Lyme Disease Support Group
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. It is now one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in the U.S. Lyme disease is caused by infection with the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, and is primarily transmitted to humans as well as dogs, horses and other domesticated animals by the bite of infected ticks.
"Safety Announcement
[3-12-2013] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public that azithromycin (Zithromax or Zmax) can cause abnormal changes in the electrical activity of the heart that may lead to a potentially fatal irregular heart rhythm."
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm341822.htm
Check with your doctor if you're taking Zith. My personal experience with it (not something that will occur with everyone!) is a development of something I called "the thumpies" while on Zith many years ago.
I stopped taking Zith, told my llmd and he agreed with my decision not to continue.
[3-12-2013] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public that azithromycin (Zithromax or Zmax) can cause abnormal changes in the electrical activity of the heart that may lead to a potentially fatal irregular heart rhythm."
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm341822.htm
Check with your doctor if you're taking Zith. My personal experience with it (not something that will occur with everyone!) is a development of something I called "the thumpies" while on Zith many years ago.
I stopped taking Zith, told my llmd and he agreed with my decision not to continue.
It makes me wonder why they just did not just give me Doxy or something else that I have taken in the past that had no side effects on me.
Who knows but since I see my MD at this same place in just 2 weeks, maybe I will chicken out and wait to see what he says.
Having said that----- I would love to think that all doctors are infallible. I would imagine that a cardiac doc might be more informed than a PCP. But I've also heard of the opposite. Sigh.
You mentioned 'pleural friction rub'----- do you have pain with that? Have you been dx'd with pleurisy?
My personal opinion, not to be confused with medical advice, is I would ask a heart doctor about taking azithromycin (Zithromax).
I assume that you're being asked to go on Zith because of Lyme disease? There ARE other antibiotics. Does your doctor have a reason for that particular abx?
BTW--- have you ever been tested for the tick co-infections?
Back to Zith and it's possible risks---- Have you ever had your QT interval tested? It's a non-invasive test.
"Patients at particular risk for developing this condition include those with known risk factors such as existing QT interval prolongation, low blood levels of potassium or magnesium, a slower than normal heart rate, or use of certain drugs used to treat abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias."
"There are at least seven published reports of patients with normal baseline QT intervals in whom azithromycin had arrhythmia-related adverse cardiac effects, including pronounced QT-interval prolongation,11-13 torsades de pointes,14-16 and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in the absence of QT-interval prolongation.17 The Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System includes at least 20 reports of torsades de pointes associated with azithromycin.18 "
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1003833#t=articleTop
Thanks for your reply.
Since my MD is out this week, when I called his office on MONDAY and left a message with a RN, a DO looked over my file. A RN called me back that night and told me a anti-bitoic would be called in to my local drug store. I then got a call last night (weds) giving the details. They were giving me the Zithromax for both the Lyme and the Mycoplasma pneumonia that came back postive on a IgG blood test. Then told me last night would definitely called in today. Just caled my pharmacist to tell him would not take without talking to an MD and he said nothing had even been called in yet. Unreal!
Beacuse I started taking Mucinex D on my own in early December, it cleared my lungs up and I have only gone back on it for about a five day period since to clear up new congestion. My sinuses are better but remain congested for almost 5 years now.
However, when they informed me last night that my blood pressure was 140/80 and my heart rate was 92 bpm at a recent visit, I asked "why zithro?" and not something safer. They wanted me to see a local MD to make sure I could take Zithro and that seemed strange to me, almost like they were unsure and wanted to have legal responsibility taken off them. Even said go to an urgent care place (1 hr each way) or an ER to see MD if did not have a PCP (I do not. That is why I drive the 2 1/4 hours each way to see them). Sounds like this DO at that office does not know what he/she is doing. Why would I need to see a local MD when they know more about me down there at wellness ctr? Why would a DO prescribe any med they are not 100% comfortable with for that particular patient? Makes no sense.
They also shocked me by saying that I have an EMBOLISM! Since I have not had an x-ray or CT scan, how would my MD make that diagnosis? I looked up "embolism" and "pulmonary emolism" and found out they mean blood clots but there are many kinds of blood clots. I also understand how he came up with that diagnosis because I have many of the symptoms associated with it. But without a Xray or CT scan to back it up, seems like a unethical diagnosis to make. He wanted me to have a chest Xray and CT scan up here but never told me why so I cancelled them when felt too sick the day before to make the 40 min drive to the place. When called this out patient clinic today to remake appt, they said it is too late. Need Mds signature on form all over again. If MD had stressed the urgency to check of embolism, I would have pushed myself to go that first appt or reschedualed quickly there after but thought it was just more "lets just see what we have here" crap. Plus, 3 xrays back in 08 and 09 with congested lungs and sinuses were negative.
Oh, that pleural friction rub was probably a correct Dx back on 12/26/12 when I first went there but the Mucinex D cleared my lungs up eventually, so no more lung rubbing which is diagnosed simply by sound (the noise ones lungs make when inhaling and exhaling while very congested).
I also just called two LLMDS up here hoping to cut down on long drive (plus losing faith in this wellnes ctr in MA) and left message with one MD and was told another MD not taking new patients till Oct. I only have one more LLMD name, he is a DO and is an hours drive away.
Life is good! :)
PPS R U trying to tell us you are not a Harvard medical school grad with 25+ years experience specialising in Lyme at the Mayo Clinic? Hahaha.....I feel taken! :)
No, but I played one on television.
It sounds as if you're getting royally jerked around!
"Jerked around"? Not sure but treated like a 2nd class citizen? Yes. This will all come to a head at my 4/3 appt in about 12 days when see my MD for only 2nd time and 1st time since 12/26. That willl be the test to see how I am treated and in meantime, I set up 1st appt with local LLMD in mid April.
MDs; "can't live with them, cannot live without them".
Thanks for your feedback. As I already wrote, only because of my high blood pressure (140/80) and high heart beat rate (92), am I concerned.
It seems that the staff at my MDs office is so incompetent that eventho some nurse called me 2x this week saying they were calling in Zithromax, it still has not been called in to my local pharmacy. So, for now, the whole point is moot.
I would feel more comfortable on ABx I have taken in the past like amoxicillin or doxycycline.
You're right----'jerked around' was said in the heat of the moment. Plus it implies that they know what they're doing and 'jerking you around' for their own reasons.
I personally go for a mixture of jerking around and incompentence though. (grin)
Would you send me via PM the name(s) of your doctors/clinics etc? Only if you're comfortable doing that, though.