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Azithromycin aka Zithromax
PHASE 1:
On 6/19/96 I received via mail order
pharmacy Qty 36 of 250mg capsules of
Azithromycin (aka Zithromax or Z-packs) - Pfizer.
This was enough to last for 9 weeks.
How I took the drug:
Every Saturday for 9 weeks I took two 250 mg capsules (500mg) in
the morning and two capsules (another 500mg) in the evening.
In other words This dosage was 1000 mg once a week, for
9 weeks.
PHASE 2:
After the treatment, I still had asthma and didn't seem to be that
much better. I was pretty disappointed so I once again contacted
a doctor involved in the research and asked if it would be reasonable
for me to take the medication once again. He said that it
sometimes takes more than the medications I took and I received
advice that I passed along to my doctor as to the second round of
medications I would need.
I then received a second round of medications which lasted another
5 weeks. I used the same dose where every Saturday I would
take 1000 mg of the drug by taking two in the morning and two at
night. This dosage was 1000 mg once a week, for 5
weeks.
In a nutshell, my entire dosage lasted
14 weeks where I took 1000 mg once a week.
(However, I've heard from others where more
than 14 weeks is needed.)
| Azithromycin -
Pfizer
(aka Zithromax or Z-pack)
Azithromycin is a long-acting macrolide antibiotic that
works by interfering with the protein synthesis of the bacteria.
Azithromycin reaches peak effect in a little over two hours.
You could notice a slight relief in symptoms directly corresponding
to this 2 hour timeframe. Relief of symptoms then tapers
off slowly over the next couple of days. This is also in
keeping with the remarkably long half-life of 62 hours for
the Azithromycin. Any slight side-effects also seemed to
taper off at the same rate.
Azithromycin usually comes in 250 mg capsules or tablets
in packs of 6. Your doctor will prescribe one of three dosages:
1000 mg once a week, 500 mg twice a week, or a Z-pack dose
which is 500mg the first day followed by 4 days of 250 mg
followed by 5 days off. |
Warning
Be aware in the danger
of using small doses of Zithromax to "help relieve"
your asthma symptoms.
Some doctors are now prescribing short term Zithromax or
Z-Packs.
If you use this technique to ease your asthma symptoms,
the bacteria may develop a resistance to the antibiotic
over time.
It may make you feel better for a few weeks but you should
consider the long term.
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An advantage of the 1000mg once a week
is it is easier to remember. The relief factor is nice too.
It hits the bacteria like a freight train
The cost of Azithromycin is about $9
a pill which could be expensive if you do not have prescription
coverage. An alternative is to order your prescription overseas.
The cost is about $5 a pill and the company in Bangkok even
provides courier service. Total delivery time 6 days. Foreign
Packaging is slightly different but in all respects the product
seems equally as good as domestic Pfizer product. No generics
are available for this product as it is still under patent.
Acidophillus
The antibiotics may kill the good bacteria
in your stomach. You could go to a health food store
and purchase some acidophilus to replace the flora in your
stomach. Otherwise you could get diarrhea or loose stools
after a week or two. Acidophillus is the bacteria used to
make yogurt, so you can eat yogurt as well. I never
had any problems but others have. |
One last thing that may have also helped was I started taking
vitamins.
They may have or may not have
helped but here's what I took:
Vitamin E
- regular dose of standard vitamin E
Futurebiotics
makes a vitamin called
Garlic, Echinacea GoldenSeal+
which I started taking just before the antibiotics and continued
taking them for about 2 years. This is a good vitamin and a natural
antibiotic I believe.
Vitamin C
- took plenty of that with all the fresh orange juice down here
in Florida and supplemented with occasional vitamin C tablets.
I cut back to almost zero red meat. This may have nothing
to do with my getting better but I'm adding it as a factor in case.
| As I was going through the
files my wife keeps, I saw the many, many receipts
for ventolin, serovent ,albuteral, steroid dose packs, Seldane,
and other expensive medications I used to constantly take. Most
of the time I was using 3 different inhalers. Inthal,
Ventolin and one of several inhaled steroids.
I spent a fortune on medications back then to treat the symptoms
and not the cause.
I'm happy to say that 1996 was the last time I purchased
any asthma medicine. Pouring all that medicine into
your system cannot be good for you. As I was going through
the files my wife keeps, I saw the many, many receipts for
ventolin, serovent ,albuteral, steroid dose packs, Seldane,
and other expensive medications I used to constantly take. Most
of the time I was using 3 different inhalers. Inthal, Ventolin
and one of several inhaled steroids.
I spent a fortune on medications back then to treat the symptoms
and not the cause. I'm happy to say that 1996 was the last
time I purchased any asthma medicine. Pouring all that medicine
into your body cannot be good for you.
I never like taking antibiotics
but as desperate as I was at the time, I felt like I didn't
have much of a choice. As it turned out, it was a very good
choice.
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