Matthew Goss's Lyme Disease Information

Drugs

 

Introduction

How I got it

Types of Ticks that Carry Disease

Definitions and Terminology

Symptoms and Tests

Drugs

Herxheimer Reactions

Vitamins, Nutritional Supplements, and Herbs

Bacteria and Yeast

Diet

Costs of Treatment

Is There a Cure?

Is it Sexually Transmitted?

Links

Printable Flyer

Once I got the names down, drugs were the next thing. There are lots of them that are used to treat Lyme, Babesia, Bartonella and Ehrlichia. Some abbreviations commonly used are abx (means antibiotics), tx (treatment), and dx (diagnosis).

Treatment becomes complicated when there are coinfections, that is, if you have Lyme and another one or more of the other bacteria and protozoa such as Babesia or Ehrlichia. Often treatment of Lyme is more successful when coinfections are first eliminated.

One of the more common drugs used, at least in the beginning, is Doxycycline. Doxycycline is part of the tetracycline family of antibiotics, and is effective in treating Lyme and Ehrlichia in the early stages if taken in the proper doses.

Experienced Lyme doctors recommend taking doses of 400 to 600 milligrams per day, or as much as the patient can tolerate (some people who take "doxy," as it is known, get an upset stomach when they first start treatment, but your body will often adjust if you build up to the higher dose). The standard protocol used by mainstream medical doctors has been 200mg per day for 3 weeks, but experienced Lyme doctors have found this dose to be inadequate . The key is to take a bactericidal dose (a dose capable of killing bacteria) that is capable of crossing the blood brain barrier.

Your brain has tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that do not allow many larger moleculed drugs to pass through, leaving a hiding place for the disease away from the drugs that would kill them. If you take a drug that does not cross into the brain, then as soon as you stop taking the drug the bacteria will spread back to the rest of your body and you will be at square one.

 

Doxycycline is capable of crossing into the brain, and a dose of 500mg per day of Doxycycline is considered enough to be bactericidal. Any lesser dose is considered bacteristatic (bacteristatic means it can stop the bacteria from spreading but is ineffective at eradicating the disease).

Lyme disease is capable of forming a cyst around itself when it encounters a hostile environment, such as when you are on antibiotics. This cyst cannot be penetrated by your immune system and normal antibiotics, and these dormant bacteria can come back to life once you stop treatment.

The theory that has emerged over the past couple of years is that in order to successfully treat Lyme, you must first eliminate coinfections. Once you have eliminated coinfections you must attack Lyme from three different angles: in the blood stream, intracellular, and in its cyst form. This leaves the bacteria nowhere to hide.

Antibiotics from the tetracycline family, the penicillin family, and cephalasporin family are typically used in the blood stream. Macrolides such as Rulid (roxythromycin), Zithromax (azithromycin), and Biaxin (clarithromycin) are used intracellular. Flagyl (metronidazole), Fasigyn (tinidazole) and Plaquenil (chloroquine) are used to combat the cyst form.

An added benefit to combinations of drugs is that it prevents bacterial resistance from developing because they are simply overwhelmed by being attacked from all different angles.

Drug combinations are where the expertise of an LLMD comes in. Especially when treating coinfections whose treatments are not easily tolerated due to toxicity and side effects of the drugs, and when using some of the more toxic drugs that attack the cyst form of Lyme.

Often the dose of these drugs are built up over time, starting with a small dose and slowly increasing it. Other times they are rotated and changed so that your body can rest from the toxic effects of the drugs. Some doctors have developed protocals for these rotations and changes, and they know what works because they have the experience of all of their previous patients.

Common practice says that a patient should be 100% symptom free for two months before stopping antibiotic treatment. If you still have symptoms, you are not cured.

The following table is a list of drugs that are commonly used to treat Lyme disease and the coinfections. The table was compiled using information that people posted to a message board, and reflects the dosages of those individuals that shared their treatment information. The dosages listed are provided as an overview and are not meant to suggest an appropriate dose. If you have any questions about drug doses, please contact a doctor who specializes in the treatment of Lyme Disease.

Brand Name Generic Dose
Doryx; Minocin; Terramycin; Vibramycin, etc.

Doxycycline

Tetracycline

Minocycline

300-600mg

1500-2000mg

200-400mg

Description: The tetracycline family of antibiotics are used in treating many different kinds of bacterial infections. Tetracyclines are bacteristatic at low doses.

For many bacteria, whose life cycle is short and reproduce within a matter of minutes, low doses will cure them as the bacteria will die before they get the chance to reproduce. But Lyme Disease reproduces over a much longer time frame and will not be eliminated with bacteristatic doses.

Higher doses are needed to be bactericidal and to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB). Doxycycline is often the first choice in treatment as it will eliminate an Ehrlichiosis coinfection.

An important note is that any mineral supplements such as aluminum, calcium, iron, magnesium or zinc should not be taken within 2 hours of any of these kinds of antibiotics as they will inhibit absorption of the antibiotics.

 

Brand Name Generic Dose

Amoxil; Biomox; Polymox; Trimox; Wymox, etc.

 

Amoxicillin

Ampicillin

1500-4000mg for Amoxicillin

Description: These are part of the Penicillin family of antibiotics and are bactericidal.

 

Brand Name Generic Dose

Ceftin, Ceclor

Biocef; Keflex

Rocephin

 

Cephalosporin

Cephalexin

Ceftriaxone Sodium

500mg twice a day

 

This is given by daily I.V.

Description: Cephalosporins are cousins of the penicillins, and approximately 15% of those that are allergic to penicillin will also be allergic to these drugs.

Rocephin is typically taken intravenously (IV).

 

Brand Name Generic Dose

Mepron

Malarone

Atovaquone

Atovaquone + Proguanil

750mg twice a day

Available in 250mg &100mg tabs

Description: Taken for Babesia in combination with Zithromax (Azithromycin) and Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole to prevent Babesia from developing a resistance to Mepron, which occurs in about 20% of those who take Mepron for this infection. Mepron must be taken with fatty foods such as ice cream to ensure proper absorption.

Malarone is another anti-malarial, included here as an alternative to Mepron because it contains atovaquone.

 

Brand Name Generic Dose
Bactrim, Septra Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole Two 80mg/400mg tablets twice per day. (Because there are two drugs mixed the amount is listed with a /.)

Description: Taken with Mepron and Zithromax or Cleocin and Quinine.

It has a half life of 12 hours and that is why dosing is twice a day. Drink lots of water with this one to avoid kidney stones.

One study found that 89% of those that took Trimethoprim with one of the above combinations were cured of Babesia while many of those that did not include it relapsed.

Dr Zhang also recommends taking this drug in combination with Qinghaosu.

 

Brand Name Generic Dose
Proloprim, Trimpex Trimethoprim 200mg per day

Description: This is the same as above without the sulfamethoxazole. Some people are allergic to the sulfamethoxazole.

 

Brand Name Generic Dose
Rulid, Rothricin Roxithromycin 300mg twice a day
Description: This is the only macrolide antibiotic that crosses the blood brain barrier (BBB).

Macrolides are typically combined with Bactrim, and if treating for Babesia Mepron is also added. Zithromax and Biaxin are two other macrolides. Macrolides work intracellular.

It is not approved by the FDA so you will have to order it from an overseas pharmacy or go to Mexico to get it.

 

Brand Name Generic Dose

Zithromax

Biaxin

Azithromycin

Clarithromycin

250mg to 600mg per day

1500mg per day

Description: See notes above regarding macrolides. Take it on an empty stomach for full potency. Zithromax will stay in your body for 68 hours, so this drug may be prescribed to be taken every other day. Some people are reporting great success in combining this drug with Plaquenil and Amoxicillin for treatment of Lyme.

Biaxin is a member of the same family as Zithromax. Zithromax is the more advanced drug.

 

Brand Name Generic Dose
Cleocin/Dalacin Clindamycin 600mg three times a day

This drug is taken in combination with Quinine and Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for Babesia. This treatment is hard to tolerate due to hearing loss, fever and headache. Mepron and Zithromax with T/S are a better option.

 

Brand Name Generic Dose
Quinamm Quinine 650mg three times a day

Description: This drug is taken in combination with Cleocin (see above). Tonic water contains 50 to 70 milligrams of quinine per liter.

 

Brand Name Generic Dose
Plaquenil Chloroquine
Hydroxychloroquine
200mg to 400mg per day

An anti-malarial taken for Babesia in combination with Quinine. It is taken in combination with Doxycycline to combat the cystic form of Lyme. Also used in combination with Biaxin to combat the cystic form of Lyme. In rare cases it has caused irreversible vision damage. You will need to get a retinal exam before taking this drug.

 

Brand Name Generic Dose

Flagyl

Fasigyn

Metronidazole

Tinidazole

750mg twice per day

1500mg to 3000mg per day

Flagyl: This drug is used to treat the cystic form of Lyme Disease as it is capable of killing spirochetes that are in the cystic form. Flagyl should not be used with Tetracyclines (according to Dr Burrasccano). Use either Penicillins or Cephalasporins.Do not consume ANY alcohol with Flagyl or you will have a severe reaction.Many people find that they get a very strong reaction from this drug and it is advisable to slowly build up to the maximum dose.

Fasigyn: This drug also attacks the cystic form of Lyme and is a relative of Flagyl and is supposed to be easier on your liver and better tolerated by the patient. It has a half life of 12 hours so if the dose is split up it can work 24 hours a day.

 

Brand Name Generic Dose
Rifadin, Rimactane Rifampin 1200mg per day

Description: Used in conjunction with Doxycycline for the treatment of Bartonella and Ehrlichia.

 

Brand Name Generic Dose

Tobradex

Gentamycin

Tobramycin/Dexamethasone

Gentamycin

.

Description: Both of these drugs are aminoglycosides and are used to treat Bartonella. A bad side effect is that they can cause vestibular damage (hearing/equilibrium).

 

Brand Name Generic Dose
Hep-Lock; Heparin Flush; Heparin Lock Heparin Injection administered at home by patient.

Description: It is believed that blood thinners cause better circulation and increase the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment. [Many with Lyme disease have hypercoagulation, which is treated with anti-coagulants.]

 

Brand Name Generic Dose
Questran cholestyramine (CSM) Usually, 1 scoop 4 x day

Description: This drug binds with bile acids, helping to eliminate them from your system and promote liver health. It also binds with other drugs and supplements, so be sure that if you are taking this in combination with other drugs you do not take them together. (See also Shoemaker's Lyme Disease protocol.)

 

Brand Name Generic Dose
Mycostatin; Mycostatin Pastilles; Nilstat; Nystex

Diflucan

Nystatin

Fluconazole

.
Description: These two drugs are used to control yeast problems.
Other Protocols

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment (HBOT)

 

This is a treatment that involves spending time in a pressurized oxygen chamber. The cost is about $150 to $200 per session. Many people report improvement, but this is not a cure. For some reason, children are believed to respond to this treatment better. Thirty or more 60 to 90 minute sessions

ICHT (internal heat by use of Dinitrophenol, Usnic acid) This is an experimental treatment for Lyme that elevates the intracellular temperature to levels high enough to kill the disease. The cost is $20,000, but you may qualify for a reduced rate of $10,000 if you have tested positive on a western blot test in the last 45 days. Initial reports show that it is very effective in eliminating symptoms but it is unknown if this is a long term cure. Five to 10 days of in hospital treatment.
Rife Machine This is a treatment that involves sending a weak electric current through your body at different frequencies. It is believed that each bacteria/microbe is suceptible to a certain frequency that will inhibit its growth or kill it.

 


The Matthew Goss Lyme Disease Information content is no longer being updated by Matthew Goss. A new home on the web for this information is provided by Melissa Kaplan's Anapsid.org Herp Care and CND & Lyme Information. Please report any webpage errors to Melissa Kaplan.

http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/matthewgoss/drugs.html
Last Update: 10/22/2004