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Rifampin or Levaquin interacting with Klonopin?

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Posted 3/22/2015 1:56 PM (GMT -7)
I am once again treating Bartonella with a different combination which is Rifampin/Levaquin. I started almost three weeks ago and since then I have been unable to either fall asleep until 1or 2am or I will wake every 2 hours all night long.

I had been sleeping well on Klonopin .025 nightly for years. I hope I am writing that correctly. Anyway it is a quarter of 1 milligram. Some nights I had to take 1/2 milligram but never had any issues falling asleep.

I have looked for information on interactions but can't seem to find anything that suggests that could be the cause of my sleepless nights.

I am thinking it could just be from the medications killing off the bugs but every night is horrible and I am not sure how much longer I can last like this...

Anyone know if there is a problem with Rifampin or Levaquin making the Klonopin less effective?
Posted 3/22/2015 3:59 PM (GMT -7)
Hi ktp812,

My LLMD refuses to prescribe Levaquin to his patients.  I, for one, had a horrible toxic reaction to this med causing symptoms very similar to Lyme's disease and its co-infections which lasted a couple of years.  Please do some research on fluoroquinolone antibiotics (ie: Cipro, Levaquin, etc.).  Sleep deprivation can also be a problem due to a herx.

Patty

 

Posted 3/22/2015 8:03 PM (GMT -7)
Call your pharmacy. The pharmacist may know if the abx are interfering with the absorption of the klonopin.
That wouldn't shoe as an interaction but I know that does occur with some abx and other rx medications.
Posted 3/23/2015 3:25 AM (GMT -7)
There are no direct drug interactions with the medications you have listed. What could possibly be happening is that the increase in pathogen lysis has caused an increase in oxidative stress and that is causing mitochondrial dysfunction. Even though Levaquin is not metabolized much at all in the body, it is a fluoroquinolone. They are polyphenols and drinking a lot of tea can cause competitive issues during elimination, especially if you have BHMT mutations. I wouldn't drink tea for the time being.

That won't fix your issue, just may help slightly. Staying hydrated will help too. I wish there was an easy fix, but in my case, I had to back down my antibiotics until my system could handle the oxidative stress better. Talk to your physician about what needs to be done.
Posted 3/23/2015 7:00 AM (GMT -7)
I did check with the pharmacist and he looked it up on a special website....YES Rifampin does make the Klonopin metabolize quicker than normal and he suggested I switch to Ativan for sleep. Anyway long story short...My LLMD called in Ativan and I took it last night...

Had my best sleep in over three weeks...I am going to take the lowest dose possible until I am over the worse of this. Maybe once the bug load has decreased some my body won't be as wired at night.

I have taken Levaquin on my first round back in 2004 and it helped me the most. I have no problems taking it for a few months. Then he will probably switch the combination.
Posted 3/23/2015 8:10 AM (GMT -7)
Sorry, I didn't see Rifampin listed as something you were taking. Rifampin is an enzyme inducer and causes problems with a lot of meds. Everyone should check their meds when on Rifampin. Congrats on the sleep. It makes a huge difference when recovering.
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