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Flagyl - Brain Inflammation (UPDATE)

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Posted 8/11/2020 3:44 PM (GMT 0)
My gynecologist prescribed 500mg of Flagyl taken 2x day for 7 days for bacterial infection. After delaying a week, I decided to take it.

The first dose gave me very slight headache that lasted briefly. Then I felt a burning inflammation feeling in the back of my head that feels like it’s coming from my brain or area outside the brain as opposed to the scalp.

So far (after 3 doses), it has remained mild and hasn’t seemed to worsen, yet it’s still a worrisome symptom.

Just now, I went into Starbucks to get something to eat so I could take my morning dose. After getting in there, I felt a sharp pain and throbbing in the back of my head and that brain inflammation kind of surge. This was BEFORE I took my morning dose of Flagyl. I just took dose number 4 with 10 more to go.

Is brain inflammation a normal reaction to Flagyl or does this indicate something serious?

Will the brain feeling stop after I am done, or could this have triggered something permanent?

I was already having worsening symptoms before I started the Flagyl that I am convinced are from mold in the remediated house I moved into 2 months ago. I am thinking the Flagyl may be increasing my mold sensitivity due to toxins, but not sure.

I was hoping/expecting the Flagyl to hit something in my gut since it is broad spectrum and even hits some parasites. So far, I don’t feel any action anywhere except my brain.

Post Edited (WalkingbyFaith) : 8/18/2020 9:32:11 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/11/2020 3:55 PM (GMT 0)
It is a cyst buster - the spirochetes have been released.
Posted 8/11/2020 4:19 PM (GMT 0)

Girlie said...
It is a cyst buster - the spirochetes have been released.

So what happens to the released spirochetes? Can Flagyl kill them, or will they now spread everywhere until I take other treatments to kill them?
Posted 8/11/2020 5:26 PM (GMT 0)

WalkingbyFaith said...


So what happens to the released spirochetes? Can Flagyl kill them, or will they now spread everywhere until I take other treatments to kill them?

Your body can kill them on its own, you're just going to feel like you're herxing. I took Flagyl twice for c diff before I knew I had Lyme and I had absolutely drenching night sweats and horrible body odor. I may have had other symptoms, I don't remember. This was 20 years ago so I'm guessing the Flagyl plus my immune system killed off a bunch of the Lyme, because I wasn't sick with Lyme back then.

Take some activated charcoal to mop it all up and see if it helps.
Posted 8/11/2020 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks! I forgot I also broke out in a sweat shortly after the first dose but the sweats didn’t continue. I have the HLA-DR Lyme gene, so I wonder if my immune system will be able to identify and do much.

The only herb I am taking right now is Japanese knotweed. I dropped sida acuta when I started Flagyl due to it being a tincture. Those were the two I was done to, as I had run out of everything else. I will order more herbs. Hopefully they will arrive by the time I finish Flagyl.
Posted 8/11/2020 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
Flagyl is an antibiotic - so it may be taking care of what’s been released.
But - generally a combo of two or more abx are necessary.

Maybe Buhner’s herbs would help?

I wouldn’t rely on your immune system to take care of it - that’s why we are treating - our immune system isn’t handling it
Posted 8/11/2020 6:59 PM (GMT 0)
I'm still trying to figure out my reaction to Flagyl. I always react to it (usually delayed consisting of infection symptoms), but I'm not yet sure if it would just make me worse taking it alone or if it would bring improvement. I'm currently thinking that I need something in addition to Flagyl to really make progress.

I feel like when I'm taking Flagyl that I need another ABX along with it to kill whatever Flagyl is "releasing". Is the Flagyl releasing Bart in some way??

I took a day of Flagyl (500mg 2x day) about 2 weeks ago and have been in a significant flare now for at least a week. Also, taking Biaxin and Rifampin so am waiting to see how things will pan out.
Posted 8/12/2020 1:38 AM (GMT 0)
if you herx like this on flagyl you'd herx on clindamycin too
Posted 8/12/2020 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
I found this referred to in an older thread:

http://lymemd.blogspot.com/2015/12/cyst-busters-we-had-it-wrong-all-along.html

Here is a comment someone made at the end of blog. There are so many ideas.

"You are right that tinidazole kills cysts poorly however tinidazole forces the bacteria to take a spirochete form where drugs such as azitromycin can kill it of. There is a reason why cyst busters are taken in combination to broadspectrum antibiotics. I remember when I was on only azithromycin for the first week nothing happend. I just started to shake. One week later when I added tinidazole the worst "war" started in my body. Constant tinnitus from the antibiotics."

This gets my attention because of how I seem to respond to Flagy.
Posted 8/18/2020 3:46 PM (GMT 0)
UPDATE:

I finished the 7 days of Flagyl Sunday morning. While taking Flagyl I dropped Sida acuta and only took Japanese knotweed powder, so I haven’t had anything but JK since Sunday a week ago.

The brain inflammation was felt the first few days then left. The next couple of days my joint and foot pain improved. Then on Saturday, the joint and foot pain started back, but not as bad. (Diet is probably contributing to that, as well.). Still, I really felt better all over for a couple of days during the middle of the Flagyl treatment.

Yesterday morning (24 hours after final dose), I woke up to nerve pain. I had gotten up a couple hours earlier to use the bathroom and went back to bad. When I woke up again, I felt nerve pain start in my head and travel through my body. I have had that before when I was living in the relative’s house sleeping on the sofa. Hadn’t had it in well over a year.

This morning, I did not wake up to nerve pain, but after eating breakfast I feel some brain inflammation and inflammation inside my nose (that started Saturday).

I am very thankful that so far, I don’t seem to be having a cytokine storm like I have had every other time I have taken 7 days of abx for other things during the past 4 years. Praying things stay calm.

I AM in mold exposure again, though. I got the CIRS lab results yesterday and it was indicative of current exposure. My symptoms have screamed mold exposure since we moved into the remediated house 2+ months ago. My mother has been complaining of all sorts of symptoms, too, since we moved here. Air purifier arrived today. Maybe it will help something. We’ll see.
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