Aa
Off antibiotics for seven days and still getting hives.
I'm so tired:( My first attempt at a treatment and I have an allergic reaction. It is an allergic reaction to minocycline, right? I haven't taken it in seven days, and every evening, I break out in hives somewhere on my body. Tonight, it is my thighs. Itching like crazy and bumps all over, red as fire.
What is this? Shouldn't the minocycline be out of my system by now? Getting no answers or even treatment from my doc and very frustrated. This stinks. Sorry guys, quite annoyed this evening.
Take care all.
What is this? Shouldn't the minocycline be out of my system by now? Getting no answers or even treatment from my doc and very frustrated. This stinks. Sorry guys, quite annoyed this evening.
Take care all.
I am hive free today, except for a red itchy patch on my left wrist. I don't have the throat symptoms anymore, but I have noted tinnitus that is somewhat annoying since starting the antibiotics. I don't know what is going on, but I took benadryl last night and it cleared the hives up. No benadryl today. The only other thing that is new to my body is Super B Complex with Vit C that I bought here at work. I quit taking them today, so I can note whether I have a reaction. I've been on several supplements before with no problem though...
I think I'm on my way out of the woods. Emphasis on the word "think"! We will see what happens on the weekend and I'll update.
Thanks all!
I think I'm on my way out of the woods. Emphasis on the word "think"! We will see what happens on the weekend and I'll update.
Thanks all!
I am also wondering about what PlateletGal stated above. I wonder if it is a combination of both an allergic reaction and herx reaction. Throat swelling and shortness of breath are serious signs of an allergic reaction but I would think the hives would have stopped by now. You really should ask your doctor but I know you can't get a return call. You may want to ask a pharmacist how long the reaction could persist.
What dose of prednisone did you take? My max dose was 60 mg/day, then I tapered to 40 and finally 20 for the last 5 days.
I was warned about side effects, and did experience them, though not to the extent you've experienced. On the highest dose, I didn't sleep for 3 days, and at times literally couldn't stop pacing and rambling. Those close to me helped me endure, because we THOUGHT it was going to help me.
I'm sorry you need to suffer through, but I'm honestly relieved that you are no longer taking the prednisone. I sorely regret my experience with it. Of course I can't "prove" it, but I blame the steroids on worsening my illness and complicating my treatment.
It's never too late for a 2nd (or 3rd) opinion if you're not happy with your current doctor. I think my LLMD is great, but I am currently seeking a re-evaluation because I am concerned over my slow and lengthy treatment. I don't know anything about anaplasmosis or if/how it may complicate your Lyme treatment, but given the mess you've been through, I wouldn't hesitate to consider getting a fresh pair of eyes to evaluate you.
Take care.
I was warned about side effects, and did experience them, though not to the extent you've experienced. On the highest dose, I didn't sleep for 3 days, and at times literally couldn't stop pacing and rambling. Those close to me helped me endure, because we THOUGHT it was going to help me.
I'm sorry you need to suffer through, but I'm honestly relieved that you are no longer taking the prednisone. I sorely regret my experience with it. Of course I can't "prove" it, but I blame the steroids on worsening my illness and complicating my treatment.
It's never too late for a 2nd (or 3rd) opinion if you're not happy with your current doctor. I think my LLMD is great, but I am currently seeking a re-evaluation because I am concerned over my slow and lengthy treatment. I don't know anything about anaplasmosis or if/how it may complicate your Lyme treatment, but given the mess you've been through, I wouldn't hesitate to consider getting a fresh pair of eyes to evaluate you.
Take care.
Thanks for your reply. The problem I am having is not only my reaction to the Zith or Herx but the side affects I had from the Pred. It made me hyper, dizzy, confused, pounding heart, shakes, panic attack, chills,sweats, and sent my blood pressure from a normal of 115/69 to 177/110. All of this lasted about 2 hours and then would subside but then the itching/burning/prickling skin would get even worse so I took Benadry and still could only get 2 hours of sleep at night.
The ER told me no more steriods as I am to sensitive to them and will have to rely on the Benadryl. It worries me that I still have along time to deal with this because of the long half life of the Zith if this isn't a herx. I hope the Benadryl will keep it under control. The funny thing is when the ER gave me the steriod shot 2 days before (it was Decadron not Prednisone) I didn't get the same reaction from it like I did the oral Prednisone.
The Dr. I am seeing is DO but has treated alot of Lyme patients and does seem to understand it more than a regular Dr. He is the one that found I have anaplasmosis after dealing with other Dr. to get a diagnosis for the last 7 years. I'm just not real impressed with his office staff so far.
Madison
The ER told me no more steriods as I am to sensitive to them and will have to rely on the Benadryl. It worries me that I still have along time to deal with this because of the long half life of the Zith if this isn't a herx. I hope the Benadryl will keep it under control. The funny thing is when the ER gave me the steriod shot 2 days before (it was Decadron not Prednisone) I didn't get the same reaction from it like I did the oral Prednisone.
The Dr. I am seeing is DO but has treated alot of Lyme patients and does seem to understand it more than a regular Dr. He is the one that found I have anaplasmosis after dealing with other Dr. to get a diagnosis for the last 7 years. I'm just not real impressed with his office staff so far.
Madison
I'm starting to wonder if your hives were a symptom of herxing and not an allergic reaction ?
I am sorry to read about your situation.
You really are between a rock and a hard place: you need relief from the allergic reaction to zith, but steroids are immuno-suppressants, which can be very detrimental for a person battling infection.
I am in no way qualified to tell you what's best to do. I do think you need to weigh your options carefully. While the pred may offer short-term relief from the allergic reaction, it may also worsen your Lyme and complicate your treatment in the long-term.
That's what happened to me, I was put on 15 days of pred while still undiagnosed. At first it helped me feel a lot better, but ultimately caused my illness to worsen. I'm six months into treatment for Lyme now. While some symptoms are improved, I'm still not overall back to where I was before the steroids I took in August 2008.
Here is a link that talks about steroids and Lyme:
http://www.johndrullelymefund.org/antibiotics_and_steroids.htm
Again, in your situation, you may NEED steroids to curtail the allergic reaction. However, I think your approach to take a small dose is more prudent than what your doctor is suggesting. Is the doc Rx-ing the pred Lyme literate?
Your worsened symptoms could be a Herx from Zith, an allergic reaction to zith, OR a response to the steroids. I experiences a period of improvement at first, but many people with infections will immediately feel worse from steroids.
Zith does have a relatively long half life, I think it's almost 3 days. So you could still be suffering from an allergy or Herx. Herx reactions seem to vary a great deal from patient to patient. Mine often onset within hours of taking my medications, with highly variable durations.
Regardless of their source, I hope your worsened symptoms improve soon.
You really are between a rock and a hard place: you need relief from the allergic reaction to zith, but steroids are immuno-suppressants, which can be very detrimental for a person battling infection.
I am in no way qualified to tell you what's best to do. I do think you need to weigh your options carefully. While the pred may offer short-term relief from the allergic reaction, it may also worsen your Lyme and complicate your treatment in the long-term.
That's what happened to me, I was put on 15 days of pred while still undiagnosed. At first it helped me feel a lot better, but ultimately caused my illness to worsen. I'm six months into treatment for Lyme now. While some symptoms are improved, I'm still not overall back to where I was before the steroids I took in August 2008.
Here is a link that talks about steroids and Lyme:
http://www.johndrullelymefund.org/antibiotics_and_steroids.htm
Again, in your situation, you may NEED steroids to curtail the allergic reaction. However, I think your approach to take a small dose is more prudent than what your doctor is suggesting. Is the doc Rx-ing the pred Lyme literate?
Your worsened symptoms could be a Herx from Zith, an allergic reaction to zith, OR a response to the steroids. I experiences a period of improvement at first, but many people with infections will immediately feel worse from steroids.
Zith does have a relatively long half life, I think it's almost 3 days. So you could still be suffering from an allergy or Herx. Herx reactions seem to vary a great deal from patient to patient. Mine often onset within hours of taking my medications, with highly variable durations.
Regardless of their source, I hope your worsened symptoms improve soon.
I can so relate to you. I was taking Zithromax 250 for 10 days before I started with the itching and rash. I called the Dr. and was told to stop taking it and go to the ER. There they gave me a shot of Decadron which helped and I had to go back to see my Dr. the next day who put me on Prednisone once a day for 10 days.
I took the 1st dose of Pred and within 6 hours I had terrible side affects from the Pred. which lasted about 2 hours. After those side affects wore off the itching/burning/prickling returned even worse than before so I ended up taking Benadryl.
The next day I contacted my pharmacy and they suggested I cut the dose of Pred in 2 doses rather than a single dose. I called my Dr. and told him what had happened and asked him about trying the lower dose. His nurse told me no and to just deal with the side affects.
I decided to try cutting the dose in half myself and after I took the lower dose within 2 hours I got the same side affects but even worse this time and ended up in the ER again. There they told me not to take anymore Prednisone and just use the Benadryl. It was at the ER they told me the problem I might have with the Zithromax is it has such a long half life. I called Pfizer and they told me since I was on the Zith for 10 days it will be another 20 days before it will be out of my system.
I have put another call into my Dr. to find out what I should do and they just gave me an app't on Monday. I told them I needed to talk to him ASAP as this couldn't wait until then so I am hoping I will hear from him soon. I am so worried that I will have to deal with the Zith still in my system for so long.
I did contact a friend of mine who is very up on Lyme (she's a vet and has had Lyme herself for 10 years) and her thoughts were that I might not be having a reaction to the Zith but it is a Herx reaction to the bacteria dying off, which can cause the same symptoms. I don't know what is going on but I want it over. I took the last dose of Zith 5 days ago which would mean I still may have another 15 days to go before this might be over if it's a med reaction and now I can't take the steriods to help.
Does anyone know anything about a Herx reaction and how long they might last and if it's possible that is what causing my symptoms and not a med reaction? Thanks for any help. Dava
I took the 1st dose of Pred and within 6 hours I had terrible side affects from the Pred. which lasted about 2 hours. After those side affects wore off the itching/burning/prickling returned even worse than before so I ended up taking Benadryl.
The next day I contacted my pharmacy and they suggested I cut the dose of Pred in 2 doses rather than a single dose. I called my Dr. and told him what had happened and asked him about trying the lower dose. His nurse told me no and to just deal with the side affects.
I decided to try cutting the dose in half myself and after I took the lower dose within 2 hours I got the same side affects but even worse this time and ended up in the ER again. There they told me not to take anymore Prednisone and just use the Benadryl. It was at the ER they told me the problem I might have with the Zithromax is it has such a long half life. I called Pfizer and they told me since I was on the Zith for 10 days it will be another 20 days before it will be out of my system.
I have put another call into my Dr. to find out what I should do and they just gave me an app't on Monday. I told them I needed to talk to him ASAP as this couldn't wait until then so I am hoping I will hear from him soon. I am so worried that I will have to deal with the Zith still in my system for so long.
I did contact a friend of mine who is very up on Lyme (she's a vet and has had Lyme herself for 10 years) and her thoughts were that I might not be having a reaction to the Zith but it is a Herx reaction to the bacteria dying off, which can cause the same symptoms. I don't know what is going on but I want it over. I took the last dose of Zith 5 days ago which would mean I still may have another 15 days to go before this might be over if it's a med reaction and now I can't take the steriods to help.
Does anyone know anything about a Herx reaction and how long they might last and if it's possible that is what causing my symptoms and not a med reaction? Thanks for any help. Dava
I have tons of hard little bumps since starting meds, they appear in clusters. But they don't cause the discomfort that Hope75 describes. Mine don't itch or burn, they are just unsightly and obnoxiously persistent!
The strong itching/burning sound like something that your doc needs to address.
The strong itching/burning sound like something that your doc needs to address.
Did you also stop the antiviral that you were taking? Is there anything else that you recently started that you are still taking? I am suspicious that it is (was) an allergic reaction because of the throat swelling that you had in addition to the rash.
I think this has gone on long enough and considering what some of the listed adverse drug reactions are (angioneurotic edema,Serum sickness-like syndrome, Hypersensitivity syndrome) you should be seen just to make sure nothing else has developed.
I think it is better to be on the safe side and at least call and tell them what is going on. If they won't see you, go to urgent care or your GP. Hopefully it is just something that isn't an "issue" and will resolve. Take your temp before you call them. If you are still taking benadryl and getting these rashes, let them know that too. Anything still swelling??
Okay, keep us posted!
Stacey
I think this has gone on long enough and considering what some of the listed adverse drug reactions are (angioneurotic edema,Serum sickness-like syndrome, Hypersensitivity syndrome) you should be seen just to make sure nothing else has developed.
I think it is better to be on the safe side and at least call and tell them what is going on. If they won't see you, go to urgent care or your GP. Hopefully it is just something that isn't an "issue" and will resolve. Take your temp before you call them. If you are still taking benadryl and getting these rashes, let them know that too. Anything still swelling??
Okay, keep us posted!
Stacey
I get hives and weird rashes all the time too. On or off antibiotics. It does not seem to matter.
Is this the drs at Hopkins who won't see you?
If you get into a squabble with them about your medical records (see my comments in the post above on that subject), they may delay even more.
Puts you in a tough spot. Do you have another doctor you could go see about the rash? Or a good urgent care place, or even a ER ($$$)?
I'm with Wonko, just go and tell them you have to see someone ... or go someplace else.
I'm so sorry this is happening. Keep us posted.
If you get into a squabble with them about your medical records (see my comments in the post above on that subject), they may delay even more.
Puts you in a tough spot. Do you have another doctor you could go see about the rash? Or a good urgent care place, or even a ER ($$$)?
I'm with Wonko, just go and tell them you have to see someone ... or go someplace else.
I'm so sorry this is happening. Keep us posted.
That is concerning. I googled the half life of mino, and got a range of 11-22 hours. Let's just say 24 hours, to be pessimistic & to simplify the math. Then you've gone through 7 half lives, so 0.5^(7)*100 = 0.78% of your last dose is remaining.
I'd keep pressuring the doc on this. Why can't he see you until June 23rd? I'd consider just showing up at the office and not leaving. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Do you not feel entitled to proper help for this? If you had anything other than Lyme, would you settle for an ongoing allergic reaction for weeks just to be seen again? Don't be apologetic, this is not your fault and you do deserve treatment for both the Lyme and the reaction from mino.
I know it is frustrating, & you have every reason to be annoyed.
I'd keep pressuring the doc on this. Why can't he see you until June 23rd? I'd consider just showing up at the office and not leaving. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Do you not feel entitled to proper help for this? If you had anything other than Lyme, would you settle for an ongoing allergic reaction for weeks just to be seen again? Don't be apologetic, this is not your fault and you do deserve treatment for both the Lyme and the reaction from mino.
I know it is frustrating, & you have every reason to be annoyed.
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