quote:

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Originally posted by Buchana3:
they suspect lyme disease and started me on docx.. is there a way to be sure that this is the problem..

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Welcome to LymeNet...

Sorry.. right now we have no test that is perfect.. so the diagnosis of Lyme is basically a clinical one. The fact that you started doxycycline immediately is a good thing. Better safe than sorry.

Also .. by starting doxy now.. it can throw off the tests if you had one later.. and if you test for Lyme before your body has a chance to produce antibodies to the infection... about 3 weeks average.. you will have a false negative test even if infected.

Also, can ticks live on coal.. I was picking up coal along the railroad tracks[/QUOTE]

Spirochetes.. the bacteria that causes Lyme.. have been found fossilized in the midgut of termites.. which were found inside a piece of amber... that was dated back millions of years ago.

No telling what the heck they can or can't do for sure.

Maybe they thought the coal was "chocolate milk"? HA!

I have seen ticks on rocks and rock piles. Not sure what they are doing there.. maybe sun bathing.. or soaking up the warmth of the warm rocks.. but they do hang out near rock and wood piles. they MIGHT use the rocks to hide under.. like leaf litter perhaps?

If I couldn't stay under a roof myself.. I MIGHT chose to hang out under a rock pile.

My GUESS is...

Since railroad track are considered "wilderness-like" in many remote areas.. and wildlife live and feed along the tall, rarely mowed sections beside the tracks...

This type of an area could be considered highly endemic for the ticks.

My thought is perhaps you could have been walking through the area.. and picked up ticks on your clothing that you can't see easily.. and if they were still there later on.. they could have been carried back to Dallas when you returned.

BUT..

I also have not heard of the swelling you describe happening the day after possible exposure to ticks and Lyme disease. Anything COULD happen.. but it is just not what I have seen happen before.

Is there a chance you could have been exposed to ticks or mosquitoes, fleas, etc. near to home PRIOR to going to Kentucky.. and the symptoms started after you arrived there? There is quite a bit of Lyme IN Texas.

Anyhow... I hope the swelling goes down and you are safe and sound.

By the way.. have you had your thyroid checked?

Oh yeah.. one more thing..

Dandelion tea... which can be purchased in a health food store... is a natural diretic (SP?) and will help reduce fluids and swelling. I mix Dandelion tea with decaf green tea and drink them together when I am swelling up like a balloon.

Hope this helps answer some of your questions.

After over 16,000 posts here.. I have FINALLY figured out how to make the bold letters show up and then respond underneath!!!

Now.. I won't have to say ..

"you said"...

"you said"...

"you said"...

ANYMORE!

IF ..

I can remember how I did that!!!!

Yikes!

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( No you don't always see a bite and if there's no bullseye the only way your going to be able to tell is (symptoms) and (((Maybe))) WB or lyme dot blot 3 day urine banged with abx's to free your antigens up for the test. )
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Take the meds. Just in case.

Here just found this right from horses mouth.

Dosage

Increasingly, clinicians recommend that certain drugs used for Lyme disease be given at higher daily doses: for example, 3,000-6,000 mg of amoxicillin, 300-400 mg doxycycline, and 500-600 mg of azithromycin. Some clinicians prescribe antibiotics using blood levels to guide higher doses. Close monitoring of complete blood counts and chemistries are also required with this approach.

With higher doses, there may be an increase in adverse events in general and gastrointestinal problems in particular. Acidophilus has reportedly reduced the incidence of Clostridium difficile colitis and non-C. difficile antibiotic-related diarrhea.
Thats off of ILADS 2004 Guidlines.

The swelling is down.. and I look normal again.. my doc is a internist(a friend told me get an internist for your pcp - and it has helped).. he tests for everything..

Going back to work tomorrow.. am a little achy and kinda tired.. even tho I have done nothing but sleep for 5 days..

remember that the tests will NOT pick up Lyme Disease in the first 3 weeks of infection..it is impossible...even if you HAVE Lyme. Why? The body hasn't has enough time to make the antibodies you are testing for.

Your treatment should be based on symptoms alone....and, the amount of Doxy you are taking will not suffice IF you have Lyme.

Trout

PS.....please listen to the above posts...however, CONTINUE with Doxy as LONG as you can....and find a different Doctor that has a long list of patients with Lyme.

quote:

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Originally posted by Raskilnokov:
So I think my suggestion of waiting on taking dox. until after having chance of testing positive is a good one.

3-weeks time is not that much time to delay treatment IF it will help insure further treatment.

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You need a minimum of 400mg doxy per day....more if you can get it or tolerate it.

You can always do the Western Blot later. The most important thing is to clear the bugs out of your system ASAP!

Staying on a minimum dose of 300 to 400 mg of Doxy for 6 weeks (or, untitl symptoms abate) is appropriate. To delay is tantamount to allowing a disease to become a lifetime disability.

Trout