posted
Hi there! I am brand new to the board and have some questions.
I was bitten by a tick on June 14th 2007. I had the bullseye rash immediately, and went to see my family dr. who promptly dismissed the bite and said don't worry about it.
two weeks later i went to the ER not feeling well, and the dr decided to put me on amoxicillin 500mg three times a day for 3 weeks.
Today I went back to the ER because I feel horrible, very weak, found out I am running a fever, but had no idea I was (temp 100.9). I am also having numbness in both my lower arms, but mainly the right arm.
Have noticed some numbness in my face on the left side that comes and goes. I have started having severe pain in my right hip, and moderate pain in my back and neck along with headaches.
Also have noticed pain in my ribs on both sides. The doctor at the ER today said I should have been given doxycycline instead of amoxicillin and I am now taking doxy 100mg twice a day for two weeks.
The doctor said she is doing a blood panel for lyme, don't know exactly what tests, but they took 4 tubes of blood and said it would take a couple days for the tests to come back.
I have also noticed palpitations quite frequently, and this has me concerned as well.
Sorry to go on a long rant, but I am very concerned by all this. The Dr did give me a shot of morphiene for the pain and gave me some vicodin to control the pain.
What else do I need to know/do right now. I am very interested in the opinions of all of you here on this board. I have read many of your posts, and this disease has me greatly stressed/concerned.
I feel like I have arthritis and muscle pain all over. Please help!
-------------------- Just looking for answers. i appreciate all the help everyone on the board have provided Posts: 34 | From Missouri | Registered: Jul 2007
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ByronSBell 2007
Unregistered
posted
Ok the best test out there is Igenex and it needs to be run by a Lyme Disease doctor to insure the test is done properly!
It is good you have caught this disease very early! You should be happy Also your body is showing signs that it is fighting an din good fighting condition. You have also been on some "decent" antibiotics as well just not enough or long enough...
I would suggest for you to be on oral ABX until you are symptom free for 2-3 months. I would suggest you find a Lyme disease doctor, I know a good one if you would like! If you do everything right, you could be back and kickin soon!
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savebabe
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9847
posted
If you are not seeing a llmd, then you should contact others on this board and make an appointment with a doc in your area.
Lyme disease and other co-infections can be very hard to diagnose and treat properly. If you have a co-infection than lyme treatment alone will not be adequate, you may need a combination of drugs to help you go into remission.
Good luck with your search, and feel better
Posts: 1603 | From ny | Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
If it were ME I would find another dr [Walk-in Clinic?] and get more doxy. Yes, you should have been given doxy to protect you against the possibility of ehrlichiosis, which can be deadly.
Missouri is #1 in cases of ehrlichiosis. A young child [in MO] died from it in June '07. This is serious stuff and you need a Lyme specialist ASAP.
I myself would want to be taking 400 mg of doxy a minimum of two months.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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just don
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1129
posted
Welcome aboard,
Call that duck back and ask why you arent taking 300 mg if you are extremely small and more like 400mg a day if you are even 'average' size,,,whatever THAT is!!
You will probably get the standard response on oh thats enough,,,well it isnt. YOUR next step is to find an LLMD. who WILL treat you properly(about 1 in 1000) docs.
I see on your location you are at LEAST in the right state. Are you in North part or south Part east or west part?? IF you wanna keep that hush hush just PM me and I can help you get to one of the best that WILL properly treat you and not send you down the road to die,,,or feel like you should have!!
Welcome aboard, enjoy the journey cause the ride is gonna be bumpy!!!
your early stage so prognosis is GOOD "IF" you treat it hard and long enough!! But disreegard it now and pay later!! Your health is worth much more than a few miles of travel,,if necessary!!sadly--just don--
-------------------- just don Posts: 4548 | From Middle of midwest | Registered: May 2001
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luvs2ride
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8090
posted
I totally agree with everyone that has posted so far. It took 6 mths of abx for me to get well back in 1995. What the good doctor at that time did not do for me was protect my gut from the abx.
So, in addition to this good advice, I want to warn you to take VERY GOOD care of your gut while you are on the abx and after you quit.
Take probiotics which put the good flora (bacteria) back into your gut. Rotate the probiotics you take.
Change your diet. I'm pretty confident you probably eat a lot of processed and poor quality of food (forgive me if you don't). In today's quick-fast world, the food available to us is deadly in itself.
While you are sick and your body is fighting these bugs you need to eat really healthy. Stick to whole foods that grew that way. Meats, veggies and fruits. Stay away from sugar as it really feeds the bad bacterias. Get off sodas. Drink tea and lots of water.
If you do this while taking the abx, you should get completely cured since you have caught it early.
Good Luck!
Luvs
-------------------- When the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power, there will be Peace. Posts: 3038 | From america | Registered: Oct 2005
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
It takes about 4-6 weeks for the body to launch an immune response.
I would not expect a positive Western Blot, if that is the test they did.
A bulls-eye rash is Lyme.
Please find a LLMD to treat you.
This is a "window" of opportunity so to speak.
A chance to get rid of Lyme disease.
A minimum of doxy at 300mg a day is needed to cross the blood/brain barrier.
Also a LLMD will know what symptoms to look for as far as co-infections go.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
wow...thanks for all the posts everyone. I am pretty scared by all this right now. i have noticed some palpitations the last few days and went back to the ER. they did an ekg and cardiac enzyme tests plus a cbc. doc said all those look normal. one other note, i suffer from anxiety and panic attacks for about 3 years now, so worrying about this may be causing some anxiety and palpitations. they did a tick blood panel yesterday, does this cover the other diseases some of you mentioned that are more dangerous? i had to take some clonazepam a while ago just to try and relax about all this, it's alot to worry about. i guess i need to talk to the doc about increasing my doxy dose also, since they only prescribed 100mg twice a day.
worried in springfield missouri...
-------------------- Just looking for answers. i appreciate all the help everyone on the board have provided Posts: 34 | From Missouri | Registered: Jul 2007
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valymemom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7076
posted
You have been given good advice. The problem with this disease is you must be the one in control so much of the time because our doctors (except for those who are ILADs) are ignorant and not interested.
You could indeed have more than one infection and that is why you want to seek out an llmd. You want a physician to guide you who is familiar with the bacterias themselves, the toxins, and the herxes that result from killing the spirochetes.
When my second college-age son removed his tick we put him on 1500 mg amoxi daily for 5/6 weeks.....starting the morning he showed us the tick he had removed in the shower. We did not know where to turn - not our PCP (long story) - anyway doxy would have been the better choice.
It was six months later that he began treatment with an llmd and besides lyme he had babesiosis and I believe bartonella, also.... since he still is not perfectly well.
(Three in our family have lyme. I am symptom-free now for 5 months. Wish it was my sons.)
Download Dr. B.'s guidelines and read articles on the ILADs.org site to familiarize yourself with the infections.
Do not let any physician tell you this is in your head or because you suffer from anxiety that this is anxiety. Read.....and read more. Everyone here is willing to direct you to answers to any questions based on their experiences.
Member Scott Forsgren has many excellent posts and you can do a search of his name.
Posts: 1240 | From Centreville,VA | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote:Originally posted by RogerC: worried in springfield missouri...
Worry no more....just call that GOOD doc!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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CaliforniaLyme
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 7136
posted
Yup, what everyone else said!!! The LLMD where you are is a great one, one of the very best!!
-------------------- There is no wealth but life. -John Ruskin
All truth goes through 3 stages: first it is ridiculed: then it is violently opposed: finally it is accepted as self evident. - Schopenhauer Posts: 5639 | From Aptos CA USA | Registered: Apr 2005
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
welcome roger; i sent you my welcome package of info.
read all the stuff in front about IGENEX ok! it's detailed.
yes, you have a right to worry BUT KEEP ON THE ANTIBIOTICS LONG ENOUGH AND WITH CORRECT DOSAGE, AND YOU CAN BE CURED!!
wish we all could say that, but we hope for remission.
look over preparing for your 1st llmd visit too after getting your western blot igm/igg drawn on MON. OR TUES. AFTERNOON.
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posted
hey everyone...thanks for all the very helpful posts. now here is my predicament.
i am currently a full time student since I am a disabled veteran, and the government is paying for my school.
the only health insurance i have is through the VA. So my visit to the local ER last night was out of my own pocket.
I called my VA doctor today, and since I have anxiety, she thinks the palpatations are due to my anxiety and not Lyme.
Her nurse told me the doctor would be happy to refer me to mental health doc since they think it is my anxiety. I figured they would do as much.
I am currently taking 200mg doxy twice daily. I started this yesterday after being on amoxicillin 500mg 3x per day for three weeks.
I am also on vidodin 10/500 3x per day for joint pain.
I am awaiting the tick panel blood tests the ER did yesterday. They said it will take another couple days to get them back. My EKG and cardiac enzyme tests, as well as CBC were all ok last night.
My only other choice is to drive to the main VA hospital, vice the local clinic where my doc works. So I will have to drive to Fayetville Arkansas once I get my blood panel back and talk to a doc at the main hospital to see if they will refer me to a specialist.
Like I said earlier, my main symptoms have been extreme fatigue, severe joint, back and neck pain, headaches, rib/muscle pain in my chest. numbness that comes and goes in both lower arms, and numbness/tingling in my face, and palpitations from time to time.
The worst part is I guess I am at the mercy of the VA health system, as I cannot afford to pay a private doctor on my own. Hopefully once I get my blood tests back and go to the main VA hospital, I will get someone there to help me.
-------------------- Just looking for answers. i appreciate all the help everyone on the board have provided Posts: 34 | From Missouri | Registered: Jul 2007
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just don
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1129
posted
Roger,
IF you do as you mentioned you are headed down the duck carousel. Find the McDonalds on Lone Pine street. Have a 'happy meal' or whatever trips your trigger.
Walk out the back door and about 15-20 steps due south and walk in the door to the rest of your life.
You have a great LLMD right near you,,,USE HIM!!! otherwise you are headed down a road of misery. Take 300mg a day at LEAST and find more IF you need to.
Drop in his office to make an appointment ASAP,,,make it today!!!
pocket or no pocket,,,your health comes first!! It isnt cheap BUT neither is the er visits your SURE to need IF you dont get treated.
Properly and LONG enough,,,and NOBODY else is going to do that,,,guartenteed,,,what I wouldnt give to be in YOUR shoes!!!
Todays your chance at the rest of your life,,,take it by the horns and JUST DO IT!!!mainly--just don--
-------------------- just don Posts: 4548 | From Middle of midwest | Registered: May 2001
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posted
don, can you PM the name and phone number of the LLMD in Springfield again. I belive you emailed it to me before, but when I replied to you I know longer have access to the PM you sent me.
Thanks,
Roger
-------------------- Just looking for answers. i appreciate all the help everyone on the board have provided Posts: 34 | From Missouri | Registered: Jul 2007
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