Today in my office, a tick was found in the skin of my co-worker. I saw the tick walking on a napkin, after they pulled it out of him
He has been bitten before over the years, but has never been ill. Today, I seen a rash on his back, and a big bump as well, and he keeps scratching the spot.
He does not want to take meds, believes it will pass. Why does he not get sick from these bites? Why has he not been ill before, when bitten from a tick, and had to pull them off?
posted
I think it has to do with our different immune systems. I've been bitten and got sick....my husband has been bitten more and has never been sick.
Thank goodness for this!
I'm sorry your friend won't even consider taking the initial abx as a preventative. I think it's that those without lyme have no clue what it is like to get it. Otherwise, they would be rushing for the abx.
Posts: 867 | From PA | Registered: Jan 2006
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5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
If I where bitten and saw a rash I would move heaven & earth to get on some doxy asap.
Wheather or not he will see get to a LLMD would be a problem if he is not concerned.
It depends on how much he knows about the conseqences of untreated lyme.
Say some extra prayers for him and see if you can pass along some easy to read info to him.
posted
I think it's hard for people to face facts when they don't FEEL that ill.
A man that I work with who is an avid outdoorsmen showed me a big nasty looking bulls eye on his leg last summer.
He knew I had lyme so asked my opinion about it.
After picking my eyeballs off the floor, I begged him to drop everything and go to the dr.
He never did, and after feeling crappy and achy for a week or so, it passed.
I pray he doesnt end up chronic.
Another co-workers significant other had rash and symptoms after being bitten in Cape Cod. He went to the dr., was CDC positive, and was given 3 weeks doxy. He didn't bother finishing his meds after starting to feel better.
I bombarded him with info., and offered my help and advice. He wanted none of it.
People get offended too I think. So I gave up. You can never understand what it's like having chronic lyme until you live it. LC
Posts: 116 | From Pennsylvania | Registered: Mar 2005
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
I agree, the immune system has a lot to do with whether someone becomes sick right away or not. Also the strain of bacteria and whether there are co-infections.
What makes sense to me is that most people who are infected will eventually have some effects from the infection. I think this mainly because as we age, our immune system and body in general becomes less effecient. As we've seen and experienced, Bb readily moves in when one has a weakened immune system. BUT, Bb is slow growing and may take a long time (many years possibly) to be a problem for a fairly competent immune system.
I've read over and over that people are often told that their symptoms are due to their increasing age. Heck, I've read it in some of the IDSA papers. So, even if someone did exhibit symptoms as they aged, they may be told, and thus believe it is a natural consequence of aging. Many of our symptoms are subjective so who's to say how much pain a person is enduring.
In addition, who's to say that a heart attack, stroke or cancer or?? isn't related to an undiagnosed Bb infection. There is so much that is unknown about Bb and how it effects different people.
Obviously the IDSA is the main reason that so many people have no idea how serious a lyme infection can be and thus are not concerned. Not much you can do except give them the information. Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
If you wanted maybe you could tell him how bad things can get.
Maybe the symptoms. Maybe that many of us are disabled for years despite our best efforts to get well...
I have been disabled and trying to get better for the last 6 years. Most people cant imagine something taking that much time to recover from.
I am facing the same problem with someone I know. Doesnt think it can be bad so wont go to my llmd is seeking medical attention from ducks..
and he is sick already. And he knows that I have struggled the last 19 years of my life with various symptoms of lyme.
I know its frustrating trying to get people to understand what the consequenses of not treating lyme in the beggining are.
Give him the info but dont feel responsible if he doesnt listen.
You know the old saying ...you can lead a horse to water but you cant make them drink.
Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
Hi Rob,
I think in one of the many California Lyme brochures I carried to the doctor's to try to convince them that my dad now has Lyme as well as me, there was a photo of a non-Lyme tick bite rash, versus Lyme rashes.
The Lyme rashes (EMs) are usually large and expanding - of course, not all are bulls-eyes as we know.
There are photos of rashes here on Lymenet.
My father's Lyme rashes itched like crazy. Mine did not itch at all.
If this helps you make your point, tell your colleague that I did not develop symptoms for several months after the bite. By then, I was in severe neurological symptoms.
Some people get flu-like symptoms fairly soon, others like me don't develop symptoms right away.
So the fact that he may not feel ill right away is not a clue.
I'm with everyone here, as I'm sure you are - I'd rather take Doxy or Amox as a preventive. The worst thing that can happen is he takes some antibiotics unnecessarily.
I also agree with the genetics issue - there is lots written about it by Richie Shoemaker and others as to why some of us develop any type of biotoxin illness, versus others who can remain asymptomatic despite exposure.
You are a good friend to try to educate him.
Good luck, Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
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Areneli
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6740
posted
I suspect I got sick 30 years ago. Bitten by tick was sick for a few days with fever.
Later was OK but 10 years later had persistent eye pain that lasted for a few years. No diagnosis at the time. Again recovered on my own.
20 years later full blown Lyme disease with return of the known eye pain.
I guess something was holding me up all these years ... but only up to a point.
Posts: 1538 | From Planet Earth | Registered: Jan 2005
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BostonLyme2005
Unregistered
posted
Hi,
It also depends on how many times you are bitten. I was bitten a few times over 7 weeks. Every week I went to the humane society, I walked through the gates of hell....I had bugs all over me, ticks, flies, mosquitoes, bees, etc....
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