Can I address multiple infections at once?
Hi, Dr. T.
I have been bedridden with CFS the past two years. Two months ago I started treating a chlamydia pneomnia infection with long-term azithromycin, doxycycline, and flagyl. Now I have tested positive (very High IgG) for EBV and HHV-6. I read in your book From Fatigued to Fantastic! that these infections can be treated with valcyte.
What do I do from here? I get strong reactions from my current antibiotic protocol, so do I wait until the cpn is totally out of my system, or do I add in valcyte, or do I simply ignore the other infections for now?
Thanks for your time. Your S.H.I.N.E. gives me hope!
Answer
I need to defer to your treating physician.
In my cases in this setting, if bedridden, I usually add cortef 10-20 mg, increase salt and water intake markedly, and look for orthostatic intolerance (dizzy on standing; pulse goes up and blood pressure drops with standing). If present, I consider adding Dexedrine (amphetamine--like ritalin) 10-20 mg and midodrine. The test for CPn, and for the viruses, are not very reliable at distinguishing current from old infection, and will likely never go negative even if the infection is totally gone, so I would not wait on that. I would likely clear candida overgrowth first with 6 weeks of diflucan followed by 200 mg twice a day, one day a week, while on the antibiotics, then consider Valcyte and gamma globulin.
I hope this is helpful to you and your physician.
Love and Blessings,
Dr. T
Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. is one of the world's leading integrative medical authorities on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. He is the lead author of eight research studies on their effective treatments, and has published numerous health & wellness books, including the bestseller on fibromyalgia From Fatigued to Fantastic! and The Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Solution. His newest book (June 10, 2024) is You Can Heal From Long COVID. Dr. Teitelbaum is one of the most frequently quoted fibromyalgia experts in the world and appears often as a guest on news and talk shows nationwide including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, Oprah & Friends, CNN, and Fox News Health.