New here, Tick bite need advice please!

Hi Homer80!!
First of all I would like to apologize that no one has answered you yet, including me. I only just saw your post & it is taking me a while to gather my info as I have a Lymie headache that is slowly getting worse. UGH

I would also like to welcome you to our forum!!! I am really sorry to hear of your health issues, no matter what they are from!!

I rely on Dr Joseph Burrascano, Jr.'s paper "Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease" for a lot of my info. He is a very well respected LLMD, even by other LLMD's!! You can read what one of the other LD specialists has to say & download the paper for yourself, so that you will have it to refer to as well - very useful!!!

www.personalconsult.com/articles/moldandbiotoxins/advancedburrascano.html

Not knowing all of your health issues and not being a medical professional, I sure couldn't tell you if you made any wrong choices, although I think it probably would have been better had you had the antibiotics.

It is unfortunate that there is so much mis-information out there about tick-borne infections. I have been on the receiving end of Lyme Disease by a tick that was only attached for only a couple of hours at most (verified by a Western Blot blood test) , earlier this year. That also explains why I would have chosen to take the abx!!

For someone in your situation I would heavily suggest first finding a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (referred to as a LLMD) who could diagnose you clinically, which is truly how this set of infections are supposed to be diagnosed, as can be seen on the CDC website for Lyme Disease;

www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/ld_humandisease_diagnosis.htm

The blood tests that are widely available are not accurate once the infection(s) have traveled out of the blood stream & into the other tissues in the body (a chronic infection at that time). It took me a full year on abx before I tested positive for Lyme. Although I have no intension of 'scaring' you, but these tick-borne infections can go chronic in 2 weeks.

I would also suggest that you get that prescription filled and get started on it right away - believe me you can not be too careful here! You can start using probiotics to help replentish your intestines with the good bacteria, as well as eating a good healthy diet.

As for the rash, it is estimated that only somewhere between 40 - 60 % of Lyme Disease patients ever have a the Bull's eye rash. There are plenty of other types of rashes that Lyme can cause as well.

I am sure that I have left out quite a bit of info out, but as I said - I do have a headache & need to get off-line for the night. Please feel free to post any other questions you may have. We are here to help answer them!!!

May you find peace along your journey to health,
Trav

Most of us here who are taking antibiotics are also taking probiotics (acidophilus, etc.) to help repopulate the "friendlies" that the antibiotics kill...just make sure any probiotic is taken at least 2 hours before or after a dose of antibiotics or you won't get much benefit from the probiotics...

Also, the Lyme tests are inaccurate within about 4 weeks of being exposed to Lyme bacteria because it takes at least that long for the body's immune system to generate enough antibodies to the Lyme bacteria to be detected on the tests. But after that happens, the Lyme move out of the bloodstream and into the tissues, and the test then becomes inaccurate because the body is fooled into thinking the bug is no longer there...Lyme bacteria are extremely good at fooling and eluding and evading the body's immune system...and has even been known to suppress the immune system (i.e., low CD-57 counts...CD57 is a type of Natural Killer cell, which is a highly specialized type of white blood cell that some LLMD's believe is only reduced by an active Lyme infection).

I agree that it would be good if you could consult with a Lyme-Literate MD (LLMD) or Naturopathic physician (LLND) for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Yes, antibiotics may affect the outcome of the Lyme test...but this is an issue that should be discussed with an LLMD or LLND.

Take care,

Hi Homer -- there are, indeed, too many unknowns w/ this disease. I am no scientist or lyme specialist, but can tell you that even the expert LLMDs still have many questions. None of us know, 'why us?'

Without getting in over my head, I just want to mention one angle that some researchers are looking at and use you, only as a possible example, key word, 'possible.' Do you know the sources of your neuropathy, fatigue, etc?

It is entirely possible that some people, due to genetics and stuff I don't understand, may be predisposed to viruses, like HHV6, for example. HHV6 definitely plays a part in a lot of diseases like Lyme, MS, and CFS. AT this point, to my knowledge, even the current researchers do not fully understand the relationship, causes and effects, or which came first, or which caused which. Could be that it's different for different people.

So, whatever 'compromised' your system, causing your previous issues, could also have made you more suseptible to LYme.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think there's been much discussion here regarding folks who contract Lyme, get some treatment and are then fine, or even don't get treatment, but get over the Lyme. I don't think there is any way to know about this, but it is my opinion that some people contract Lyme and it does not become a future problem. I would have NO idea of the percentage or significance, but am surmising that this plays a part in the mainstream medical field's opinion on Lyme disease. EVeryone does not suffer for life.

Just as it's so, that many people catch a cold and they are then repeatedly suseptible to secondary infections that must be treated w/ Abx. Doesn't mean that everyone who catches a cold ends up w/ secondary infections.

I have no clue if I have made any sense -- it's been a rough week and I definitely have had the lyme brain this week!

However, I fully agree w/ others here who say that you need to see a Dr knowledgable of Lyme and you need treatment, whether it be abx or natural treatments. You may also want to do a search on LDN -- it's more than I can describe here -- but it is relatively inexpensive, very safe compared to most drugs, fewer side effects, and seems to boost the immune system w/ those suffering from compromised immune systems, including AIDS, MS, and many cancers. I am taking this and intend to take if for a long while and see how it goes, because it appears to be so safe.

As for the 'rule' that a tick must be on you for a certain amount of time before transmitting Lyme to you, I can't see this as anyting other than BS. When a tick is ready to attach to you, it injects an anesthetic (sp?) so you will not feel the bite. So right at that moment, the tick is giving you something from it's mouth and body. I believe I am allergic to this anesthetic, because my last 2 bites, one of which could not have been on me for even a couple of hours, itched like HECK. It itched for about 2 weeks, sometimes so bad that it made me nauseous. Can't tell me that those ticks did not exchange their poison for my blood, even as they were attaching!

I, personally would start the Amox, if it's a good dose. Get a head start, at least, and then if you decide to go a different route, hopefully you wouldn't have lost some very precious time, beginning the battle.

PLEASE KEEP US POSTED!

I can't help but wonder if the neuropathy and fatigue are lyme from possibly a previously undetected bite. Ticks are so often unseen due to their small size. I agree with others - fine a lyme literate doctor and get tested. The Elisa and Western Blot tests aren't totally reliable, but they may tell you something. Testing from Igenex in CA is better. Maybe the doc you choose uses that lab.

Hope you find out what you need to know and feel better soon.

You're right, Homer - you are not alone!!!

Let your ND give you that grief - then get on to the important stuff!! You & your doc will have plenty of other important things to discuss, so I wouldn't suspect that she will spend much time giving you grief.

There are many possible reasons as to why you received a negative on your last LD test. It could be as simple as you have a strain of bacteria that is not yet recognized or even named as of yet - the tech that read your results was not properly trained to read those results, the blood that was used for the LD test sounds like it had most likely been compromised by the abx you had been taking....& on & on. What's important now is that you get the right treatment for you.

Please post & let us know what your NP has to say!!! It would be helpful if you were to get on a very good probiotic immediately to help protect your intestines. To protect your stomach, be sure to eat a small but substantial snack before you take the abx. Peanut butter on bread or a celery stick was always my favorite when I was taking abx!!

Hope that we have been able to help out a little bit!!!