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Has anyone been prescribed bactrim for just lyme

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Posted 10/29/2014 4:12 PM (GMT -5)
The llmd that I was going to, and still stay in contact with, Was very big on prescribing bactrim ds because he found it very effective against lyme. I tested negative for all the barts and had two blood smears thick and thin for babesia so it is assumed I only have lyme. I never really liked it but I'm curious if anyone else has been given it and was it effective.

Post Edited (daxwell) : 10/30/2014 12:52:41 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/29/2014 4:21 PM (GMT -5)
Im on Bactrim now (generic). There has been some confusion as to what co-infections I have. I tested positive through Igenex for Babesia, but I took another test and I tested negative for Babesia but positive for Bart. Anyway, Bactrim seemed to help with my muscle/tendon and bone pain. I haven no clue if those symptoms stem from Lyme or from the possible co-infections. I also noticed since taking it my twitching has calmed down quite a bit as well, which is from Lyme.
Posted 10/30/2014 12:48 PM (GMT -5)
Initially I would say no, that Bactrim was used specifically for co-infections. Someone on here mentioned it though I think LPickle...and I looked into it. Apparently in the past year a lot of doctors have been prescribing it for Lyme. I thought I was having an adverse rxn to it years before my Lyme diagnosis so I know it was doing something. I did also have coinfections though.
Posted 10/30/2014 1:31 PM (GMT -5)
There was new research that came out and published that yes Bactrim CAN be used for Lyme. It has a low MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) with values that are easily obtained in patients. However it doesn't have any MBC.

So it is not at all bacteriacidal, instead it inhibits their reproduction. So it's not a protein synthesis inhibitor either so the buggers will still be inside of you doing what they do, they just won't reproduce.

So if you take it, the Lyme will never get worse... It is just that there are more powerful antibiotics that can be used. Also Lyme may not go into a growth phase if you are using bactrim. The growth phase is when other antibiotics do an excellent job of killing the Lyme.


Oh and it's mechanism of action is inhibition of folate production by the Lyme bacteria. Without folate they cannot replicate their DNA for reproduction.

Post Edited (LymePickle) : 10/30/2014 12:38:27 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/30/2014 1:51 PM (GMT -5)
LymePickle - I'm a little confused. Are you saying that it doesn't kill Lyme but will keep it at bay, but if you are taking another abx, it will actually make that abx ineffective?

I did find this study
that www.nature.com/emi/journal/v3/n7/full/emi201453a.html#tbl1
shows that Sulfa drugs were very effective against persister bacteria. If I am reading this correctly, it looks like Daptomycin is the best drug in-vitro. i never heard of it and don't know what it's used for. I think this is a good study to use as it was done in part by Dr. Zhang from Johns Hopkins who receives grants from the Lyme research Alliance.

Let me know your take on this study.

Post Edited (daxwell) : 10/30/2014 1:17:12 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/30/2014 2:10 PM (GMT -5)
Yup that's pretty much what I am saying.

Lyme bacteria are almost all killed by say for example something like doxycycline or amoxicillin, but only during their growth phase. During the growth phase is when they are rapidly reproducing. If there is no rapid reproducing the abx are not as effective at killing them.

The bactrim will prevent them from going into this growth phase altogether, they need folate to replicate their DNA and go into this growth phase. One combo you can do is Bactrim with a cephalosporin. So they will not reproduce. And the cephalosporin will gradually just poke holes in them until they die out. Cephalosporins will kill even if they are not in a growth phase. (Not all cephalosporins work against Lyme I should add in... it needs to be either ceftin, Rocephin, supax, or omnicef)

Post Edited (LymePickle) : 10/30/2014 5:47:16 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/30/2014 2:13 PM (GMT -5)
Daxwell, I was given it a few weeks ago but in the 2nd week I broke out in a rash and stopped it. I've only been tested for Lyme and don't have any strong symptoms that say I have a co-infection.
Posted 10/30/2014 2:20 PM (GMT -5)
Be careful of developing a rash...as bactrim can cause (though rare) something called Steven Johnson syndrome.
It's a very serious condition.

Again, it IS rare.
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