xpeetzax said...
Hi everyone,
I am fast approaching week 18 of my bart/babs treatment protocol. My LLMD wants to take the next step and I will soon be switching out rifampin with rifabutin for my abx. I am currently on rifampin/malarone/biaxin/artemisinin. As of the last couple weeks it seems like I've reached somewhat of a plateau although I still feel like I herx a little every other week. My LLMD is telling me I will herx some more with rifabutin as it's a more effective drug and it will also raise levels of malarone and biaxin in my system (whereas rifampin lowered them before). She has me starting out slow...one pill every 3 days...then after a week every other day, then after a week every day.
Anyone been down this path and any advice or pointers as to what I should expect? If so, how long did you herx? Which abx did you take it with? I'm hoping this next step will catapult me into further improvement/and or remission/recovery after some herxing! Bar any complications of course... -_-
I'm not sure your Doc is correct about
Rifabutin raising the level of malarone.
I have read that it can lower it. And my NP also said they don't usually prescribe them together. Maybe call the pharmacist...although maybe its irrelevant since your Dr. is prescribing them together....and he must have experience with this combo working.
I was on Rifampin for well over a year - with minocycline mostly...and a few months with biaxin.
I plateaued on it.
I am now on Rifabutin (since end of August)
One week I take it with Dapsone/Daraprim and Ceftin.
Second week I take it with Mino and Clindaymicin.
I am hit hard with it - but I can't say it's the change from Rifampin to Rifabutin because the Dapsone/Daraprim could be causing the severe herxing that I'm experiencing.
After three cycles (each cycle is 4 weeks) I am feeling an improvement...finally...