[QUOTE=ktp812;2996808]Thanks Sarah
I just had such a bad weekend I needed someone to talk with that has this disease too. When I first started abx I was on biaxin/plaquenill and amox/probenecid. I had a bad herx after about 5 days which consisted of sore throat, aches, bad flu feeling. Two weeks later he switched me to ketek along with amox/probenecid and I got the same symptoms again only the sore throat stayed. My husband is a pharmacist and he really thinks the sore throat is from the ketek. It is just so hard for me to believe that I could have it for almost 7 months! I will say that it is worse certain times so I don't know.The doctor has never mentioned taking a break from the abx. I definately feel worse since starting them last November. I almost wish I could feel like I did before them and that was really bad. I think I am headed for IV next month. I see my doctor on June 14th. He wanted to discuss my case with another doctor. I keep thinking something else is wrong with me but I guess that is normal. I just had my blood sent off to Igenex again but I am not sure if he put me down for co-infection testing also. Thanks for the reply and I will just keep pushing on. Maybe that is why I am so tired all the time too because of the constant sore throat. I will post over on the Lyme board too. Keep in touch.
Kim
Kim, why did your doc switched you from the Biaxin & plaq. after only 2 weeks. You may have already told me this before, I'm just having LYME BRAIN!! sometimes I rmen=mber everything so well and then other times I can't think, the uncertainity of how you will feel day to day is so awful:dizzy:
Something has definately got to be adjusted for you thoug, you can't continually have this sore throat. It can't possibly be good for your throat to feel like that all the time. Other than it possibly being the ABX's has the doc given you any indication of what it could be, not that we don't already have enough going on! Do you think it is the AI and not the LD? It must be very helpful having your husband a pharicist. At least he can tell you before you start taking something what the side-effects are and wether it is worth taking or not. What is his take on the long term prescribing of ABX's by LLMD's? Take care of yourself and keep me informed. My husband gets sore throats all the time, He took ABX's for 3 weeks and had the sore throat the entire time, he gave up on the ABX's, because he felt so bad, don't do this!! I am curious as to what you come up with. Sarah:wave:

Hey Sarah
The doctor switched me off the biaxin because I was having the bad metal taste 24/7 and couldn't stand it. I called and asked if there was something else I could take instead and he said ketek. I know it is bad for the liver but I knew the risk and what signs to look for if trouble was coming. It was at my request the meds were switched.
He told me the sore throat is from the abx killing the bacteria. I asked him again last visit. I agree that I don't think I should have had it this long either. It can't be good for my body to endure this on top of everything else. I do 100 percent believe it is caused from the abx because it began 5 days after I started taking them and I hadn't had a sore throat in about 5 years. I still think I have a co-infection though. My first symptoms were high fever 103-chills, worse headache ever, backache, muscle pain and the following day joint pain. I don't want to go on IV if I have a co-infection because then it won't make a difference. It is nice having a pharmacist in the family. I always ask him his opinion on what I am taking. He does agree with the cortef. He knows what it has been like for me the past 2 years and said if it would help then I should try it. Anyway, I woke up this morning with the bad sore throat again...plus now I am sweating and having the chills much more than before. I don't know what is going on with me. I will give the doctor a week and then give him a call. I will post over on the lyme board since this has more to do with that than cortef. Thanks again as I really appreciate hearing your opinions on all this stuff.
Kim

:eek: [QUOTE=ktp812;2997893]Hey Sarah
The doctor switched me off the biaxin because I was having the bad metal taste 24/7 and couldn't stand it. I called and asked if there was something else I could take instead and he said ketek. I know it is bad for the liver but I knew the risk and what signs to look for if trouble was coming. It was at my request the meds were switched.
He told me the sore throat is from the abx killing the bacteria. I asked him again last visit. I agree that I don't think I should have had it this long either. It can't be good for my body to endure this on top of everything else. I do 100 percent believe it is caused from the abx because it began 5 days after I started taking them and I hadn't had a sore throat in about 5 years. I still think I have a co-infection though. My first symptoms were high fever 103-chills, worse headache ever, backache, muscle pain and the following day joint pain. I don't want to go on IV if I have a co-infection because then it won't make a difference. It is nice having a pharmacist in the family. I always ask him his opinion on what I am taking. He does agree with the cortef. He knows what it has been like for me the past 2 years and said if it would help then I should try it. Anyway, I woke up this morning with the bad sore throat again...plus now I am sweating and having the chills much more than before. I don't know what is going on with me. I will give the doctor a week and then give him a call. I will post over on the lyme board since this has more to do with that than cortef. Thanks again as I really appreciate hearing your opinions on all this stuff.
Kim

Kim, I understand about the metal taste. I just deal with it. My husband was complaining about it while he was on Biaxin too. My son doesn't notice it at all. The Biaxin & plaq. has done such wonders for my son, I haven't heard any success stories as good as his, he was infected for 6 years and was pretty sick. don't know if it's the Biaxin or the plaq. which has made such a big improvement. Like I said before I was put on the plaq. for a year by Rheumi and went into remission for 2 years, just by taking the plaq. But while in remission my adrenals were getting worse. But that is probably because I owned a bus. with 2 cops who insisted that we live off coffee, doughnuts, pizza and Dr. Pepper. We always ate at our shop, and that was our main diet, plus we owned a screen printing bus. and were subjecting ourselves to toxic fumes constantly. And working 12-15 hours a day during peak season. This would be exhausting to anyone.
Have you been tested for Babesia by Igenex? You have the main symptoms, I would check into that. And there are different strains for different regions of the country, so make sure you test for the right one. this was the mistake my doc. made he tested using Quest, which only tests one strain. I need to be tested for the WA-1 because I am from the West Coast and possibly picked it up when I got the tick infestation in 89 in WA ST. They did test me for lonestari, which is a Texas co-infection. We have to be responsible for our own testing to make sure that we are tested for the correct co-infections, we should be getting 1/2 off on our bills for all the research and work we do for ourselves!! I responded to your post here, so that other people could respond on the Lyme board without just reading my suggestions. I'll bet you that Ticker mentions Babesia too. The more input the better!!:wave: Sarah

Sarah
I don't think I was tested for any co-infections. I was going to ask the doctor about it last visit and somehow I just completely forgot about it. He started talking about IV if I didn't improve. I even asked my husband to remind me if I forget to mention it and he forgot too. I am pretty sure that is my problem. I have babesia and that is why I am not getting better. I am upset with myself for not asking about it. Now I have to wait another month and then get tested for it. I know he wrote down WB on the test sheet but I don't think anything else was circled. I think I could have handled the biaxin if I knew I wasn't going to be on it for months. I couldn't taste food and it just made my mouth sore inside.
I agree that we should all get reduced prices on all this testing. Of course when I first went I had no idea about co-infections but the more I read about them, the more I think I have one. Hopefully someone on the Lyme board will have some advice. I know Ticker usually has some good thoughts. My sore throat is a little better this afternoon. Once I take the Ketek though it will flare up again. Talk to you soon and thanks for your thoughts on all this.
Kim