HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Please help. New tick bite and not sure what to do!

Support Forums
>
Lyme Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
1 2
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 3/28/2017 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
When I first started treatment I was 126 lbs and I was prescribed the regular dose of all abx.

So doxy - 200x2 is the appropriate amount.
Posted 3/28/2017 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
I haven't seen my prescription yet but that was what I thought the recommendations were....taking double that scares me even more...I don't understand why the people at the clinic listed on LLMD page advised me to wait....I'm so confused and scared...I don't even know if I have this.... I wish so bad we had saved that tick so I could have had it tested....
Posted 3/28/2017 6:05 PM (GMT 0)
I understand, but you are here now, so let's concentrate on what you need to do in order to avoid these infections from being chronic. Treating the bite is a good idea, even though it does mean using what is considered "high dose" Doxy - believe me, it's 1,000 times better than having the infection!! I think that's something every single chronic Lyme patient would agree with. Treat early and treat well.

Do eat before you take the Doxy - this will help your stomach and GI tract tolerate it better. Take a really good probiotic 2 hours after each dose of Doxy - this will help replenish your GI tract with good bacteria that the Doxy will kill off. Detox so that you don't herx. These are just the most basic of things to do following a tick bite - or to stay on astragalus all year long, which is what I do.
Posted 3/28/2017 6:57 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with trav... hit it hard at 400mg. 200mg a day may only put it in cyst mode and go dormant for a spell (That's what happened to me, and I caught it early too). Any way you can get another script from somewhere else (emergency walk-in clinic) and pay for it out of pocket rather than thru insurance. Darn computers these days will catch consumption above MDs Rx dosage.
Posted 3/28/2017 10:24 PM (GMT 0)
Tick bite 666, when did you begin your treatment? Did you have a rash or symptoms before that? My PCP did call in a prescription. It was for 100 mg twice a day for 14 days. I have an appointment tomorrow with the Doctor Who was suggested on the lyme literate page. Actually it's an appointment with an ND who works with the M Dthey suggested. What they do is she sees you first, she herself has had lime disease. If they determined that you need further treatment then the MD will see you. I called them back to discuss the testing which they were adamant about. They insisted that sometimes it can show up this early. Everything I've read says it can't. So now I don't really know what to do because I want to go see that doctor but I don't really want to wait until tomorrow to start the anabiotic's. They told me they would probably start me on the doxycycline right after they drew the blood work. I have a feeling the days they would give me would be higher than the does that my doctor wrote for. Also they may try and start me on something Herbal as well, I'm not sure...?
Posted 3/29/2017 12:47 AM (GMT 0)
Since the appt and the blood draw are scheduled for tomorrow, I would encourage you to go. Just know that they are wrong about the testing, unless you have had these infections for longer than you think.

The worst that will happen is that you will have to find another doctor - it's not going to set you back any further than you are now, as you will still have the script for the Doxy that you have now.

Do be sure to let us know how the appt goes though!!
Posted 3/29/2017 11:46 AM (GMT 0)
bkw,

Sorry for delay in my reply. Short version... got bit in late june 2005, removed tick, developed EM rash a week later, saw PCP within days of rash, started Doxy 200 mg per day for 30 days immediately. Labs had a positive ELISA, but WB only had IgM 23 positive. I had no symptoms and completed Doxy as prescribed.

Fast forward 3 yrs later... started joint pain and stiffness (wrote it off as getting old and past sports injuries); started getting stabbing joint pain at night in knees; poor sleep; right leg tingling and numbness especially while driving. PCP prescribed gabapentin for nerve pain. Saw some improvement so PCP sent me to a Neurologist for testing. He found nothing and sent me to PT. Both PCP and Neuro dismissed any Lyme connections. Went to Lyme clinic at major New England hospital, they too dismissed Lyme and sent me to a Rheumy, who also dismissed Lyme but detected inflammation in all joints.

Finally got to a LLMD in March 2010 who started treatment on clinical dx. Found another LLMD a year later who treated co-infections more aggressively. Fired PCP, Neuro and Rheumy. Clinically diagnosed with Lyme, Bart and Babs. Never had any positive lab work, except for a brain SPECT scan detecting damage consistent with Lyme. Been in her treatment ever since with gradual improvements to 85% to 95% on good days. Been on about every ABX in the book, and in 2012 started to introduce herbal combinations along with Rx.

Start 400mg doxy ASAP for as long as you can... even longer than 30 days, and introduce herbals as well.

Good luck with your appointment.
Posted 3/30/2017 11:06 AM (GMT 0)
bkw ..... how did the appointment go?
Posted 3/30/2017 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
Wondering the same thing! How did the appt go?
Posted 3/30/2017 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
bump for bkw to update us.
Posted 3/30/2017 5:30 PM (GMT 0)
she's been posting this am on another topic she started on Doxy, so she's around.
Posted 3/31/2017 4:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there! Sorry that my response is late! I saw where there was response to my doxy questions but didn't realize these wanting an update were here. Yesterday was a busy day for me--trying to catch up with work and have sick kids. Anyway, I went to the appt. in Atlanta. The doctor there only treats with 200mg/day and will only increase dose if patient is having problems, not responding, etc....Since I didn't have a rash or any symptoms and was basically treating prophylactically at this point--they would not give me a higher dose. I did mention the ILADS protocol and discussed the "treat the bite" website....but it didn't matter...they insisted 200mg/day would be fine. I only have a 14 day rx...but if I'm only on 200mg, I feel like I should at least take it longer....? I'm worried about this, but do have several friends who have been in the same boat and followed this protocol and were fine. I know there are no guarantees and it does worry me, but I'm at a loss for what else to do at this point....I have OCD (for real, not just the kind people joke about), so this has consumed me completely since Saturday when I first laid eyes on that tick.....I have three children to take care of, a job, and we are about to close on a new house next week. So, I am trying really hard to stay positive, but my nature unfortunately is to obsess. I did ask the doctor in Atlanta about the herbal route since I wasn't getting the stronger antibiotics--but she stated at this point that wasn't necessary.....ugghh. She herself had undiagnosed lyme for years, so she does take it seriously--but she is fine now (or seems to be). I started on the doxy that night. I have had zero problems with it, which is good. I have been taking it with just a few crackers and no stomach upset so far. One question, I eat organic greek plain yogurt everyday and have for a while....do you think an additional probiotic is necessary or will that cover me? I have read some things about probiotics that make me pause...but I know that they are great for the most part....just not sure what to do there.....haven't even had any diarrhea from the doxy, but maybe it's too soon.
Posted 3/31/2017 5:22 PM (GMT 0)
Any doctor that doesn't treat as we are talking about isn't taking these infections seriously. Ask anyone with chronic Lyme how they feel about an approach/doctor like that and you'll see.

I would encourage you to at least get on to an herb called astragalus (1,000 mgs, 3 times a day) for a few months and any time you are going to be in an area where ticks are suspected, and 1,000 mgs once a day for general maintenance. This is what Buhner suggests for early treatment of tick bites and early stages of Lyme.

You can take it along side of the Doxy or not.

I'm using that amount now, and will stay on astragalus for the rest of my life to help combat Lyme and the issues it can cause.

The one thing you don't want to risk is for the infection to possibly get to the chronic stage - again, ask anyone with chronic Lyme and they will tell you the same thing.
Posted 3/31/2017 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, you really should take probiotics.

But make sure you take them away from the antibiotics.

So, if you take your antibiotics at 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (for example)

- take the probiotics and 10:00 and 7:00 p.m.
Posted 3/31/2017 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
Traveler--I here you and believe you, I just don't know what else to do at this point as far as the antibiotics go...that doc was the only one listed for LLMDs anywhere near where I am. I drove 2 hrs to see her and paid $200 out of pocket for the visit for her to basically tell me the same thing my doc here did...so it was pretty frustrating. Of course, my husband and mom already didn't think the trip to Atlanta was necessary, so I didn't check in to going any further. I am going to look into the Buhner protocol this weekend. I really appreciate all the advice I've gotten from this board and truly sympathize with what you all are going through or have been through bc I have had health issues of mine own in the last five years.

Girlie-do you take the probiotic with or without food. I bought one called orthobiotic. Have you heard of it?
Posted 3/31/2017 8:30 PM (GMT 0)
I take mine with or without food. (both)

I also take Kefir which is food. It's a probiotic that I buy at the grocery store...in the dairy section.


I haven't heard of othobiotic.
If you're wondering about it - you could ask about it in a new thread.

I just googled it...and it does look like a good one (although I'm not an expert on the probiotics)

You don't want to just take one per day though. I would take at least 2 or 3.
Some people say you need 100 billion units per day, others say 50 billion.
Posted 3/31/2017 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
We have quite a few people here using Buhner's so if you have questions, do not hesitate to ask!!!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12