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Recomended antibiotic doses

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Posted 3/23/2013 7:10 PM (GMT -5)
Hello,

I am from New Zealand and potentially got Lymes disease when I was in Europe in July 2011. I have been suffering from severe fatigue since November 2011. There are no reliable tests for Lymes disease in NZ, so my doctor has put me on 100 mg doxycycline just to see if it helps. Sadly even this low does has made me even sicker. As Lymes is not in NZ, my doctor knows very little about it. If anyone knows of any good studies on recommended treatment for Lymes (doses and types of antibiotics) please pass it on. Properly published peer reviewed papers would be great.

Thanks,

Terra :)
Posted 3/23/2013 8:07 PM (GMT -5)
Terra Dumont,

First i want to welcome you to the forum. We are glad that you found us, but not that you are suffering from this illness. You will find that the members are friendly, and are anxious to help you. I invite you to make yourself at home. I would encourage you to read the thread entitled "New to Lyme....Start Here". It is an excellent source of information with anyone that has this illness.

I don't know whether you have Lyme disease, but I have heard that some Australians have it. I don't think that it is far-fetched to believe that it also exists in New Zealand. If there are no reliable tests in NZ, how would the doctors know whether you have it or not? Also, the disease is often more of a matter of a clinical diagnosis here in the U.S. because the tests are so poor.

Most of the LLMD's here in the U.S. prescribe doses of at least 200 mg/ BID. 100 mg. doses are usually considered to be bacterialstatic, but not bacterialcidal. I don't know whether 100 mg doses are able to make the patient sick from a true herxheimer reaction. Maybe you cannot tolerate the doxycycline. I will not say any more, but I am sure that there are many members here that have taken doxycycline, and have something to say.

Here is a link to an ILADS position paper, and Dr. Joseph Joseph Burrascano, one of the Lyme pioneers:

http://www.ilads.org/files/position2.pdf

http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/treatment_guidelines.html

http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/B_guidelines_12_17_08.pdf


I wish you well in your quest to regain your health!

Don
Posted 3/23/2013 8:27 PM (GMT -5)
Hi Terra,

I did have a herx rxn to 100 mg doxy 2 day. Not too bad. Everything hurt more and I would get waves of nausea and fever in the afternoon. It might be worth it to print out a copy of the treatment guidelines Don posted above and give it to your doctor if they are willing to treat you.

A lot of us use herbs on here as well. You can check out buhnerhealinglyme.com for more information!

~beth
Posted 3/23/2013 8:41 PM (GMT -5)
Thanks heaps to both Beth and Don, good information :)
Posted 3/24/2013 9:10 PM (GMT -5)
Terra, if you feel worse on the doxy and your Lyme symptoms increased, it's probably the herxeimer reaction.

200mg of doxy will keep it from replicating, but will not completely kill it. Also, you need to be on combination therapy to kill the L-form and cyst form of the bacteria. Such as Doxy, Ceftin, and Flagyl (that's just an example). Since you do not have access to a lyme specialist, you could use grapefruit seed extract as a cyst buster.

There are also herbal lyme treatment and lyme co-infection protocols that you can use. For example, my LLMD uses a lot of Stephen Buhner's recommendations. He has a website that lists herbal recommendations. He also has a book out.

If you have a PCP that could monitor your bloodwork for liver and kidney function, that would be good. Whether on herbal or abx. you should be monitored.

Make sure that you are detoxing a lot. When the bacteria dies, it releases toxins into the body. To get them out, you need to detox. There is more info. on the New to Lyme thread, but the most basic ways to detox are tons of water with lemon, epsom salt hydrogen peroxide baths, sitting in a sauna.
Posted 3/25/2013 12:10 AM (GMT -5)
Mystery Illness,

I believe that you meant that 100mg of doxy will keep it from replicating, but will not completely kill it?

Don
Posted 4/1/2013 8:05 PM (GMT -5)
Thanks for all of your help! I am discussing antibiotic doses with my doctor and enjoying living in a house with a bath and spa! Not sure if it was just a coincidence or suddenly spending at least an hour in a spa or bath a day, but I am feeling heaps better than I have in ages :)
Posted 4/1/2013 8:21 PM (GMT -5)
Terra Dumont,

I am so happy for you that you are already feeling better. That's what this forum is all about- to help each other!

Don
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