AB+ blood in me and this type often reacts differently than do normal blood types. Still a lot to learn. And here i would like to rejoin the Harrison Hikers sometime soon. I must be dreaming about that one.

xfmlg said...
Julymorning: The site you mentioned does indicate the positive aspects of Doxy. That site does not show any of the bad side effects when using doxy. Please type that in your compute and you may see some horror stories re its side effects. xfmlg

You do realize that you can get any kind of slant to an answer that you want with web sites, don't you? Not to insult you in anyway, but the way you post a question will bring the answers you want, most of the time.

It's important to be neutral in your questioning, to not lead google on. (or whatever search engine you use)

Please cite a source or two where your kind of knee blow out was caused from Doxycycline. Or any kind of joint injury.

XFmig,

Sorry you are going through this. It sounds terrible. Hugs to you.

I took Doxcy and it was awful but nothing like this happened. Unfortunately there are bad abx. side effects and perhaps that may have happened. I am trying to do herbs from now on.

A few products that may bring relief:
1. Professional Health Products: Connective Tissue Liquescence (love this product)

2. Wobynzyme PS - swear by this product for reducing inflammation

3. Collagen flakes to replenish collagen loss

Feel better and again, sorry you are going through this.