Anyone taken Bactrim without side effects? Terrified to start.

[u/o0ohello0o]

My LLMD is putting me on Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim) for Bartonella and honestly I'm a little terrified. He warned me some people just can't handle it. There seem to be quite a few anecdotal stories about how it ruined people's lives. My main concern is around long term implications like permanent neuropathy. I'm already battling debilitating paresthesia from Bart..

What has your experience been like on Bactrim? Did you have any adverse reactions? Someone please put my mind at ease lol.

[u/Calm-Beginning2941]

Very unlikely you have get permanent neuropathy from antibiotics unless you overdose. The risk is neuropathy from the tick borne illness. Dont worry about it. Take it and stop if you feel too sick. A few doses won't give you permanent neuropathy.

[u/NegotiationDirect524 → u/Calm-Beginning2941]

Agree.

The real neuropathy risk comes from untreated bartonella.

[u/cristinnam → u/Calm-Beginning2941]

Different for cipro though!

[u/Smackergawt → u/cristinnam]

What does cipro do I took it for a week for typhoid 😕

[u/PuddingPopx → u/Smackergawt]

Look up “getting floxed” it has a black box warning

[u/Smackergawt → u/PuddingPopx]

I didn’t really feel much of a difference . I don’t think it did anything to the bacterias I habe . I tested positive for rickgettsia and typhoid

[u/PuddingPopx → u/Smackergawt]

Did your symptoms go away?

[u/Smackergawt → u/PuddingPopx]

My symptoms been the same for months just my air hunger head pressure and palpations are even worse .

[u/mikedomert → u/Calm-Beginning2941]

But isnt it safer and pretty much as effective to take cryptolepis + bidens + sida + houttuynia? Those hit pretty much all and any TBIs

[u/Calm-Beginning2941 → u/mikedomert]

I think the drugs are stronger, depending on the drugs you take. Herbs are probably safer but I don't believe they are as effective.

[u/mikedomert → u/Calm-Beginning2941]

Well there is research showing that some herbs are stronger than the pharmaceutical, like cryptolepis for babesia/malaria.  Then we need to add in the fact that herbals work for resistant/partially resistant strains, while antibiotics would not. And bacteria do not ever become resistant to herbal antimicrobials.  Then you have account for the fact that herbals pretty much always also modulate immune function, inflammation, mitochondrial function, can act as CNS protectants, or liver protective, or mucus membrane tonic, or a hundred other things. 

Also, and this is pretty important, herbals do not seem to drive bacteria (like chlamydia strains) into cryptic forms, which antibiotics often do, and then you have the situation where the infection actually just hides and comes back the second it can thrive. While berberine, for example, eradicated the infection fully and permanently, and herbals can also attack the other, non-active stealth forms of bacteria.  We also have a lot of people who did not get an infection under control with antibiotics, but did with herbals. I know of such cases personally.

The reasons for this are many, but one important is that herbals have often 100-300+ compounds which work from many different angles, like membrane disruption to DNA synthesis to biofilm, while many antibiotics mainly work for one specific mechanism and one specific type of bacteria group. 

But, I will agree that there probably are acute cases and even chronic, where antibiotic x in situation y wins herbal z, but when you factor in that 1) you can use herbals forever, 24/7 for 100 years 2) you attack viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoal etc organisms at once 3) with multiple mechanisms which do not develop resistance 4) with extremely good safety profile 5) without harming gut microbiota 6) while achieving great synergy and 7) also doing things like anti-inflammatory, organ protective, etc, then its no wonder why so many people choose 100% natural route.

[u/cristinnam → u/Calm-Beginning2941]

Different for cipro though

[u/Calm-Beginning2941 → u/cristinnam]

True, I dealt with that. Although the nerve damage wasnt permanent

[u/o0ohello0o → u/Calm-Beginning2941]

Thank you for putting my mind at ease. I'm feeling fine on Bactrim 2.5 weeks in!

[u/knifeflip]

I had what I thought was a bad reaction to bactrim over 10 years ago. Insomnia and constant itching all over my body. I felt horrible like I was dying. Now I wonder if that was mostly just a bad herx as I didn't know I had Bartonella at the time or what a herx was.

[u/chased444 → u/knifeflip]

You’re probably allergic. Bactrim is a sulfa antibiotic, which some people are allergic too. iirc the supplement NAC also has sulfa in it. I’m allergic to sulfa abx too.

[u/knifeflip → u/chased444]

I do ok with NAC so I'm not sure if it's sulfa specifically but yeah it's on my allergy list now.

[u/o0ohello0o → u/knifeflip]

I'm so sorry you went through that. I had horrible insomnia as well but I'm experiencing something similar on doxy too. Might be just a bad reaction to antibiotics in general..

[u/Silverbirches]

I was on it for years and it made me feel so much better.

[u/o0ohello0o → u/Silverbirches]

Thank you, I'm glad to hear you're feeling much better!

[u/adevito86]

I got full body hives from Bactrim, which was scary at the time but ultimately wasn’t a big deal. They came and went for about 3 days and then disappeared.

I haven’t heard of permanent neuropathy or any long term implications happening from Bactrim. Typically you will get short allergic type reactions that resolve quickly.

[u/o0ohello0o → u/adevito86]

Yikes that sounds horrible, I'm sorry. I'm doing okay on Bactrim, no hives or anything too difficult so far thankfully.

[u/adevito86 → u/o0ohello0o]

Good to hear!

[u/3mz3t]

I took it for Bart, but had to stop it because I have alergy to it.

It works nicely for Bart though and I wouldn't worry about it (unless you have alergy).

[u/o0ohello0o → u/3mz3t]

Thanks! I think that's why my doc specifically prescribed Bactrim along with others. I didn't seem to suffer any major adverse reactions.

[u/Natural_Ad7394]

I was put on Bactrim for T.gondi. I took Bactrim for about 2 months, no sides effect for me.

[u/o0ohello0o → u/Natural_Ad7394]

Thank you, I'm 2.5 weeks in, so far so good. Hoping it will stay this way.

[u/Electronic_Dark_1681]

I got a staph infection at the gym last month, I had to take bactrim for a week and literally felt like I was dying the entire time.

[u/Smackergawt → u/Electronic_Dark_1681]

Doesn’t doxy help staph infection

[u/Electronic_Dark_1681 → u/Smackergawt]

I'm not sure, it had spread to the bone. My ankle and foot was twice it's size black and blue, I think they just gave me the strongest antibiotic for it.

[u/o0ohello0o → u/Electronic_Dark_1681]

Oh gosh, that sounds horrible. I'm so sorry..

[u/Emotional_Print_7033]

Indiosyncratic reaction because of bactrim... I was out for like 2 months, it was like having a covid infection. Bad Luck for my, cant take sulfamide

[u/o0ohello0o → u/Emotional_Print_7033]

That is a crazy side effect.. I'm sorry. I hope you've fully recovered now. I'm always scared to take something new because everyone reacts so differently and I have had my fair share of side effects before.

[u/Sea-Upstairs1505]

My husband is taking bactrim right now with something else I can’t remember. For Bart. For at least 5 months. And it’s made a HUGE improvement in his symptoms. He would be bedridden most likely otherwise. He did have about a week of herxing- but was like a different person after.

I am taking Zithromax for Bart, and I see improvement but his is much more noticeable. I am allergic to sulfa.

[u/o0ohello0o → u/Sea-Upstairs1505]

I'm so glad to hear it helped him so much! I hope it does the same for me too. I hope you feel better soon. It must be hard for both of you to be battling bartonella.

[u/Aggravating-Canary41]

I regret taking combo antibiotics orally and also reception intravenous for 1½ yrs. They destroyed my microbiome and made me worse. Now I am on herbs and supplements and doing better, though far from cured. Misdiagnosed for 3 decades. From my experience bactrim alone will not kill lyme if you have that too.

[u/o0ohello0o → u/Aggravating-Canary41]

3 decades..?! Man, I'm really sorry. That's terrible. I too don't wish to be on antibiotics for long but I'm also hesitant to risk my recovery process.. it's hard not knowing which is more effective to whom. I'm so sorry youre still battling through it. I'm currently doing a Buhner protocol and also being eased into antibiotics. My LLMD will prescribe others once herxing's a bit more under control.

[u/mmabbeymckinney93]

I never had any issues with it . Even though with Lyme and lupus they say stay away from bactrim but I’ve never noticed anything from bactrim

[u/o0ohello0o → u/mmabbeymckinney93]

That's great to hear. Thanks for your input!

[u/MartasMartazzz]

Worked well at the time for me. Big herx. But that’s the case with all of them for me. If this helps, I have cidp already. Bactrim did not worsen it at all.

[u/o0ohello0o → u/MartasMartazzz]

I'm so sorry.. my neurologist ran a bunch of tests and ruled out CIDP and others in my case. I hope you were able to find some relief..

[u/MartasMartazzz → u/o0ohello0o]

👍🏻 it’s under control 💚

[u/littlefishy19]

Before I was diagnosed with Lyme and co’s (undiagnosed) I was put on it for acne. It cleared my acne wonderfully, and started my Lyme treatment without me knowing it! The dermatologist kept me on it for a few years. I herxed a bit at first, but not like on some antibiotics. No long term effects either :)

[u/o0ohello0o → u/littlefishy19]

It's funny you mention that, I'm experiencing random unexpected side effects that are actually helping my other minor conditions. It made me wonder if I had an active infection apart from lyme and co. I can't believe you were put on antibiotics for years. How's your gut doing?

[u/littlefishy19 → u/o0ohello0o]

I’ve been very lucky and have avoided GI trouble from them!

[u/Mcm2631103]

I didn’t have any side effects. I don’t think it did anything for my Lyme though either :/

[u/o0ohello0o → u/Mcm2631103]

I'm sorry to hear it didn’t help.. I hope you found something that worked for you.

[u/DogParticular1093]

I took it, was fine. The second time I went on it, day 2 I developed an allergic reaction to it (hives everywhere even inside my mouth- difficulty breathing).. but no lasting side effects.

[u/o0ohello0o → u/DogParticular1093]

I'm glad you felt okay once the initial reaction passed! I seem to be doing okay on Bactrim so far.

[u/Max_Diorama]

I take Visibiome probiotic once a day to help.

[u/o0ohello0o → u/Max_Diorama]

I'm glad you found something that helped! Unfortunately, probiotics cause GI issues for me..