I just removed another engorged tick today. A previous one the other day. I need to start checking myself everyday. What should I do now? Get the test done, or the antibiotics then the test? Doesnt it take a few weeks for the anibodies to be present?
Posted by dal123 (Member # 6313) on :
Get on antibiotics NOW, preferably 300-400mg doxy. Don't wait to get sick and u may not be able to make antibodies anyway! Do 6 weeks!
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Joe, Dr. Joseph Burrascano, pre-eminent lyme disease doctor of the world, says it is safest to treat the bite. Here are some quotes from his Lyme Treatment Guidelines:
"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, how it was removed, and length of attachment (anecdotally, as little as four hours of attachment can transmit pathogens). 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 co-infection!): 1) Adults: Oral therapy for 28 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 28 days." (page 19)
"RATIONALE FOR TREATING TICK BITES
Prophylactic antibiotic treatment upon a known tick bite is recommended for those who fit the following categories:
1. People at higher health risk bitten by an unknown type of tick or tick capable of transmitting Borrelia burgdorferi, e.g., pregnant women, babies and young children, people with serious health problems, and those who are immunodeficient.
2. Persons bitten in an area highly endemic for Lyme Borreliosis by an unidentified tick or tick capable of transmitting B. burgdorferi.
3. Persons bitten by a tick capable of transmitting B. burgdorferi, where the tick is engorged, or the attachment duration of the tick is greater than four hours, and/or the tick was improperly removed. This means when the body of the tick is squeezed upon removal, irritated with toxic chemicals in an effort to get it to back out, or disrupted in such a way that its contents were allowed to contact the bite wound.
Such practices increase the risk of disease transmission.
4. A patient, when bitten by a known tick, clearly requests oral prophylaxis an understands the risks. This is a case-by-case decision.
The physician cannot rely on a laboratory test or clinical finding at the time of the bite to definitely rule in or rule out Lyme Disease infection, so must use clinical judgment as to whether to use antibiotic prophylaxis. Testing the tick itself for the presence of the spirochete, even with PCR technology, is helpful but not 100% reliable.
An established infection by B. burgdorferi can have serious, long-standing or permanent, and painful medical consequences, and be expensive to treat. Since the likelihood of harm arising from prophylactically applied anti-spirochetal antibiotics is low, and since treatment is inexpensive and painless, it follows that the riskbenefit ratio favors tick bite prophylaxis." (pages 36-37)
Also suggest you read all of page 36, "How to Protect Yourself from Tick Bites."
You will likely have difficulty finding doctors who will give you doxycycline for 28 days based on a bite with no symptoms. It can be purchased on-line if necessary. See this thread:
It takes about a month for your body to make antibodies to the lyme bacteria, so lyme antibody tests can't be done right away. The only tests regular doctors do are lyme antibody tests, so, yes, it is too early for the test to show anything.
Posted by JoeC (Member # 33563) on :
So Recommended treatment is doxy for 28 days? My PCP is total retard regarding lyme. Lets hope he gives me them. Both were fully engorged and on there for the least i can figure is a 2 or 3 days. Im ****ed i didnt get them earlier. OS start with abx then get an antibody test?
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Treat for 28 days and see what happens. If you react to the antibiotics with lyme symptoms, that means you have lyme. (The meds will cause a reaction if you are infected, in nearly all cases.) Then, you will have to get to a lyme doctor.
If you don't develop any symptoms during the 28 days, then after 28 days wait and see if any symptoms ever develop. Hopefully, none will and you will be done.
You can call the lyme support groups in your state (see "Support Groups on left side of page) and see if they know of any doctors who will give you 28 days of meds for these bites.
You also can try various doctors including walk-in clinics, etc. to get the meds. Some may give you 14 days.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
TF and dal have given you good advice!
Posted by JoeC (Member # 33563) on :
Im going to call my doc on monday and see what happens. Also is ER an option?
Posted by JoeC (Member # 33563) on :
What kind of reaction would the meds cause? Lyme symptoms?
Posted by JoeC (Member # 33563) on :
Update: I was able to get a 14 day presription for doxy today. Its better than nothing. In the mean time I am looking for an LLMD to set up an appointment with
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Good job, JOE!!
Maybe you can try another place to get more since you really need more than just 200mg a day.
Posted by JoeC (Member # 33563) on :
I know that. I just dont know how to go about it.
Posted by faithful777 (Member # 22872) on :
I just finished one cycle of antibiotics last week and this week is an off week.
I pulled a tick out of my leg a few hours ago. With this being an off antibiotic week, should I do anything??
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Can you find a nearby walk-in clinic? Some actually buy fish doxycycline. They say it's the SAME thing!!
faithful.. YES.. get after it!!!
Posted by kitkat32 (Member # 9682) on :
Just stopped by this board because of a recent tick bite. Haven't been here in a long time. Your post caught my eye.
I am lucky enough that my doc prescribed the full dose and a refill of doxy.
I don't like to lie however, considering the atlernative...I will take the lie.
Doxy is also used for adult/teenager acne. My son use to take it. A long time ago...I mean years...when I couldn't afford an LLMD I called my GP and told him I was suddenly having acne on my back and shoulders. Presto, I had a script with 5 refills on it. I just changed the dose to Dr. B's guidelines.
Fingers crossed for you.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Joe, what about the thread I posted above--on-line pharmacy for doxy:
It discusses the fish doxy also.
Posted by faithful777 (Member # 22872) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lymetoo: Can you find a nearby walk-in clinic? Some actually buy fish doxycycline. They say it's the SAME thing!!
faithful.. YES.. get after it!!!
I am already on omnicef, minocin pellets, zithromycin and flagly. This is just the off week that this happened.
I do antibiotics 2 weeks on and 1 week off. This is an off week with the bite being yesterday.
Shouldn't I just resume my next cycle next Monday?
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
Faithful, I'd call my doc's office (is he/she ILADS trained?). I know nothing of skipping weeks. My doc's office told me that every single tick that bites you can give you a co infection. I would think that waiting to treat might not be a good idea, but I'm no doc.
Posted by tickled1 (Member # 14257) on :
My husband got a tick bite a couple of days ago and he went to a local walk-in clinic and got 24 days of doxy without a fight and had no bulls-eye. I was shocked. I was just going to give him some of my abx if he couldn't get any. I am amazed that they gave it to him. It was a NP. I find they are more open minded than most conventional docs.
Posted by faithful777 (Member # 22872) on :
quote:Originally posted by Catgirl: Faithful, I'd call my doc's office (is he/she ILADS trained?). I know nothing of skipping weeks. My doc's office told me that every single tick that bites you can give you a co infection. I would think that waiting to treat might not be a good idea, but I'm no doc.
I do pulse therapy. Two weeks on abx and one week off. This was the first cycle and an off week.
My doctor is a well known ILads MD and said to do a full week of minocin and go back on my regular cycle next Monday.
I was outside for 5 minutes that day I got the tick bite.
Posted by JoeC (Member # 33563) on :
Started taking my Doxy. Keeping an eye out for any lyme symptoms and in the mean time trying to find some more doxy and an llmd to make sure i dont have the bacteria floating around.
Posted by JoeC (Member # 33563) on :
Figured id update here. I have an appointment with an llmd in Feb to get tested for Lyme.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
How long did you take doxy?? and how much?
thanks for the update!!
Posted by Sammi (Member # 110) on :
Personally, I would treat with 400 mg of Doxy daily for a minimum of six to eight weeks. If symptoms are still present, further treatment is warranted.
You may want to contact a Lyme doctor in your state.
Posted by nonna05 (Member # 33557) on :
This is crazy/////where are all these nasty critter's coming from...
You have the fight of your life and then get double bites ,.or like Brussels, seems like she lives in a tick nest..
NUTS.. If I felt a bit better I would be at my cabin, in Mountains but open area. NOW I don't know what to so .deer cross my property there all the time..
I used to just love it. Now I think I have to check the sheets or whatever when I get back there.
Can't even walk my own acres , forget a hike. This illness has been so hard to deal with and so many losses..
Then if you get into world wide spread. What's it turning into a new form of plague?
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sammi: Personally, I would treat with 400 mg of Doxy daily for a minimum of six to eight weeks. If symptoms are still present, further treatment is warranted.
- Me too.
Posted by JoeC (Member # 33563) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lymetoo: How long did you take doxy?? and how much?
thanks for the update!!
I was given 2 weeks at 200 mg a day. About 3 days into that i bumped it to 400 mg a day. Now I generally feel like **** everyday. So im going to get tested for real this time.
Posted by 17hens (Member # 23747) on :
Take it with food or it will rip up your stomach! In the middle of a meal.
Oh, do you have a dog? Maybe you pulled a tick off your dog and the vet will give him doxy?
Worked for me.
Posted by tickbitt (Member # 33753) on :
I've come to the conclusion that just doxy is inadequate because the bacteria take cyst forms that can come out after the doxy is discontinued.
I think 3-4 weeks doxy + metronidazole (flagyl) would be much more effective than 6-8 weeks of just doxy.
As a poster alluded to above, doxy is available mail order if one isn't too fussy about the label. Search for 'bird biotic'. Metronidazole and ciprofloxacin are also available, usually at the same places.
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