Antivirals vs. Antibiotics

[Jenny]

There is a link to a commercial site at the bottom of smithgerry's post.

 

[Timaca]

For what it's worth, I've been on (and am currently on) both antiviral and antibiotic medication. It appears I'm fighting both kinds of pathogens.
Best, Timaca

 

[heapsreal]

hi, I have had improvement with antibiotics, mainly doxycycline and minocycline, I found they helped alot with joint and muscle pain and i did start off with a herx from them too, but as far as a cure, no, but they helped me out of a hole. I had no actual dianostic test for this just a theraputic trial, plus previous improvement after using doxy for an ear infection and low neutrophil count. End of last year I did a course of flagyl, basically because I had constant watery stools and thought i may have a gut infection, also had an elevated iga immunoglobulin which 'can' indicate gut problems, so did another theraputic trial. It helped my water stools and I had a jump in improvement in my cfs condition, during this course i also took probiotics and natural antifungals to help prevent any fungal infections from antibiotics. I was also on valtrex at the time and still am, this antiviral hasnt cured me but has definately got me up to a more functional level. I have taken short breaks from antivirals with a return of symptoms within a week, so i know its helping, plus previous blood tests show my elevated lymphocytes have come down.

I think most people with cfs could possibly trial these meds under docs supervision and past history (viral onset of cfs etc) and could possibly improve but not many would find a cure back to 100%. My theory on cfs now is that our immune system is up the creek, possibly from the initial infection that started cfs or maybe xmrv and we are open to these opportunistic infections that make us feel extra worse. So I say go ahead and try these things, do alot of research, hopefully get some improvement but as far as 100% recovery, dont set your sights that high, but you never know.

cheers!!