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ketek - dangerous?

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Posted 5/7/2009 5:53 AM (GMT -8)
I'm supposed to take Ketek, but just read some possible side effects - liver probs/failure...death.

Has anyone had a problem with Ketek?
Is it much more dangerous than any other antibiotic?

thanks
Posted 5/7/2009 8:06 AM (GMT -8)
With other antibiotics, I was getting my liver function tested every 6-8 weeks. When I was supposed to take Ketek, I was going to have to have my liver checked 1 week after starting it and then every 2 weeks. I refused to take it. Now, I'm back on Zithromax. Most antibiotics have some degree of risk to the liver. From what I read about Ketek, in rare cases, there has been severe and catastrophic liver damage in as little as 5 days of using it. I think that more studies need to be done to see why some people have such a bad reaction to it.

One good thing about Ketek is that in laboratory tests, it has been shown to be the most effective antibiotic against the Lyme bacteria. However, that's in a lab, which doesn't necessarily carry over to how it works in the human body.
Posted 5/7/2009 8:39 AM (GMT -8)
I used ketek for two month. The first month was fine and it really hastened my recovery. The second month I started getting bad headaches from it and cut the dose to half. Then I felt worse and quit using it. It didn't affect my liver but i also read it can cause liver failure and even death, if you can't get a quick transplant. Be very careful. It is supposed to be one of the most effective abx against lyme and it can also help with bartonella. Bacteria do not develop a resistance to it and it does not cause as bad a problem with yeast as most abx.
Having taken this drug relatively successfully I decided levaquin was worth the risk - bad idea. So just because some people do very well with a medication, you are still taking a risk to use it and need to be very careful. At least you can have your liver monitored frequently to be safe. It was only $20.
Posted 5/7/2009 9:24 AM (GMT -8)
geez, if one's liver were to blow in 5 days of Ketek, I guess a liver blood test wouldn't do much good.

I really want a different antibiotic.

But I'm on Mepron -- and I can't take Zithro or Biaxin because it causes tinnitus.

I can take Malarone, but hard to add in another drug for Bart. (Can't take Levaquin - heart palp. Can't take rifampin bec. of drug interaction with malarone/mepron.)

 

Posted 5/7/2009 10:02 AM (GMT -8)

jaykay said...
geez, if one's liver were to blow in 5 days of Ketek, I guess a liver blood test wouldn't do much good.

That's why I refused to take it. The complication is rare, and no one knows why it happens. Ketek used to be prescribed for a wider range of illnesses, but it was changed after the liver problems were reported. People who have never had problems with any other drug can have problems with Ketek. Some people I read about were on Ketek for many weeks before developing liver damage. I'm not trying to scare you. I just want you to be aware so that you can catch any problems early. Hopefully someday they'll figure out why it happens so that they can test for that potential complication.

I've had tinnitus for over 2 years. I'm sort of convinced it was the Zithromax that caused it, but since Lyme and other things also cause it, I can't be sure. It hasn't gotten any worse with extended Zithromax use. I can live with it if I can just get rid of everything else.
Posted 5/7/2009 11:16 AM (GMT -8)
Ive been on ketek for 6 weeks with no problems.. its the first drug that ive made huge strides on. im also on mepron.. i get my liver function test biweekly but i had that even before i was on the ketek..
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