what do you think about this?

[KathySkes]

My current crash and moderate level of CFS was triggered by one dose of an antibiotic, azithromycin. I have been curious why an antibiotic would do this so that I might have some idea of which direction to go in treatment. At first, not knowing what was wrong with me but knowing that an antibiotic started my current level of illness, I found the facebook pages with people who have had severe reactions to the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotic drugs. And here, in a fibromyalgia magazine article posted by someone on one of these pages, a connection is made between antibiotic reactions and methylation deficiency.

Someone who has some knowledge of this, does this sound right to you? Would my own methylation cycle deficiency have allowed my antibiotic adverse reaction? Is this what happened to me? Thanks in advance for any insights you can provide.

http://www.joomag.com/magazine/fibromyalgia-chronic-pain-lifejun-2012/0648498001339623432

 

[KathySkes]

The methylation defect connection is made on page 29 of the article in the link above, FYI.

I should add, I do not have what I would call FM (achiness but not pain, per se), but I am experiencing some CNS symptoms such as anxiety, some insomnia/sleep disruption, and digestive issues.

I guess, if I don't have FM symptoms, does this still apply since I have CFS?

 

[ukxmrv]

When you say that you have crashed are these your "only" symptoms from the antibiotics Kathy?

"CNS symptoms such as anxiety, some insomnia/sleep disruption, and digestive issues"

 

[KathySkes]

well no, I have extreme disabling fatigue, but that is a given with any kind of CFS so I didn't mention it. I guess what I am looking for is an answer why an antibiotic would cause a crash to see if there is anything I can do about it. Also to see if methylation protocol is something I should consider. Does that make sense?

Sorry if this is too complicated, I'm trying to figure it all out myself.

 

[KathySkes]

oh yes, I also have tinnitus which began as soon as the antibiotic hit my bloodstream and has been continuous since then. I guess this is also a CNS symptom? Although I don't hold out much hope that there is anything that can be done about it.

 

[adreno]

Also to see if methylation protocol is something I should consider. Does that make sense?

Yes, according to the article you quoted, it would make sense to take methylation supplements.

 

[KathySkes]

Thanks adreno!

 

[place]

I'm on a runway don't have time to review but I am allergic to penicillin and it gives me fibro symptoms big time. Not Sure if it is penicillin baced.

 

[vitamink]

kathyskes,

have you ever been tested for lyme disease? and other bacterial infections such as bartonella, chlamydia pneumoniae, etc?

often when people begin to treat those infections with antibiotics, they experience a jarisch-herxheimer reaction, where their symptoms become amplified...

 

[KathySkes]

Thanks, vitamink. No, I haven't done much testing yet since this is all still relatively new for me. Definitely something to consider.

 

[Ocean]

I had a teribble reaction to this medicine which I tolerated fine before my CFS got bad. I got what I guess was something of severe panic or anxiety attack. I've never had one but that's the closest I can explain. That was after one pill of a Z-pak. I don't take methylation supplements but wonder if I should.

 

[Nielk]

I have taken Cipro in the past with disastrous side effects. Cipro is a Fluoroquinolon anti-biotic too.
See this article showing possible dangers of and connection to CFS http://suite101.com/article/dangers-of-fluoroquinolones-a67343

I never knew about the possible connection with Methylation.
Thanks Kathyskes

 

[KathySkes]

I had a teribble reaction to this medicine which I tolerated fine before my CFS got bad. I got what I guess was something of severe panic or anxiety attack. I've never had one but that's the closest I can explain. That was after one pill of a Z-pak. I don't take methylation supplements but wonder if I should.

Ocean, I am sorry you had a bad reaction to this stuff too. I saw an integrative medicine doctor on Tuesday and he suggested that my liver is deficient in the cytochrome P450 enzyme that metabolizes azithromycin and wanted me to look up which one it is, which by the way I am having trouble doing. His solution to this is a detox diet (I posted in the alternative medicine category about this).

Interestingly enough, he also mentioned that you can take a saliva test to see which medications interact poorly with your body, I'm not sure how this works, but I thought it was intriguing. A bit pricey, too, at $500, so I'm not going to have this done anytime soon if at all. It reminds me of the DNA/genomics testing used in the Yasko protocol? I wonder if it is the same thing.

 

[KathySkes]

I have taken Cipro in the past with disastrous side effects. Cipro is a Fluoroquinolon anti-biotic too.
See this article showing possible dangers of and connection to CFS http://suite101.com/article/dangers-of-fluoroquinolones-a67343

I never knew about the possible connection with Methylation.
Thanks Kathyskes

Thanks Nielk, I am sorry you had a bad reaction to Cipro, there is a lot of support out there for others who, like you, have been "floxed"--on Facebook, and there are a few websites. Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic, so not one of the fluoroquinolones, but I had some of the same symptoms so I wondered if there was a connection. I guess the quinolones can damage your mitochondrial DNA permanently.

 

[Ocean]

Ocean, I am sorry you had a bad reaction to this stuff too. I saw an integrative medicine doctor on Tuesday and he suggested that my liver is deficient in the cytochrome P450 enzyme that metabolizes azithromycin and wanted me to look up which one it is, which by the way I am having trouble doing. His solution to this is a detox diet (I posted in the alternative medicine category about this).

Interestingly enough, he also mentioned that you can take a saliva test to see which medications interact poorly with your body, I'm not sure how this works, but I thought it was intriguing. A bit pricey, too, at $500, so I'm not going to have this done anytime soon if at all. It reminds me of the DNA/genomics testing used in the Yasko protocol? I wonder if it is the same thing.

That's interesting Kathy. Since I got pretty sick I've reacted to several antibiotics in ways I did not before. I wonder if it could be related to the liver or something else. I do well with the simple things like penicillin, much of the other newer antibiotics I've had big problems with.