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IS RIFAMPIN TOLERATED WELL?

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Posted 1/22/2020 6:03 PM (GMT 0)
I have just been switched from Bactrim to Rifampin today by my LLMD. I am hoping I can get feedback from those that have tolerated it well. I have read many post of those who could not tolerate it either from side effects or Herx.

I began treatment targeting Bartonella around the end of September on Bactrim and Clarithimycin as well as High Dose Amoxicillin and Probedicid. I continue to take the same with the replacement of Bactrim for Rifampin.

I have speech and balance/walking symptoms that have not improved since starting the Bartonella treatment 4 months ago but i have heard that it usually takes up to 6 months to see any improvement. Hoping the Rifampin makes the improvement I need.

I have been on many other ABX since starting Lyme treatment the end of 2018 and the only one thus far I could not tolerate was Minocycline.
Posted 1/22/2020 6:25 PM (GMT 0)
I tolerated Rifampin okay, and it seemed to help me the first time I used it after I had had a couple months of Minocycline, Tinidazole, and Ivermectin. I tried it again (alone) 2 or 3 months later after a relapse and didn't get much relief in two months so quit (did tolerate okay that time also). I don't know if I had become resistant to the Rifampin or that I needed to hit Babesia before the Bart treatment would be affective.

I'm doing Dr. J protocol now (in Lyme/Babesia) and probably won't be targeting Bart for another few months at least.
Posted 1/22/2020 7:34 PM (GMT 0)
it helped and its effective however it burns other meds and cortisol twice as fast due to liver enzymes used to process it . many stimulants were needed to handle life ...after enzymes went up inswitched to zhangs bart combo of allicin and hh2 with relief of vertigo at month 9 ...hang tuff u will be ok plus dont be alarmed when your pee is red from the dyes ...
Posted 1/22/2020 7:59 PM (GMT 0)
I tolerated Rifampin quite well.

Rifabutin is another story.
Posted 1/22/2020 9:14 PM (GMT 0)
I did fine with both rifampin and rifabutin. Just turned my pee orange
Posted 1/22/2020 9:49 PM (GMT 0)

Aerose91 said...
I did fine with both rifampin and rifabutin. Just turned my pee orange

I found Rifampin turned the pee a deep orange...but Rifabutin wasn't quite as colorful. Did you experience the same?
Posted 1/22/2020 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
LOL Oh yes I’m peeing the orange that I was warned from my LLMD.
Posted 1/23/2020 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
I didn’t think it was hard to tolerate. I had some herxing with full body pains but nothing extreme. Detox as much as you can. Good luck!
Posted 1/23/2020 4:05 PM (GMT 0)

Girlie said...

Aerose91 said...
I did fine with both rifampin and rifabutin. Just turned my pee orange

I found Rifampin turned the pee a deep orange...but Rifabutin wasn't quite as colorful. Did you experience the same?

I don't exactly remember. I wasn't on rifabutin too long because I had no improvements so Dr M took me off.
Posted 1/23/2020 4:29 PM (GMT 0)
I stopped the rifampin because it just didn't work. I switched to minocycline to treat bartonella.

Also rifampin can cause adrenal problems, and it stained my teeth a lot worse than minocycline.
Posted 1/23/2020 4:55 PM (GMT 0)
I have a hard time with a lot of meds. No problem with rifampin. Been on it for at least a year. Don't know if it's really helped that much or not. It's a bit of a pita working it in around all the other meds and meals.
Posted 1/23/2020 11:54 PM (GMT 0)
Rifampin is the first choice drug for Bart. I tolerated it for 8 weeks paired with minocycline the first time and it got me to remission, but both times Ive tried it since I’ve ended up In the ER. My LLMD says about half his patients can’t tolerate it, but if you can, it’s the first choice for Bart since it is the only commonly used drug thst is bactericidal and it penetrates the BBB.
Posted 1/24/2020 6:00 AM (GMT 0)

Solaris719 said...
Rifampin is the first choice drug for Bart. I tolerated it for 8 weeks paired with minocycline the first time and it got me to remission, but both times Ive tried it since I’ve ended up In the ER. My LLMD says about half his patients can’t tolerate it, but if you can, it’s the first choice for Bart since it is the only commonly used drug thst is bactericidal and it penetrates the BBB.

Have you tried Rifabutin? It’s stronger than Rifampin.
Posted 1/24/2020 12:07 PM (GMT 0)

Girlie said...

Solaris719 said...
Rifampin is the first choice drug for Bart. I tolerated it for 8 weeks paired with minocycline the first time and it got me to remission, but both times Ive tried it since I’ve ended up In the ER. My LLMD says about half his patients can’t tolerate it, but if you can, it’s the first choice for Bart since it is the only commonly used drug thst is bactericidal and it penetrates the BBB.

Have you tried Rifabutin? It’s stronger than Rifampin.

No, I don’t think it’s commonly prescribed over rifampin (at least here in New England) but I will never touch that class of drugs again. If you can tolerate rifampin it’s the best shot at getting Bart, but for me now it makes me feel like the closest thing to death I’ve ever felt. I know it works though, my first go around it brought me back from the lowest of lows to basically symptom free in 8 weeks (was a tough 8 weeks because it did so much killing of Bart). If I could have only tolerated it a little longer Maybe I wouldn’t have relapsed 6-7 months later but my body basically shut down after taking it by the end.
Posted 1/30/2020 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
I was able to take it with no trouble, meaning it didn't bother my stomach. However, it made my thyroid meds not work. My TSH went from around 1 to 19.87 in a couple of months. I have Hashimotos' Hypo, so I didn't have any symptoms to alert anyone that something was going on.
Posted 1/30/2020 10:13 PM (GMT 0)
Rifampin interacts with a lot of medications.
Posted 2/1/2020 2:27 AM (GMT 0)

bluelyme said...
it helped and its effective however it burns other meds and cortisol twice as fast due to liver enzymes used to process it . many stimulants were needed to handle life ...after enzymes went up inswitched to zhangs bart combo of allicin and hh2 with relief of vertigo at month 9 ...hang tuff u will be ok plus dont be alarmed when your pee is red from the dyes ...

I started Zhangs Protocol two weeks ago. It’s definitely stirring stuff up. I feel it’s getting areas that other treatments weren’t before by my intense symptoms. It’s too soon to know know but I feel intense “die off” in waves. I hope I don’t herx badly. I usually do on week 3-4 on any new regimen. Fingers crossed.

I’m being treated for Lyme and Bartonella. How are you doing now after treatment?
Posted 2/2/2020 1:21 AM (GMT 0)
Rifampin also made me really tired when I first got on it which is a side effect. But once you get used to it I think that goes away.
Posted 2/2/2020 5:08 AM (GMT 0)
Solaris : “ If you can tolerate rifampin it’s the best shot at getting Bart“

Actually the fluoroquinolones are the most effective - but many don’t want to take the risk with the black box warnings.
Posted 2/17/2020 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
“ Do any of you think that being on the mino for a week minus the rifampin will affect it's efficacy? “

Affect Rifampin’s efficacy?

No, I don’t think so.

I did mino for a month and then added Rifampin. (With my previous LLND)
I did lose a lot of symptoms on that duo.
Posted 2/18/2020 9:37 PM (GMT 0)
Cignet do you mean lightning bolt headaches that migrate in the skull and only last a couple of seconds? Are you sure it's the bartonella?

Sure the mino + rifampin combo could definitely help with the cerebral issues thanks to the high BBB permeability of the mino. This ABX combo could also help get rid of the dysbiosis in the gut but I'm afraid it won't restore a 100% healthy gut microbiome. You'd have to reintroduce healthy probiotics for a certain period of time in order to achieve that.

Post Edited (insomniaaa) : 5/19/2020 5:07:14 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 2/19/2020 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
Re: FMT - we had a member who was getting FMT from her partner.

I can’t remember her name - I’ll try to find the thread on it.
Posted 2/19/2020 1:06 AM (GMT 0)
Here it is

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3477209&r=x
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