Biaxin, MAJOR WORSENING

[LaurenK]

HOly H*** my son is so much worse after being put on biaxin by Dr. B. What does this antibiotic work against?? Thx

[aidansmom]

I copied the following from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000901/

 

Why is this medication prescribed?

 

Clarithromycin is used to treat certain infections caused by bacteria, such as pneumonia (a lung infection), bronchitis (infection of the tubes leading to the lungs), and infections of the ears, sinuses, skin, and throat. It also is used to treat and prevent disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection [a type of lung infection that often affects people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)]. It is used in combination with other medications to eliminate H. pylori, a bacteria that causes ulcers. Clarithromycin is in a class of medications called macrolide antibiotics. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections.

 

Other uses for this medicine

 

Clarithromycin also is used sometimes to treat other types of infections including Lyme disease (an infection that may develop after a person is bitten by a tick), crypotosporidiosis (an infection that causes diarrhea), cat scratch disease (an infection that may develop after a person is bitten or scratched by a cat), Legionnaires' disease (a type of lung infection), and pertussis (whooping cough; a serious infection that can cause severe coughing). It is also sometimes used to prevent heart infection in patients having dental or other procedures. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this medication for your condition.

 

Could your son have Lyme and/or Bartonella (sometimes called cat scratch disease)? Could this be working to kill one or both of these and thus causing herxing?

[momcap]

Looks like you got a pretty complete answer. Just wanted to chime in and say DS got WAY worse on biaxin too. We tried augmentin for 1 month, during which he raged non-stop. Then biaxin for 1 month. The first 2 weeks he raged, then he calmed down but got really swollen knees and 1 elbow, several different rashes, and fevers. Our Biaxin trial was when I really KNEW this was lyme, and made me finally order the Igenex WB.

[BoyIowa]

Does anyone have good results with biaxin?

We are on Augmentin XR and Zith for PANDAS, Lyme ( WB IgG positive), and recently found Myco P (IgG and IgM) and HHV 6 IgG. We were considering asking to switch the Zith to Biaxin XL. He was on generic clarithromycin before and did well with it, but was not on anything else at the time. My ds is 8 1/2, dose anyone think that combo may be too much for him?

[momcap]

Does anyone have good results with biaxin?

We are on Augmentin XR and Zith for PANDAS, Lyme ( WB IgG positive), and recently found Myco P (IgG and IgM) and HHV 6 IgG. We were considering asking to switch the Zith to Biaxin XL. He was on generic clarithromycin before and did well with it, but was not on anything else at the time. My ds is 8 1/2, dose anyone think that combo may be too much for him?

 

My son is also 8.5. He was 7 when we did the biaxin. I would like to revisit a trial of biaxin as well. It really kicked his bum with the extreme herx and stirred things up, but I think that's a good thing. We didn't know anything about detox or have any support for his body when we tried it. Maybe with proper support it would really make a difference. I keep thinking about it, especially b/c it's the drug of choice for myco p. We can't get a test for myco p in Canada, but I think DS has it. He wakes up every morning with a hacking/croupy cough. He's done this for as long as I can remember. We're in the U.S. for testing in Feb, and I'm going to ask for the myco p test as well.

 

Anyway, to answer your question - do I think that combo may be too much for him? Maybe. But it sounds like it might be worth a try, with a plan B if it goes badly. Definitely worth discussing with your doc.

[BoyIowa]

We tried clarithromycin when he was 7 for a chronic sinus infection. I recently spoke with another parent that is on Biaxin XL for the same things as our ds. Her child was a few years older than ours and was under Dr. Ts care. We did find a generic clarithromycin ER that would be cheaper for us. We don't get the coughing, but we do get the thick mucus and chronic sinus infections (while on antibiotics). Hope it works the same.

 

We recently added great vitamins, digestive enzymes and Methyl B12 so I think we have the support for his body.

[NancyD]

My DD was on Biaxin for Bartonella, in addition to Rifampin (and other abx for Lyme and PANDAS)and the Biaxin was REALLY hard on her GI system -- even with all the supplement support we were giving her. Ultimately we had to take her off it.