My boyfriend just called and found a tick on his arm...
There is no sign of a rash or skin irritation...
No symptoms...
It was on him for about 5 hours MAX! He walked
his dog eariler in the day...and found it later,
while outside again...so hard to say when it jumped on...
I searched and found that less than 24 hours is
considered 'low risk' to many...and would test
the tick first, but unfortunantly he doesn't have it...
What should he do?
Wait and see if he gets achey and flu like?
Take the Doxy anyways?
You have to begin treatment within 72 hours , correct?
I didn't get diganosed till few years in, so don't really know what to do...
I read other post, and they all had the rash
when they found the tick...so what if you don't
have a rash...I know many don't develop it...
Having expierenced what horrors Lyme can create...
I don't think I'd want to chance it...neither does he...
just take the anti's...is that being too 'freaked' out???
Just trying to get some other opinions...
Thank you ! THANK YOU! Mahalos!
Much Love~ Fawne
-------------------- Energy flows where attention goes~ Posts: 302 | From Kauai | Registered: May 2007
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
I would take the antibiotics immediately.
Why risk waiting to see if "something" develops.
Maybe I am overly cautious but I never saw the tick that got me or had a rash.
What about co-infections?
Sorry. I know how upsetting this must be.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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robi
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5547
posted
ABX for sure. Ok so lets say it is low risk. Is it worth risking ones life falling apart for a few weeks of abx side effects. Well, for me they answer would be "NO!"
He has got to get some doxy ASAP and that means yesterday ........... not 4 or 5 days from now.
We all wish we had this decision to make again ........... man if only I had known the implications of a tick bite. But you know now and he knows now ............... so what was the question again?
robi
-------------------- Now, since I put reality on the back burner, my days are jam-packed and fun-filled. ..........lily tomlin as 'trudy' Posts: 2503 | From here | Registered: Apr 2004
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adamm
Unregistered
posted
NO QUESTION--TREAT! And with the ILADS-recommended dose
of doxy (400 mg)! If it were me I'd go at least a month on that.
I had no rash and started taking doxy @ 200mg/day a few days
after my bite, but nevertheless became encephalitic within
two weeks. Since then things have only gotten
worse.
By the time he's "achey and flu-like," it's too late. The bacterium
is already in the CNS (actually, there's some evidence that it gets
there within 6 hours of being introduced into the system), and
posted
Must take action at once. If only those of us had the knowledge that we are aware of now. I would start doxy as soon as posible. You are getting feed back from us, dont let that small tick bite carry on to a debilitating and life threatening situation as we are coping with.
Posts: 108 | From maryland | Registered: Sep 2007
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Thank you all so much for your replies and posting right away! Really appreciate it!
Thank you for reassuring how I feel...Just the fact the tick was there, is reason enough...
As you all said, why chance it!??!?!
So how long on the 400mg of Doxy?
I read some said 6 weeks minimum? So 7 or 8?
What's your personal opinion?
Is that 400mg once a day or 200mg 2x per day?
Is doxy expensive? He doesn't have insurance.
I called my LLMD, he hasn't called me back yet..
Thanks again for all your support!
Love & Light~ Fawne
-------------------- Energy flows where attention goes~ Posts: 302 | From Kauai | Registered: May 2007
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WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
Excuse me, but was the tick ON his arm, or IN his arm? Did it bite him? If it bit him, save the tick, send it to IgeneX for tick testing. www.igenex.com, and then he should go on 400 mg Doxycyline until the tick testing comes back.
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posted
What's important is whether it was walking around on his arm, or attached to it. If it took some effort to get it off, it was probably attached. If you flick one off that's not attached, it comes off easily.
If it bit him and was attached, I'd definitely go for the abx. Doxy is cheap.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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-------------------- Energy flows where attention goes~ Posts: 302 | From Kauai | Registered: May 2007
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robi
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5547
posted
I cannot answer all your questions. The one that I have some info on is the co-infection question. I believe I heard Dr. B (now retired) say that when Lyme is treated and caught early, that the immune system seems to be able to handle the coinfections.
WARNING: This is just a recollection form a mind that is not all that sharp.
I think the reason you haven't gotten rplies to the second set of questions is because we don't know. Most here did not catch the bite or treat early. If they did many has too low a dose of doxy initially and that is how they ended up here.
Yes, he should see an LLMD if symptoms continue. If you can afford it I would not wait and go now. Waiting is another way to end up here in chronic Lymeland.
A LLMD might be able to give you better direction. Also, I belive there are some that will see you much quicker if this is a recent bite.
Hope this helps, robi
-------------------- Now, since I put reality on the back burner, my days are jam-packed and fun-filled. ..........lily tomlin as 'trudy' Posts: 2503 | From here | Registered: Apr 2004
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yes, your comment about most here being the ones who didn't catch it early makes sense...as with me....that's why I'm so clueless with this right now...
but feel so GREATFUL that he has the chance to kill anything that might have been transmitted...
he has no symptoms now...
his headaches went away after the first day or so on doxy...
I see my LLMD in a few weeks so I'm sure he'll have more good advice for him...
Thanks for your reply again...
Smiles and HUGS! Fawne
-------------------- Energy flows where attention goes~ Posts: 302 | From Kauai | Registered: May 2007
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posted
I have read something similar to what Robi said. Dr. B said that if you were presented with coinfections in the absence of Lyme Disease, they would not make you sick for long as your immune system would handle them.
He said that's why they used to ignore coinfections and treat Lyme for a very extended time period.
So, if this is his first exposure to Lyme, I would think that the early treatment of it would handle coifections.
I'd run it by your LLMD to be sure.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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