posted
Myself and my sister live in the same neighborhood. I went to visit her today and she pointed out a bullseye rash on his right leg near his sock line and asked me where do i think he bumped himself.
The alarm went off quickly in my head and i immediately jumped him in the car and we both rushed him to the ER.
While at the ER the doctors and nurses were early dismissive. They said that the appearence of the rash simply meant you got bit not that you contracted lyme. I then broke down my experience of what i been going through for the past year.
They left the room and returned within 15 minutes saying i was right the CDC states that the rash is an early indicator of lyme.
They gave him 3 weeks worth of amoxicillin.
Im thankful that the ER actually took the time to look into the issue and help us but i am so fearful. Will this medicine actually rid him of the lyme??
The last thing i want is for him to go through any of the things i am currently going through.
For the first time im actually thankful for my illness cause had i not contracted it i would have still been ignorant on the topic and my nephew would have got worse.
To think 3 weeks ago my primary told me there is no lyme in Illinois... what a joke.
Any info on children under 5 with lyme would be greatly appreciated.
IGG 30+,39+,41+++ Posts: 80 | From Chicago IL | Registered: Jan 2011
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ktkdommer
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 29020
posted
My 5 year old nephew has congenital Lyme and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I'm glad that your voice was heard at the ER.
Do you think 3 weeks of antibiotics is enough? Most would say 6 weeks but he is a child so not sure if it is different.
I wish him well!
-------------------- Things are never dull. After 3 fighting Lyme, 2 are in remission. Youngest is still sick, age 22. He has new diagnosed Chiari Malformation and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Posts: 1366 | From Perrysburg, Ohio | Registered: Nov 2010
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Rumigirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15091
posted
Three weeks is NOT enough! Look up Dr. B's Lyme Guidelines in the stickies at the top of this forum or on the ILADS website (ILADS.org). Check to see what he says about kids re dosage and time length. Make SURE that he gets that dosage and time length of amoxicillin.
ANd watch for any symptoms during or after the abx. If he has any symptoms, time to go to an LLMD. It wouldn't hurt to investigate ahead of time who to take him to and make an appt, which you could cancel, if not needed (it takes time to investigate and get an appt---months often).
whew, that was a close call! Definitely check though, as the dosage he was given may or may not be right, and 3 weeks is NOT right. Get his pediatrician or whoever to continue the abx for 6 weeks or whatever Dr. B says.
How stupid and ignorant can these drs be?!? Plenty it seems.
Posts: 3771 | From around | Registered: Mar 2008
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t9im
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 25489
posted
Hi DDEC2:
Good work on this as the bulls eye is the clinical diagnosis allowed by the CDC and IDSA for Lyme without serological evidence.
The standard IDSA is 7 to 10 days of doxy or 3 weeks of amoxy.
Children under 8 should not due doxy (doxy is the preferred 1st choice as it is also effective with co infections, not sure on amoxy).
LLMD's double the time line as they have seen treatment failure with the short course. I think it was Dr. Masters (now deceased so it should be OK to post his name) who showed longer treatment resulted in less treatment failures.
Not sure is you'll be able to have a regular MD prescribe more than the 3 weeks.
-------------------- Tim Posts: 1111 | From Glastonbury, CT | Registered: Apr 2010
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philly78
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 31069
posted
Good on you for getting the ER to at least give you three weeks of abx! I don't know if that is enough or not but at least they listened to you. My coworker came to me after she pulled an embedded tick from her daughter and her pediatrician will not give her anything.
I do know that when my niece was bitten, she was given 28 days of amoxi but that was several years ago. I didn't know then what I know now and while she is doing well and not having any symptoms, I would have had her mom push for an extra two weeks of abx just to be on the safe side.
This is a paragraph from the ABC's of Lyme Disease....
quote:When Lyme disease is a possible diagnosis, the children should be evaluated by a Lyme knowledgeable physician who will continue antibiotic therapy until all Lyme symptoms resolve. In most circumstances, Ixodes scapularis tick attachment should be treated with one month of antibiotic therapy.
As Rumigirl stated, watch for symptoms! that is going to be important.
-------------------- When faced with pain you have two choices....either quit and accept the circumstances, OR make the decision to fight with all the resources you have at your disposal. Posts: 1000 | From PA | Registered: Mar 2011
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Just thought id update everyone on the status of my nephew.
The little guy is doing fine hasn't even developed as much as a fever. My LLMD says a few more weeks of abx and he will be good to go (as long as he remains symptom free that is)
On a more interesting note the Chicago department of environmental health has been in close contact and due to my nephews case an investigation is underway to determine the presence of lyme in my area.
Hopefully some awareness will be made apparent and they already said they intend to make the necessary arrangements to attempt to have the tick population controlled in my area.
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