Oops, you're right. Doxy is treatment of choice for RMSF. There is an alternative for those who can't take doxy, tho not preferred.
What else do they use? Remember I have not been diagnosed with lyme, but for RMSF
My doc never put me on doxy, perhaps because I had been sick for a while, and it might not have worked well, ... which leads me to the question: is doxy really necessary? Since it's got such lousy side effects, why not use something else?
Just wonderin'.
Thanks for your responses. If I could just know if this is a die-off, I could endure. I'm not even able to function sometimes when I take them. The anxiety makes me miserable. Also, the lack of sleep. Do you know about the titers? When should you start to see improvement, if you know?
I have taken Doxy 3 different times, and every time I feel just horrible when I take it. It messes up my stomach and intestines, too. I am not sure if the malaise it causes is a side effect, or a die off reaction. I don't feel that horrible on other drugs that improve my symptoms, so I'm guessing it's a side effect.
If your Lyme symptoms are worse, then you're most likely experiencing a die-off. If you feel mentally worse, you might want to ask your doctor to switch to a different med. I did better on the penicillins (until my kidneys got stressed).
If you still have symptoms, you most likely need longer treatment. The "standard" treatment of 2-4 weeks of Doxy has a treatment failure rate of at least 25%, higher in late stage patients.
I certainly didn't feel better after first starting abx. I started herxing which is a worsening of the symptoms. I also believe if you have an older infection it will take longer to feel better. Don't give up.
Could be several reasons --
Lyme treatment is usually months-long rather than like other bacterial infections that last a few weeks, and during die-off of the Lyme bacteria (a "Herxheimer reaction"), you can indeed feel temporarily worse.
You could also be feeling the continuing effects of co-infections that aren't yet being treated.
I'd suggest you call your doc's office and report how you are feeling so the doc can decide whether, based on your infection(s) and your meds, the doc thinks an adjustment needs to be made.
Don't be a hero -- call the doc's office and leave a detailed message. That way they know if they need to get back to you sooner than Monday.
Hang in there! Let us know how you do and what the doc says, okay?