Zithromax and flares

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

I find myself in quite a quandary and thought you all might be able to

help.

I have been going through a bit of a flare the last 3 weeks. It's really

not so bad (not like the christmas flare), but any flare is not a whole

lotta fun! I was finding it strange that I was set back so much since I

had had over 2 months without flaring and began trying to see if I could

determine what might be aggravating the RA. Well I think I found it.

It's the Zithromax.

Let me back up a minute.

When I switched doctors at the end of the year, Dr. Kempf requested I

stop taking zithromax (he didn't like the idea of me taking 2

antibiotics, and since he doesn't believe the minocycline works by

killing bacteria but by enzyme inhibition, this attitude under this

paradigm makes sense). So I stopped. A week or so later my flare stopped

and I had the absolute best 2 months I've had in a year.

In spite of all this, my research into this disease and how to treat it

never stopped. Recently I felt that I had come across enough data that

indicated to me that starting the zithromax again would be a good idea,

that it may help speed the destruction of the critters thus speeding

recovery. So about 3 weeks ago I started. 24 hours after taking the

first dose (500mg 2 days a week on the days I don't take minocycline) I

went into a flare. I noticed that the flare was subsiding and then the

2nd dose was taken and this time I had a big flare. Again I start

getting better, then I take another dose and it flares back up again. Of

course I wasn't aware that the zithromax was doing this right away, but

once I caught on, sure enough, 24 hours after I take zitromax I flare

and then start getting better until I take it again. I have now skipped

my last dose and I am back to where I was 3 weeks ago. Feeling pretty

damn good, little pain, lots of energy, etc....

Sounds kind of like I'm herxing from the zithro doesn't it? So my

problem is, what do I do?? Do you think the zithromax is causing a

herxheimer or is it just causing a flare. If it's causing a herx, it

seems that I really should take this stuff, because it's doing it's job

killing off the critters. But should I slow it down? Take it once a week

or twice a week at a reduced dosage?! Or is it just another

" environmental insult " that is doing nothing but flaring me up?

Any help or ideas?! I don't mind dealing with the flare if that's what's

best, the pain isn't that bad. But I don't want to go through it if it

will do no good.

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks,

j.

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ph A. Graff

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Graphic Communications, Inc.

(301) 599-2020

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