posted
I am 40, the mom of three young kids and I'm freaking out here.
I found a tick on me this past Friday after noticing what I thought was an ingrown hair at my bikini line. I was always in a hurry in the shower so I didn't pay much attention to it for four days or so, at my best guess. Finally on Friday I thought, I'll pull it out. Well! It wasn't an ingrown hair but a tiny little tick. Usually the ticks around here in North Carolina are much bigger than this.
I think it got it from my husband's camoflauge when I was doing laundry.
I don't have any symptoms yet and I don't know what to do! Do I ask my doc for preventative abx or do I just sit tight? I'm scared to death.
I normally try not to EVER take meds, especially abx, so the thought of all this medical intervention like I'm reading on this board is really scaring me. I don't want to live like that.
What are my odds of getting Lyme?
Thanks for putting up with my complete ignorance on this matter. Sheri in NC
Posts: 4 | From North Carolina | Registered: May 2006
| IP: Logged |
I am in NC too. I am sorry to hear that you were bitten. I found an engorged tick on myself last week as well after doing a very thorough tick check before going to bed.
Woke up with one engorged on my stomach.
You want to make sure that you removed it properly...using very fine tweezers pulling directly out or using a tick remover tool.
In the future it is a good idea to save the tick in a zip loc baggy in the freezer with a moistened cotton ball. Date it. They can test the tick later if you become symptomatic.
If you develop a rash take pictures of it with a coin next to it so you can show it to your physician or better yet an LLMD (Lyme Literate M.D.)
Knowing what I know now I would take 6 weeks of an antibiotic but that is because I have been through hell and back with Lyme and other tick borne diseases.
Some people's immune systems can fight these infections. SO, be sure you take great care of yourself and get plenty of sleep. Eat well and lots of water.
If you do start to develop any symptoms, drop in temperature or increase in temperature, a rash, migraine headaches, joint pain, gastrointestinal issues, etc... Check for full symptoms lists...then be sure you make an appointment with an LLMD.
There are support groups and organizations here in NC that can give you information on tick borne illness - be sure to visit their websites. We do have a local LLMD in our state so if you have issues then get in touch with this specialist.
Symptoms could develop right away or not for years. So keep it on your radar. Try not to panic but do your homework and have the resources in place if you do develop symptoms.
Take care and I will pray that you have not contracted tick borne illness.
-------------------- �Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.� - Ezre Taft Benson Posts: 655 | From NC, Exit 88 on the Deer SuperHighway | Registered: Dec 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
don't freak out. it's very possible you were not exposed to lyme disease ... but, I would definitely go on antibiotics immediately as a precaution as it really can't hurt you (as long as you are not allergic or anything) but could CLEARLY save you a lot of problems if you don't treat it. and whatever you do, DON'T let dr's use blood test results only to say if you have lyme disease ... they are not very accurate. go see your dr and get on abx.
i am not a dr but someone who has lyme and that is what i would do. good luck.
Posts: 31 | From CT | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
One more question, if you don't mind. Since my doctor probably isn't terribly knowledgable about this, which abx are effective as preventatives?
And where is the LLMD in NC? I'm in Greensboro.
Thanks, Sheri
Posts: 4 | From North Carolina | Registered: May 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
My entire family got sick in 2004 after moving to NC from MA. I did have symptoms back in 2003 in MA.
I have migraines that are close in resemblence to mini seizures. I have had shortness of breath, intense gastrointestinal problems for 6 months before finally being diagnosed, rectal bleeding, 50 lbs. of weight loss which I subsequently have gained all back, bruising on my legs with little red dots around them, severe nausea, alcohol, exercise and caffeine intolerance, menstural issues, the list really goes on forever - insomnia, buzzing sensations in my legs, severe anxiety, eye problems, heart palpitations, etc...
My husband was sick too and our dog. We are all doing much better after intense antibiotic therapy and antimalarial therapy. I had Lyme and three coinfections - ehrlichia (hme & hge) and Babesia.
We do have a lot of tick borne illness here in NC that the state is dragging it's feet on recognizing and educating it's citizens about.
If your husband is a hunter tell him he should get Permethrin which is a spray you spray on Clothing 24 hours before wearing it. It will keep the ticks away when he is hunting.
Take care and just moniter any symptoms that come up. Mark your calendar when you noticed the tick and the day you removed it.
If you can find a doctor that will prescribe antibiotics that is great but it really needs to be at least a month's worth and probably a stronger amount then most would be comfortable prescribing.
Feel free to contact me privately if you need to with any questions.
Take care...
-------------------- �Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.� - Ezre Taft Benson Posts: 655 | From NC, Exit 88 on the Deer SuperHighway | Registered: Dec 2004
| IP: Logged |
ConnieMc
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 191
posted
Make sure you check your private messages. click on "my profile" and you will see them. I offered some suggestions. I am also in Greensboro. We do not post doc's names on this site, so I sent info privately.
Posts: 2276 | From NC | Registered: Oct 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I know it sounds like a no-brainer, especially for all of you who have suffered so horribly, but I don't take antibiotics lightly. They are serious meds, as you all well know. I had a strep last October and took a round of abx and it was MONTHS before I was right. I kept having health problems and serious yeast issues. I've been seeing a homeopath and it's taken a few months to get everything back in line. Of course she does NOT want me to take abx so I'm torn. I'm so early into homeopathy that I'm not sure that I trust it completely, yet the dosage you guys mention of abx is frightening in and of itself.
Still, better safe than sorry....?
Thanks again everyone. Sheri
Posts: 4 | From North Carolina | Registered: May 2006
| IP: Logged |
Carol in PA
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 5338
posted
Here is an article to print out for your doctor: http://www.ilads.org/burrascano_0905.html Click on Diagnostic Hints and Treatment Guidelines for the pdf file.
Carol
Posts: 6956 | From Lancaster, PA | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
Andie333
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7370
posted
Sheri,
When I was bitten in 1996 (may have been one of many bites) and developed a bulls-eye rash, I was given 15 days of antibiotics. The rash went away, and I felt fine. Or that's what I thought.
Over the next 9 years, I had a series of bizarre medical symptoms that sent me from one specialist to another and one scare after another. All the while, I continued getting sicker.
Nobody connected any or all of these things with Lyme. That's the horror of it that people are talking about, Sheri -- you just get horribly and insidiously sicker. One day, my body seemed to give out on me.
I was finally tested by a Lyme Doc (positive) and started taking antibiotics in June. I'm not sure I will ever be "okay" again. But one thing I do know is that if I'd gotten longer treatment just after the tick bite, I might have avoided all this.
Lyme is a horrible disease, and you're in a position to hopefully avoid it.
I hope you take that chance and see someone who really knows the disease and can help you.
Andie
Posts: 2549 | From never never land | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well.... from what my LLMD says you have to take abx to kill this bacteria period! He is one of leading LLMD's in the country that has been treating lyme since 1985 and written over 3 dozen research articles (I tend to believe him)
And abx are the only thing that has given me my life back! I also see a homeopath, I think they are great, but if you have one who tells you you can kill Bb without abx I would run in the other direction.
Also without abx people used to die from a tooth infection. They are not the worst thing in the world.
groovy2
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6304
posted
Hi Sheri
Look at it this way--you said-
(dosage you guys mention of abx is frightening in and of itself.)
Just think what the Disease is Like--
If you even think there might be a chance you have been infected it is foolish not to take the medicine--
When you make your list of the 5 stupid things you did in your life-
If you have been infected by these diseases and you did not take ABX--
I can garentee that your dissision not to take ABX -NOW- Will be Number One on Your List--
Taking 6 weeks of Doxicycline at 400 mg a day is no big deal- Dont be scaired of ABX--No Reason-
I got bit 20yrs ago--Its been Horriable
I would MUCH rather have died the day I got bit--Im not kidding--
Worse than Prision--
When I got sick I had No Idea what was wrong with me --
--- You Do -- --Jay--
Posts: 2999 | From Austin tx USA | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
robi
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5547
posted
Here it is straight out........... we would all kill to be at the stage you are at now. WOW ....... if you miss this oppurtunity at a cure you really will be sorry.
2 months of doxy and double the recommeded dose for your weight is what is often recommended. I am not a doc but have seen many go this dose. I would call an LLMD's and INSIST you talk to the nurse. YOU MUST IMPRESS UPON THEM THE BITE IS DAYS OLD AND NEED ABX ASAP!!
An appoimtment in a few weeks will land you on this board long term.YOU MUST NOT give this bacteriera a chance to disseminate!!!!!!!!!!
A lower dose of ABX, for a shorter period of time is what landed many of us here. A few months of ABX is way better than the possible alternative. Your homeopath is not Lyme Literate....... most medical folks are not( no fault of there own). You need to get a recommendation from this board and follow up IMMEDIATELY!!!
I don't want to scare you, but my life has sucked for over 2 years now because I waited on treatment. Don't wait.
robi
-------------------- Now, since I put reality on the back burner, my days are jam-packed and fun-filled. ..........lily tomlin as 'trudy' Posts: 2503 | From here | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hi Tallchick, No need to freak out, get into action- Read todays post "Could this be a Lyme disease symptom" started by Pinster 56. It's an old post that got revived today. You'll find my comments there along with lots of wisdom from others.
Real simple. Don't wait to see what happens. By the time it happens it will be too late. Get antibiotics now and take them immediately (if not sooner). If the first Dr. doesn't give them to you, go to another.The only chance to cure Lyme quickly is if it is treated right away (within 2 weeks of the bite or sooner) before the Lyme multiplies & hides in your body.
When I was bit in 7/04 several Drs. told me Lyme was very rare and to come back in a month and have a test. If positive 3 weeks of doxycycline would easily cure it. WRONG. They recently tested ticks in New England and in some areas 70 - 80% of the ticks are infected and It takes lots of treatment once the symptoms develop.
So because of a 3 1/2 week delay in treatment I have been through hell. I'm finishing up my 2nd full year of antibiotics and am making progress. In the meantime my income is greatly reduced, I pay a lot out of pocket for treatment, I think about closing my business and I have suffered pains & weird symptoms you can't possibly imagine.
So invest as much time, energy & money as you possibly can to get immediate treatment. It will be worth it.
While you are on the antibiotics, avoid sun (get a big hat), don't eat sugar, take probiotics (acidophilus etc. do a LymeNet search)drink lots of water. When you are done with them in 4-6 weeks you can celebrate that you are cured because you demanded immediate treatment. Much easier than taking them for 2-3 years like me.
hatsnscarfs
Posts: 956 | From MA | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
Save the tick! Did you save it? You can send it to IgeneX labs and they will run tests for Lyme and co-infections. You still have to start treatment right now,and you may be able to stop it once the test comes in from the tick in a few weeks. If you are bitten by a tick, you have to begin treatment right away for any known bite!
Put the tick in a ziplock bag with a moist cotton ball, label it and fed ex the tick to IgeneX pre-paid.
You should begin treatment right away. Doxycycline 400-600 mg per day.The wait and see if you get sick option is not a good idea! Call your LLMD right away, page them, do whatever you have to do, go to the ER, get antibiotics and make sure you are put on the correct dose. Bring the Guidelines, demand treatment, if one doctor is an idiot, find another one. Start antibiotics right away, waiting is bad news, trust me! Read the Lyme Disease treatment Guidelines and take action right away! Remember less than half of all infected people get a rash, so don't hold your breath waiting for a rash. Go, now!
IP: Logged |
valymemom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7076
posted
Take the advice......take the antibiotics.
Like everyone said....it is the unrelated/random problems that will develop down the road. (No doctor will connect the dots and you will attempt to reason why you have these health problems and why you are visiting so many doctors.)
We all see excellent doctors - many who have lyme or have family members with lyme......take the antibiotics for 6 weeks at the recommended doses. Listen to the advice of men and women with lyme. Follow the protocol of those doctors who treat lyme.
We want you to have a full, healthy life!
Posts: 1240 | From Centreville,VA | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Valymemom, you said it perfectly, "We want you to have a full, healthy life" ... a life we CAN NEVER GET FULLY BACK like you!
Welcome, take heed & follow our instructions so no one ever tells you, "we told you so".
Here are my newbie links as well as Igenex western blot igm/igg blood testing for lyme disease.
Not before this are 5-6 questions TINCUP/poster asked the membership 1-1.5 years ago. Please read these LYME STATISTICS CAREFULLY based upon OUR answers on how lyme has cost us $$$$, etc.
Welcome to this 24/7 LYME support group board!
Here's TREEPATROL's and Tincup's combination newbie links.
Print off the links then check them off as you read as you could spend several months reading all of this.
print & read Dr. Burrascono's 2005 info first; you will come back to this often.
Extensive info in Treepatrol''s newbie links about the meaning of WESTERN BLOT IGM/IGG test results from Igenex! Be sure to read or print this info IF Igenex tested you ok!
Also, see Cheryl''s extensive web sites on: LD DIAGNOSIS, SYMPTOMS, & TREATMENT ... wonderful! Read the area on CO-INFECTIONS! You could have from 1-12 other illnesses that tick is carrying...lyme, malaria, etc.
If you are showing symptoms of co-infections, I would like to suggest being tested for co-infections when you have LYME western blots done. It isn''t cheap!! But if you are positive, you can treat the co-infections first, and then work on LYME symptoms.
EYE SENSITIVIES & NOIR, no infrared sunglasses info., 2-28-06 updated YES, I have what you have! Are you on doxy too? That made my extreme eyes
200% MORE sensitive than they we were earlier. I learned a lot about eye sensitivity/lighting on www.marshallprotocol.com board.
Look for AUSSIE BARB'S EAST FINDER and then eyes/sunglasses, etc. Wealth of info there.
I ordered the NOIR sunglasses. 2-26-06 corrected wrong email to:
mention you have lyme and marshall protocol, they will give you 20% off! I'm NOT on MProtocol, but mention it anyway. I was on their new board almost 12 months!
Also they have been kind enough to replace the SCRATCHED LENSES & BROKEN BOWS! How's that for service?
I don't drive often at night, but I can wear NOIR's 901 lenses at night while driving; it creates soft candle lights coming at me...tolerable. NOT to wear in town with all the action of people crossing where they shouldn't be, etc.
from LOU to Betty on LONG web links and Thank You Lou!: "If you hit the return key in the middle of a link, I don't think it will be clickable anymore. An alternative that maybe Betty should be telling people about is the tiny url website. I have it on my tool bar at the top of the page and use it for those incredablylongwebsiteaddresses.
All you have to do is ask tiny url to produce a short version, which it will do with a unique address, which you then use instead in your post. Works just the same when clicked! Here is the website, spread the word!
3-1-06, fyi, I tried dragging tinyurl to my toolbar without success, so that''s why I currently have LONG addresses vs. short tiny ones! I''ll keep trying.
Tincup posted March 8, 2005, 2218 Lyme Disease Survey Responses February 27, 2005 - March 9, 2005 1. How many doctors did you have to see before being properly diagnosed? 112 responses Average number of doctors consulted before being diagnosed- 14 Answers ranged from 1- 120 different doctors 2. Have you had problems getting insurance to pay for doctors or treatment? 87 responses Yes- 63 No- 24
3. Have you lost income because of Lyme disease? 106 responses Yes- 99 No- 7 4. How much does it cost you (average) per month for Lyme related expenses? 61 responded Average cost per month per patient- $4,472.49 Low- $500.00 High- $21,492.00
5. How many different medications do you take per day? 77 responded Average - 14 different medications per day Low- 3 High- 25 ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` LYME DIAGNOSIS:
The WESTERN BLOT IGM & IGG blood test nos. 189 and 188, are the only accurate tests for lyme disease.
They should be sent to USA's Lyme testing (1 of 3 top lyme labs only: IGENEX, MD LAB, OR BOWEN LAB!):
IGENEX LAB: 797 San Antonio Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 1.800.832.3200.
(If the early test, called IGM, is negative; the later test IGG is NOT done!) Please see their web site: www.igenex.com
CALL for current prices and to print their REQUIRED form, which MUST be signed by the doctor, Medicare's UPIN no., DIAGNOSIS CODE completed, and your blood taken EARLY in the week so it doesn't sit in post offices! Afternoon lab draws show more positive lyme results. NON-Medicare patients must PREPAY by check or credit card for the tests since they do NOT handle insurance papers. Medicare patients do NOT have to prepay! Lyme should be diagnosed clinically using medical history in addition with the Western Blot blood tests as no currently available test is definitive in ruling-in or ruling-out infection with Ld pathogens, or whether these infections are responsible for the patient's symptoms.
Write on IGX form, FAX results to my dr., and snail mail paper copy. Mine were lost for 4+ weeks! Also local lab, didn't transfer drs. dx code & hung up my reimbursement from BC/BS.
Since I was from Iowa, it went to BLUE CARD to go to Calif. BS office. They sent to IGX to have them call my dr. for dx code; but IGX didn't & returned paperwork to Calif. office. CA office sent it to my dr. & went to business office who DIDN'T put the dx code on, but sent all to me! frustrating.
I tested positive on both from IGX.
I have 2 suggestions I'd change for the future for anyone testing there! 1. Make sure IGX's pre-printed form has the drs. diagnosis on it, signed by him, etc. I was the first one tested by local lab; they missed putting in code transferring it from their regular to IGX's. So when I sent my paperwork in for reimbursement for my out of pocket $180, it went to Blue Card, California. They sent it to IGX to call my local dr. for this needed dx no. The next thing I knew, IGX sent it back to Cal. BC without any dx no. on it; Cal. sent it to my drs. office for numbers.
They would NOT put it on, and sent it all back to me 6 wks. after I originally sent it to Iowa's BC/BS. I spent 2.5 hrs. on phone calling IGX, Cal. BC, and Iowa's BC offices...ready to hang them all. I did call IGX and talk to the office mgr. about this mixup. She said they ATTEMPT to call the drs. for this info. If they can't get thru, they fax them. I checked w/local drs. office; they did NOT fax them anything.
2. Write on IGX's preprinted form, you want the results FAXED back to your drs. office with paper copy sent as usual. This way, if one if lost; other will get thru. Mine was "LOST" for 1 month. I had to do the followup on this since local blood lab did not! It was 4.5 wks. before I received my positive dx.
Suggestion: You could call out to IGX's 1-800 lab and ask that they make a note on FAXING to your dr. for results when done! Waiting is unbearable especially since someone was sitting on my results for over 4 wks! Betty G
IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[hi]](graemlins/hi.gif)
![[tsk]](graemlins/tsk.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic