posted
I pulled a tick off my three year old son's head 2-3 weeks ago. Last Tuesday when I went to give him a bath, I noticed a small bite/rash on his arm. I thought he just was bitten by a bug. Two days later it was bath night again, and the rash was HUGE! It was the typical bullseye rash, and I knew as soon as I saw it what it was. I immediately called the doctor on-call. I brought him in the next morning and they confirmed by the rash that he had Lyme disease. They immediately started him on amox. for him to take for four weeks. He also sent him for a blood test, which we found out yesterday came back negative. The doctor was surprised it came back negative, but said the rash is confirmation he has Lyme and for us to continue the full round of antibiotics. From what I have read, it is common to get a false negative this early into the disease. I'm surprised the doctor didn't know that. I've read it won't show up positive until 6-8 weeks AFTER the bite. My concern is, and this sounds a little crazy, but are we taking the antibiotic too early? Will taking it this early stop it from progressing? It will, right? I would think it would, but I would like to know for sure it will. I'm just confused, if it takes 6-8 weeks to show up in the blood, does that mean even if he is taking the antibiotic now, that 6-8 weeks from now he could still have the Lyme disease, or is the antibiotic going to kill it now so it cannot progress? That is what the antibiotic is doing, right? I am so relieved we got treatment so early. I thank my lucky stars everyday for that rash showing up!
On a side note, do you think the same tick first bit him on the arm, and then moved to his head, where we ultimately found it and removed it? I cannot see how a tick was on his arm for 36 hours without us noticing - he gets a bath every other day. The tick on his head was quite visible. So, could it have fed on his arm first and then moved to his head? Thus, all in all, it was attached to him for long enough to transmit the disease?
Thanks, Patty
Posts: 8 | From New York | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
You are doing the right thing to treat immediately!!! No matter if you see a rash or not, if I find a tick on me I immediately take Doxycycline.
In your case you absolutely know you are dealing with Lyme disease and are hitting it early which is great. It is much easier to stop it early than to try and get rid of it once it's had time to multiply in the body.
I encourage you to treat your son at least 6 weeks, then keep an eye on him. You don't want to be paranoid, but at the same time be aware of his actions, if he is suddenly more tired or complains that his legs hurt, stuff like that. Keep a daily journal because the days can blur together.
Your bulls eye rash question is good - I never had a rash. It was my understanding that you get the rash where the tick bit you but maybe the rash can errupt elsewhere - any else have thoughts on a bulls eye rash - can it appear anywhere on the body?
~webmeg
Posts: 257 | From Connecticut | Registered: Oct 2007
| IP: Logged |
adamm
Unregistered
posted
The vast majority of Lyme sufferers will test negative.
You need to start treatment immediately (Doxy @ 400 mg/day,
probably for at least 2 months, possibly with some other stuff) to
have any chance of avoiding the worst of all possible fates.
Post in seeking a doc ASAP and check the LDA's database for ILADS
hshbmom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9478
posted
Adamm & M3K,
LLMD's don't use doxycycline (doxy) in children.
It will turn their teeth gray permanently.
Posts: 1672 | From AL/WV/OH | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
You are right to have him on meds early. Be sure the dose is high enough and long enough. Personally, I would treat for 8 weeks, but for sure no shorter than 6 weeks. It's a smaller risk to take antibiotics too long than to develop chronic Lyme.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
| IP: Logged |
Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
Treat now. You are doing the best thing for your child.
I doubt seriously that a tick that was embedded, left a meal for a meal on his head.
I hope your doctor has him on a high enough dose of antibiotics.
May want to consult a LLMD just to be on the safe side.
Take a picture of that rash if he still has it.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks for all of the helpful info. He is on amoxicillin 250/5 ml - 1 & 1/2 tsps twice a day for four weeks. I did take a picture of it. It has since gotten a lot better, but I have a picture of it at it's prime.
Posts: 8 | From New York | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
tailz
Unregistered
posted
He needs to be treated for coinfections, too. Nobody only has Lyme.
IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
-
You are definitely NOT treating too soon. Within hours of a tick bite from an infected tick, the spirochetes can be in the system.
I wonder why you said this: " I cannot see how a tick was on his arm for 36 hours . . ." Is it because one of the IDSA "experts" says a tick has to be attached for 36 hours?! If so, that is not true.
Mosquitoes (that are infected) can bite and leave fast and still infect with lyme. Tick saliva has certain properties that are different, however, the old thinking about how long a tick needs to be attached has seen enough cases of early transmission to question a set time.
If you took photos of the rash, great. If not and the rash is still present, keep a photo log each day.
And, yes, as someone else recommends, test for coinfections. Since the rash appeared, lyme tests are not necessary, and if an ELISA was done, they are usually pretty lame.
A Western Blot is far better, but unless done at a lab that checks ALL the bands they are not that good anyway. Most labs do not check all the bands.
Best of luck to you. I think since you are addressing this early you and your son have a excellent chance to see this be okay if the proper measures are taken.
-
[ 14. May 2008, 03:21 AM: Message edited by: Keebler ]
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
I think you can go to the Ilads web site and find more information on children and lyme/co.
I concur with at least 6-8 weeks of abx. Read about the other infections. And the rash does not always appear at the bite.
Posts: 1240 | From Centreville,VA | Registered: Mar 2005
| 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!
Printer-friendly view of this topic