Betty's suggested POSTING GUIDELINES . many of us have neuro lyme where we can NOT read long solid block text and be able to comprehend and read it as is.
please edit your post by CLICKING PAPER/PENCIL ICON to right of your name. that opens up BOTH subject line and body text.
now please break up your WORDY SENTENCES into one sentence paragraphs. Then hit ENTER KEY ``TWICE`` after each paragraph; we need that space for comprehension.
then go to left hand corner and mark box to receive ALL REPLIES, and click EDIT SEND
we thank you for helping us; otherwise, we will SOB, SCROLL ON BY, since we can't read to help you. If I see posts like this, I SOB them; to hard on me. ------------------------------------------------------
People seeking doctors might be able to get help from their state online information and support group. Nearly 3,400 people belong to state groups. Some of the groups are small but more than 20 of them have 50 or more people and seven have over 100.
The groups are moderated and you have to apply. Most don't allow doctor names, but once on the group, you can ask for doctors in a certain area and ask people to email you privately. *******************************************
This explains the medical politics around lyme WHY you need an ILADS-educated or ILADS-member LLMD (and there are also some ILADS-member LL NDs (naturopathic doctors):
You should also be evaluated for coinfections. Not all tests are great in that regard, either, but a good LLMD can evaluate you and then guide you in testing. One of the top labs is:
"With most infections, your immune system first forms IgM antibodies, then in about 2 to 4 weeks, you see IgG antibodies. In some infections, IgG antibodies may be detectable for years.
Because Borrelia burgdorferi is a chronic persistent infection that may last for decades, you would think patients with chronic symptoms would have positive IgG Western blots.
But actually, more IgM blots are positive in chronic borreliosis than IgG. Every time Borrelia burgdorferi reproduces itself, it may stimulate the immune system to form new IgM antibodies.
Some patients have both IgG and IgM blots positive. But if either the IgG or IgM blot is positive, overall it is a positive result.
Response to antibiotics is the same if either is positive, or both. Some antibodies against the borrelia are given more significance if they are IgG versus IgM, or vice versa.
Since this is a chronic persistent infection, this does not make a lot of sense to me. A newly formed Borrelia burgdorferi should have the same antigen parts as the previous bacteria that produced it.
But anyway, from my clinical experience, these borrelia associated bands usually predict a clinical change in symptoms with antibiotics, regardless of whether they are IgG or IgM." ===========
ILADS The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) provides a forum for health science professionals to share their wealth of knowledge regarding the management of Lyme and associated diseases.
Posted by Leelee (Member # 19112) on :
I don't know the answer to your question, but I had a tick crawling on my neck a couple of weeks ago.
I was sitting in my family room waiting for dinner to finish cooking when I felt the dreaded crawl.
It didn't bite me, but I am really afraid now. Even inside my house.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Ticks won't let go till they've had their fill. Was it an engorged tick walking up your arm? If not, then my guess is that it didn't bite you.
Good to call the LLMD anytime you are bitten because you want to be on the right meds for a new bite. Let us know what he says so we can all learn.
Posted by catnippy (Member # 18641) on :
bettyG, I read this stuff till my eyes fell out. I just figured I could get a simple quick answer. sorry for the trouble. Conny
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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Conny,
Is the the week on or the week off for your abx schedule? I'd sure make it my week on were I you. (while you wait for your doctor to return your call).
But, backing up, was the tick engorged? Sixgoofykids has a good clue there.
And, whatever, you still have more protection going on than most so I hope this will work out nicely.
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Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
I just got bitten again last weekend! We were visiting friends in NJ, who live in "country suburbs," and had been hiking. When we did a tick check late at night, there was one attached to the back of my head!! I couldn't believe it. He wasn't engorged, but was definitely attached, and it had been a while since we were outside. And we got it all out and saved him.
Then, the next day, we did a tick check immediately after a hike (and I had on DEET), there was another one on my throat!! Luckily this one wasn't attached, and probably hadn't been there long. Yikes!
When we got home, we photographed the tick, blew the picture up, and I went to work identifying him---an American Dog Tick. I called my LLMD on Memorial Day on the emergency line. I am currently on IV rocephin, but I figured I should start oral Doxy to get some of the co-infections. And that's what he said to do. He said 100 mg twice a day (I presume the lower dose, because I'm on the Rocephin).
He said it's impossible to be sure if it's a Dog Tick or a Lone Star tick. Plus, they all carry the various pathogens, even though medical school or township websites often give wrong information about what ticks carry what. If you dig into the scientific research, the dog tick has been found to carry many diseases---RMSF, Babesia, Ehrlichia, BB.
I'm now leary about going to the country again! But I don't want to stay in the city all summer. Someone just posted on another list (she's a well-known LLNP) that she was in SF, only going a few blocks from her apartment for days, where there are no trees or grass. And she woke up with a tick on her hip! Well, there are birds in the cities (and mice). People have gotten LD in NYC. Never a dull moment.
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
otherwise, we will SOB, SCROLL ON BY, since we can't read to help you. If I see posts like this, I SOB them; to hard on me.