2 wks on Amox & fever, ab pains, headache??

My 6 yr old son tested positive for Lyme & is 2 weeks into a 3 wk prescription of amoxicillin. He has bounced back wonderfully & we could see a difference within just a few days on the amox. but today he started feeling crappy, fever of 100, abdominal pains, headache. (all symptoms that he had before being diagnosed)
He's in school so I'm assuming that it's probably just a virus but I'm going to call his Dr. tomorrow to discuss. His primary Dr. couldn't even diagnose the Lyme in the first place (bloodwork came back negative) and referred us to a diagnostic clinic w/a 3 wk waiting list (I finally took him to the ER where Lyme was positive). ER Dr. prescribed the 3 wks of amoxicillin. I'm not very confident in his primary Dr's. Lyme experience and I'm assuming they'll just tell me it's a virus, however, should I be worried that it might not just be viral? I'm not sure what to look for & the next steps to take if it doesn't seem to be just a virus.
I'm not sure if I should ask for a referral to someone that specializes in Lyme just to be safe (based on prior wait lists)?

Does anyone have experience/advice on this situation? I would appreciate any that you could share.
Thank you in advance!

Hi Kaygirl,
Welcome to our community! I'm so very sorry that your son is feeling so poorly!!

Chances are very high that he is herxing (technically called the Jarrisch-Herxheimer reaction), and he will need to start doing things to help his little body detox. As the bacteria die, they leave behind toxins that build up quickly when we use anti-infective treatments like abx (antibiotics) or herbs.

Have you read through our "New to Lyme? Start here!" thread that sits at the top of the forum yet? I would greatly encourage you to do so!! It's packed with important information, symptom lists, and detoxing suggestions.

Just so that you know, you really need to get him in to a LLMD (Lyme Literate Medical Doctor) to get the best and most effective treatments for him. Three weeks of Amoxicillin isn't enough to rid his body of these bacteria.

You will need to be sure that the doctor that you see has been trained by ILADS so that you can be sure that he is getting the most knowledgeable doctor to trust your son's healthcare to.


For information on finding a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor(LLMD) in your area, you can start a new thread titled something like:"Looking for LLMD/LLND in the _______ area." Although you will need to enable your email option in your profile in order to receive any recommendations, as we don't allow doctor's names and contact info to be posted on the forum for several reasons. You can enable your email option in your profile, under 'edit profile'. Be sure to click the submit button to actually save your preference.

You can email me and tell me the area that you live in and I can check my list of referrals - hopefully there will be a Lyme Literate Pediatrician in your area - but a regular LLMD might work well too. You can email me by clicking on my screen name or the blue envelop under my name. Please be sure to include the area and the state that you are hoping to find a doctor in.

You can email Stephanie at: [email protected] You can also go to: www.turnthecorner.org/ if you want to learn a little bit more about Lyme Disease.

You can also go to The Lyme Disease Association and search for LLMD's 3 times in a month. You have to register first. Here is the link: www.lymediseaseassociation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=277&Itemid=74


​ You can also now email TBDA (Tick Borne Disease Alliance) at [email protected]​
​ and ask for LLMD referrals also.
​

You will want to find an ILADS (International Lyme And Associated Diseases Society) trained doctor, as ID Docs (Infectious Disease Doctors) believe Lyme is hard to catch and easy to treat, and don't believe in the reality of chronic Lyme. Go to the ILADS site to read the new (2014) Treatment guidelines to get you started on your Lyme journey.www.ilads.org/lyme/ILADS_Guidelines.pdf