Worsening after switching from Doxy to Mino

[m.]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been doing really well on Doxy since 2008, nearly forgetting I even have arthritis!

Last month I switched to generic minocycline (Teva) due to the Doxy shortage & subsequent 10-fold increase in price.

Unfortunately, the switch has upset whatever truce my body, the microbes, and Doxy had agreed upon. I am really sore, and I’ve noticed that I’ve been tiring easily.

I realize I’ve been very fortunate, and we’re talking about [only] having to take some Advil for the pain plus not being able to lift anything too heavy because my wrists and elbows cannot handle it.

But boy! What a shock to be going through this again! I haven’t had this much joint pain since 2008-2009, and going through it again filled me with fear.

Dr. S in Iowa thinks I’m having a Herx in response to the antibiotic change, and he has okay’ed the switch back to Doxy (just switched back yesterday).

I’m hoping my body will return to a state of remission and equilibrium very soon!

Wishing everyone good health!

[PhilC]

Hi,

In a way, it’s good that this happened. It shows that, despite the fact that you’ve been feeling great, you are still infected. After you are feeling better, I think you should try switching to minocycline again. If you do it slowly it should be much easier than just suddenly switching. That’s what I did. When I first tried mino it gave me headaches and joint pains, so I lowered the dose to 25 mg and then increased it very slowly until I was taking 100 mg without any headaches or joint pains. You can read how I did it here: How I slowly increased my dose of minocycline .

By the way, although I didn’t mention it on that page, I was taking 100 mg of doxycyline on my non-mino days during the ramp up from 25 mg to 100 mg of minocycline, and for several months after I reached 100 mg. To give you an idea of how long the process took, I started on 14-April-2012 and took my last tablet of doxy on June 30 of this year.

Phil

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
- Albert Einstein

[lynnie_sydney]

Hi m – I’m with Dr S that it is most probably a herx from the change. Herxing can happen anytime we change our protocol in any way. Phil’s suggestions also make great good sense. Hope things settle soon.

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[m.]

PhilC wrote:

In a way, it’s good that this happened. It shows that, despite the fact that you’ve been feeling great, you are still infected. After you are feeling better, I think you should try switching to minocycline again. If you do it slowly it should be much easier than just suddenly switching.

Hi Phil,

Thanks for your reply. I guess I hadn’t been looking at the AP as a way to completely wipe out the infection(s), but rather to knock them back enough that an equilibrium or truce is formed between the microbes and my immune system.

If the switch back to Doxy doesn’t get me back to remission in a couple months, I will certainly talk to Dr. S about giving the Mino another shot, although I’ll heed your warning & start at a lower dose.

When the acute joint pain started up again, I was initially concerned the Teva Mino was not working as well as the Doxy, and I was regressing. After tallying the votes, I’m coming around to the idea that it’s a Herx reaction in response to changing antibiotics.

My approach since the beginning in 2008 was to start with Doxy, and if that didn’t work or eventually stopped working, to step up to Mino. I guess I’m still thinking that way in a sense. Save Mino for when I might really need it.

Nevertheless, you’ve given me some good things to think about. Maz too (off-list). Thank you.

Hi Lynnie! Thanks for you well wishes. Good to see you again.

[A Friend]

I agree with Phil and Lynnie… even before I read their posts about the increased pain when changing to Teva, and their thoughts about it. I’ve believed for a long time that minocycline/Minocin was stronger than other AP antibiotics. Also, when the Minocin was no longer available to me, my trusted pharmacist friend assured me that Teva is/was a trusted one.

So, for what my vote is worth, like Phil and Lynnie, my vote is that Teva is hitting more unfriendly organisms and you are not getting worse on it, except for having more reactions to die-off … believe it’s a good thing.

AF

[Author]

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