Lyme treatment

[cjsmith]

We're going to hit me with Biaxin (clarithromycin) at first, and I'll need Diflucan (fluconazole) to keep yeast levels down as well as a massive probiotic (way beyond yogurt) to make my gut keep working. I will need to log pain levels, fatigue, sleep time, and anything I find unusual -- extra aches, flulike symptoms, anything. Unless a Herx reaction is too awful to bear, I'll see the doctor again in six weeks.

We discussed one antibiotic option known to cause bad sun sensitivity. My doctor said she was reluctant to use that one in summer. I said "Oh, I'm never outside. I can't walk far or bike, so I drive everywhere. I can't run or hike or go backpacking. I work in an office all day. Sun sensitivity really isn't a big problem here." And she said "But that might change," and put me on Biaxin. That was really weird. The thought that I might enjoy the outdoors again -- this summer, even -- is just alien. I'm having a hard time picturing it. I can only barely remember what that was like once upon a time. Maybe I am the zoo tiger who, when released in the wild, paces a space the size of his cage for a long time.

I fill my prescriptions this evening.

I'm trying so hard not to get my hopes up. The crashes are always so painful. It took me too long to reach any sort of mental and emotional equilibrium about this stuff in the first place; I don't want to have to go through that again.

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I think it's expected to be pretty harsh, yeah. In a way it's almost like the opposite of chemo: those folks go into a state where they just don't have many white blood cells (neutropenia - chemo kills off anything that multiplies fast) so they have to avoid crowds, avoid raw foods like salad, etc; while me, I doubt I could catch ANYTHING bacterial at this point. :-) But yeah, rough on the body.

I took the first antibiotic and antifungal last night, and this afternoon I can take the first probiotic. Good thing, too. I can feel the TMI starting up.