Twitching & Antibiotics: My Experience

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katzpeanutbutterands

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Eric,

How long have you been twitching?
How long have you stopped twitching?

Also do you attribute the cessation of twitching to antibiotics?

I never took antibiotics except for eyelid drops years ago for pink eye. My twitching started after a 6 day water fast which later screwed up my digestive system. I have IBS and lactose intolerance.

I recently went on neomycin sulfate 500mg 2x/day for 10 days to treat the IBS.

Interesting enough I could eat dairy again with no gas, but my LI returned after a month.

Next I was on doxycycline 500mg 2x day for 7 days. Didn't do a thing except for diaherria for a few days.

Now I'm on amoxicillan 500mg 3x per day. Ironically I ate a bowl of ice cream with no gas! Must be the some bad bacteria festering in my digestive system.

skinny
 
I think your problems could actually be from the floxin. Many people have reported twitching, muscle pain, and nerve damage as a side effect of drugs such as floxin and many others in the same class. I blame my problems on the drug cipro which is in the same class. Take the time to visit the following site , and the read the Cohen report titled something like Peripheral Neuropathy Associated with Fluorquinolones. (not sure of the exact title). It is on the home page of the site

Good luck,
Gary
 
Eric! You wouldn't believe how happy I am to have been enlightened about Lyme relating to Fasciculations.

My story in a nutshell, is back in February 2001. I had Bronchitus and a couple weeks after I got off the anti biotics, I suddenly and unexpectedly was plagued with severe IBS and anxiety. I had to be homeschooled (I was a Sophomore in High School) and I was in and out of the hospitals... seeing many specialists. They all told me it was stress related, but they couldn't figure out why I had such a high IgG and IgA count on my blood test - which indicates something is irritating the atuo immune system. The physicians then thought it was Celiac Disease. An auto-immune disease... after an endoscopy they found it was NOT Celiac, and passed the high IgG/IgA off as NOTHING.
I learned to live with the severe IBS and am still homeschooled. However, August 2002 I had Fasciculations in my neck after I was put on a 5 day anti-biotic (Amoxicylin) for an infected ear peircing. They went away after a month.

Just last March, after being put on Zyprexa (anti-psychotic) I began getting severe fasciculations beginning in my spinal area (back) and they spread from there. My shrink stopped the Zyprexa but the fascics didn't go away, and he concluded that the Zyprexa didn't cause them. I still have them. My Neurologist said my EMG/EEG are fine, indicating I have BFS....
However. My abnormally high IgG and IgA test results lead me to believe I may have Lyme. My mother had a tick 2 years before I was born, I usually spent time in the woods when I was young, and I once had a flea problem with some pets. What do you think?
 
Eric,

So did the doxy get rid of your twitches? I was on it for 10 days but it didn't do anything for me. I was hoping it would get rid of the IBS since that is worse than the twitching. The neomycin got rid of my lactose intolerance (or bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine). It came back after a month. Amoxicillan was great for the LI.

Now I'm on Metranidazole (brand name: Flagyl) for 10 days. I'm on day 7 but I'm not seeing any good results on my bowel movements. I suffer from mild constipation (pellet stools, clumped stools, incomplete evacuation, visceral sensitivity in the colon).

At least I can eat ice cream. :D) Before the antibiotics the slightest amount of lactose gave me gas. Larger amounts gave me more gas. I dunno if it will return.

I'm thinking of trying Biaxin or Cipro after some rest period with a course of probiotic Culturelle (lactobacillus GG which is proven in studies to survive stomach acid and colonize the gut, prevents C. Dificile infection)

Eric: did your IBS go away too? I'm interested in your story. Maybe the antibiotics you were on got rid of the bacteria causing it. Dr. Pimentel of Cedas-Sinai has done 2 studies that shown antibiotics helped or got rid of IBS symptoms.

skinny
 
Skinny,

Before you try cipro, I'd visit the above referenced site. Cipro has been linked to severe PNS and CNS adverse drug reactions. Twitching and muscle pains are common as a result of these drugs. It may not cause any problems for you, and your problems may be worth the risks, just be informs about the drugs before you use them.

By the way, I tried doxy for three weeks after reading some of erics early posts, but it didn't help twitches or cause the herx reaction. Guess I don't have lyme.

Good luck,
gary
 
Gary,

I heard horror stories of being "floxed" and that's why I put Cipro on the end of my antibiotics to try. (BTW, the link didn't work) Another lady on an IBS board says her lactose intolerance and IBS symptoms go away while on Cipro. I understand with the 300+ organisms living in the gut each antibiotics will have varying responses.

I'm curious what different antibiotics did you go through and what for?

I'm surprised with all the antibiotics most people go through, they don't get Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Antibiotics are like a coin toss.

skinny
 
Skinny,

I took cipro back in june for a suspected urinary tract infection (didn't have one!). A few days after completing the rx, noticed twitching in the calves. The only other antibiotics I've had in the past year or so was doxy. My GP rx'd it just in case i had lyme. The test was neg. and no herx. or improvement so I'm pretty confident that Lyme isn't my problem.

I'll post the site again, hopefully it will work. Be careful with cipro, it is believed to be a pretty potent neurotoxin, especially in people who already have underlying problems.

Good luck,
Gary
 
Skinny! I have to inform you that I can sympathize with you. Extremely, I first fell ill with severe IBS back in early 2001. It was so bad that I almost died in 2 different hospitals from not being able to eat, dehydration, and so many anti-IBS drugs running through me. Be careful with the anti-biotics and work with your doctor, I've come to find that in almost all cases... you have to suggest treatments TO your physician. Also, if you see a Psychiatrist, they can prescribe anti-depressants that help very much with IBS. If it wasn't for Remeron, my IBS wouldn't have left. (It's not completely gone, but almost).
I see a strange connection between IBS and Fasciculations. I seriouslly think physicians should be looking into it.

Also, Garym, I'm intrigued by your findings... what anti-biotics aren't toxic to the neurological system? Do you know? For people who DO have Lyme, and need anti-biotics, which ones should they avoid (besides Cipro)?
 
Sahti,

I couldn't tell you which antibiotics work well for lyme, other than the usually doxy which is commonly used for the treatment. As far as antibiotics that seem to be very toxic to neuro system, there is an entire class known as fluoroquinolones. The class includes many drugs such as Floxin, Levaquin, Cipro and many more. If you are interested in the subject, I suggest you follow the above referenced link and do a little research. It is shocking how many people end up with symptoms so very similar to ours after taking these drugs. As I already said, I feel my problems are directly linked to cipro.

Gary
 
Hi all,

I have had these symptoms for 15 years now. I found this forum about two years ago and until then didn’t know how many of us share this affliction. This applies mostly to us that have been twithing for a long-time. I do believe in the Lyme connection. Furthermore, I am one of the opinion that it is transmittable or contagious from person to person. The proof I can offer is the FACT that my wife of 4 years now has the same exact symptoms. She can attest that she never experienced these twitches, needle pains, or IBS problems before we got together. Doctors of course will laugh if you tell them this. Eric is right, many doctors just don’t understand Lyme. I just want to pass this important piece of information on, as many of you might not understand where you got it. I just feel so terrible that I gave this to her. It pains me when she gets a twitch that lasts for days.

I’ve had Lyme tests to but all negative. Been on antibiotics on and off throughout my life for various non-related issues. Each time I believe my BFS has gotten worse. Eric, thank you for your posts. I look forward to visiting New York some day to get those tests.
 

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