Hello all and thanks for an informative site. I read through the tips for new posters -- VERY nice information there.
I (and an urgent care) doctor just removed a deer tick from my lower back. It was buried in very deep but not alive. So far the only symptom I have is the red local infected area. Still have the tick.
Prescribed 100 MG of Doxycycline twice a day for 10 days. Is this enough?
From what you folks have gathered, what would recommend I do at this point?
I MAY not have anything, but this is the first time I've had a large infected area from a tick bite and the first I've seen something buried so deep. The deer ticks here are 41% infected I've read.
I hiked for 6 hours on Saturday April 3rd. The tick was not swollen. Not knowing the tick was there, I had put ice packs on my lower back in the evening and in the morning. The tick was in me for 23-30 hours. Maybe the ice encouraged the tick to bury in deeper. It may also have been a bad thing in that it may have distressed the tick and thus more likely to get infection. Anyway not sure why the tick was not alive. Looks like stage 3 deer tick. Picture links available.
Thanks for your time and comments, M
Posted by LoneDove (Member # 16516) on :
IMO you could have lyme. I was bitten and tick wasn't on me that long but I have many lyme symptoms. Bit again last year this time and symptoms worse...like sometimes I can hardly walk.
Doctors will tell you the tick had to be on you for long time, tick had to be swollen, etc. but from my personal experience if it bit you it could infect you. If you have a rash, then it's logical that something got in your body. I had a bull's eye but some say that a rash isn't necessary to be infected.
Better safe than sorry cuz it can major change your life. Have your doctor test you asap with dna test and then have tick tested too. Doesn't cost that much.
all this is imho. Not a doctor.
Posted by Melodymaker (Member # 16434) on :
10 days is not enough. Try and get immediately to a lyme literate doctor in your state, and save yourself a lifetime of problems. Wishing you blessings!
Posted by WorriedManCA (Member # 25235) on :
I could send the tick to IGenex (a half hour's drive) or do the DNA thing. I wonder if the DNA thing is better than what is going on at IGenex.
If any numbers or individuals to call regarding DNA (this would save me some time and energy) much appreciated.
Anyone know a Lyme-literate doctor in the bay area?
Thanks.
Posted by Dawn in VA (Member # 9693) on :
MDL (Medical Diagnostics Lab) is also a great lab for tick-testing IMO.
YES, if I were in your shoes, I would absolutely, positively send the tick in for testing.
I wish I had saved the ones that got me and had them tested. It would have saved me a lot of time, wonderings, and money (and inaccurate testing).
If you do decide to get it tested (do it! ), put a moist cotton ball in your double zip-lock baggie or film canister to keep the tick from drying out too much.
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
Treat with doxy or i prefer minocin while taking biaxin xl and tindamax. biaxin xl- minocin -tindamax for at least a month i prefer 2 months.
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
ps test the tick also it may have babs.
Posted by LoneDove (Member # 16516) on :
That link has all the phone numbers & info you need. Just read it & the links on it. I called the DNA testing people and it's cheap. The sooner the better for testing. But the doctors will tell you don't have it if tick isn't swollen on or on you for x days, etc. I don't know of any reliable studies they base those statements on. I had a doctor say tick has to been on you for 10 days to get lyme. Now how the heck can a tick been on a reasonable hygenic person for 10 days?? Anyhoo, get it tested and go from there.
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
Take the Doxy that you got for 10 days and make an appt with a LLMD. If your appt is a couple of months out, try to get your doc to refill the doxy a couple of times.
It is possible that if you take the doxy for 4 weeks that it might be enough. I say this only because my aunt started antibiotics 4 days after a tick bite and took antibiotics for 3 or 4 weeks and she was fine.
The problem with many ppl is that they do not start antibiotics soon enough or don't take them long enough. This is because regular doctors do not know how to diagnose or treat LD. So to be on the safe side, go see a LLMD.
Posted by ukcarry (Member # 18147) on :
IMO 6 weeks would be much safer.
You are also on a fairly low dose of Doxy. Burrascano in his 2008 Advanced topics in Lyme Disease, says that you need 300 to 600 mg per day to have a high enough concentration.
I would ask your doctor to up your dose and take along a copy of the guidelines above [you can find them under Links on this site,
Good luck,
Carry
Posted by WorriedManCA (Member # 25235) on :
I found the PDF from Dr. Burrascano by googling (that link may need to be updated). One thing I copied and pasted was:
> 200 mg bid with food; doses of up to 600 mg daily are often needed, as doxycycline is only effective at high blood levels. Not for children or in pregnancy. If levels are too low at tolerated doses, give parenterally or change to another drug. <
Maybe the urgent care doctor or my recently new gp can up the dosage and refill.
If the tick is okay, am I okay?
Thanks for the replies.
Posted by treepatrol (Member # 4117) on :
What the Brorsons' work shows is that, unlike other antibiotics, Tygecycline administered at the correct dosage and timing destroys the
bacterium even when it has protected itself in this quiescent stage. Other antibiotics, if they do anything at all, simply cause B. burgdorferi
to enter its RB propagule state and wait out the treatment. ``Tigecycline is, so far, the only known antibiotic that destroys the Lyme disease
spirochete in both the growing and the quiescent RB stages of its life history'' Margulis notes
Posted by sutherngrl (Member # 16270) on :
I wanted to add that when it comes to Lyme it is definetly better to over treat than to under treat!
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
Haven't read all the replies, but when we removed a tick from our young son - we immediately did the equivalent (for his size) of 200 mg doxy bid (young kids actually do amoxy rather than doxy, usually) and we kept it up for 30 days.
His pedi rx'd it, with a consult from my LLMD.
This was a few years ago - I would probably do 6 weeks now rather than 30 days as that was the bare minimum for the life cycle of the spirochete.
Tick testing is great - and useful. But even so, there can be false negatives.
If you don't send the tick for co-infection testing, at least save the tick to do so later.
Also - take pics of the red area, and write your name and the date on tape next to the area with a coin to show scale and to verify that it's actually you in the pic.
Do the same for any rashes that develop.
And familiarize yourself with symptoms of Lyme and co-infections so that you can be on the lookout.
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
Hi - if you're a half hour away from IGeneX, looks like we are neighbors somewhat - am pm'ing you.
Posted by tickalert (Member # 7033) on :
Northern CA is very high infestation for Lyme. That's where I got one of my tick bites from.
Get to Lyme Dr. and test tick ASAP.
Posted by WorriedManCA (Member # 25235) on :
I took the tick to the county health lab for testing today.
I called them just now and asked them to save the tick for co-infection testing. I hope I'm not too late.
It's good that I took it in today because they do their testing tomorrow. They said I could call after 4pm tomorrow for results.
Someone PM'd me (thanks) regarding a LLMD. Need a referral from a doctor, they said when I called.
My main question right now is "Do I push for getting some Tygecycline?"
Right now my options for prescriptions are: 1) Urgent care doc who wrote original 100mg BID 2) Newish regular doc (saw him once) who I can email 3) Getting a referral and seeing a LLMD (expensive).
I took my second 100mg of Doxycycline early today and will probably take a third till I get the strategy straightened out with a doctor.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Personally, I would want 400mg of doxy for 6-8wks.
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
), put a moist cotton ball in your double zip-lock baggie or film canister to keep the tick from drying out too much.