November 6th
2009
7:40 AM
I am on day 13 of doxycycline for suspected Lyme. The headache is unbearable and constant. Only relief is lying down. Decision day today whether to go the last 7 days (I will be in hospital) on Doxy or stop in hopes that I can return to decent health. Any ideas appreciated. I am worried
-- By podonnell | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
November 2th
2009
10:06 PM
I have been on doxy for 9 days for infantigo,my side effects have been-dizziness,headaches,stomach pain, nausea,and forgetfulness.I don't seem to have a problem with depression,thank God! It seems to be helping my skin issues,but I hope I don't have to take it very much longer.
-- By tweeny0926 | Reply | Private Message me
November 2th
2009
3:02 AM
I've been taking doxy for lyme disease. tomorrow nov.2 is my last day of a 30 day cycle. my dizziness is gone, but still getting rapid heartbeat, and feel very weak..does any one feel better after their done with doxy or has any one fully recovered ?? please post reply...
-- By eric11 | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
November 1th
2009
11:39 PM
Please help me I already post my side effects that after taking that med for 7 months I start having a joint pain ,my all body hurts I have no energy left ,I have stopped taking doxy from last one week but I m not recover .does anyone know how I will get normal I m continuously taking Motrin 800 mg for my pain but I'm worried how long I can be on Motrin but if I don't take Motrin I cannot even walk ,does anyone think arthritis but my blood work was negative ...plz help me
-- By bfaridi | Reply | Private Message me
October 28th
2009
12:18 PM
that medicine has killed me ,i have been taking doxycycline from last 6 months and since 2 months i start having severe joint paints thou i started feeling little pain when i started that medicine but i didn't pay attention but now i feel my self very old my whole body hurts and i m only 25 but i feel like killing myself ...my each part of the body hurts ,i stop taking doxy from last one week now i m taking Motrin to get rid of my body pain i don't know how long it will take for me to recover ,even my throats hurt everything of mine gives me pain ,i m very depressed i wish i get over with my body pain soon :(
-- By bfaridi | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
October 17th
2009
4:06 AM
hey when u are done with the pro antibiotics let me know how it works out. i also have lyme and have 13 days to go on doxy but i don't feel that much better i don't know if it's the lyme or the doxy but i wanna know if u full recover. please write back thank you
-- By eric11 | Reply | Private Message me
October 16th
2009
5:24 PM
Hello Friends, it's been a week after i finished my 21 day Doxy treatment for lyme, Im still feel lot of fatigue and joint pain, i went to see my doctor yesterday, he explained the fatigue is a normal side effect after finishing the treatment. I feel so weak headache and migraines. The doctor told me to take pro-biotics and vitamins to recover faster i just started taking the pro-biotics today so i have to wait how it goes. the dizziness, migraines and fatigue doctor said it's a normal symptom of Doxy,, I hope these side effects will go away soon. if anyone has the same side effects after the treatment please write me.
Drink a lot of water.
thanks for sharing your stories,, we are not alone here.
-- By gato | Reply | Private Message me
October 14th
2009
5:43 PM
I have a tip and an Indian friend of mine told me this traditional remedy and it worked with my white tongue coated with anti-biotics induced candida, he said you probably have this in your entire gut after the antibiotics especially after doxy. He told me to eat a fresh garlic clove every morning and drink at least 2-3 glasses after that. i did that and after 2 days my white candida coated tongue is gone. i feel a little refreshed for some reason. think its working wonders. if you research more it takes time for candida to go away. so i'm taking garlic every morning from now on. and in the evening and at night after meals, i take this GNC MEGA ACIDOPHILUS, has 1.5 billion cells in a capsule.
According to my 3 month research and dietitian's ideas and traditional remedies and friends who have experienced this who have posts on this site... Antibiotics kill all bacteria's in the entire gut, when they are killed they transform into yeasts and molds inhibiting the intestinal walls. Candida is the most common yeast. acidophilus alone wont do much and will take a lot of time until that yeast and mold are not cleaned.
GARLIC is the most potent natural yeast/mold killer for our entire GI without side effects. I suggest you clean your gut with that in the morning and while you are through the day, on your second meal take GNC's MEGA ACIDOPHILUS. try this remedy all of you and do let me know how it works out. Stay away from sugars, yeast based breads and
the only thing i am scared of is the ringing in the ears even after 3 Months of quitting doxy but again i think everything that goes wrong in our body has something to do with our gut. after all, our entire Gastro-Intestinal Tract is our 80% immune system and we put antibiotics in our gut disrupting our very own immune system.
I didn't know doxycycline was this potent. Since its a Broad-Spectrum Anti-Biotic, it was supposed to do things it did to me and to people in this forum. Now the damage is done and I hope TIME WILL HEAL for sure as our livers and kidneys get rid of the drug from our blood slowly while we feed our gut with anti toxins and populate it with good bacteria.
God Bless All.
BABA..DUBAI
October 9th
2009
4:27 PM
Hello friends, thanks for posting all this information about Doxy and Lyme disease that makes me feel I’m not alone here, I finished my 21 day treatment for Lyme disease yesterday, but after completed the treatment I feel so weak, tired and little dizzy I have not energy left, I m wonder it’s part of the side effects, and still in my system. I hope these symptoms go away soon and be normal again. The joint pain seems to get little better or maybe it’s too soon to tell.
Has anyone gone through all these? Thank you friends and we are not alone out there…
October 6th
2009
7:54 PM
i was diagnosed with Lyme disease and was prescribed doxycycl hyc 100mg for 30 days the doctor told me take with food so i take it with breakfast and dinner..one pill twice a day. the first two days i felt great everything was going away but on the third day everything was coming back dizziness,fatigue,tired,blurred vision,rapid heart beat..the doctor specifically told me to take with food or i will get severe stomach cramps and nausea with food and a large glass of water after i take it no nausea or cramping.. but I've been also getting a tingling feeling in my feet and hands has anyone else felt the same? he also said to stay out of the sun or u will burn easily..
-- By eric11 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
September 30th
2009
9:57 PM
I've now taken 12 days of 21 day course of treatment. After struggling with acid reflux, nausea, etc., I thought I'd share some things that I found that helped me tolerate it better in hopes it may help others.
I take a pill as soon as I get up and then another as soon as I get home from work - 5:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. I drink a good 4-6 oz. before I take the pill and another 8-10 after swallowing the pill. I try not to eat any later than 2 hours before going to bed, which has dramatically reduced and mostly eliminated the acid reflux.
I've been following the instructions to the letter - not eating 2 hours before or 1 hour after taking the pill and no dairy for 2 hours in hopes it would give maximum absorption to get rid of the Lyme Disease. However, I've found that by keeping something on my stomach during the times I can eat, my nausea has also been lessened. I was really struggling with nausea about 45 minutes after taking the pill, but have found increasing the water to the levels indicated above helped reduce the nausea.
All that said, I'm feeling some fatigue, am a bit lightheaded and my stomach is bloated and a bit tender. Still, it's not nearly as bad as some of you are reporting and while I wondered at Day 4 if I could complete all 21, I'm now hopeful I'll be able to make it. I will, however, be doing a happy dance when I take the last of the pills next Friday. Good luck to all - hope maybe something I've suggested may help someone!
-- By lyndyb | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
September 28th
2009
9:55 PM
I took doxy for 5 days then stopped because of side effects. It is 12 months later and I still have a very uncomfortable burning feeling on arms, chest, and back.
Has anyone had this prolonged side effect? Has anyone been able to get rid of it?
Thanks
-- By jeff001 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
September 26th
2009
8:19 PM
I've been prescribed 100 mg. of Doxycycline Hyclate twice a day for 21 days for Lyme Disease. I was tested to rule that and rheumatoid arthritis out because of hand pain - and I don't know who was more surprised when I tested positive - my doctor or me. Any symptoms I had, including the hand pain, I attributed to the aging process (51/female).
Took the first pill in the later evening on a Friday and waited the 30 minutes before going to bed (instructions said not to lay down for 30 min.). I woke up in the middle of the night with terrible acid reflux, which I've never had. I found it difficult to time taking pill after not eating for 2 hours and waiting 1 hour afterward - never realized how often I ate small snacks. Same thing the next two nights - I also had heartburn, which is rare for me.
I realized it would be far easier if I took the pill immediately after rising and as soon as I came home from work. That has greatly reduced the heartburn and eliminated the acid reflux.
I am fully committed to taking the pill to have the best results in eliminating the bacteria from Lyme Disease, so I'm taking it exactly as prescribed on an empty stomach. This is causing some stomach upset and nausea, which is the worst in the hour after I take the pill while I wait until I can eat - especially in the last 15 minutes, when I feel on the verge of vomiting. I try to keep myself busy, but even without looking a clock, I can tell where I am in the hour. I am hopeful that by taking the meds on an empty stomach, I'll get maximum absorption - but it's been a struggle for me.
One other discovery I've made is that the nausea is less the rest of the day if I eat - and carbs seem to be what is most appealing. I'm far more easily nauseated during the entire day, some days more than others. I feel some fatigue, but nothing that is so severe I'm not able to function and go to work. I feel bloated and my stomach just vaguely hurts, so I'm trying to wear loose clothing.
I'm finding this drug therapy a bit difficult, as I felt pretty well beforehand. My doctor has recommended I give this my best effort, as it is the "go to" drug for Lyme Disease, but has said if I can't handle it, she will give me an alternative. I am trying to stick this out, partly out of determination and silly pride, but also because I am allergic to a lot of drugs and since I seem to be able to tolerate it, albeit with some discomfort, I figure I should suck it up. I have a little bit of the tingling, am occasionally feeling a little flushed - usually when I'm highly nauseated (which is a typical reaction for me), but nothing horribly bothersome.
I'm hoping I don't develop the sleeplessness, anxiety or depression that many of you have reported, as I feel terrible for you. That would become a deal breaker for me.
Unless it's my imagination, my hand pain is reducing and some achiness I just figured was normal has been lessening. If this was the result of Lyme Disease and I can get rid of that, this (hopefully) temporary discomfort will be worth it. Good luck to all.
-- By lyndyb | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
September 21th
2009
4:53 PM
I was about 1 month in to my 3 month cycle of taking doxycycline for blepharitis issues when I started having symptoms. It started on a friday night with extreme indigestion. There was a lot of pain in my chest and also into my arm. I was belching and very uncomfortable. Next day I woke up and only had the pain in my arm, belching and pain in my left abdomen under my rib cage.
I thought it was just really bad indigestion from something I ate so I continued with the medicine. Within a few days time I deteriorated more and more. The pain in my abdomen had spread from just being on the left to being left, center and right. I also got random pains all over my body it seemed. This seemed to come and go throughout the day. My vision would blur, I had extreme anxiety and also depression, my arm remained weak and then my legs got weak as well. The fatigue was overwhelming. I'm usually an insomniac who struggles to fall asleep by 1:30. I began to struggle to stay awake until 11. The lymph node in my neck also enlarged, and I began to experience a loss of appetite. I have currently lost 5 pounds in one week. I also always feel dehydrated and in a fog. I went to an urgent care clinic and the doctor really just thought I was crazy from what I could tell.
I stopped taking doxycycline about 5 days ago and the fatigue is slowly letting go(very slowly). The blurred vision has cleared up a bit but still comes and goes. My mood is still very down and I can't help to still feel anxious and can't stop wondering if I have some deadly disease process going on. The heartburn and abdomen pains are also subsiding slowly(I feel a little better each day).
I'm glad I found this website. It's helped me not freak out as much about my symptoms(although I still have my moments). Since I started feeling bad I've convinced myself that I have heart attack symptoms, pulmonary embolism symptoms, symptoms of AIDS and symptoms of lymphoma. It's still hard to not feel like doomsday is upon me but reading that many of you have had similar feelings and side effects makes me feel a little better.
I just hope this clears up soon because I think as long as I feel pain, tired or anything off I will be anxious about it. I have fear of ending up on Mystery Diagnosis lol.
-- By kelce | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
September 21th
2009
10:41 AM
The weight gain is horrible and the headaches are happening daily. I feel really tired and achy all day and restless during sleep. I have Lyme disease and not sure if these symptoms are from the drug or from the disease itself but I'm pretty sure the weight gain is from water retention caused by the Doxycycline. I hope this will go away after my 21 days is up.
-- By cat28 | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
September 21th
2009
8:40 AM
wow, well i have lyme and mono. the doxy is actually helping this horrible cough i have. but anyway its causing insomnia which is the exact opposite of what i need right now with mono. everything looks out of proportion, like my arms being really long. i just threw up and thats why i looked this up. i have to go to school i don't know how im going to deal with all this during classes, im taking 100 mg 2x daily for lyme.
-- By aliciaginger | Reply | Private Message me
September 19th
2009
9:56 PM
Took Doxy for 2 years for Lyme and Babesia. Never had a problem with it. I stopped taking it for 8 months, then the Lyme disease symptoms returned. So I started back up on it. I noticed migrating pain in all of my joints...even every toe. I stopped taking it for a week and the joint pain pretty much resolved. I started it up again and sure enough, joint pain returned mainly in my knees and hands. Constant cracking of my thumbs, knees, toes,elbows. It also caused my tendons to become very tight and sore in my right hand. Making it hard to hold my dog's leash or open a door knob. Whether it was a bad herxheimer reaction or just my body deciding it was sick of this drug......I may never know.
-- By fit2move | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
September 14th
2009
8:11 PM
So glad I found this web page! I just finished a 10-day course of Doxycycline 100 mg. twice a day, prescribed by my oral surgeon after a tooth extraction. Around Day 5 or 6 I started getting heartburn that was not easy to get rid of. At the time I did not suspect the Doxy, because I was also taking pain medication, and thought that was the cause. It just occurred to me yesterday that the Doxy might be the problem. I looked on Drugs.com and read up on it, but nowhere in the listed side effects does it mention heartburn, or any of the mood disorders that other people here have experienced. Luckily I finished the pills earlier today, but I have had the heartburn non-stop ever since. So this time I Googled "Doxycycline heartburn", and I got plenty of results. So, it's not an isolated case. The instructions on my pill bottle were to "take it on an empty stomach", and to "not take any antacids, dairy products or iron within 2 hours of taking this drug". It makes me angry that this possibility of severe heartburn is not listed as a possible side effect of this drug. I'm glad I didn't get any mood disorder problems from it, I already take medication for anxiety/depression. Thanks for letting me vent! I'll be telling my pharmacist about this not-uncommon problem.
-- By sungold | Reply | Private Message me
August 25th
2009
10:25 AM
Stay away from this medication !!, I started a 7 day course of doxy last week for a sinus problem. The following morning from taking the first tablet i developed an unusual calf pain, this then resonated to my ankles and some other areas like my arms. I like other people have experienced the feeling of having my feet feel like they are on fire. Yesterday i went to see a consultant in my near by hospital in Glasgow and was told that my symptoms were a side effect of doxy. I have suspended the medication yesterday. its horrendous.
-- By chrisdorman | Reply | Private Message me
August 24th
2009
6:07 PM
On Doxycycline 100mg twice a day for 12 days then 200mg twice a day for 12 days for very-likely Lyme Dz (fever, hip rash) apparently diagnosed in the first month of infection. First few days on Doxy I had a lot of esophageal spasms (kind of a cramping in the middle of the chest), but those subsided.
About the time I was finishing the 24 day course of Doxy, got red-violet itchy rash of both hands just over the lower knuckles (where the fingers meet the hands) after a long drive - unsure of sun exposure. Just walking in the sun for a few minutes sets it off. Little improved now 6 days off the Doxy. I'm a doc and first wondered if it was a sign of dermatologists - a pretty bad disease that includes a knuckle rash and muscle breakdown and is sometimes related to Lyme or cancers! It was very reassuring to read all the patient prior reports here of very similar problems on Doxycycline. This is a great site and glad to contribute to it with my story.
-- By smithy | Reply | Private Message me
August 19th
2009
10:49 AM
I was prescribed the doxycycline hyclate 100mg twice daily for 21 days for lymes disease, I am on my 4th day, I had a hard time getting to sleep last night, I usually just fall to sleep in seconds. I am a 40 year sufferer of IBS "diarrhea", my worst time is usually in the morning, I noticed by the first day that my IBS symptoms were less severe and this morning I have been up for 4 hours and have not had to go yet.
I only negative side effect I have had so far is difficulty going to sleep, If it works to reduce or eliminate my IBS symptoms along with the lymes I can deal with the insomnia for a while.
I have been using probiotics for a while prior to starting on the doxy and the probiotics did seem to help with my IBS symptoms but not to this degree, I drink plenty of water with the doxy, so far I would have to say so good but it is early in the prescription so who knows, thank you to every one for posting your experiences with this drug
-- By earlz | Reply | Private Message me
August 2th
2009
9:52 AM
Until yesterday, I took 14 days of a 4 week prescription of 100 mg twice a day doxycycline for a tick bite rash. I rarely take any medication. The first week I just had mild side affects. Late in the second week I started to notice that I was becoming increasing anxious for no apparent reason. Even after hard exercise the anxiety seemed to be persistent as if an impending panic attack. Yet, I had no external reason to explain the anxiety.
After two additional days the anxiety seemed to keep ramping up and I began to get very dizzy when I moved suddenly or bent down to pick up items from the floor. The pressure behind my eyes also feel like it was increasing. I was afraid my blood pressure was spiking but in actuality it was probably either cranial pressure or simply an fight or flight anxiety response. I also experience some pretty vivid dreams.
I finally searched online and found no official symptom of anxiety for doxycycline but found people complaining about it unofficially. I spoke with my pharmacist who also said she had no listing of anxiety as a known symptom for the drug. She suggested I stop taking it and see if my symptom subside.
It has been 24 hours since my last dose and the anxiety has reduced substantially but not completely. I feel like I have a hang over today but otherwise I do feel an immediate improvement. I am still a little dizzy but not like yesterday.
Like all drugs, you should be very cognizant of how the drug affects your body - even if a physician tells you otherwise because only you can really tell and everyone has different bio-chemistry which reacts in different ways to different drug compounds.
-- By rileyroo | Reply | (4) replies | Private Message me
July 29th
2009
10:15 PM
Hey people, I'm glad that I found this posting myself! I've battled depression/anxiety for the past couple of years but thought I had gotten. Then I was Rx'd doxy 100mg twice a day for my cornea in my eye not working based on a clogged gland. Since I've been taking it I have been sick to my stomach (OK I new that was coming) and have had hot flashes and sensitivity to light (didn't see that but OK), and yesterday I felt totally detached from rational thinking. I felt nervous all day, was a bit light headed, and battled a bad case of depressive thinking. Today has been a bit better but I worry about this feeling returning. I need to continue taking the meds for I need to be able to see clearly. Has anyone else felt 'nervous w/hot flashes' while on doxy? I'm also taking fish oil omega-3 but it hasn't ever affected me like that.
-- By mckinnf | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
July 25th
2009
9:41 PM
I too have been experiencing horrible side effects from this drug I started taking on Monday(It's now Saturday) of this week. At first I thought it was some kind of reaction between the flax seed that I take in the morning and the drug so I eliminated the flax seed in the morning and just took the Doxy well same symptoms(head, dizziness, light headiness, moody) still there so I decided to research online to see if these were possible side effects. First I came upon a medical site and there was no mention of my symptoms and then I begin to get worried that maybe I was sicker than I thought but I decided to dig a little more and came upon this sight. I was shocked to see so many other people experiencing some of the same symptoms. I will not be taking this drug again. I have kids and been totally useless to them for the past couple of days because it. Something needs to be done about this. I wonder if this is happening with only the free dosages?
-- By sneal18 | Reply | Private Message me
November 7th
2009
5:18 AM
i finished my 30 days of doxy for lyme feel a little better but not back to normal..still ways to go before i get better this drug has a lot of side effects but i really had no other choice stuck with it and feel better.but still have rapid heart beat,fatigue,weak,light headed..my dizziness is gone it still sounds bad but i do feel a lot better than i was. i was a complete mess my advice is to stick it out if u could and see what happens but if you have more choices i would try something else i had no alternative..
-- By eric11 | Reply | Private Message me