Topic: Doctor Says: IF You Don't Get Better With Antibiotics, Look Further.
JimBoB
Unregistered
posted
Just got this from LymeInfo. Jim ###
"'I think there's a lack of information, even in the medical field,' said Dr. Ernest B. Visconti, chief of infectious diseases at Lutheran Medical Center.
If caught early, Lyme disease can be treated effectively with antibiotics, but if left untreated, it can cause irreparable damage." =====
Staten Island Advocate Staten Island NY June 21, 2006
Forum warns against ticks, Lyme disease
Wednesday, June 21, 2006 By LISA SCHNEIDER ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
What you don't know can hurt you -- especially if the unknown comes in the form of a tiny tick carrying Lyme disease-causing bacteria.
Last night, 130 people gathered at the College of Staten Island to learn more about Lyme and the ticks that spread it.
"They are around us and they are dangerous if they're not detected," said Borough President James P. Molinaro, who sponsored the forum.
Lyme disease, which is transmitted by deer ticks, can cause wide- ranging and vague symptoms, including headaches, arthritis, fever, confusion, aggression, facial paralysis and meningitis.
It is the United States' most common vector-borne disease, with transmission most frequent during June, July and August.
Researchers have not found evidence of deer ticks on Staten Island, although experts believe that soon could change due to the borough's deer population.
"It would be silly not to think you might have a problem down the road," said Dr. Thomas J. Daniels, vector ecologist at Fordham University. "A tick population can change a lot in five years."
Dog ticks, which can spread diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, constitute the vast majority of ticks in the city and on Staten Island.
In the meantime, many Islanders -- including about half of those attending the forum last night -- have contracted Lyme disease, perhaps while on vacation in the Catskills, Westchester, New Jersey or on Long Island.
Many of them never even saw the tick, don't know exactly when they were bitten and spent months going to doctors and trying to figure out the cause of their exhaustion, aches and mood swings.
"I think there's a lack of information, even in the medical field," said Dr. Ernest B. Visconti, chief of infectious diseases at Lutheran Medical Center.
If caught early, Lyme disease can be treated effectively with antibiotics, but if left untreated, it can cause irreparable damage.
Yet the ambiguous symptoms can make it difficult for patient and doctor to detect right away.
Lyme disease causes health effects similar to those resulting from tuberculosis, mononucleosis, lupus, cancer or lymphoma.
If a patient takes antibiotics to treat Lyme and doesn't get better, keep on looking, Dr. Visconti said.
"If you're feeling tired, get a good checkup from your doctor," he said.
People can protect themselves from deer ticks -- and Lyme disease -- by wearing white clothing, tucking shirts into pants and pants into boots, avoiding low brush and leafy brush, and periodically checking their skin and clothing for ticks.
Upon seeing a tick burrowed into their skin, people should use a tweezers to grab it as close to the skin as possible, then pull in one gentle but firm motion.
The longer an infected tick stays put, the more time it has to transmit the disease, said Dr. Richard Falco, medical entomologist at Fordham University.
"The threat of Lyme disease is removed when the tick is removed," he said.
Lisa Schneider covers health news for the Advance. She may be reached at [email protected].
=== The mission of LymeInfo is to keep you informed of issues that might be of interest to Lyme disease patients. Postings are not meant to imply that we agree with the content of all items we distribute.
posted
[QUOTE]Originally posted by JimBoB: [QB] Just got this from LymeInfo. Jim ###
"'I think there's a lack of information, even in the medical field,' said Dr. Ernest B. Visconti, chief of infectious diseases at Lutheran Medical Center.
If caught early, Lyme disease can be treated effectively with antibiotics, but if left untreated, it can cause irreparable damage." =====
If a patient takes antibiotics to treat Lyme and doesn't get better, keep on looking, Dr. Visconti said.
"If you're feeling tired, get a good checkup from your doctor," he said. ###
5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
Glad to hear 130 people got togeather and discussed lyme disease. Some of the information in this article is correct. Some of it is miss leading:
"The threat of lyme diseas is removed when the tick is removed"
This is misleading. When the tick is "removed" is when the horror can begin.
It is wise to get treatment in any tick bite within the first 24 hours after a bite.
If you wait untill there are symptoms or 2-4 weeks for the lab results it may be too late.
Better to be safe than get stuck with a life long chronic- potentually fatal disease.
The threat can come weeks, months years later after a tick bite. Lyme disease can remain dormant and become activated at any time.
And also:"The longer an infected tick stays put, the longer it has to transmitt the disease."
This is also miss leading. All a tick needs to do is bite you and it can give many disease's regaurdless of how long it was attacked.
Also I went to many doctors after my tick bite for being tired and most just said take vitamins or it is all in your head!
Beware of doctors that tell this to you. It cost me 20 years of my life and many years of suffering.
I don't have the energy to look up references. Maybe someone with more energy can provide.
And in closing if you don't get better on just 2 weeks of minimum doxy . LOOK FURTHER! You are being under treated.
Find a LLMD. ASAP.
Do look futher and don't let them tell you you are cured! With such a CDC lie. That 2 weeks of low dose doxy is enough.
When one abx doesn't work try another one or a combination there of. And get treated for co-infections.
Your life is at stake
-------------------- 5dana8 Posts: 4432 | From some where over the rainbow | Registered: Sep 2005
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robi
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5547
posted
wow.............
-------------------- 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
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quote:Originally posted : "The threat of Lyme disease is removed when the tick is removed," he said.
Things were sounding pretty good until THAT! What kind of crazy statement is THAT?????
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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ConnieMc
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 191
posted
quote:Originally posted by Lymetoo:
quote:Originally posted : "The threat of Lyme disease is removed when the tick is removed," he said.
Things were sounding pretty good until THAT! What kind of crazy statement is THAT?????
Wish it was so. What an idiot.
Posts: 2275 | From NC | Registered: Oct 2000
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JimBoB
Unregistered
posted
I pretty much agree with all of you so far.
You will notice, I posted the 2nd post right after the first post. The reason being, LymeInfo says you have to post their whole articles in their entirety.
But the main thing that caught MY eye was the part in my second post where he says: "If a patient takes antibiotics to treat Lyme and doesn't get better, keep on looking, Dr. Visconti said.
THAT is what I did when the antibiotics made me feel worse instead of better.
This Doc seems to know a little more than MOST doctors out there. Not ALL the quotes in this article were by THIS particular doctor.
It was NOT he who made the statement that the threat of Lyme D. is removed when you remove the tick.
However it has been proved that the chances are better, USUALLY, of getting the disease the longer the tick is in you. Especially over 12 hours.
There is a lot of wisdom in what you say. Antibiotics can, and DO, fail a certain number of people. Also, not everyone can tolerate antibiotics, and not everyone wants to take them -- that is a perfectly valid choice.
I'd look into herbs and "alternative" treatments, as well as get some further testing done for other infections that could be causing the recalcitrant symptoms... not only tickborne diseases, but other things like mycoplamas and fungi and viruses.... so many of these things overlap so much that it make diagnosis and treatment really tricky.
Personally, I've used a combination of herbs, supplements and abx from the get-go, and my LLNP totally supports that!
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
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lymemomtooo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5396
posted
I am not good at remembering where I see articles but I did see info once on time of transmission to the CNS..I think bacteria was found within 12 hours.
I have also heard that Bb has been found in the salivia of some ticks..So to me it is Russian Roulette to wait to treat or to think if it is taken off immediately there is no problem..
We all seem to be in agreement over this article..
Posts: 2360 | From SE PA | Registered: Mar 2004
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