posted
Hey all-- My husband and I just brought our 22 month old son to the doctor with a "bullseye" type rash around a bite. The Dr. immediately prescribed Amoxicillin and assured me that since we caught it early (if it is Lyme) that antibiotics will "knock it out of his system". We know that he was bitten on 7/9/05 and has had most of the common inital symptoms on and off this past week. Does anyone have information pertaining to early treatment(particularly in children) and its effectiveness in completely eradicating the disease from the body? Any help and/or comments will be very much appreciated!!
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posted
The person who responded to you first here may not be legit. When they say things like "my cases" it is vague and misleading and gives the impression of medical authority where there is none...you need to be very careful.
Take high dose full spectrum antibiotics for 6 weeks to treat a bullseye rash. Need high dose or it may not work. Ticks commonly carry several different infections, lyme being only one of the many, so it is important to pay attention to all symptoms of co-infection. Good luck! Sounds like you are doing the right thing.
p.s. the horror stories of lyme disease here are only those of us who did not get treated soon enough at high dose for at least 6 weeks and ended up with late stage disease. so there is no need to worry if you treat it right.
[This message has been edited by pippy (edited 19 July 2005).]
Posts: 446 | From California | Registered: Jul 2004
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many (not all) on this board are late stagers and were not treated or undertreated and dealt with symptoms for far too long undiagnosed.
Also,
You'll find differing opinions in treatment (ref: reply from Ch05).
There were recently posts that clarify the antibiotic treatment for children and the duration and dosages necessary.
This is only based on me and my lyme issues, but feel that I was undertreated with 4 weeks.
I think the bacterial cycle is 28-days and that co-infections/lyme should be treated with antibiotics for 3 cycles. I do not know if this is with having a previous history of lyme or standard treatment theory.
Please reply with prescribed dosage and duration. Was this a llmd (lyme-literate MD) or pediatrician?
Don't know where you are located, but here is the information for Dr.J specializing in pediatric lyme cases throughout the U.S.
Dr J
I'm not a dr/nurse and can only speak of what I've learned over the past several years...
I am a parent and share your concern for our kids.
I wish you all well. Again, please post dosage/duration/doctor info for other feedback.
Lisa
[This message has been edited by Lymester (edited 23 July 2005).]
Marnie
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 773
posted
It may depend on the #s of keets transmitted and if co-infections (other pathogens) were also transmitted and finally, your current nutritional status.
The abx. work WITH the minerals to make hydrogen...and ENOUGH hydrogen, if carried into the cells (via CoQ10), WILL INactivate PFK (insulin activates it)...an enzyme that Bb is "dependent on". This enzyme is "rate limiting" for glycolysis...the braking mechanism for using sugar to make ATP. Bb LOVES sugar.
If we can shut down this pathway, we MAY have a chance.
But...by the time a rash appears ( if you were Mg deficient to begin with), the levels of Mg drop really fast, very significantly. Now it becomes much more difficult.
The ability to be cured fast may depend on: (1) the #s of keets transmitted (2) whether or not co-infections are transmitted (3) the status of your own nutritional stores - your OWN current ability to fight - the availability of ENOUGH Mg and Ca to make your OWN HEALTHY antibodies to destroy the keets.
Like I said many moons ago...hit it hard (IM penicillin), hit it fast and get the heck out.
If you think nutrition does not play a CRITICAL part in diseases (curing and causing)...rent the movies - based on true stories - "First Do No Harm" and "Supersize Me".
Posts: 9481 | From Sunshine State | Registered: Mar 2001
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treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
posted
Depends on the strain the abx's used and the persons immune responce.Some can be cured sofar as I have read in 1 month to six weeks or they never went back say five years later and checked with that so called cured person?
If I knew then what I know now when I was first bitten I would get treated 750mg of doxycyclene and & Flagyl at 750mg a day then I would still watch for symptoms for at least 3 years but never forget the bite.
Posts: 10564 | From PA Where the Creeks are Red | Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
Where I was living and infected in NJ ended up being an epidemic area - by the end of the summer, every family on the street had someone infected.
That said, after my delayed treatment (me being the first case in the area), the doc in the area was super alert to LD and treated everyone who came in with either rash, flu-like symptoms, or attached tick prior to any testing. No one other than myself ended up with this recurring nonsense (and I was on prednisone for asthma thus complicating any infection I could have picked up).
All this to say that, anecdotally speaking, there is a high probability that early appropriate treatment can prevent later problems from Lyme.
Posts: 689 | From western MA (we say buttER and pizzA) | Registered: Nov 2004
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treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
Hi and WELCOME! Get a LLMD or at least Dr that is willing to learn about lyme. "Lyme literacy" means, first and foremost, knowing how to diagnose the disease accurately. Borrelia Burgdorferi is a clinical diagnosis, based on symptoms and on your response to treatment. Good Luck, bumpy road ahead. Lyme Disease symptoms 2005 Lyme Symptoms 2005 Post for a LLMD in Seeking a Doctor. Ps remember I am not a Dr, just a fellow sufferer. Support Links LLMD's
Posts: 468 | From Las Vegas NV | Registered: Jun 2005
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trails
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1620
posted
I believe that my first round of Lyme in 1991 was not cured, but seriously controlled by relatively early (2 months after bite)and not very thorough (only 2 weeks) of tetracycline.
Many people will scream at me for posting that, but that is my belief.
I, however, do think that since the treatment was only 2 weeks, I was slowly building a spirochetal load over a decade. THen I got bitten by black flies in Maine and I got Nuero-Lyme and 3 other co-infections.
Early treatment can do wonders. BUt it should be at least 4 weeks of ABX, maybe even 6-8 to be on the safer side.
I did not have a single Lyme symptom for 10 years after the initial tick bite and two week treatment.
posted
My son had a tick attachment at 6am (it had crawled on him the night before) By 10am he was on Doxycycline for only 6 weeks. He is still sick today a year later.
I would call Dr. J's office and get him in as soon as possible as others have said.
Lisi
[This message has been edited by Lisianthus (edited 22 July 2005).]
Posts: 986 | From Michigan | Registered: Dec 2004
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janet thomas
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7122
posted
I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice but I worry all the time-when it's my kid what should I do?
At this time I'm leaning toward an IM dose of a short acting pencillin followed by IM Bicillin L-A followed by oral doxy, 200 mg BID for 8-12 weeks. But my child is 13.
For a 22 month old I'd still ask for IM pencillin, might have to try a few docs,
And OH my, how could we forget?
You MUST photograph the rash everyday with a ruler in the picture. Then hope you never need the proof.
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