Treatment Changes

[Suzan]

I'm liking my new LLMD. She made some changes to my protocol which I like but I am nervous. Today I am stopping amoxcilin and starting doxycycline. I originally started with amox since I have a history of very bad nerve pain with doxy (probably a herx in retrospect). I am hoping I've killed enough lyme so that I can not herx too badly and of course we are working up slowly to the max dose.

 

She also changed my zithromax dose to daily instead of m-w-f. I am looking forward to hopefully working on the next level of all this stuff but I am nervous for the change.

 

As far as the children go, they can't take doxy can they? Is there another abx that kills the same stage besides amox that they can take if we need to switch things up for them?

 

Susan

[momaine]

My dd takes Minocycline and I think its from the same family as Doxy, but you might want to look that up. She is 14.

[philamom]

My dd(9) takes 50mg Minocin daily.

[Suzan]

Thanks for the minocin suggestion. I'll talk to our doc about it. However, my change to doxy does not make me anxious to change the girls meds. I have been so tired and not feeling well again and this morning had a wicked round of diarrhea. I'm upping the probiotics way up and ate yogurt all day today. That helped.

 

Doxy sure packs a punch. Continuing to assume this is a good thing and I'll keep it up to see how I do. Currently on 1/4 daily dose for another week. Oh yes, and for those who remember my paralyzed arm from last year, although it has full range of motion, it has continued to be a little weak. Since starting the doxy, it is much weaker than usual. I'm hoping this is a good sign too (I can hope anyway).

 

Susan

Edited April 12, 2011 by Suzan

[Suzan]

The doxy really has seemed to bring me some new energy and good mood. I can tell it's helping. But as time goes on, it just really upsets my stomach and gives me diarrhea. I take with food and drink water and take VSL#3 probiotics , usually 2 a day along with a couple of lower dose probiotics. I just don't know how long I can take all this gut upset.

 

Anyone have any suggestions? How long until I decide I can't take it? If I can't get used to it, I can't imagine going on this way for months. I think my LLMD expects I would be on this until improvement stops and we taper off abx, however long that takes.

 

I also get weakness in my arms, but I think that's a herx.

 

Susan

[momaine]

The doxy really has seemed to bring me some new energy and good mood. I can tell it's helping. But as time goes on, it just really upsets my stomach and gives me diarrhea. I take with food and drink water and take VSL#3 probiotics , usually 2 a day along with a couple of lower dose probiotics. I just don't know how long I can take all this gut upset.

 

Anyone have any suggestions? How long until I decide I can't take it? If I can't get used to it, I can't imagine going on this way for months. I think my LLMD expects I would be on this until improvement stops and we taper off abx, however long that takes.

 

I also get weakness in my arms, but I think that's a herx.

 

Susan

I had a bigger herx on Augmentin than on Doxy, but I couldn't keep taking Augmentin due to an allergy. However, the constant dose of 400mg of Doxy per day has really helped me a lot. My short term memory seems to be better 90% of the time. My fatigue is mostly gone, most of the time. The feeling of pressure around my eyes and feeling like I've overslept is gone maybe 50% of the time. My heels are probably 70% better. And my body temperature is back to normal about six days a week. On the 7th day, I usually get a fever and am freezing. When I wake up the next day, I'm fine again though. My stomach has been fine on the doxy but I'm super super sensitive to the sun and I can't even go outside with a hat and sunblock 30 on without getting a reaction. I can feel my skin burning in the sun.

 

I've heard that you get used to Doxy if you keep taking it. I hope it works for you or maybe you could switch to Minocycline yourself. Minocycline is supposed to be better than doxy for neurological stuff and as good for the other lyme symptoms.