posted
On August 4 I removed two attached ticks from my legs--one in back of each knee. They were the tiniest imaginable; must have been larvae. I was alert to the possibility of knee pain, which I figured would happen if I were infected. Hard to tell this time because I have so much joint pain in general, but nothing unusual happened a week later, when my left knee got hot and a little swollen. That subsided the next day.
Yesterday, 11 days after the tick bites, I felt fine all day but developed chills late in the afternoon and then a fever late in the evening. Most unusual for me. I figured it must be related to the tick bites. Do you agree? My doctor will prescribe doxy, but I don't want to take it if I don't need it.
Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
Here is one of my questions/answers that may be helpful.
QUESTION- If taking doxycycline for a tick bite, what additional information should I know?
ANSWER- Patients should be advised that taking doxycycline may cause sun sensitivity. Even hands on a steering wheel can be burned through the windshield. Be sure to wear sunscreen on all exposed skin.
Doxycycline should not be taken with milk or other dairy products since these products may inhibit absorption of the antibiotic.
Doxycycline is generally not recommended for children since it may cause discoloration of their teeth. However, if Ehrlichiosis, Spotted Fever and/or other TBDs are suspected that is considered an emergency, so use Doxycycline.
Doxycycline may also promote yeast and fungal overgrowths which should be prevented and addressed if they occur.
Taking a good probiotic between doses of Doxy and for a few weeks after stopping the Doxy has been recommended to help the gut and help prevent yeast overgrowth.
Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are some of the possible side effects of Doxycycline. Eat a full meal before taking the Doxy.
Birth control pills may not be as effective while taking Doxycycline and additional precautions to prevent pregnancy may be necessary.
Doxycycline should not be taken with antacids or supplements that contain calcium, iron, magnesium, or sodium bicarbonate.
Doxycycline use may cause liver problems or bruising in some cases.
People taking Doxycycline should be advised that severe allergic reactions may occur and if there are any problems while taking Doxycycline, they should be reported to the doctor immediately.
For more information please check with your doctor or pharmacist.
posted
Thank you, everyone. I'm taking doxy and the probiotic Theralac.
But . . . About 8 or so years ago I had identical symptoms. These include fever, chills, weakness, a complete loss of appetite, feelings of revulsion when thinking about foods I'd always liked, shortness of breath, and night sweats that started out soaking my night clothes at my neck and chest and changed to sticky sweat on my arms and hands.
A tick bite was involved, but I wasn't treated. The weakness persisted for weeks, and the night sweats--changing to waking up sweat between my fingers and in the crooks of my elbows in the morning--lasted on and off (mostly on) for 2 or 3 years.
After I learned more about tick-borne illness, I thought the symptoms sounded like babesiosis. The LLMD I found agreed, and wanted to treat me with anti-malarials.
But I refused because of concerns about my liver based on our strong family history. The doctor said he would test my liver function every 6 weeks, but I know damage from these drugs can happen much sooner than that.
So I've been going along unmedicated, doing what I can to keep my immune system functioning. Lack of energy and stamina is a problem, and I have to pace myself and get plenty of rest.
And a subsequent tick bite on the back of my neck a few years ago left me with a nasty sensitivity to light, sound, and movement. But I'm used to it and I deal with it.
Now, however, with these same symptoms presenting, I'm a little worried. Babesiosis is so hard (and expensive) to test for, and the IgeneX test a few years ago was inconclusive. If my symptoms suggest babesiosis, and if I've been reinfected, will the doxycycline do me any good?
It's all so iffy, I know, but so is much about Lyme and its co-infections--and ticks in general these days.
(breaking up the post for easier reading for many here)
hiker53
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 6046
posted
Could be lyme or ehrlichiosis or another tick borne disease with new bite.
I got my fever about 10 days after hiking. Never saw the tick.
Tested positive for ehrlichiosis and Lyme--but that was 18 months later that I finally got the positive test.
Wish I had been given doxy right away when I suggested Lyme but back then (and even now) the docs didn't listen.
-------------------- Hiker53
"God is light. In Him there is no darkness." 1John 1:5 Posts: 8887 | From Illinois | Registered: Aug 2004
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
You said... "The doctor said he would test my liver function every 6 weeks, but I know damage from these drugs can happen much sooner than that."
You can ask to be tested more often due to your history, OR, order your own liver tests (and most other kinds) without a doctor's signature. And they are typically cheaper.
See this section... Lyme & Tick Borne Disease Labs (Human Testing), then- ADDITIONAL Order Your Own Lab Tests
You said... "Babesiosis is so hard (and expensive) to test for, and the IgeneX test a few years ago was inconclusive. If my symptoms suggest babesiosis, and if I've been reinfected, will the doxycycline do me any good?"
No. Doxy doesn't treat/cure Babesiosis. You can possibly get the medications free if you decide to treat it.
The longer you don't treat Babesiosis, the longer it will take if/when you do, and it is MUCH more expensive. You had a doctor who wanted to treat based on clinical presentation (as most are diagnosed). What happened?
The Doxy will address, like Hiker said, the other tick borne diseases, all that are known to kill some people, so I'd take that seriously.
And if you have symptoms of Babesiosis and a doctor willing to treat, not sure why you'd rather not?
You do know Babesiosis won't cure itself and only gets worse if not treated? And experience shows us the longer you wait the more likely you won't be cured.
Please read more about the diseases and hopefully you'll decide to take your doctor's advise and treat them.
posted
I appreciate your concern, and I'm giving this some thought, but "possible (rare)" damage from the drugs assumes healthy livers to begin with. And I lost confidence in liver blood tests when a relative's liver function tested normal when she had advanced liver cancer.
Without going into a lot of detail, concern about my liver is the only reason I have for not treating babesia.
I'm discouraged, though. Although my daytime fever is down, I'm so weak that the slightest activity puts me in a cold sweat. I don't usually feel my age, but at 75, I get the feeling I'm too old for this.
(breaking up the post for easier reading for many here)
posted
PS: I've read that side effects (I don't mean liver damage) can be limited by starting babesia meds at 20% dosage. Any thoughts on this? Thanks!
Posts: 117 | From Pennsylvania | Registered: Jul 2010
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posted
I think there's also the Buhner herbs that you could look at - they treat Lyme and co-infections too, including babesia. And there are support groups for those opting for this herbal treatment route.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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