I know this will probably seem like a question I should have the answer to.....but I just don't.
Once you pull a tick off of you, but before a bullseye rash appears (if it does)...how long can you safely wait before getting on antibiotics?
My son in NC pulled a tick off himself yesterday (Friday) but cannot get to a doctor until Monday. He had 1 Doxycycline pill left over from something else, so he took it last night. Is he doing himself harm by waiting until Monday?
No bullseye rash "yet", but it is swollen, he says. I live in NJ, so I have not actually seen the bite area.
He is pretty freaked out because he has seen what I have been going thru for years with having "Chronic" and (mis0diagnosed as MS) Lyme disease for many, many years now.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
All I can give you is my experience. I got rid of lyme and company 7 years ago.
About 3 years ago, I got bitten again and got a large bullseye rash. I got to my lyme doctor within a week of the bite.
He treated me for lyme and coinfections for 30 days, I had a mild herx, and that was it. No further illness.
So, in my case, the bite occurred on about a Thursday, a small hive appeared on Saturday evening, and the rash appeared on Sunday, enlarging on Monday. I got to the lyme doc on Wed or Thursday and started meds that day.
It worked for me.
Just want to emphasize that I did NOT have any symptoms other than the rash. If a person starts getting symptoms from that bite, I think that means the lyme has already disseminated and you are going to have to treat until symptom-free plus additional time.
So, he can go to a walk-in clinic today if he wants. He may have trouble getting antibiotics wherever he goes. So, he may have to go to a few clinics, his regular doctor, a dermatologist, etc. before he finds someone who will treat a swollen bite.
Posted by steve1906 (Member # 16206) on :
How quick should you get on antibiotics???
The real ans....Yesterday!
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Before IMMEDIATELY.
It was good to take the sole doxy if that's all he had.
First, though, to calm his fears, not all ticks are infected. Second, even if this one is found to have been, he can be assessed and addressed early.
I hope he saved the tick. He should also try to think back to as close to the exact place he may have picked it up, as that might make some difference as possible strains of coinfections are considered.
ONLY an ILADS-educated LLMD can do a proper assessment, especially this early. But, he likely won't be able to see one right away.
It would be good to ask the doctor on Monday about a cyst buster would be good, too.
Allicin is an agent that can work against biofilm but not sure how that translates to help in preventing the cystic form of lyme from developing in reaction to just an antibiotic alone.
Grapefruit Seed Extract is something I would also take, as it may help prevent spirochetes from going into cyst form.
Other tick borne infections need to be considered.
Today: I would take the best brand of allicin capsules he can get in your natural foods or supplement store -
As he lives away from you, I'm guessing he's an adult. If so, I'd also recommend his taking 3 garlic cloves a day. (The cloves are the smaller almond-like pieces of the whole bulb).
A medium sized one, gently chewed in the mouth just enough to be able to swallow with water. GENTLY, it should not be crushed too much.
This would be IN ADDITION to Allicin or Freezed-Dried Organic Garlic capsules. They are MUCH stronger but they each have some properties the other does not.
- and milk thistle (liver support) and ashwagandha (adrenal support). It's never too early to start those as, if lyme is there, it will help nourish those organs/systems for the journey ahead. And they are just good support for anyone, anyway. -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Shopping List --------------------------
Grocery: Organic Garlic - whole bulbs right from the earth
Wellness aisle of whole foods or vitamin store:
ALLICIN
GSE - Grapefruit Seed Extract
MILK THISTLE
ASHWAGANDA - or CORDYCEPS -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
Book: Lyme Disease and Rife Machines by Bryan Rosner
For your son, I don't think he would have to have this book before using as he was just bitten yesterday, and I think the faster he can get to a rife machine, the better.
If he continues with rife, the book is vital.
[A MUST-HAVE book, IMO. It's just not safe to proceed until having read this, I think it's that important.]
Revised 2011 - hardcover or e-book (reduced price for "ebook")
THE RIFE HANDBOOK OF FREQUENCY THERAPY
with a Holistic Health Primer
- by Nenah Sylver, PhD
DVD is also available of author�s presentation at the Rife Conference. -
Posted by 'Kete-tracker (Member # 17189) on :
Waiting until Monday should be Fine, though it's important he bring that tick along, if Possible.
If the doctor has wised up at ALL regards Lyme, he'll prescribe him a few weeks of doxycycline if the Tick, upon examination, looks like it's an Ixodes type.
DON'T wait for a "bullseye"! VERY common that a rash will never appear, even IF your son became infected. If he's in a Lyme endemic area, a "prophylactic" course of 'abx' is warranted.
One pill may slow 'em down, but to kill the "newly arrived" spirochetes off, you need an extended presence of an antibiotic in the body.
If it's swollen up, that tick was likely on for a few hours... & that's long enough to get Lyme! (IGNORE the 24-hr or {gasp!} 3-day-attachment claims. That's all bull-cr**!)
And have your son evaluated for any co-infection. In fact, have him keep track of his own body temperature until Monday. If he develops any fever he should go to a clinic or hospital ASAP.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
This weekend, your son could contact the lyme support groups in his state and ask for names of lyme friendly doctors.
Such doctors are more likely to be willing to prescribe antibiotics for this bite, and may even prescibe them long-term for him if that becomes necessary.
See Support Groups on left side of page.
Posted by 'Kete-tracker (Member # 17189) on :
Great idea, TF! It didn't even occur to me that this fellow might end up seeing a L.D.M.D. (Lyme-dumb medical doc)
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
as soon as you see the bite or sooner!!
if i had known about lyme i would have begged borrowed or stolen antibiotics...and that's the truth..
Posted by hopeful4 (Member # 8486) on :
Many good suggestions have been given regarding the antibiotics and herbals.
About the bullseye rash: most people never get one, so he could be waiting forever. Waiting is not an option.
Best wishes.
Posted by cordor (Member # 9449) on :
wow- thank you all so much! To answer some of the questions....yes, he is an adult (31 yrs old) and has a very large wooded backyard in North Carolina and YES....he did save the tick....although it is now dead. He said when he removed it, it was dead.
Can a dead one still be tested?
He is definately going to try very, very hard to get antibiotcs on Monday- because he knows that the one pill he took (that he had leftover from a sinus infection) is not going to do it.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
yes, dead can be tested!! But that test can also come back falsely negative.
Posted by 'Kete-tracker (Member # 17189) on :
Yup, I took 1 doxy pill (also a lone leftover)after I got the second adult male deer tick off me belly on a Sat morning. He was 'really' dug in.
A lot of good THAT did. :-(~ Had a major attack of my thyroid EXACTLY 4 weeks later- again on Sat. morn, causing local swelling that *almost* asphyxiated me as I woke up. A nightmare.
If your son has the tick & doesn't want to wait, walk-in clinics (around here) have been known to hand out a 'script on the spot. Don't know about Union county, NJ. I'd HOPE they would.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Yes, Igenex will test dead ticks. They want you to put a moist cotton ball in with the tick, however, so that it doesn't dry out.
Also, just know that the tick testing is not 100% accurate. It seems to me that Lymetoo had a tick test negative through Igenex and that tick gave her lyme disease.
He should call Igenex for up to date instructions about mailing in the tick.
It seems to me that it took about 2 weeks for me to get my results. He should ask about that also when he calls. He should try to stay on meds at least until he gets the results of the tick test.
Posted by cordor (Member # 9449) on :
He was given 2 weeks of Doxycycline at a "Medimerge" type of place where he lives in NC. He said the doc could not be LESS interested in looking at the tick he saved. But at least he got some abx right away- with no "fight".
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