I've just been prescribed doxycycline (100mg, 1/day) for a non-ME-related problem.
I was wondering if it would muck up my gut so did a quick search on PR and find (surprisingly) that some people consider it beneficial for ME/CFS because it has a cytokine-suppressing effect (I think).
Views?
I've had some improvement in my OI which I think is due to some improvements I've been working on with my gut flora and I'm a bit worried about messing that up.
I don't know if this is one of the antibiotics that wreaks havoc on your gut flora.
Doxy is supposed to be active against some of the intracellular parasitical bacterias that can cause or contribute to diseases that fit into the CFS/ME spectrum like Borrellia (lyme), Chlamydia Pneumonia, Mycoplasma's etc....
It also has anti-inflammatory properties so it may have some interesting results for you.
It also is generally regarded as pretty easy on the gut and gut flora. However what I suggest you do (in fact every person on the planet should do this - especially if you have CFS/ME) is consume several servings of fermented foods each week.
This includes
-Yogurt (preferably Goat or Sheeps Milk, unsweetened and as unprocessed as possible. You can add some honey, fruit and cinnamon powder to your liking as plain yogurt is naturally sour)
-Sauerkraut & Kimchi (note that most of the Sauerkraut you find in the supermarkets has been heat sterilized so you'll need to find in an organic food store or Wholefoods. Or better yet make it yourself if you can.
-Kefir (Whole Foods sell a brand of this made from Goats milk). Alternatively you can buy the special Kefir grains to ferment your own culture). Kefir is probably the best of all the fermented foods because it contains more probiotic species than regular yogurt and also has probiotic yeasts. Probiotic yeasts won't be affected by antibiotics and their importance is gradually being recognized - some yeasts are antagonistic to typical gut pathogens and have been investigated as means to treat gastro infections. The science seems to be saying that the bigger the variety of probiotic bacteria and yeasts in our guts the better. Most yogurts and probiotic capsules usually only have very few strains which is why fermented vegetables and Kefir are so beneficial as you get a wider variety.
-Kombucha Tea.
There are others but those are easiest and best to source. But generally speaking Probiotics are proven to modulate allergies and prevent or help your body fight a whole host of nasty diseases like Clostridium, Helicobacter, Giardia etc. Since many people with CFS report symptoms that align with irritable bowel syndrome I suspect many of us would benefit from fermented foods.
