I have noticed that everybody seems to be taking different abx's, I know that some of this is due to co-infections and what not. Has there been any proof that intra abx's work better than oral, have any of you had more success with intra? My son and i have been on Biaxin, plaquenil and minocycline, has anyone had success with this combo? Is anyone else taking Plaquenil? I haven't noticed anyone mention this med. My son has had improvement with this combo, but not with his fatigue, he is more fatigued now than before he started, but I guess that is normal since the lyme is being killed off. But as for his attitude and irritation, they are under control now. But I have felt no improvement, I have had LD for almost 10 years, but was diag. in Oct. Is intra better for late stage chronic LD? Has anyone actually been cured and no longer relapsing? I took just plaquenil for a year in 2000 because my rheum. thought I had Lupus, and I went into remission for 2 years after. I didn't feel completely energetic, but was coaching soccer and working full time. Then bam all of a sudden was struck down again! Thanks for any advice you can give! Sarah

Hi Sarah

I started off on biaxin and plaquenil but couldn't stand the metallic taste so he switched me to ceftin. I have had definate improvement but am still really struggling with the fatigue. I also was diagnosed with Adrenal Insufficiency so I have more exhaustion than usual. I will say that when I first started the abx I was so tired I couldn't hardly function. I was also herxing for long periods of time. My sister was also just diagnosed with Lyme and she is on the biaxin and plaquenil but it has only been a week. I don't know if oral abx are better or not. I was only diagnosed in Nov 2006 after being sick for 2 years. Maybe at some point he will try IV on me but for now this seems to be working. I hope you both feel better soon.
Kim

Kim, thanks for the info, I have AI also, am going to endocr. doc for it thurs. I was diag with AI 4 years ago, so I know what you mean about the fatigue. Dont' let doc's put you on Cortef, it's bad for the LD, kind of a catch 22 there. I went to a Homeopathy clinic today to ask questions and they want me to get my lab results from endocr. doc first, cortisol, ACTH, TSH T3, T4, etc. and then they said they can put me on a program to help cleanse and detox, this may actually help pretty good before I start taking Abx's again, I think? Any one have a clue? I know what ya mean about the bad taste that biaxin leaves, my son takes it though and he doesn't notice, go figure! Thanks for your reply and good luck with your treatment.

Sarah
I have hypothyroidism also. I forgot to mention that I am on synthroid. I had my adrenal levels tested in October and they are so low my graph was flat. At least then I knew why I was so exhausted all the time. I was diagnosed with Lyme after that. My LLMD said once the Lyme gets killed off then my adrenals will start to recover. I hope so because dealing with this fatigue is really hard. Good luck to you too. I will be interested in what treatments the doctors recommend.
Kim

Kim, My endocr. diag. me with Hypo last July also, My T3, T4 and TSH were "normal" by the lab range but he said that they were not normal by his range, and he put me on Armour, this was before I got the Lyme diag. I have alot of different specialist! The Armour was the most disgusting thing I had ever smelled or tasted. I just couldn't take it, and it made me feel horrible, probably because it was affecting the LD. And then my LLMD told me not to take steriods after my orthopeidic surgeon injected me with Kenalog. I know that from research, what my LLMd has said and talking to the Homeopathic doc today that LD messes up the adrenals and the thyroid. Did your LLMD prescribe the Synthroid? Is it gross? do you think it is helping? I know when I go to Endocr. Thursday he will want to put me on something, but I don't know if this is a good thing or not considering these are steriods. It's so complicated! If anyone else is reading this and has advice, experience or anything please let me know. Thanks for info and help! Sarah

Sarah
My LLMD did give me the synthroid. Before I started it I was hungry all the time. Within an hour after eating, I would be starving. It has helped in that I no longer feel like that. I don't know if it has helped me in any other way. I am so tired all the time anyway, so I don't think it has helped with that. I was borderline low but with the lyme, he decided to give me some support with it. It doesn't taste bad. It is just a small light purple pill and very easy to swallow. I would like some advice also on what to do for the adrenal problem. Please let me know what happens with your appointment and what you decide to do.
Kim

Hi Sarah.

Everyone's body is different, everyone's symptoms are slightly different and not everyone is infected with the same strain of bacteria or have the same co-infections. Some folks want antibiotics and other folks prefer to fight the disease naturally without traditional drugs.

That's why Lyme patients all have different protocols.

I put my trust in the opinion of my LLMD and I pretty much follow whatever she prescribes. Other folks here follow treatment programs from books or naturapaths or herbalists or thier gut feelings.

It's different for everyone.

Prescriptions I have taken include: ceftin, biaxin, omnicef, doxycycline, tetracycline, plaquenil, levaquin, thyroid medicine, sleep aids, sleeping pills, tylenol with codeine and naproxen.

I also take a bevy of supplements that don't require a prescription including milk thistle, bromelain, MSM, 5-HTP, cats claw, AG immune, essential oils (DHEA?), ninja juice and probiotics.

So, each one of us is different.

For me personally, Levaquin worked the best. For someone else, it may not have worked.

According to my LLMD, plaquenil is an anti-inflamatory which also helps drugs be absorbed by the bloodstream. To be honest, I have felt no diffent and I've been taking it more than a year.

I hope I answered your question.
:)

Hi,

As Mickie mentioned, there are many, many strains of Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme organism), over 200 in the US alone. Also, it seems as if the majority of people with Lyme also have one or more co-infections which complicates things still further. For this reason, while there are certain meds which are effective against these diseases, there is no one specific medication or combo which is best for everyone.

The LLMD I went to used a very effective protocol involving combinations of up to three antibiotics or sometimes 2 antibiotics combined with Mepron (in the case of people co-infected with Babesiosis). Every 4 weeks the combo was changed to prevent the bacteria from becoming resistant. I was on this protocol for about 18 months and it was extremely effective.

As for i.v. antibiotics, it is going to be more effective because it passes through the blood-brain barrier and more of the medication reaches the tissues where the organisms are present. That is the problem with late-stage Lyme- the organisms are no longer merely in the blood but have disseminated throughout the tissues of the body.

Hi Sarah.

Everyone's body is different, everyone's symptoms are slightly different and not everyone is infected with the same strain of bacteria or have the same co-infections. Some folks want antibiotics and other folks prefer to fight the disease naturally without traditional drugs.

That's why Lyme patients all have different protocols.

I put my trust in the opinion of my LLMD and I pretty much follow whatever she prescribes. Other folks here follow treatment programs from books or naturapaths or herbalists or thier gut feelings.

It's different for everyone.

Prescriptions I have taken include: ceftin, biaxin, omnicef, doxycycline, tetracycline, plaquenil, levaquin, thyroid medicine, sleep aids, sleeping pills, tylenol with codeine and naproxen.

I also take a bevy of supplements that don't require a prescription including milk thistle, bromelain, MSM, 5-HTP, cats claw, AG immune, essential oils (DHEA?), ninja juice and probiotics.

So, each one of us is different.

For me personally, Levaquin worked the best. For someone else, it may not have worked.

According to my LLMD, plaquenil is an anti-inflamatory which also helps drugs be absorbed by the bloodstream. To be honest, I have felt no diffent and I've been taking it more than a year.

I hope I answered your question.
:)

6Blues,

If it's okay. I would like to make a new thread to you. I have a few questions about Levaquin.

Chantel