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I am allergic to Doxy - what else treats Lyme??

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Posted 7/31/2009 4:20 AM (GMT -8)
I was just dx'd with Lyme yesterday. Doc prescribed Doxy. I took one last night and spent the night being itchy all over. This morning still itchy - face, ears, and chest/throat feel tight and heavy. Called nurse and she said to take a Benadryl, and doc will prescribe something else. I am still waiting.....will my treatment be compromised since I can't take Doxy?? Help.

PS - my Lyme was exposed to me in the last 3 months. We caught it early I believe. I had ticks on me after a campout in late May, and I also horseback ride and spend time in the woods. So I'm not surprised. I live in VA. My main symptom was fatigue and just feeling run down.

I heard I will feel worse when treatment starts. Is this true>???

Posted 7/31/2009 5:01 AM (GMT -8)
He can prescribe Ceftin.  It is said to be just as effective.  I got bad headaches from it, but as mentioned several times on this board, it can be herx (getting worse before better).  Ceftin knocked out my symptoms eventually, but different symptoms later returned.  Just make sure you get a 30-60 day prescription to prevent future complications.
Posted 7/31/2009 6:17 AM (GMT -8)
There are a bunch of alternatives, so don't worry! One of the more common ones that I know of Biaxin- some doctors prefer it over Doxy, as it doesn't cause sun-sensitivity.
Posted 7/31/2009 9:27 AM (GMT -8)

tpup, my LLMD said that Amox is as effective as doxy against Lyme.  However, it is not effective for Rocky mt, so I am to finish my doxy before starting the Amox. (preventative, I don't have RM)

btw, he also said weekly penicillin injections are also effective against Lyme. Told me I could come in for a shot and learn how to inject myself.  I'm not going to try that unless the Amox gets to me too bad.  He said it's a very safe alternative.

I'm posting this for tpup, but also interested in input from others here more experienced w/ treatments.

Posted 7/31/2009 10:21 AM (GMT -8)
Thanks - doc did prescribe Ceftin. Hopefully it agrees with me and works. 21 days worth - not alot, right?? But we caught my lyme early, so maybe that is why.
Posted 7/31/2009 10:40 AM (GMT -8)
from everything i have read or heard in here, 21 days is not enough. you need 6 weeks worth at least as the lyme cycle is 4 weeks best i can remember. maybe you can ask your Dr for a longer script.
Posted 7/31/2009 2:59 PM (GMT -8)
Thanks everyone - well Ceftin truly tastes horrible. I never thought swallowing a pill could taste that bad.......!! I chased it with a Starburst candy!! Yuck.
Posted 7/31/2009 4:51 PM (GMT -8)
OMG, it does taste horrible!!! IMO 21 days is not enough, but since I have not been diagnosed with anything at all, I can't say for sure. I only have the symptoms of Lyme after having a tick on me, and a band that came up on my test associated with with Lyme, so I can only make assumptions. I had 2 weeks of Ceftin after 5 days of other antibiotics and only felt better for a little over a week after treatment, and this was also caught early, if that is indeed what it is. I think 6 or more weeks would be more sufficient. As far as the taste, I found that having a drink ready before the taste buds on the tongue can absorb it works best. I also did better taking it down with milk, but it is truly the most disgusting thing I have ever had to take!!
Posted 8/1/2009 6:01 AM (GMT -8)
Doctors prescribed Doxy because it covers not only lyme but co-infections, including Rockey Mountain Spotted Fever and most importantly Erlichiosis. If you don't have either RMS or Erlichiosis then as others posted, there are alternative antibiotics. I had a lot of trouble with Doxy. Just too sensitive to it. Made me depressed too.

Good luck and be sure to take it long enough. 21 days is not enough. Even with Doxy they do at least 30 days - at least physicians who know what they are doing.

bcaring
Posted 8/1/2009 6:26 AM (GMT -8)
bcaring, I've noticed that you are not the first to say Doxy made them depressed. (I think Gorby did too?) I won't start my own thread on this, since tpup is asking about Doxy and alternatives, but I also want to ask too.  It was either a new bite or doxy or herxing that caused me to hit bottom like I hadn't in almost 2 years.  Horrendous physical anxiety also.

I was only taking 200/ day, occasionally getting an extra 100 in there now and then, since I knew the dose was low.  Doxy was prescribed because of the new bite, as a preventative -- I do not have reasons as yet to suspect rocky mt or erlich.  Tho my dose was low, I've been on it 1 month now. Because of the psychiatric state I've been in, might it be safe to start in on my Amox?  I am very anxious to improve!

And if I did happen to be infected w/ Erlich or RM w/ the new bite, and if I hadn't taken enough Doxy, would these infections become evident soon enough?

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