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The purpose of pulsing

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Posted 11/14/2019 5:40 PM (GMT 0)
As I posted in a recent thread, I am currently using a protocol used by an LLMD in CT for Bartonella - Diflucan combined with Tetracycline. This is given in a pulsed regiment - 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. The first 2 weeks on went extremely well, I made a lot of gains with minimal side effects. Unfortunately now I have to take 2 weeks off.

My question for the board is: what are the reasons you have been told by your LLMD or seen from research on why pulsing method is done?

With my regiment, I understand that a big part of it is that Diflucan is hard on the liver.
I had my liver function tests done and my enzymes etc all fine. Is the reasoning to allow your body’s own immune system a chance to try and get back into gear? To give the gut a break (this is related to immune function, too, of course).

I don’t have any other infections, but I’ve also heard for those with Lyme that it may prevent biofilm and cyst formation and also may prevent resistance to abx?

Just curious to see what others’ experiences have been as this has been my first time pulsing where I’m off abx totally and it makes me nervous that I will lose some of the gains that I’ve made even though Bart is a slow growing pathogen.
Posted 11/14/2019 6:40 PM (GMT 0)
LLMD Dr J only does pulsing.
I believe he has always prescribed the abx that way...

Few reasons that I recall

- you can take more abx - that would be very difficult on a daily basis.
Ie - one of my protocols had me taking 4 (or was it 5?) abx all in same day.

- pulsing allows you to recover on the days/weeks off.

- pulsing gives you a picture of your baseline on your days off

- pulsing may promote the bacteria to come out of cysts and biofilms once the threat is gone

- pulsing allows your immune system to kick in on the days/weeks off.

This is important because the immune system needs to pick up once abx are stopped at end of treatment.
Posted 11/14/2019 6:50 PM (GMT 0)
My LLMD just had me start pulsing azithromycin as 2 weeks on and 1 week off. I'm on 2nd month of doxcy as well for Lyme and Bart - will see how this goes! Newly diagnosed with both....I understand it is to give the gut a break too. I've had no results on doxcy - no improvement but no side effects either yet.
Posted 11/14/2019 8:01 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Girlie. It seems pulsing is very beneficial but it is so very tempting to want to take abx as I feel pretty close to normal while treating (Once I’ve found a good combo) , have not experienced herxing on this protocol (just steadily felt better over the course of the 2 weeks), and historically whenever I’ve stopped I’ve fallen back significantly.

Perhaps some of it is mental/anxiety related, but I guess I need to try my best and fight through it. I’m hoping that after each 2 week cycle my symptoms will be less and less and not just a temporary band aid. I have an email out to my LLMD asking if it’s okay to take herbs on the 2 weeks off

KRae3, what doses of Doxy and Zith are you on? Since Zith has a 3 day half life you can pulse it a number of different ways. Doxy is usually taken 200mg twice per day if you can tolerate it.
Posted 11/14/2019 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
Solaris - yes I've been on 200mg doxcy finishing 2nd month and have been told to renew. Just started 250mg azithro for a week, then 500 for 1 week, then 1 week and repeat with 500mg for 2 weeks on another week off for the next few months. If i can't handle that she told me to go back to the 250 azithro....pharmacy gave me about 30 pills of 250mg I think.
Posted 11/15/2019 5:37 AM (GMT 0)
My immune system is doing the killing for the moment, but when I was taking herbs for treatment I took them 3-4 days a week.

My practitioner wanted me to take them daily but I did my own pulsing because I was herxing to much on the treatment days to get any good work done.
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