posted
I am a brand new member. In other words, bare with me. I have a question to anyone that can answer...(It might be a really dumb one, but I can't find anyone in my area who knows.)
Q: Once you have lyme disease and later on you get bit again by a lyme carrying tick...does it magnify the original disease or will the new bite have no affect b/c the person already carries the disease?
Posts: 72 | From Virginia | Registered: Nov 2009
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
A new bite by a tick carrying lyme disease will increase the germ load in the body. That is how the doctors explain it.
What it means is the number of lyme germs in your body will increase with each new bite from an infected tick. The more germs, the harder your immune system will have to work to fight against them.
So, at some point, when the germ load gets high, you will get very sick. I believe many people have lyme disease and deal with it until they get the bite that gives them too many germs and then they really get sick.
Also, a new bite means the possibility of new coinfections. Coinfections are infections that often come with lyme disease. Ticks carry many infections, such as babesiosis, bartonella, ehrlichia, mycoplasma, etc. in addition to lyme disease.
So, you can get new infections from a new tick bite.
If you have not already read the Burrascano lyme treatment guidelines, here is a link to the document:
It will explain all about coinfections. To get rid of lyme disease, the doctor must treat every coinfection the patient has. That is the only way to regain your health.
So, every new bite has an effect, but just remember that every tick does not carry lyme disease.
Do a search on the word "load" to see all he says about this topic. Here are some examples:
"The severity of the clinical illness is directly proportional to the spirochete load, the duration of infection, and the presence of co-infections." (p. 4)
"...if the germ load of the co-infectors is low, and the Lyme is treated, many of the other ticktransmitted microbes can be contained and eliminated by the immune system." (p. 4)
And, under the topic "Coinfections" it says this:
"Standard blood smears reportedly are reliable for only the first two weeks of infection, thus are not useful for diagnosing later infections and milder ones including carrier states where the germ load is too low to be detected." (p. 23)
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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He says that since you have antibodies and antibiotics in your system fighting the lyme, any new bacteria are quickly cut down.
Germ load at the time of the bite is not high as compared to later when the germs have had time to multiply.
Lyme is hard to kill off once it's permeated throughout your body's tissue. But in the initial infection, while it's in your blood, it is much easier to eliminate. (This is why very early use of antibiotics soon after a tick bite is SO effective, which is echoed by Dr. B).
So, therefore, you have some immunity to new lyme infected tick bites.
I have first hand knowledge of this as I had to remove 2 embedded ticks from me a few weeks about a month ago! I have had no increase in symptoms. (My symptoms are almost gone at this point in my treatment).
However, TF is correct about being exposed to new co-infections. There is the risk of getting something new.
I think it's a good idea to keep any tick that bites you and get it tested at some point to see what else you may have been exposed to. Some here think that testing is not accurate, but Igenex disputes this. Any positive test is accurate.
Good luck
James
Posts: 872 | From New York City | Registered: Jun 2008
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sutherngrl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16270
posted
I agree with James.
If you are on antibiotics when you are bitten it would not magnify your symptoms. The new spirochetes should be killed while still in your blood stream.
Posts: 4035 | From Mississippi | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
I think we need to remember about our Immune System as well.
After fighting off one or more tick-borne diseases for any length of time, most don't function as well---and are compromised.
and like a lot of chronic patients--
we may no longer really create many antibodies anymore--
(and supposedly Bb can evade detection by the immune system anyway)
So: it would add to the load.
Being on antibiotics, like someone said, would change the picture. Should theoretically pick up where the immune system leaves off. My sister's former LLMD seems to think so.
Posts: 571 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Oct 2008
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posted
Thanks to all of you for this great info! Like I mentioned, I am new at this. I've only been sick for 6months. It took 4 months to find out I had lyme. My doctor never checked for any co-infections. After reading symptoms of the other infections I believe I do have one of them. I am having great difficulties getting the doctors I have seen to do anything other than role their eyes and snicker "Hypochondriac" under their breath. Getting the doctors I've been dealing with to do anything is like making my kids clean their room the way I like. Thanks again... I will give it a try.
Posts: 72 | From Virginia | Registered: Nov 2009
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
Hey justchugging, in your original question, you didn't say the person was on antibiotics for lyme disease at the time of the second bite. So, my answer assumed the person was not on any antibiotics at the time of the second bite.
If you are on good lyme treatment at the time of the second bite, you won't have to worry about the lyme (per my now famous lyme doc). If you are on good babesiosis treatment at the time of the second bite, you won't have to worry about getting babesiosis from the second bite. The treatment would take care of it.
If you are on good bartonella treatment at the time of the second bite, you won't have to worry about getting bartonella from the second bite.
Once you get to a real lyme doctor, you won't have to put up with the humiliation you are facing right now. We all went through that, believe me.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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