Babesia, one of the many
co infections of Lyme, is not easy to treat and can cause many symptoms that can disable someone to regular every day activities. This strand of bacteria alone has hundreds of different strands within itself, and is something that my family was not comfortably able to afford testing for. Through
Igenex labs in Ca., the one trustworthy Lyme Literate lab in the U.S. that tests for all its infections CORRECTLY, It will cost somewhere up to or around $600 for the extended
co infections testing. Just for
Babesia, or
Bartonella testing, it is somewhere over $100 a
piece! This is pricey, as the
co infection tests are far more extensive and tough to execute than Lyme Disease. In fact, it is tough to even get one of these tests done through a local lab, and it is almost a waste of time in my mind as it won't be accurate enough to barely tell you anything. However, every person has different body types and the bacteria may show up more for one than another...... it is all dependent on the way god wants it to work out.
So if testing and diagnosis is so difficult, then you can
imagine that treatment is tough too. Most of my symptoms (headaches, sleep apnea, concentration, dizziness, fatigue, stretch mark-like rash) all point to
Babesia and/or
Bartonella. We have tried treatment towards
Bartonella and got no effect, so now we have pulled out the big weapons and are going to pack a huge punch to
Babesia! Since 6-17-09 when I saw the
LLMD, he prescribed
Zithromax (a powerful antibiotic usually prescribed in a five day dose to last up to 14 days) so that it could treat
Babesia and/or Lyme, mostly
Babesia. There are some treatment regimens that claim treatment of
co infections before the Lyme is more effective. For me only time will tell. The
Zithromax is an every day 500 Mg. dose for me, to be taken by itself without herbs/supplements/vitamins. This is tough to accomplish when you take near 62 pills a day. The effect of the
Zithromax was that I had a
herx reaction (finally after trying medicines for 9 months with NO effect but steady worsening. Con was that It was July 4 weekend to start with, keeping me out of some exciting events, and that we had roped
ourself into puppy sitting that weekend, and I was suppose to help a LOT.). Then I realized a very slight reduction to headache pain. It was just enough to take the edge off of the constant pain I felt, and enough to encourage me to get to work with my summer project of completing redecorating my room.
7-22-09~ the
LLMD appointment went good. It has been decided that I am starting
Mepron to go with the
Artemesia, and
Zithromax for a full blown
Babesia treatment! The issue is in the
Mepron. It is only an oral medicine, that comes only in liquid form, and only in Citrus flavor which I don't even like! This medicine is the thickest, and most NASTY medicine I have ever had to take. It is bright yellow, like a school bus, and literally the texture of paint,
Elmer's glue, or nail polish. It feels like Concrete
running through your system, and I can feel it moving through my entire GI track, which isn't very
appetizing. Having to take a teaspoon of
Mepron twice a day right after a meal is kind of similar to having to drink Barium before an Upper GI Test. It has a bad flavor, worse texture, and worse effect of
toxicity of my body! I thought nothing could be worse than the
Bicillin Injections I tried.
I hope though that this
Mepron will move through all my body systems and effectively sweep the
Babesia infection out of me, making me feel well enough to move on with my life dreams and aspirations.