Can anyone tell me how I’m supposed to take Artemisinin? I’ve herxed bad on it on too high a dose before. Can you start slow? My doc says to do three days on, four days off, gradually increasing the dose. Is this right?

Sickawhile said...
Can anyone tell me how I’m supposed to take Artemisinin? I’ve herxed bad on it on too high a dose before. Can you start slow? My doc says to do three days on, four days off, gradually increasing the dose. Is this right?

Welcome to the forum Sickawhile

I followed what LLMD MR (Seattle) recommends.
I think it was similar to what your Dr proposed.

“ Artemisinin 100 mg 2 or 3 pills 2 times a day for 3 days on the medication then take 11 days off. Continue this 14-day cycle. The goal is to reach 5 pills 3 times a day on the 3 days the med- ication is taken. I use artemisinin this way because the intestines develop an enzyme that destroys this herbal medicine if it is used longer than three days. Be aware the dose on the 3 days is quite strong. Often it causes a worsening of the Babesia symptoms beginning on the second day and sometimes lasting until six days later. If a person is very medicine sensitive, I start at 1 or 2 pills 3 times a day. Artemisinin often does not work well for Babesia from tick bites on the East Coast of the U.S.”

good luck and keep us posted on how you get on

So I started on Sunday taking 2 - 100 mg artemisinin capsules 2x a day with meals. Then did the same thing Monday. Then yesterday I upped it to 3 - 100 mg pills 2x in the day with meals. Today my head and neck feels off, and somewhat foggy, and this morning I nearly passed out in the shower when I was doing my neck exercises. Definitely a herx beginning with this. Stopping today and waiting the 11 days to do it again.

loski01 said...

Girlie said...
Artemisinin often does not work well for Babesia from tick bites on the East Coast of the U.S.”

Is this referring to B. Microti?

I’m not sure - It was on llmd MR Treatlyme book

My llmd doesn’t distinguish one strain from another.