Today I started Tindamax, used by Lyme-Literate docs as a cyst buster. When Lyme Bacteria dies (thanks to Doxycycline, another antibiotic or herbal remedy), it spins off into a cyst, which can regenerate later. So, you can't just kill the bacteria. You have to 'clean up' with a cyst buster, like Tindamax (or Tindy, as Lymies often refer to it.)` I only take it for three days and I pulse it ever other weekend, so that the 'bugs' (aka Lyme bacteria) don't get wise and hide. The fact that it is only 3 days every other week should also tell you something about it. It's a BEAST. Most doctors have you take it Friday, Saturday and Sunday so that by Monday, you can function...hopefully. Fitting It In
I am a stay-at-home Mom who 'moonlights' as a yoga instructor. OK, not really MOONLIGHTS. I teach three classes...Sunday, Monday and Wednesday evenings. So, I need to be able to function every day of the week. I have two small children who rely on me to keep them safe and entertained every day and three days a week, a group of people trust me to lead them through a safe, relaxing practice...which they are paying me for. So, I started it today, Thursday, in hopes that if it DOES effect me in a not-so-friendly manner, I will be functional enough to leave the house and lead a zen-inducing class on Sunday evening.
The Lyme Juggling Act
Now, adding in Tindamax and the herbal remedy A-Bab, which I started last week, to my already busy pill-taking schedule is quite challenging. There are many rules, such as 'take your supplements no less than two hours before and after an antibiotic' and 'do not take your antibiotics together' and 'never take your antibiotic on an empty stomach' and 'sit up for 20 minutes after this one or you'll throw it up...and everything else in your stomach.' So, now I have an alarm set every two hours from 8am till 11pm to take one thing or the other. It is a big juggling act, as one Lyme friend told me recently.
Tindy comes with another BIG rule: "Don't have any alcohol...not even mouthwash for three days before AND after!" my friends and pharmacist warned. So, what happens if I do mix this Tindamax with alcohol, even a little bit? Bad nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and severe tremors, to name a few. And if you happen to mix Tindamax with alcohol AND disulfiram (another drug, which I am not thankfully not taking), "a severe mental disorder can occur." No alcohol...check.
The First Dose
Today I had the pleasure of having coffee with some other moms. While there, my Tindy alarm went off. I was just explaining about my treatment and the number of antibiotics and supplements I was taking. "This is the first time I'm taking this one," I said, "and it's supposed to be a pretty bad one." One Mom responded, "Maybe we should toast to it, then!" Good idea. :) Down the hatch. CHEERS! I swallowed it down with a swig of decaf coffee at the great new French cafe one of the Moms had recommended. I know, decaf coffee is a no-no. Any kind of coffee, actually. *SIGH* Well, so far, so good, but major herxing doesn't usually kick in right away. I'll keep you posted.
*A-Bab Update:
I started A-Bab on the 21st. You may remember, my last post said my experience thus far (only 2 doses) was 'uneventful.' Well, the funny thing about Lyme is, the symptoms don't always stand out as, well, a symptom. One of my longest running symptoms and sometimes the most debilitating, is anxiety. The last few days have been like one big anxiety attack...air hunger, chest constrictions, teeth-grinding, insomnia, shaky hands, heart palpitations, inability to focus, paranoia, etc. It makes sense. A-Bab treats Babesia and one of the symptoms of Babs is, you guessed it, anxiety! Well, at least we know it's working! It is such an odd feeling to be happy when I feel worse! Such a crazy journey this Lyme treatment is!
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