posted
I became ill starting on Monday of this week (June 22nd). Fever, shivering, sweating, headache, weakness. I had a mark on my leg that I thought was a mosquito bite. It continued to look worse, and upon waking on Thursday morning, had all the signs of an Erythema Migrans. I saw my physician later that day, was immediately given an intravenous dose of Doxycycline, as well as an oral regimen of 100 mg 2x per day for two weeks (he sent away bloodwork, but said he was certain of the diagnosis). The fever broke by Friday afternoon, though my head is still killing me now on Saturday, and the rash has worsened. I'm happy to have a doctor that immediately took action, but research has made me nervous about the prospects of a chronic disease (I haven't had the best of luck in this department, even with early diagnosis), so I was hoping to see a specialist while time is still on my side.
I'm in Northeastern Maryland, so somewhere in that proximity would be wonderful. Thank you.
Posts: 1 | From Maryland | Registered: Jun 2015
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
I sent you the name of a lyme doctor who can see you in a few days.
Take a number of pictures of that rash! This is extremely important to the doctors you will see in the future. It is the PROOF of lyme disease and allows them to treat you aggressively without any lyme testing.
Be sure to keep these pictures and also give them to the doctor.
You are right to want a lyme specialist. Non-lyme specialists think that a few weeks of treatment is all you need.
You want a lyme doctor who will treat you until you are symptom-free and then at least one more month for good measure. That is what Dr. Burrascano recommends in his Guidelines.
Welcome to LymeNet!!!! I trust you will have good results. We will help you here all we can.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
"ERYTHEMA MIGRANS
Erythema migrans (EM) is diagnostic of Bb infection, but is present in fewer than half. Even if present, it may go unnoticed by the patient. It is an erythematous, centrifugally expanding lesion that is raised and may be warm. Rarely there is mild stinging or pruritus. The EM rash will begin four days to several weeks after the bite, and may be associated with constitutional symptoms. Multiple lesions are present less than 10% of the time, but do represent disseminated disease. Some lesions have an atypical appearance and skin biopsy specimens may be helpful. When an ulcerated or vesicular center is seen, this may represent a mixed infection, involving other organisms besides B. burgdorferi.
After a tick bite, serologic tests (ELISA. IFA, western blots, etc.) are not expected to become positive until several weeks have passed. Therefore, if EM is present, treatment must begin immediately, and one should not wait for results of Borrelia tests. You should not miss the chance to treat early disease, for this is when the success rate is the highest. Indeed, many knowledgeable clinicians will not even order a Borrelia test in this circumstance." (page 7)
posted
Welcome to Lymenet! PM sent for MD, VA & PA.
The bull's-eye rash is definitive for Lyme.
You need to be evaluated and treated by a Lyme-literate doctor (LLMD). Non LLMDs have no clue about this horrible disease or its complex treatment!
A LLMD is one who has treated Lyme disease and the co-infections which come with it for many years and has gotten patients well. A good one will follow Dr. B's Guidelines, the "gold standard" for Lyme treatment.
Unfortunately, LLMDs are far and few between. You need to go where they are. None in DE.
Also most LLMDs do not accept insurance due to the politics surrounding this horrible disease. Read poster TF's explanation, "Why Lyme Doctors Don't Take Insurance":
Btw - please break up your posts into 2-3 sentence paragraphs, as there are people on Lymenet who cannot read large blocks of text due to neurological problems from Lyme. To do this, click on the pencil/paper icon, make your changes, then click "Edit post". Thanks.
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