So much difficulty trying to get a doctor to take me seriously regarding the tick I removed from my 18 month old yesterday.
I called my LLMD and the staff gave me the runaround about the baby not being a patient and needing to see the pediatrician.
I said my pediatrician will be like the majority of doctors and NOT take this seriously.
But I call anyway. The nurse calls back and said that we need to wait and see. If a rash shows up, give us a call - she said. I said, "by then, it's too late!
If we could just give some abx for a few weeks, maybe my baby won't get Lyme and suffer as I have for 11 years."
She said the doctor knows what he is doing and to just trust him.
I said, That's what made me as sick as I am. I have trouble trusting doctors now.
Called the LLMD back. They said they could make an appt. for AUGUST!! I said, by then my baby will have full-blown Lyme. I thought, of all people, the LLMD office would understand.
Maybe we can stop it before it starts. Nothing. They never called back...
My pediatrician himself calls me back later.
He calls saying he is offended that I don't think he knows what
he is doing and that he trained as an Infectious Disease doc (oh boy!), and if I don't trust him, then perhaps I should not go to him anymore.
It infuriates me that as a concerned mother, I have to stroke this man's ego and try to make HIM feel better, when I'm at wit's end!
I told him that I have Lyme and know how serious it is and have had alot of trouble finding doctors in my area that treat it seriously. He reluctantly agreed to give him 2 weeks of amoxicillan.
But left me feeling like a over-reacting mother who is drugging her baby for no good reason.
So am I wrong to subject my baby to antibiotics and risk those side effects on the slim chance of Lyme? OR should I wait and see? I'm sick with worry.....
Thanks, Kelan
Posted by philly78 (Member # 31069) on :
From what I understand, not everyone who gets bit by a tick gets lyme disease or the associated cos. And just two weeks of abx isn't going to stop the disease from happening if it is going to. At least that is the way I understand what I have read. But I could be wrong!
I know people who have been bit by ticks numerous times and nothing ever happened.
Posted by amk33 (Member # 13206) on :
I think that two weeks is better than nothing. If u caught it really early on, I have read that one single dose is sufficient. Of course, the longer the better to me. U are not overreactng...you are a good mom. They would have given that abx for an ear infection, so why not for prevention of lyme?! Some doctor's are so clueless..
Posted by Kelan (Member # 30403) on :
Thank you, amk33...I am so glad to hear from someone that I'm not overreacting and am being a good mom. You've made my night a little better. )
Posted by laurie sm (Member # 14584) on :
YOU are not overreacting. These doctors make me furious.
I remember when I mentioned to my pediatrician that I had chronic Lyme when I took my daughter to him a few years ago he poo pooed me."Oh no such thing!"
Some doctors still call it Lymes! The best docs are the ones who have had it themselves.
No wonder we feel crazy on top of all the symptoms.
I think your baby will be okay but I would definitely treat!
Good Luck
Laurie
Posted by deerose (Member # 27484) on :
Good for you fighting for your baby!!
You did NOT overreact. You did the right thing. You were not crazy. You were persistent and, forthright and courageous.
thank God he capitulated.
It is not just aobut lyme, it is being female too. sorry but docs often see mothers and other females as biased, unreliable and histrionic. Grrrrrr.
I know a mom who had to have the tick tested to force the doc to do something.
As OP already noted not everyone bitten gets tickborne illnesses
and early intervention which you have now for your little one is important.
Further reassurance is that there are other non-antibiotic approaches.
This forum is loaded with well informed people who could help "if".
praying for baby that all is well.
Posted by philly78 (Member # 31069) on :
quote:Originally posted by amk33: I think that two weeks is better than nothing. If u caught it really early on, I have read that one single dose is sufficient. Of course, the longer the better to me. U are not overreactng...you are a good mom. They would have given that abx for an ear infection, so why not for prevention of lyme?! Some doctor's are so clueless..
Do you really think that everyone who finds a tick on them should just be given abx? I'm not trying to be argumentative. I'm just curious. Most here have more experience with this and know more than me.
I understand the aggravation with doctors as I have been getting aggravated as well. I also didn't mean to imply anything about your mothering Kelan so I'm sorry if I came across that way.
Posted by Kelan (Member # 30403) on :
Thank you! I'm so glad to hear support.
@philly78 - I don't know the answer to treating all tick bites with abx or not...but I do know my previous LLMD told me that if I HAD of gotten treated ASAP after removing the tick, I would not have been in the situation I am now.
But I pointed out to him, no one would give me abx and it took me over 4 months to get an appt. with him - by which time I had serious symptoms and thought I would die. So what else could I have done?
I do know that I'd move heaven and earth to prevent my baby from having to go through that. So I guess my vote is "Yes" - treat every tick bite.
Posted by Kelan (Member # 30403) on :
Deerose,
Thanks for your post. Do you know where I could find more information on non-antibiotic approaches safe for an 18 mo. old?
I appreciate it!
Posted by BoxerMom (Member # 25251) on :
Don't doubt yourself for one minute! You did the right thing.
Your doctor is insecure and obnoxious. He could have asked you for more information on a topic you obviously know very well. Instead, he got defensive and condescending. It's rude and sexist.
Please give your baby the antibiotics. Follow with a course of probiotics, and s/he'll be none worse for the wear.
In the face of tick-borne disease, the greater risk is the disease, not the antibiotics. Hands down. No question.
Infected pregnant women take Amoxicillin to prevent transmission. It's a safe antibiotic for babies.
Good for you for being a proper advocate for your child!
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
Non-rx meds for early Lyme would include anything that boosts the immune system's ability to respond to Lyme. Astralagus is recommended by Buhner (in his book chapter on Prevention) for early Lyme or to prevent Lyme from a tick bite, but I do not know if it is safe to give to an 18-month-old.
I don't even know if probiotics are ok...it depends on how mature the immune system and gut mucosa are...
A Lyme-Literate Naturopathic physician may be able to guide you in this regard...
Posted by BoxerMom (Member # 25251) on :
There are infant probiotic formulas.
Posted by deerose (Member # 27484) on :
There are plenty of people in this forum who can help as you see already. can provide their experience and links to other info too.
You might post a separate question for that if you want more info.
Posted by annier1071 (Member # 28977) on :
You are a great mom...many would not think twice and that is sad.
I just did the same thing and it was my husband. I demanded my Gp put him on doxy asap so he would not get like me. The doc agreed since he sees what I am going through.
The amoxcillin will be fine and the baby will be fine. I am sure her immune system is strong and she can fight it off. We also have to remember that this is not the only bite she will ever get in life, as hard as that may seem.
Others are right that not everyone gets lyme, in fact, most do not. So the odds are great that she will be perfect!!
Posted by amk33 (Member # 13206) on :
Yes, Philly, I do believe that everyone who gets bit by a tick should have a short course of abx. I think two to four weeks in order to avoid the type of hell I have gone through for 11 yrs. is worth it. My point was that the dotor would have no problem giving abx for an ear infection,which, compared to lyme and coinfections is so minor.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by BoxerMom: There are infant probiotic formulas.
- Please check into this! Your baby doesn't need TWO problems. Hope all goes well and he is fine!!
Posted by linky123 (Member # 19974) on :
Kind of sounds like an llmd we went to when we were first diagnosed. I got really sick and didn't know if it was a herx or what.
My husband called him since I wasn't getting anywhere with them and he told him the office staff was calling me neurotic. That was really comforting coming from the doctor. His office staff had been rude before, so I wasn't really surprised about that.
He said only 3% of the ticks carry lyme. I had to beg him for a month of abx for my daughter after she came home from a b'day party with four ticks attached.
We always have to be ready for a fight. One thing I've learned from this disease is not to back down. I don't care what they think.
Posted by Kelan (Member # 30403) on :
So true, linky123. Hope your daughter is ok.
Posted by cheffer (Member # 28737) on :
Dr. Jones says antibiotics for every bite. I think 1 month. That what I tell people to get on antibiotics asap. Most people don`t get it being so serious or how short the window of early treatment is. I`d be loading up the baby--like you said its not worth it not too.
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
Get the 2 weeks or whatever the pediatrician will give. And keep persisting nicely at your LLMD's that they squeeze you in to
continue the treatment for another 2 weeks or whatever he deems necessary. Ask to be put on the cancellation list. And keep calling to check. Don't be afraid of their opinion of you. It's YOUR baby!
And check what the dosage should be from Dr. B's Guidelines, which are listed in a sticky at the top of this forum (within the sticky,that is).
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