Guest guest Posted September 18, 2008 Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 Hi Lara, I'm on IV doxy and though I've had no symptoms of Lyme, since I've been on the doxy the other problems I have have flared up. This happens to me with other antibiotics too (before Lyme) but not as much as with the doxy. I got fed up with the whole thing last week and quit taking the stuff but the doctor had a cow so I'm back to doing what I'm supposed to do. Don't know if this helps. Phyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2008 Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 Lara, The doctor warned me that I may start feeling worse before I get better and he was right. I have only been taking doxy since mid august and have found that my symptoms have gotten worse. Pain and inflammation in my hands, arms, and feet. Neck is very sore, warm sensations that go through my arms, legs, and back. The fatigue has been horrible which makes it very hard to focus and stay on task. I am also having trouble with anxiety lately which I havn't had for several weeks. I spoke with my doctor yesterday and he seems to believe this is die off from the doxy. I'm not sure what others have done, but my doctor recommended to stop taking doxy for a few days to give my body a chance to catch up. It has been 3 days without doxy and I will start again tomorrow. The symptoms have lessened since I stopped the doxy which has been nice. It will be interesting to see how my body responds when I take doxy every other day as recommended by my doctor. Anything is worth a try at this point. The doctor stressed the importance of letting my symptoms be my guide. What I find interesting is that I also take supplements to help remove the toxins from my system but my body is having a hard time detoxing. I too would like to know if this is normal because my symptoms are making it very hard for me to work and take care of my family. I wonder if there is something that one can take to ease the symptoms while taking doxy. I too agree that there is so much diversity between patients. We should never give up and if we feel something has been missed, we should continue searching for more answers. Deb From: lara33_uk1 <lara33uk1@...> Subject: [ ] doxy side effects Date: Thursday, September 18, 2008, 5:32 PM Hi all What side-effects do you find with doxy? Have you found that on doxy you get worsening pain and inflammation, worse reaction than normal to exerting? So for instance worse pain in hands/arms when typing or worse leg pain on walking. Anything that doesn't seem like a typical herx? Perhaps this is part of a herx - but I've seen my partner have those with 40C fever, chills, stiff neck etc - and he has not got that at all at the moment. Perhaps this is a chlamydia pneumoniae thing, or maybe another co- infection, but my partner is not getting on well with doxy at 300 mg. Lots more pain in the forearms and shins, hay fever allergies he never had before and worsening chemical sensitivities, and the worst symptom - painful prostatitis. Is this normal? We think sometimes, that something in his case has been missed. His symptoms are almost ALS-like but this affects motor function, and his problems are more sensory. Maybe there is something rare and metabolic who knows. This is so confusing, there is so much diversity between patients its hard to believe they all have the same thing wrong. Regards Lara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2008 Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 On Sep 18, 2008, at 6:10 PM, Deborah Arana wrote: > Lara, > The doctor warned me that I may start feeling worse before I get > better and he was right. > I have only been taking doxy since mid august and have found that my > symptoms have gotten worse. Pain and inflammation in my hands, > arms, and feet. Neck is very sore, warm sensations that go through > my arms, legs, and back. The fatigue has been horrible which makes > it very hard to focus and stay on task. I am also having trouble > with anxiety lately which I havn't had for several weeks. This is classic detox. It means it's working. > I spoke with my doctor yesterday and he seems to believe this is die > off from the doxy. I'm not sure what others have done, but my > doctor recommended to stop taking doxy for a few days to give my > body a chance to catch up. It has been 3 days without doxy and I > will start again tomorrow. The symptoms have lessened since I > stopped the doxy which has been nice. It will be interesting to see > how my body responds when I take doxy every other day as recommended > by my doctor. Anything is worth a try at this point. The doctor > stressed the importance of letting my symptoms be my guide. What I > find interesting is that I also take supplements to help remove the > toxins from my system but my body is having a hard time detoxing. Detox is HARD WORK. It takes everything out of you, even if you're taking supplements. Your doctor's advice is sound. With a little experimentation, you should find a tolerable level of detox. (I've found it works to schedule " detox days " when I clear my schedule, beef up on the meds, go to bed, and take what comes; and then give myself a couple of days at a lower dose to recover and tend to my life before revving up again.) Remember it's not just the Lyme and co-infections you're clearing out. Those bacteria interfere with your body's ability to clear everyday environmental crap, too -- chemicals and heavy metals and all the things we're exposed to, and that healthy bodies routinely deal with. It gets stored in your tissues -- and in the bodies of the bacteria. When they die off, all that stuff starts to move, too. You can feel like you're dying. > I too would like to know if this is normal because my symptoms are > making it very hard for me to work and take care of my family. I > wonder if there is something that one can take to ease the symptoms > while taking doxy. A short list of things that have worked for people I know: Activated charcoal Epsom salt baths Magnesium citrate supplements Sarsparilla drops FIR saunas Vitamin C Lots of water, of course. Is it at all possible to clear yourself some time -- say, between now and Christmas -- to cut back on the rest of your life and focus on this? Maybe get fewer hours at work, if they'll allow it. Or work at home one day a week. And have a serious talk with your family about what you're going through. Together, you can look at all your routines and decide what they can take over for themselves, what can be farmed out, and what can be ignored for the duration. At our house, this looked like this: Buy more frozen, easy to prepare food at Costco, and teach the kids (teenagers) to create meals for themselves. Also teach them to use the local bus system (we have a good one) to get around, so I don't have to drive them so much. Ask them to arrange rides in advance with friends where possible; my husband drive the reciprocation trips. Husband also does weekly grocery shopping; this might also be farmed out to a home delivery service. Then: we hired a housekeeping service to come in once every two weeks to keep the health department at bay. Organized the kids to take over dishes and dog care. Let the yard go, except for mowing. Got people to share laundry duty. They've had to take some more responsibility for themselves, but that's not a bad thing. Perhaps there's someone in your family, neighborhood, or church you can hire for a few hours a week to come in and tend to basic housework -- run some laundry, clean the fridge, pick up some milk at the store. A visiting nurse service will do this, too -- they call it " homemaking services " -- and it may be cheaper than you think. If my kids were smaller, I'd be seriously considering getting after-school care to give myself another couple hours a day to deal with things. Whatever the solution is, you need to make space to allow this healing to happen. That means arranging for more rest and fewer responsibilities for a few months, while this works itself out. Sara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 Thanks Sara for the info! > Lara, > The doctor warned me that I may start feeling worse before I get > better and he was right. > I have only been taking doxy since mid august and have found that my > symptoms have gotten worse. Pain and inflammation in my hands, > arms, and feet. Neck is very sore, warm sensations that go through > my arms, legs, and back. The fatigue has been horrible which makes > it very hard to focus and stay on task. I am also having trouble > with anxiety lately which I havn't had for several weeks. This is classic detox. It means it's working. > I spoke with my doctor yesterday and he seems to believe this is die > off from the doxy. I'm not sure what others have done, but my > doctor recommended to stop taking doxy for a few days to give my > body a chance to catch up. It has been 3 days without doxy and I > will start again tomorrow. The symptoms have lessened since I > stopped the doxy which has been nice. It will be interesting to see > how my body responds when I take doxy every other day as recommended > by my doctor. Anything is worth a try at this point. The doctor > stressed the importance of letting my symptoms be my guide. What I > find interesting is that I also take supplements to help remove the > toxins from my system but my body is having a hard time detoxing. Detox is HARD WORK. It takes everything out of you, even if you're taking supplements. Your doctor's advice is sound. With a little experimentation, you should find a tolerable level of detox. (I've found it works to schedule " detox days " when I clear my schedule, beef up on the meds, go to bed, and take what comes; and then give myself a couple of days at a lower dose to recover and tend to my life before revving up again.) Remember it's not just the Lyme and co-infections you're clearing out. Those bacteria interfere with your body's ability to clear everyday environmental crap, too -- chemicals and heavy metals and all the things we're exposed to, and that healthy bodies routinely deal with. It gets stored in your tissues -- and in the bodies of the bacteria. When they die off, all that stuff starts to move, too. You can feel like you're dying. > I too would like to know if this is normal because my symptoms are > making it very hard for me to work and take care of my family. I > wonder if there is something that one can take to ease the symptoms > while taking doxy. A short list of things that have worked for people I know: Activated charcoal Epsom salt baths Magnesium citrate supplements Sarsparilla drops FIR saunas Vitamin C Lots of water, of course. Is it at all possible to clear yourself some time -- say, between now and Christmas -- to cut back on the rest of your life and focus on this? Maybe get fewer hours at work, if they'll allow it. Or work at home one day a week. And have a serious talk with your family about what you're going through. Together, you can look at all your routines and decide what they can take over for themselves, what can be farmed out, and what can be ignored for the duration. At our house, this looked like this: Buy more frozen, easy to prepare food at Costco, and teach the kids (teenagers) to create meals for themselves. Also teach them to use the local bus system (we have a good one) to get around, so I don't have to drive them so much. Ask them to arrange rides in advance with friends where possible; my husband drive the reciprocation trips. Husband also does weekly grocery shopping; this might also be farmed out to a home delivery service. Then: we hired a housekeeping service to come in once every two weeks to keep the health department at bay. Organized the kids to take over dishes and dog care. Let the yard go, except for mowing. Got people to share laundry duty. They've had to take some more responsibility for themselves, but that's not a bad thing. Perhaps there's someone in your family, neighborhood, or church you can hire for a few hours a week to come in and tend to basic housework -- run some laundry, clean the fridge, pick up some milk at the store. A visiting nurse service will do this, too -- they call it " homemaking services " -- and it may be cheaper than you think. If my kids were smaller, I'd be seriously considering getting after-school care to give myself another couple hours a day to deal with things. Whatever the solution is, you need to make space to allow this healing to happen. That means arranging for more rest and fewer responsibilities for a few months, while this works itself out. Sara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 I, too, seem to have the same symptoms as Lara. I had been taking 100 mg Doxy twice per day and didn't have these symptoms. I bumped it up to 200 mg twice per day and felt like garbage. Two nights ago I decided I would forego antibiotics until I receive my IgeneX tests because I don't want to take unnecessary antibiotics because of candida. My husband disagreed with my decision and told me that I need to stay on the antibiotics because candida will be easier to treat than end-stage Lyme. I agreed and started back on antibiotics last night. I am exhausted, in a fog, different joints ache, my muscles are sore, my back and neck are both killing me and I, too, have the warm sensations -- almost like hot flashes. It all came on so quickly, I felt great yesterday. What is it about this treatment that causes this? Is it a reaction to the Doxy and it is the Doxy detoxing or something about Lyme itself? I weight train four times per week at the gym and have regular massages. I'm not sure I have the strength to continue at the gym -- believe me, I'm no hulk or superwoman. I have read that it's important to continue exercising during Lyme treatment but I don't know if I have the strength. Any words of wisdom? I'm trying to find an LLMD near OK. If anyone has personal experience with one they recommend, could you please email me privately? I'll fly if necessary. Thank you all for your help. Kenda > > On Sep 18, 2008, at 6:10 PM, Deborah Arana wrote: > >> Lara, >> The doctor warned me that I may start feeling worse before I get >> better and he was right. >> I have only been taking doxy since mid august and have found that my >> symptoms have gotten worse. Pain and inflammation in my hands, >> arms, and feet. Neck is very sore, warm sensations that go through >> my arms, legs, and back. The fatigue has been horrible which makes >> it very hard to focus and stay on task. I am also having trouble >> with anxiety lately which I havn't had for several weeks. > > This is classic detox. It means it's working. > >> I spoke with my doctor yesterday and he seems to believe this is die >> off from the doxy. I'm not sure what others have done, but my >> doctor recommended to stop taking doxy for a few days to give my >> body a chance to catch up. It has been 3 days without doxy and I >> will start again tomorrow. The symptoms have lessened since I >> stopped the doxy which has been nice. It will be interesting to see >> how my body responds when I take doxy every other day as recommended >> by my doctor. Anything is worth a try at this point. The doctor >> stressed the importance of letting my symptoms be my guide. What I >> find interesting is that I also take supplements to help remove the >> toxins from my system but my body is having a hard time detoxing. > > Detox is HARD WORK. It takes everything out of you, even if you're > taking supplements. > > Your doctor's advice is sound. With a little experimentation, you > should find a tolerable level of detox. (I've found it works to > schedule " detox days " when I clear my schedule, beef up on the meds, > go to bed, and take what comes; and then give myself a couple of days > at a lower dose to recover and tend to my life before revving up again.) > > Remember it's not just the Lyme and co-infections you're clearing out. > Those bacteria interfere with your body's ability to clear everyday > environmental crap, too -- chemicals and heavy metals and all the > things we're exposed to, and that healthy bodies routinely deal with. > It gets stored in your tissues -- and in the bodies of the bacteria. > When they die off, all that stuff starts to move, too. You can feel > like you're dying. > >> I too would like to know if this is normal because my symptoms are >> making it very hard for me to work and take care of my family. I >> wonder if there is something that one can take to ease the symptoms >> while taking doxy. > > A short list of things that have worked for people I know: > > Activated charcoal > Epsom salt baths > Magnesium citrate supplements > Sarsparilla drops > FIR saunas > Vitamin C > Lots of water, of course. > > Is it at all possible to clear yourself some time -- say, between now > and Christmas -- to cut back on the rest of your life and focus on > this? Maybe get fewer hours at work, if they'll allow it. Or work at > home one day a week. And have a serious talk with your family about > what you're going through. Together, you can look at all your routines > and decide what they can take over for themselves, what can be farmed > out, and what can be ignored for the duration. > > At our house, this looked like this: Buy more frozen, easy to prepare > food at Costco, and teach the kids (teenagers) to create meals for > themselves. Also teach them to use the local bus system (we have a > good one) to get around, so I don't have to drive them so much. Ask > them to arrange rides in advance with friends where possible; my > husband drive the reciprocation trips. Husband also does weekly > grocery shopping; this might also be farmed out to a home delivery > service. > > Then: we hired a housekeeping service to come in once every two weeks > to keep the health department at bay. Organized the kids to take over > dishes and dog care. Let the yard go, except for mowing. Got people to > share laundry duty. They've had to take some more responsibility for > themselves, but that's not a bad thing. > > Perhaps there's someone in your family, neighborhood, or church you > can hire for a few hours a week to come in and tend to basic housework > -- run some laundry, clean the fridge, pick up some milk at the store. > A visiting nurse service will do this, too -- they call it " homemaking > services " -- and it may be cheaper than you think. If my kids were > smaller, I'd be seriously considering getting after-school care to > give myself another couple hours a day to deal with things. > > Whatever the solution is, you need to make space to allow this healing > to happen. That means arranging for more rest and fewer > responsibilities for a few months, while this works itself out. > > Sara > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 Kenda, Just like Sara said, these symptoms are classic detox and means it's working. Detox is HARD WORK. It takes everything out of you, even if you're taking supplements. Are you taking other supplements along with doxy? Did your doctor give you supplements for candida and something to help remove toxins? Try lowering the dosage to minimize the detox symtpoms and let your symptoms be your guide. Deb From: Kenda Skaggs <oliverblue@...> Subject: Re: [ ] doxy side effects Date: Friday, September 19, 2008, 9:18 PM I, too, seem to have the same symptoms as Lara. I had been taking 100 mg Doxy twice per day and didn't have these symptoms. I bumped it up to 200 mg twice per day and felt like garbage. Two nights ago I decided I would forego antibiotics until I receive my IgeneX tests because I don't want to take unnecessary antibiotics because of candida. My husband disagreed with my decision and told me that I need to stay on the antibiotics because candida will be easier to treat than end-stage Lyme. I agreed and started back on antibiotics last night. I am exhausted, in a fog, different joints ache, my muscles are sore, my back and neck are both killing me and I, too, have the warm sensations -- almost like hot flashes. It all came on so quickly, I felt great yesterday. What is it about this treatment that causes this? Is it a reaction to the Doxy and it is the Doxy detoxing or something about Lyme itself? I weight train four times per week at the gym and have regular massages. I'm not sure I have the strength to continue at the gym -- believe me, I'm no hulk or superwoman. I have read that it's important to continue exercising during Lyme treatment but I don't know if I have the strength. Any words of wisdom? I'm trying to find an LLMD near OK. If anyone has personal experience with one they recommend, could you please email me privately? I'll fly if necessary. Thank you all for your help. Kenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 Kendra, I recently increased my doxy dosage just as you did. I had been on the 100 mg twice a day for a month with all the symptoms you described and more. The brain fog and other neuro symptoms were so bad for about three weeks that I couldn't focus enough to drive. Because the Lyme symptoms became way worse once I started the Abx, I assumed it was a herxeimer reaction and that the doxy was working. I've been waiting to see the LLMD, it was two months total before I could get an appt. Because my symptoms were neuro and I'd likely had the Lyme for over a year, I did increase the doxy to 200 mg twice a day and started to get better after about a week. I'm waiting for an Igenex test result now but so far two western blots have been negative. I've been keeping track of basic vital stats and symptoms because I know it could be helpful to the LLMD with diagnosis and treatment decisions. I've noticed that when I feel particularly lousy and have that flushed feeling you descibed I actually have a raised temperature. Not enough to call a fever - usually still under 100 degrees F. I know how you feel about trying to still work out while dealing with the Lyme and being so weak. I haven't been able to do anything for 6 weeks and I know how important it is to have an exercise routine. - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 The " fever " is, probably, a literal fever. Our bodies create fever to kill bacteria -- it's a natural immune function. The doxy is moving stuff around, quite possibly stirring up not just Lyme but other things that your immune system is mounting a response to. It's a sign that your immune system is working, like it does when you're flghting off a flu.. I am amazed that you're still attempting to work out through this. I gave up on exercise years ago, because the Lyme has left me with about a third of a tank of energy on any given day compared to most people. A little yoga or a short, slow walk are fine; but anything that gets my heart rate up just hammers me (there's good reason to believe my heart is heavily infested at this point). Even a little overexertion can throw me be back into bed for days of recovery. Besides, I need that energy to keep up with my work and family -- it's too precious to waste on a treadmill. And when I'm on doxy, that goes triple. I'm already asking everything of my body it can possibly do. Diverting energy from that task into exercise is just beyond my ability. Sara On Sep 20, 2008, at 5:59 AM, on wrote: > I've been waiting to see the LLMD, it was two months total before I > could get an appt. Because my symptoms were neuro and I'd likely had > the Lyme for over a year, I did increase the doxy to 200 mg twice a > day and started to get better after about a week. I'm waiting for > an Igenex test result now but so far two western blots have been > negative. I've been keeping track of basic vital stats and symptoms > because I know it could be helpful to the LLMD with diagnosis and > treatment decisions. I've noticed that when I feel particularly > lousy and have that flushed feeling you descibed I actually have a > raised temperature. Not enough to call a fever - usually still > under 100 degrees F. > > I know how you feel about trying to still work out while dealing > with the Lyme and being so weak. I haven't been able to do anything > for 6 weeks and I know how important it is to have an exercise > routine. > > - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 Hi, , When I first got sick a few weeks after the tick bite, I took 100 mg of Doxy twice per day and felt great after about three days. I continued on Doxy for two weeks. When I got sick this time, a couple of weeks ago, I started on the same dose, 100 mg Doxy twice per day. I didn't get better and read here that my dose was probably too low. My ND agreed to bump up my Doxy dose to 200 mg twice per day and that's when I started getting worse. We are waiting for the IgeneX test to arrive so he can draw my blood and send it off. I've been been looking for a LLMD but have been unable to find one anywhere nearby so I will likely have to fly somewhere. Of course I want to get in as soon as possible. In the back of my mind I keep wondering if I don't have Lyme at all and it's mold illness instead. I do carry the double mold gene and am susceptible to mold illness, although I've never been this sick as a result of mold. Our outdoor air has an extremely high mold count right now and I may have a plumbing leak in my slab -- waiting for a leak detection company to find out for sure. I skipped Doxy one day and felt so much better, I was amazed. Kenda > Kendra, > > I recently increased my doxy dosage just as you did. I had been on the 100 mg > twice a day for a month with all the symptoms you described and more. The > brain fog and other neuro symptoms were so bad for about three weeks that I > couldn't focus enough to drive. Because the Lyme symptoms became way worse > once I started the Abx, I assumed it was a herxeimer reaction and that the > doxy was working. > > I've been waiting to see the LLMD, it was two months total before I could get > an appt. Because my symptoms were neuro and I'd likely had the Lyme for over a > year, I did increase the doxy to 200 mg twice a day and started to get better > after about a week. I'm waiting for an Igenex test result now but so far two > western blots have been negative. I've been keeping track of basic vital > stats and symptoms because I know it could be helpful to the LLMD with > diagnosis and treatment decisions. I've noticed that when I feel particularly > lousy and have that flushed feeling you descibed I actually have a raised > temperature. Not enough to call a fever - usually still under 100 degrees F. > > I know how you feel about trying to still work out while dealing with the Lyme > and being so weak. I haven't been able to do anything for 6 weeks and I know > how important it is to have an exercise routine. > > - > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 How long did it take to feel anything from the Doxy? I just started mine yesterday morning,the only problem I have so far is this awful burning in my neck/throat area. Feels like acid reflux or something. Anyone else have this issue?If so what helsp it,since the doxy saiys not to use antacids while taking. Thanks,tracey > > Hi Lara, > I'm on IV doxy and though I've had no > symptoms of Lyme, since I've been on the > doxy the other problems I have have > flared up. This happens to me with other > antibiotics too (before Lyme) but not as > much as with the doxy. I got fed up with > the whole thing last week and quit taking > the stuff but the doctor had a cow so I'm > back to doing what I'm supposed to do. > Don't know if this helps. > > Phyl > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 How long did it take to feel anything from the Doxy? I just started mine yesterday morning,the only problem I have so far is this awful burning in my neck/throat area. Feels like acid reflux or something. Anyone else have this issue?If so what helsp it,since the doxy saiys not to use antacids while taking. Thanks,tracey > > Hi Lara, > I'm on IV doxy and though I've had no > symptoms of Lyme, since I've been on the > doxy the other problems I have have > flared up. This happens to me with other > antibiotics too (before Lyme) but not as > much as with the doxy. I got fed up with > the whole thing last week and quit taking > the stuff but the doctor had a cow so I'm > back to doing what I'm supposed to do. > Don't know if this helps. > > Phyl > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 Tracey, Acid reflux can be helped by digestive enzymes. Take 1-2 BEFORE meals. Your stomach is supposed to be acid to properly digest food. Antacids interfere with the digestion process and cause numerous other problems such as leaky gut and yeast overgrowth, etc. The doxy did the same thing to me. Luckily after 6 weeks on doxy now, the reflux symptoms have gone away. On Sat, Sep 20, 2008 at 7:41 PM, fattracey69 < traceysalesanderson@...> wrote: > How long did it take to feel anything from the Doxy? > I just started mine yesterday morning,the only problem I have so far is > this awful burning in my neck/throat area. > Feels like acid reflux or something. > Anyone else have this issue?If so what helsp it,since the doxy saiys > not to use antacids while taking. > Thanks,tracey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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