new antibiotic

[norcalmom]

Ds 11, started doryx three days ago. All had been going well. He had been on Azith, 500mg daily, for about a year.

 

He just woke me up saying his stomach hurt - and then he vomited. He said it woke him at 3:00am hurting, but was able to go back to sleep.

 

Last night he had his antibiotic a little late, but it was still an hour before bed. He didn't have it with food, because he ate a huge dinner 1 1/2 hours half earlier ...at 7:30 ate pizza, at 9:00 took antibiotic, at 10:00 went to bed...had probiotic before bed.

 

He had NO problem first two days. Actually two and a half, so he had 5 doses before this.

 

We are leaving for a week of family vacation tomorrow (not vacation for me!) . So now I'm wondering if I should spend the day trying to get another antibiotic for him, or is this fairly common? I know a minor side effect is stomach upset,but when I read "minor" I usually think discomfort, not puking up bile.

 

I'm hoping its just the food, or lack of it. Thought he would have had enough still in there - he had a while personal BBQ chicken pizza himself! I have him taking the doryx instead of docycycline because its supposed to cause less stomach upset (and other side effects)

Edited February 12, 2011 by norcalmom

[eljomom]

I've never heard of doryx....wonder why you switched from zithro. if it was working? Can you switch him back? I personally have taken doxy, not doryx, but if it's in the same family, unless I took it with food, and I mean WITH food, it really did do a number on my stomach. Could it have been the pizza? or even just a stomach bug? I know, sounds waaaaay too simple for our pandas kids, and probably is.

[PhillyPA]

Well, I have taken doxy for an extended period of time in the past. I can tell you that that is the harshest drug I have ever taken. Horrible stomach pains and nausea that did not go away the entire time I was taking it (about three months). I will never take it again. If the drug you are giving is in the same family - it was a nightmare.

[P_Mom]

My vote...I'd keep him on current meds and see if the stomach problems abate in about 24 hours. Sounds to me like it could just have been a simple stomach bug. It swept through our house lately....stomach pain, vomiting...went away, basically, in 24 hours. However, if the problem persists beyound 48 hours....then, I would check into changing meds. If you change too soon, and get improvement by switching, you won't know if it was the med change or the stomach bug resolving. It is always good to know what is going on .....sometimes people implicate too many things and change meds/supplements etc. before giving things a chance and then you really don't know what is helping/hurting.

Edited February 12, 2011 by P.Mom

[norcalmom]

thanks for all the replies..here is an update, and a possible lightbulb moment.

 

We switched antibiotics because we think he has mycoplasma. His IgG is off the charts for it. And, in order for it to be that high, either he would have it chorincally, or it would have had to break though the Azith he's been on for a year and a half. ..and without strong symtpoms. When I tested him for it, he was not symptomatic.

 

Doxy is treatment of choice for Myco P. Azith is good too. He was on Azith for pandas, and did well initially to it, but I just don't think it does anything anymore, and the reason we did the mycoP tests and lyme tests, was I wanted to make sure if we changed off Azith we moved to something appropriate.

 

Doryx is same as doxy ..and supposed to have less side effect and be much easier on stomach. i hope that isn't marketing since I paid over $400 for 30 days of pills, and insurance paid for part of that!

 

NOW FOR MY AH-HA MOMENT

Someone on the lyme board said this could be a herx...I thought, no, if yo look up the side effects it says vomiting is one of them, and its notoriously hard on the stomach from what I've read. Its not the flu,...BUT it is also weird that he has taken several doses and had no stomach issues with it thus far, that is doesn't seem like the side effect either. Its clearly not in his stomach anymore, and from what I read, THAT side effect is pretty immediate. Like some people just can't digest the stuff.

 

AND THEN I had a flashback to exactly 3 days post ivig. He vomited 6-8 times in 8-10 hours. Every hour or so, producing about a cup of bile each time. This is EXACTLY like that - he has now thrown up 3 times. Its 11 am he started at 8:00am...and since I'm watching each time, I can see it is pure bile (I've given him a little of burnt toast..but the bile is coming out of nowhere - he is EMPTY each time he is done...and only taking very small sips of fluid in between).

 

EXACTLY like post ivig. So now I'm wondering if post ivig was a herx...according to Dr K about 10-20% of his kids get this violent vomiting a couple days after ivig. Maybe those are the kids that have an active infection, not just the post infection autoimmune stuff...and the ivig is killing it of.

 

He had ivig on Thurs/Friday and violent vomiting on Sunday night starting at about 8pm...vomiting started approx 77 hours after first dose of ivig.

 

He had his first dose of doryx on Wednesday afternoon. Vomiting started approx 64 hours after first dose of Doryx.

 

We know he has myco P, which also causes herxing when treated. If killing it off can cause him to vomit and produce bile - then maybe the ivig and the dorxy did the same exact thing. I'm actually now HOPING he throws up some more.

 

PS - not the flu. he's FINE, feels fine until the need to vomit, and no one has the flu. Also no diarrhea.

 

Thats my theory at the moment. My son has an iron clad stomach. With the azith, even at high dose he never had any issue. I don't even believe in herxing...but if this passes in 24 hours and he is doing alot better right after that, I mean mood and OCD stuff, like he did after ivig- I will become a believer! I'll keep you posted.

 

For now I'm going to stick with the Droyx. I'll let him skip this morning dose, and see if the vomiting has stopped before dinner time, and give him another.

[P_Mom]

Seems like you have a direction.

 

Just a side note ( I hear this a lot)...but, the flu has nothing to do with the stomach. The flu is all upper/lower respiratory, fever, chills, etc. When people refer to the "stomach flu".....it is actually a stomach virus...not the actual flu. I am not disagreeing with what you have decided. My kids had a stomach virus that lasted about 24 hours....just vomiting (yes, so much it was bile)...and in between vomiting, they were outside playing! lol

 

Anyway, hope it resolves soon!

[KaraM]

We just switched abx from Zith to Clindamycin and started my dd8 on Predniose 6 days ago.

Wed. pm into Thur. a.m. she vomitted several times. Major stomach pain. No other symptoms (until after - she said she had a headache).

She hasn't vomitted since about 2.am Thurs.

We missed all meds Thurs. Gave her the Pred again Friday and just re-started the abx.

 

I think for her it was a stomach bug, though. My son had an upset stomach and a minor vomitting episode the same day. I had a headache and nausea the same day (but before she compalined of anything.)

 

There is definitely something going around the school - but we are on the east coast...

 

 

[philamom]

norcalmom-

Most give this abx with food. I think someone even said half way through a meal is better. I have been taking Doxy 100mg 2x day for a little over a month with no stomach issues. Many days I even take it on an empty stomach. I must have a strong stomach. Anyway, I'm hoping this is short-lived and he is feeling better for the trip!

Edited February 12, 2011 by philamom

[norcalmom]

Thank you all! Seems to have stopped. ..Thank goodness.