I was just sitting with my son and rubbed my hand across his hair, and what do i feel, an engorged tick!
I got it out carefully with tweezers, head and all, and the tick is crawling around in a sandwich bag now.
My biggest worry is my son is 5 years old and a Type 1 juvenille diabetic. I sure hope he doesn't get sick, because any type of sickness makes his blood sugar skyrocket.
I am going to take him to the doc in a bit here. Any recommendations on anything in particular I should have done?
Can they do any testing on the tick itself? That's why I saved it just in case.
Thanks, Roger
Posted by Visual Afterimage Man (Member # 10435) on :
Sorry to hear that your son got bit... Thats not good... but I'm glad you found the tick. It would have been easy to miss..
If I were you... I would make sure a doc gives 21 days of abx. 5 year olds can't take doxy so find another tetracycline. There is some evidence that if abx are started immediatly after a tick bite, that the infection will be killed off before it can become chronic!!
To prove my point - Western Medicine always weighs the side effects vs benifit before prescribing meds. In this case... the side effects of a round of a tetracycle are mild and easy to deal with.. if this reduces the risk of a chronic case of Lyme disease, it far outweights the (possible) side effects. In my humble opinon.
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
Co-infections are also a consideration with tick bites.
An ILADS LLMD would be your best option since getting the proper treatment now can make a world of difference if he actually is infected.
Terry
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
Sorry to hear that, but it is great that you found the tick right away!
I have to agree with the good advice above:
Yes, get an ILADS llmd appointment for your son. And have the tick tested; call Igenex, or perhaps the state health agency might test ticks?
There also is a post-doc researcher at the Columbia University Lyme Center whose work is testing ticks and seeing what diseases they carry.
He is based in New York City, and I will pm you his name and contact information. If you cannot get the tick tested through Igenex, than perhaps this scientist will have some suggestions. Your state health agency? I do not know.
Posted by RogerC (Member # 12609) on :
thanks everyone for the great advice. when i take him to urgent care in a bit here, i'm going to insist that they start him on abx.
i will also talk with the doctor to see about testing the tick, who is alive and well in a sandwich bag. if the doc won't do anything, i will talk to the state health agency.
thanks again!
Roger
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
And...don't depend on the results of the tick testing. It's not all that reliable. I had a tick tested for Lyme and babesia....came back negative 2 weeks AFTER I became ill.
{This was a new bite just 2 yrs ago.}
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
remember to put a moistened cotton ball in the sandwich bag because a tick cannot be tested if too desiccated!!!!!!!!!!!
good luck!!!
my husband has terrible diabetes and his sugar skyrockets if he is sick, too.
Posted by RogerC (Member # 12609) on :
quote:Originally posted by CaliforniaLyme: remember to put a moistened cotton ball in the sandwich bag because a tick cannot be tested if too desiccated!!!!!!!!!!!
good luck!!!
my husband has terrible diabetes and his sugar skyrockets if he is sick, too.
thanks for the tip Sarah, and thanks to everyone. on my way to the doc with him right now.
Roger
Posted by RogerC (Member # 12609) on :
My son's doctor put him on Ceftin 250mg twice a day for two weeks. He is too young to take doxy, and he is allergic to penicillin.
I hope this works for him since we just found the tick today. His blood sugars have been a little out of wack and we're trying to keep him balanced with his insulin.
I have faith the good lord will watch over him and heal him. I certainly don't want him to go through the pain and suffering I am going through right now with Lyme.
Roger
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
I'm glad you were able to get abx for him. I don't know enough about dosages for children to know if this is appropriate so can't advise about that. I would still be concerned about co-infections though.
I also want to mention that when a person goes on abx this soon, even if he has lyme disease, a western blot will likely never test positive. I'm not a doctor but have read this often, even from the duck side of things. My own State website mentions this too.
Good luck and I hope your son does really well.
Terry
Posted by Visual Afterimage Man (Member # 10435) on :
Good work Roger, on getting him in to see a doc so soon. You have done everything you can to prevent a chronic infection. Stay positive and keep a watchful eye on him.
My LLMD told me to look for behavoiral changes in my little one. So far we have been lucky that he's doing fine!
Posted by RogerC (Member # 12609) on :
thanks everyone for your posts and support. i really, really appreciate it.
i wish i had gone to a doctor the same day i found my embedded and engorged tick. i waited a couple weeks, then got put on amoxy for 3weeks which didn't help, now i'm on the doxy.
i'm glad i was able to get him on abx the same day, hopefully that will do the trick.
have a great night everyone, and you are all in my prayers everyday.