posted
So about 7 weeks ago my boyfriend (16) got a deer tick bite in his sleep.
It resulted in a small bull's eye mark totaling in about the size of a quarter.
It never got any bigger and now is just a faint mark, almost like a mosquito bite.
He is convinced he will be fine if he does not go to a doctor,
and that there is no way he could have Lyme disease.
He refuses to go because of his fear of needles.
I keep telling him to go, but he just gets mad and says he will not go.
So what i need to know is;
is it possible to get bitten by a tick and get the mark, without having the disease?
And how can i convince him to go get it checked out?
And is this a serious danger if it goes unchecked?
Posts: 3 | From minnesota | Registered: Jun 2009
| IP: Logged |
Starfall1969
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17353
posted
My understanding is if you get a bullseye, you have Lyme disease.
I would say yes it is a serious danger if it's not treated--look at all the posts from people on here who weren't diagnosed and treated in time.
Unfortunately, if your boyfriend is an adult, there's no way you can force him to get tested.
The only thing you can do is gather as much info as you can for him to read, if he'll do that, and hope he makes an informed decision.
Posts: 1682 | From Dillsburg, PA | Registered: Sep 2008
| IP: Logged |
gemofnj
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15551
posted
welcome!
Take a picture of his rash right away!
Yes, it is serious and the longer he waits the harder it will be to treat.
It is very unlikely that his immune system will overcome the lyme, but a small percentage of folks just develop antibodies. MOST DONT.
Lyme is sometimes very hard to diagnose. It mimicks other diseases.
Many of us here have gone through hell trying to get better, some taking antibiotics for years.
Many of us wish we would have seen a bullseye!!! Some people have permanent heart damage from this disease. Many find it very debilitating, and it can go on for years, ESPECIALLY without treatment!!
It slowly enters every cell of your body and can hide for years.
HE SHOULD GET ANTIBIOTICS NOW, early before it gets into ins Central Nervous System. (goes into all organs and brain)
I was diagnosed 6 months after I was bitten. My treatment was almost a year! (and I was very lucky)
My symptoms started with an unexplained fever, continuous swollen glands, and flu like symptoms. After that I slowly got sicker and sicker with more and more symptoms occurring.
There is no real cure, just remission. I may or may not relapse.
Print this link and have him read it. These guidelines were put together by the top lyme doc in the USA.
Tell him it is important that he get treated or he could be sick for the rest of his life!
Maybe if you bring him lots of literature he will read it and make the step to see a lyme literate doctor.
I can only humbly urge you to BE FIRM and insist he see a LYME doctor, not just a regular MD. MOST are not knowledgeable about the treatment of lyme.
Please keep us posted!
Good LUCK! Posts: 1127 | From atlantic city, nj | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
Dekrator48
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18239
posted
If he is 16 yrs old, gather the best information from this site and sit down with him and his parents to talk about it asap.
It is serious, and the longer he waits to get appropriate treatment, the more the bacteria will disseminate throughout his body and cause many chronic problems.
A regular pediatrician or an infectious disease Dr will most likely not treat him with a large enough dose of antibiotics or for long enough.
He should see a Lyme literate MD. He can find one on the Seeking a Doctor board here. He can post for a Dr in his state. If he is 16 he can post for a pediatric LLMD.
Print this info if you can and start here with his family....
Good luck. I hope he and his parents listen and find an ILADS trained LLMD so he will not live a life of misery with chronic lyme.
-------------------- The fibromyalgia I've had for 32 years was an undiagnosed Lyme symptom.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". -Jeremiah 29:11 Posts: 6076 | From Pennsylvania, USA | Registered: Nov 2008
| IP: Logged |
He could break up with you now, but will thank you later.
-------------------- enjoy the day.
-jmb Posts: 208 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2008
| IP: Logged |
David95928
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3521
posted
Are his parents in the picture? If so, they may have more clout. It sounds like he probably does ahve Lyme disease and the longer he waits they harder it will be to treat. If he's worried about needles now, probabaly no more than a couple of blood tests, he needs to know that a life of chronic Lyme often involves lots of needles over a long period of time.
-------------------- Dave Posts: 2034 | From CA | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Needles? No worries ... IF he gets treated RIGHT AWAY, there will be no needles. If he doesn't... no promises.
The bullseye means he has Lyme .. Period.
Is it serious?? It'll destroy life as he knows it.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
bettyg
Unregistered
posted
welcome sli
glad you came on here to be educated & get important info from us all. great advise above; so i'll not repeat it.
YOUR BOYFRIEND CAN BE CURED ... HE HAS TO ACT TODAY!@! SOONER THE BETTER;
getting on antibiotics, NO NEEDLES INVOLVED, for LONG enough; 3 months is suggested; 2 months LONGER so he does NOT shw any symptoms before he discontinues.
i sent you in the wee am hrs. my welcome letter. print off the 2nd link showing the DOSAGES/MEDS FOR KIDS/ADULTS that i showed;
i broke it up for easier reading...take that to dr. with you when you haul his butt there whether he wants to or not! *******************************************************
also view UNDER OUR SKIN 5 min. lyme disease documentary trailer; this will show him what happens if YOU DON'T ACT NOW OR DIDN'T KNOW A TICK BITE YOU!
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.
please get a western blot igm and igg blood test drawn LOCALLY on a mon. or tues. and sent to the below ok! all details are there.
IGENEX , CALIF. BLOOD TESTINGS ...check current $$!
* Please note: What you are about to read below is NOT meant to scare any of you from any lyme testings done; it's meant to be informed PRIOR to going into having various tests done and then be told what the costs will be! * Mine was sticker $$ shock on various testings done by my 2nd LLMD/new to me in 4=06. Those tests/results are found elsewhere in my links/advise.
* Igenex's charges for these below things cost $905, which I figured up the last 2 days for 2 other folks includes
* The below tests were done for ME; you MAY NOT NEED them all ok! :
* western blot IGM & IGG, this is MANDATORY for you which costs $200 total for 2 tests done; 6.09 same prices still. * * ******************************************************* * OPTIONAL ONES ARE:
* co-infection panel for YOUR AREA OF COUNTRY; * PCR WHOLE BLOOD...this is what my LLMD ordered!
It's PREPAY! unless you are on medicare; IGX will file the paperwork & it's FREE to you.
go to www.igenex.com and read over their info. Prices go up twice a year: MAY and NOVEMBER!!
* * have blood drawn MON. or TUES. only; you don't want your blood sitting in post office over the weekend; will ruin the results!
* Also, call 1-800.832.3200 for CURRENT PRICES! * They will also send you a ``test kit'' with their required form, all the test vials, & box to ship it in! OUT OF USA will take longer to receive!
* You need to DOWNLOAD IGENEX's required form.****************************************************** * * MD, DO ,ND, AC, DC are all fine** must sign, date, and show DIAGNOSIS CODE on there why he's ordering the test.
Make sure you show to FAX results and SNAIL MAIL PAPER COPY! My results were lost for 4-5 weeks! Bettyg * * When you get your results, please post them in MEDICAL; * Post ONLY the POSITIVE & IND ones .... not the negative ones!
GET COPIES OF ALL YOUR SPECIAL BLOOD TESTS: western blot igm/igg and/or co-infection tests always!!
* Also, look for post by LYMETOO/TUTU on DR. C's (Missouri) explanation of the western blot IGM & IGG numbers, below!
Pinelady
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18524
posted
Most people never dream that a little tiny tick can
put you in a wheel chair or nursing home but they
can. Slowly, quietly, and severely. Many never ever
see such a high clue as the bulls eye rash which is
the bodies immune red flag. For whatever reason he
has been blessed with that. Get the treatment by a LLMD.
-------------------- Suspected Lyme 07 Test neg One band migrating in IgG region unable to identify.Igenex Jan.09IFA titer 1:40 IND IgM neg pos 31 +++ 34 IND 39 IND 41 IND 83-93 + DX:Neuroborreliosis Posts: 5850 | From Kentucky | Registered: Dec 2008
| IP: Logged |
METALLlC BLUE
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6628
posted
If he doesn't get treatment and his body can't fight it off, he can say bye bye to his health and possibly his life. Let me show you a video of what will happen to him.
posted
I sent you a PM, look up above on the left.
Hang in there. . .being pushy to help someone you love is good!
Posts: 564 | From Tick Hell | Registered: Oct 2008
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
-
I would hold off on the kisses (and not even share drinking cups) until he gets good medical attention.
While lyme is not normally caught from kisses, there are many unanswered questions and I sure would not want to take a chance, especially in the very early stages of this infection.
---
I want to repost the link from METALLIC BLUE. Please watch this and share this 5 minute video from the documentary UNDER OUR SKIN:
randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
well i hate to say it, but do everything you can to ensure treatment.
if you go to his parents about it, kiss your relationships goodbye, because he definitely won't appreciate it. and more than likely, his parents will think you're crazy and won't like it either.
so try to talk to him and if he's not responsive, i'm sorry, then let it go. you have done your best.
i've been beating my head against the wall for years at my sisters, but they won't listen. i finally stopped and hey, the symptoms are beginning to manifest in two of them...but hey, i DID try.
sorry to be so negative, but those are the facts.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
-
gemofnj suggested taking a photo. Be sure to take several and always keep the original. He may need this photo for years to come, especially if he does not get care ASAP.
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[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. 
Printer-friendly view of this topic