posted
I have a friend who's husband found a tick on his arm. He removed it and the next day had a bull's eye rash. given that i have and now know more than i'd ever thought possible about this disease, they called me for advise.
i recommended they go to the doctor and if they didn't get an adequate amount of ABX to get a second opinion. He went to an urgent care and unfortunately all they prescribed him were two pills (one day of treatment!!).
He has no insurance and can't be going from doctor to doctor wasting time and money trying to find a doctor who will treat early lyme correctly.
Even the CDC and IDSA say with a bull's eye rash that treatment is at least three weeks.
From what i hear at my support group, this dose of two pills is happening more and more in NH. This seems criminal. People will go on to get chronic lyme due to the mistreatment during the only window available to eradicate the infection.
The problem still remains that my friend's husband has early lyme disease and now has been undertreated. It is still early, but time is running out.
How can i help them find someone who will prescribe adequate treatment?
thanks for any input!
-------------------- Misdiagnosed and untreated from 1993-2008. - iGenex positive western blot for LD: 9/08 - Clinical diagnosis for Babesia: 2/09 - Positive blood smear for Bartonella: 3/09
Started treatment: 1/09 Posts: 91 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Jan 2009
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posted
Hmm if he has rash I would just go to urgent care/ER to get doxy fast . Otherwise you can order it online albeit in my experience the shipping time is 2-3 weeks (I dunno maybe there are faster pharmacies out there)
Posts: 856 | From MA | Registered: Jul 2009
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posted
Hi Coltman, he went to urgent care and that is where they prescribed two pills. I'm afraid if he goes to the ER it'll be hte same. and a visit to the ER without insurance is hundreds of dollars.
how can you order antibiotics online without a prescription??
-------------------- Misdiagnosed and untreated from 1993-2008. - iGenex positive western blot for LD: 9/08 - Clinical diagnosis for Babesia: 2/09 - Positive blood smear for Bartonella: 3/09
Started treatment: 1/09 Posts: 91 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Jan 2009
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posted
If he is close to either MA or Maine border, go to an urgent care in one of those states and see if he can get 3 weeks doxy. If he still has the rash, the sooner the better.
We have treated in both states, at least they do start with 14-21 days.
Might buy him some time.
Wizard
Posts: 252 | From USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
That's HORRIBLE .. and happens too many times!!!
Yes, try Maine!
I am LIVID!!
He actually needs more than 3-4 wks to be sure to eradicate it. (like 6-8 in my opinion)
Wait... Why not have him go back to this place and have them sign a paper stating that they refuse to treat him for the CDC recommended protocol of 3 wks. (or is it 4?)
That should get some action!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Ocean
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3496
posted
Yeah, my mom had a bullseye on her leg in 2004...she took a picture of it, and I saw it recently, definitely a bullseye.
Her doc told her that it couldn't be lyme because it's not in Ohio and she would have SEEN a tick on her! My mom argued that deer ticks are really tiny, doc got her medical book out, looked it up and said, 'you're right'.
Then she gave her 3 days worth of some 'new antibiotic' that was JUST as effective as weeks of the 'other antibiotic'.
For the record, I think my mom has had Lyme since my sister was a baby. She had severe panic attacks and anxiety for 10 years, still says she gets very dizzy sometimes, siren sounds in her ears, heart palps and a whole list of stuff...she tells herself it's all anxiety which is what she told me for many years!
She's admitted maybe she could have it, but says it's 'too late' for her now that she's had it so long...ugh! She is a runner, so she 'assumes' she couldn't run and have Lyme...she may not have all the co's and maybe why she isn't as sick, but still...it's frustrating!! I wish I could shake those types of docs and wake them up!!!
TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
My hubby's doctor's office told us this summer that the lyme treatment guidelines were recently changed to the "2 pill" therapy.
That would be the IDSA.
Anyway, I told them I did not believe that 2 pills were enough, and I wanted the amount previously given, so they gave my husband 2 weeks. My husband did not have a rash. We just had found a tick attached to him.
He did not develop any symptoms of any kind during that 2 weeks, so I left it at that.
In Pam Weintraub's book "Cure Unknown" she says that many strains of lyme cause the rash but no further disease. She says that something like 3 strains cause disease and 17 or so just cause the rash.
I don't believe this is a widely-known fact.
I really believe this is what has led to such confusion in the medical community. People get the rash and take only 2 pills, or only 2 weeks of meds, etc. and they are fine. That's because they had a strain of lyme that causes only a rash but no illness.
But, it is Russian roulette--what strain do you have? If the person develops symptoms, then I would hope that a regular doc would provide more meds--like 30 days and then another 30 days if you are still sick.
That would give you time to get to a lyme doc.
By the way, I discussed Pam Weintraub's statements with my now famous lyme doc and he agreed. He also agreed with my assessment that this is what has caused the confusion in the medical community. MANY people have gotten just the 2 weeks of low-dose doxy and never gone on to have any problems.
My 70-year old neighbor is a case in point. I know many people who had the rash and just got the regular treatment from their PCP and never got a case of lyme disease. This is what makes regular doctors believe that lyme is easily cured. They've seen it many times.
But remember, these people were NOT suffering with any symptoms.
All they ever had was the bulls eye rash.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Perfect argument tutu.
The study states that the dose has to be given within 72 hours. The whole study is based on the fact that no EM rash develops and thus "proves" they haven't contracted lyme.
From the study "CONCLUSIONS: A single 200-mg dose of doxycycline given within 72 hours after an I. scapularis tick bite can prevent the development of Lyme disease."
TF - When I read that in Pam's book I was amazed that anyone pays any attention to the studies that were done based on the bullseye rash. It makes their conclusions completely bogus. Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
From the study "CONCLUSIONS: A single 200-mg dose of doxycycline given within 72 hours after an I. scapularis tick bite can prevent the development of Lyme disease."
posted
Listen to Dr. Volkman's incredibly powerful presentation at the IDSA hearing.
You'll be convinced that 1-2 doxy prophylaxis will not only NOT keep you from getting Lyme but will abrogate the immune response such that you may never test positive.
And this is for prophylaxis, not for a confirmed EM.
Allie
Posts: 300 | From Northeast | Registered: Dec 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Allie: Listen to Dr. Volkman's incredibly powerful presentation at the IDSA hearing.
You'll be convinced that 1-2 doxy prophylaxis will not only NOT keep you from getting Lyme but will abrogate the immune response such that you may never test positive.
And this is for prophylaxis, not for a confirmed EM.
Boy, no wonder the ELISA is ineffective!
Laura... Have you decided what your plan of action is??
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
thanks so much everyone! my friend is calling the urgent care place today to challenge them and demand more medication. if that does not work, she will ask to talk to the medical director and explain that from what she's read, all the published guidelines show weeks of doxy and not two pills. Hopefully she will get somewhere with that method. If not, you all have some great suggestions. Maine or MA is too far for them (they are in VT) but border on NH.
I really hope she gets somewhere. My husband is a Physical therapist and keeps scratching his head to all of this. he asks why is it that anyone who comes in with some minor pain has a prescription for narcotics, muscle relaxers, etc, but someone with a bull's eye rash has to fight to get antibiotics to kill their infection!
What a broken system we have! no wonder why healthcare costs are through the roof!
-------------------- Misdiagnosed and untreated from 1993-2008. - iGenex positive western blot for LD: 9/08 - Clinical diagnosis for Babesia: 2/09 - Positive blood smear for Bartonella: 3/09
Started treatment: 1/09 Posts: 91 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Jan 2009
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