I found a tick between my 5-year old's toes this morning after a day in Westchester and pulled it off (gently I hope) with a tweezers, but I need some initial advice:

1. Does the tick need to be alive or dead for testing and how do I accomplish that and where do I send it for testing?

2. What specific professional medical resources can I give the pediatrician so that treatment is correct and up-to-date (correct antibiotic and dosage, timely follow-up, what sort of tests for other tick-borne diseases are required, etc.) The doctor has currently stated that she treats by waiting and seeing but I think she is open to other viewpoints if they are reputable.

I'm sure I'll have follow-up questions but these will help to start me off. Thanks.

He treats thousands of children w/lyme

I am not a wait and see parent, just having had lyme myself. I have seen children present with bullseyes or what appears to be a bruised area.

As I've seen suggested previously, the antibodies take a while to show up, so Western Blot testing may not show positive results and the blooddraw on a small child could be frightening for both of you. Also, testing the tick would be considered, well, not that important. Lab results are not reliable.

There will be more input here from the true on-line residents.

Good luck

Igenex will test ticks,I do not know if they test dead ones,but I think the info will be there with directions,forms,sending,how to send tick,etc.

Dr. B. guidelines for treatment will also tell you what treatment for children is best,I would think amoxy,the dose would be listed.

So go to this wonderful source for info,print out and take to the pediarician.

I really had to press my pediatrician this spring,my daughter had a bite.He wanted to wait and see,I refused.We talked,I told him my Lyme story and the story of kids with Lyme,and really relayed alot that is in these articles.

So I did not do the wait and see.These kids are too precious for that.

Good luck,you are doing the right thing.
 

Yours was already on page 4! this reply will bring it back to the top.

You can go back to the links I gave you yesterday and click on the ILADS link. There should be stuff there you can print out for your doctor.

PS....The tick does not have to be alive....but don't wait for that to begin treatment. Your window of opportunity is NOW!! It took 3 wks for my test results to come back.

Here are treepatrol's links http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000569.html

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oops!
Lymetutu
 

Also, if you tested your son for lyme right now, it wouldnt show either. It takes several weeks to show in blood if it ever does at all.

Best to get on some antibiotics until tick results come back.

Please read Dr. B's treatment guidelines. Here is a part of it:
TICK BITES -- Embedded Deer Tick With No Signs or Symptoms of Lyme (see appendix)

Decide to treat based on the type of tick, whether it came from an endemic area and percent infected, how it was removed, and length of attachment (nymphs: at least one day; adults: anecdotally, as little as four hours). The risk of transmission is greater if the tick is engorged, or of it was removed improperly allowing the tick's contents to spill into the bite wound. High risk bites are treated as follows (remember the possibility of coinfection!):

1. Adults: Oral therapy for 21 days.
2. Pregnancy: Amoxicillin 1000 mg q6h for 6 weeks. Test for Babesia, Bartonella and Ehrlichia.
Alternative: Cefuroxime axetil 1000 mg q12h for 6 weeks.
3. Young Children: Oral therapy for 21 days.

Hope it helps,
Trails
 

He prescribes Amoxicillan for 30 days (unless allergic, then another choice is made)..immediately following any known tick attatchment.

He finds this is the preferred method, I would think especially in an endemic region like Westchester, because it is far, far more difficult to erradicate disseminated infection. Lyme symptoms are aften vague and difficult to diagnos down the line in children (things like ADD, migrating pains, eye problems, gastrointestinal difficulties, ect). This lends considerable possibility to going a long time with progressive infection untreated.

The dose is higher than most Peds would reccomend who are not experienced in treating Lyme to efficacy in children..

Then, he instructs parents to watch for any symptoms (you should read Doc B's Guidelines posted in the articles section at www.ilads.com )..you should watch for all symptoms even while on abx, including a rash.

If anything crops up, treatment must be extended.

There are many tick-borne co-infections that are possible, which may not respond to Amox..
and you also never know if this was his first exposure. Many never see the tick that bit them.

But..most are OK with empirical treatment after a bite.

(also give acidophilus while on abx)

You would do best to familarize yourself with the Guidelines..call Doc J's office and ask them the dose based on weight, and length of time.

Then ask the pediatrician to prescribe.

Don't be surprised if you get contradicting info.. many Docs are not experienced in this illness. many well meaning Docs just aren't educated in this specialized field of study.

Ilads (the link above) is an international medical society and they specialize in these infections.

if your pediatrician won't prescribe as per Doc Jones advise, give his office a call back.

Best of luck,
Mo

[This message has been edited by Mo (edited 21 June 2005).]