Strange reaction to antibiotics

[soxfan]

I still don't have a diagnosis as to what is wrong with me...been 6 years now. Back in 2006 I was treated for Lyme Disease which I am still not sure if I had or not. Anyway, they started me on antibiotics (amoxicillin-probenecid-ketek). Five days later I came down with a terrible sore throat which felt like strep. I was tested but it wasn't. I want to say that I never had a sore throat at the beginning of my illness (October 2004).
This sore throat lasted 10 months..I had it everyday and it was very painful. Then one day in October 2007 it just went away and I never had it again.
I was on antibiotics for a total of 30 months but am still not well.

I have been to one of the top lyme doctors in NY and he had no clue why I had the sore throat and none of my other doctors knew why either.
So I am wondering if anyone here has any idea what could have caused this to happen. I know that having sore throats is a symptom of CFS but I never had it until I started the antibiotics. Could they have caused a virus to reactivate? I never had any positives on any of the viral testing I had.

I am just trying to figure out what type of doctor I should see next. My pcp is talking about sending me to Boston. I feel as though I am getting worse as each day goes by and I really don't know what to do.

There are so many wonderful articles on this site and I am learning and reading as much as I can. I have had so many wierd symptoms and strange things happen that I don't know who can help....

 

[Carrigon]

I think no one has answered you yet because it's really hard to say what the sore throat was that you had. It can have many causes. It could be viral, it could have been lyme or another bacteria. The list just goes on and on. I would say, go to an infectious disease doc and work on it from there.

 

[caledonia]

I've haven't heard of a sore throat from antibiotics either. It could be coincidental.

I've had the best help so far from a naturopath. Mine uses electrodermal screening to determine what organs/systems in your body are weak, then prescribe supplements to get things back in balance.

Their general view would be to treat the immune system instead of trying to chase down various viruses.

How is your digestive system doing after all those antibiotics?

 

[soxfan]

The whole sore throat thing was totally strange. At first the doctors were telling me it was a "herx" reaction from the abx killing off the lyme bacteria. But when it lasted for 10 months they weren't so sure. I haven't had a sore throat since it went away in October 2007. The more reading I do the more I believe it was a viral reactivation even though I never had a sore throat in the beginning of my illness. It only came on after I started the abx. No matter what combo they put me on I still continued to have the sore throat...

Believe it or not my stomach weathered the abx okay. At times I had some nausea from the doxy and some heartburn occasionally but I made sure I took them with alot of water and food if needed. But..I have ended up with a yeast infection that I have been unable to get rid of. I have been on all kinds of treatments but it comes right back. Not sure what to do at this point about that.
As of now I am not seeing a doctor that knows about this illness. I am suppose to be getting some names from my pcp. I am not sure going to an infectious disease doctor would do me any good since I don't have any symptoms now that would seem like I had some type of infection going on. The sore throat is long gone now. But if my doc wants me to see an ID doctor I would gladly go. I think he is thinking more along the lines of someone to help with my chronic fatigue/exhaustion PEM and unrestful sleep.

 

[taniaaust1]

I'd suggest to not worry about the type of doctor... but rather seek out a doctor or specialist who specialises in CFS/ME, these can be all kinds of specialists but just have a special interest in CFS/ME and see these patients. That way you can get a diagnoses or they can rule CFS/ME out.

 

[*GG*]

I'd suggest to not worry about the type of doctor... but rather seek out a doctor or specialist who specialises in CFS/ME, these can be all kinds of specialists but just have a special interest in CFS/ME and see these patients. That way you can get a diagnoses or they can rule CFS/ME out.

I agree. So were you tested for Mono (EBV)?

Check out the co cure website. An infectious disease is not a good dr to treat CFS, although if you are looking for the diagnosis, I can give you the name of the Dr who diagnosed me.

GG

 

[taniaaust1]

The whole sore throat thing was totally strange. At first the doctors were telling me it was a "herx" reaction from the abx killing off the lyme bacteria. But when it lasted for 10 months they weren't so sure. I haven't had a sore throat since it went away in October 2007. The more reading I do the more I believe it was a viral reactivation even though I never had a sore throat in the beginning of my illness. It only came on after I started the abx. No matter what combo they put me on I still continued to have the sore throat...
.

I have a possible theory for that. Maybe those antibiotics were helping your body by trying to help fight something.. and hence then allowing your own body to fight whatever is going on in your body more.. eg hence then a sore throat. The sore throat is a sign your body was actually trying to fight something.

Maybe thou... your body thou trying to fight the thing more (due to the antibiotics taking some of the load off hence helping it to respond.. maybe your body was too weakened to form a good immunological response before that) actually wasnt being successful... so it was just trying and trying but not really susceding (hence the sore throat just went on and on).

ive not a clue and this is just a possible theory which to me would make sense of the situation.

 

[taniaaust1]

The whole sore throat thing was totally strange. At first the doctors were telling me it was a "herx" reaction from the abx killing off the lyme bacteria. But when it lasted for 10 months they weren't so sure. I haven't had a sore throat since it went away in October 2007. The more reading I do the more I believe it was a viral reactivation even though I never had a sore throat in the beginning of my illness. It only came on after I started the abx. No matter what combo they put me on I still continued to have the sore throat...
.

That makes sense to me... i have a theory about that.

Your body may of been too weak in some way or not working well enough, to be able to form a good immunological response to something going on in your body. The antibiotics helped your body enough that your body was able to start fighting something better. The sign of the sore throat was a sign your body was actually fighting something. Whatever was being fought thou, was too strong for both your body and the antibiotics and hence your body just kept fighting and fighting the issue with the sore throat continuing.

(just a theory).
........

You may need to go onto one of those strict anti-candida diets to starve the candida off and take anti fungals?? meds to get the candida down. Be aware that if candida is a big issue, you are going to herx from the die off of it.

 

[soxfan]

Your thoughts are really good on this...it is a better explaination than any of the doctors could come up with. I will also add that I didn't before was that I was put on IV Rocephin for the Lyme and 3 days later is when the sore throat disappeared. It was like a miracle...I woke up in the morning and the sore throat was completely gone. So I guess whatever bacteria the Rocephin hits is what did the trick.
I did feel terrible the entire time I had the sore throat and I also had really bad dry eyes during the same time period. I never did have a temp or anything like that. To be honest I think the abx stirred up the infection because right before I started the abx I had been feeling somewhat better. I guess there is no point in trying to guess what it really was because it is long gone. I was just really curious if anyone else had ever experience something like this.
GG- Yes I was tested for mono when I first became sick because my son had mono the year prior. I don't know if it was an EBV test though...I will have to look through my old test results. I am going to ask my doctor next week to recheck for all this stuff since my wbc continues to be low. I did check out the co-cure website..thanks alot

 

[soxfan]

I want to add that I am going to try boric acid capsules for the yeast infection. The diflucan just didn't do a thing and the creams etc. will take it away for a few days and then it will return. When I was in treatment for Lyme I was on diflucan regularly and also on nystatin...