Appt w/ my LLMD - Antibotics he prescribed are killing my gut, OMG!

[Hope75]

So I had an appt. with "the man."  We call him that because he is awesome.  I hope that it isn't all smoke and mirrors.  Keep in mind that I am a hopeless skeptic and I feel that it's only healthy to keep a small amount of skepticism when you are considering almost anything, especially your health.  I believe that I was exposed to Lyme disease and I believe that I am sick with a chronic form of it.  Whether treatment will work, I'm skeptical.  I don't want to get up too much hope, perhaps?  With that aside, I'll move on:)

He was thorough, like he was the first time.  I've been on doxy for several months, with no major improvements.  In fact, I have started having bothersome tinnitus in that time.  So, he started me on rifampin, zithromax and omnicef with pulsing treatment (three days a week, every other day).  I have to add flagyl as a fourth antibiotic soon, once a week.

Needless to say, I have to visit the restroom - quickly and regularly.  I feel drained, tired, my heart palpitated for about 3 hrs today, and I'm anxious.  Is this herxing?  I know the diarrhea is a common (very) side effect of antibiotics, so we can write that off.  The feeling terrible part could be a side effect of the diarrhea, i don't know.  OR, I'm herxing and just scared to accept it, due to my skeptical nature.  If I do herx, it's a good sign, so I don't want to "jump the gun" and say YES it's a herx, until I know for sure.  That may sound stupid, but I'm a very scientific, cold hard facts person and Lyme doesn't offer cold hard facts.  The research hasn't been done.  

I hope I'm herxing this nasty bug right out of me.  Do any of you ever feel this way, as far as the skepticism?

[Hope75]

Thank you guys greatly for your input and support.  A special thank you for your sharing your own skepticism.  We are in this forum where we feel accepted, due to our strange ailment.  I feel like it may be a bit taboo to question our Lyme diagnoses, because most of us have worked so hard and researched and suffered so long to come to this diagnosis.  It's almost as though we have to "earn" our diagnosis, so I don't want anyone to think I'm throwing it out the window.  It's great to hear that you guys feel the same smidge of skepticism.  It's only smart practice.  One can't listen to just anyone and take it hook, line and sinker when it means your health.

My LLMD did have me on boullardii (sp) and another probiotic 3 months prior to starting these 3 abx (adding fourth one later).  I'm taking them pretty religiously because my husband actually acquired C Diff from a course of abx for pneumonia.  He had a particularly severe case and literally lived in the bathroom for a month and lost 15lbs.  I thought he was going to die.  They gave him Flagyl and he improved, only to relapse.  They went to their last choice, Vancomycin, and thank goodness it kicked it.  I am vigilant about that.  It seems as though my diarrhea is manageable, improving maybe.  I hope it is!  Time will tell.

So, I hope to see a herx, but I don't want to be so sick I can't work.  I want to see improvements, but we will see.  I will try to be patient, but it's difficult.

[wonko]

I seemed to respond better to combination therapy than to any single antibiotic.  Synergy of some sort, I suppose?  I have not had the runs on abx, to the contrary I  tend to get backed up.  Finding a good probiotic regimen is important either way.  I take a couple of supplements for digestive health, and rotate brands of probiotics.  I don't think the runs are a herx, much more likely a side effect.  If I were you, I would back down on abx until normalcy is restored, and consult my doctor.

I've been on antibiotics for over a year now, and yes, I have those skeptical days.  But they tend to end in cases of reductio ad absurdum.  For me, this continues to be the path that makes the most sense.  My first "big" break-through in treatment came at about the 9 month mark.  While I've relapsed/flared/Herxed since then (not sure which, or if in some combination) I'm still far better off for having gone through treatment, and hope to return to where I was a few months ago and improve beyond.

I can tell that I am getting better because a few months ago, I was lamenting over all that I had lost.  I was too sick to have much optimism.  Now, I'm in more of a fightin' mood, angry and frustrated that my symptoms get in the way, but feeling determined to push through somehow.

Good luck restoring some normalcy, and hang in there.

[skarey]

Hey... How long have you been on the abx?  When I first started my 3 abx pulsing regimen, I had diarrhea for the first week or so and stomach cramping.  Then it went away.  I don't know if it was a side effect of not, but it did get better.  I'm still taking 3 antibiotics now with no problems.  Maybe it'll get better, but you should check with your dr probably just in case.

I'm the same as you... very skeptical!!  I'm driving my family crazy cause I can't seem to "accept" my lyme diagnosis.  My symptoms, history, and even tests point to lyme, but yet I'm still hesitant.  I just feel that maybe I should be making quicker improvements, and I wasn't CDC positive.  I know that it is supposebly a clinical diagnosis, but seriously....with such a long and broad array of symptoms on the lyme symptom list practially ANYONE could be clinically diagnosed with lyme.  That's my skepticism kicking in again though.  

Hope you get to feelin better soon :)

[JackieCalifornia]

"Conflicted" pretty much describes my whole feeling toward treatment, so I hear you.

Are you taking probiotics with the antibiotics?  If your MD didn't discuss that with you, I would (in your shoes) call his/her office tomorrow (even tho it's Saturday) and tell them what's going on with you that way.  Diarrhea usually results (so I read) from killing the good bacteria in your gut, along with the bad bacteria elsewhere in your body, but sometimes a really bad bacterium, C. difficile, can take over your intestinal tract in the absence of the good bacteria ... and one of the symptoms of C. difficile is diarrhea.  Probiotics can help prevent that, but your MD may want to run tests to see if you have acquired C. difficile, which is why you should call.

There are two kinds of probiotics that I am familiar with:  'good' bacteria like acidophilus; and 'good' yeast like S. boulardii (including a brand called Florastor).  My LLMD prescribed Florastor, which I took for a long time with the abx, but I accidentally doubled up on the dose for several weeks, and the yeast colonized my gut and spread in my body.  I'm still fighting that problem, but knowing I am sensitive to yeast, I won't be able to take Florastor again.  It doesn't happen to everyone, and Florastor can be beneficial, but (in my untrained, non-medical opinion) you gotta check with your MD about all this before doing anything else.

Three or four abx at the same time sounds like a lot to me, but every LLMD has a different bag of tricks.  

Herxing for me was feeling the same symptoms of Lyme+, but just more so.  I actually didn't have a lot of Herxing, compared to some folks, so it's hard for me to say.

Were you tested for co-infections?