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Another Classic Lyme Story

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Posted 5/2/2017 4:33 PM (GMT 0)
A friend of mine posted a picture of a tick she had taken off her teenage son. I said get him to the doc and get doxy. She called the doc and the doctor said, "since it wasn't on for 24hours, there is no need for antibiotics."

I am glad I warned her that the doctor would say those exact words.

I told her to be aggressively proactive and then gave her the name of a LLMD in her area that I know will at least give her doxy for 3-4 weeks.
Posted 5/2/2017 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
You know, aside from the instant anger, the thought popped into my head if it would do any good to try to tell them that you read a particular article written by an authority that says otherwise? Not to expect them to say, "Oh, sorry, I was wrong, come on in", or anything but just to let them know you know better than they do.

I doubt it would, but maybe in some cases it would be a little 'bite back' they may not be able to brush off for the next person to come along.
Posted 5/2/2017 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
July, I told her that if she could not get into the LLMD I suggested, that she needs to go to a clinic or any other doctor - what I call "doc in the box" and not give any information about how long the tick was attached.

I told her ticks don't wear watches and time their transmission. It is very sad how very uninformed the doctors are......
Posted 5/2/2017 5:06 PM (GMT 0)
Really what I was meaning that the person calling a Dr. should have cite locations at hand.

Here is one that at least lowers the Lyme transference time frame down to 24 hours. Lyme Disease - Iowa
idph.iowa.gov › … › Disease Information › Lyme Disease.
Crap, I'm sorry the link doesn't work, not even copied and pasted into the search bar. I'll try to find another. At least the idea is here.

But while I was noticing all of the 48 hr, or 36-48 hr, etc., claims, I was thinking, "well, but what about the co-infections?" So in my link above, I scanned their disease list and RMSF was the first I came to, and guess what? 4-6 hours needed for transference!!!

What about the rest?
This is SO very important for people to know....just because CDC is hung up on the 48 hour thing for Lyme, that doesn't mean the co-infections share the same time frame.
Posted 5/2/2017 5:48 PM (GMT 0)
Very true, Julymorning!

There are plenty of stats from ILADS showing that minimum tick attachment times have not been established, and some "online" doctors that write article and blogs have noted that as well. Someone could say that they have read one of those - but I doubt the doc they are talking to would believe a blog, even if it was from another doctor.

Glad you warned them about this, PeteZa! And I'm glad that they have you as a friend to get good information from!
Posted 5/2/2017 6:11 PM (GMT 0)
Peteza,

H! I posted about my followup at a famous Lyme Research hospital. The doctor is a very well known Lyme doctor (but def. CDC backed).

I told him I found a tick on my son. He said that five members of his family had ticks on them all in same day (over the weekend).

I gasped and said "Oh my goodness, what did you do?"

His response "If it is on less than 24 hours you really don't need to be worried."

We need a new emoticon of 'head exploding in disbelief' yeah
Posted 5/2/2017 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
But still, Lyme isn't the only infection we need to be concerned with. I and many others have Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. 4-6 hours for transference noted on just one cite.
I've not had time to check any of the other 20 possible infectious agents we can get.

One thing that also stands out when I read these articles that claim 36-48+ hours needed is their statistics that show how very few of those bitten are actually aware of it being there prior to that time frame.
Are we thinking, "Well, I was out in the yard, or woods, or whatever today, or yesterday", and judge that in thinking how long the tick was on. Experience shows we don't need to be in the usual environment to pick one up.

In other words, when we call a Dr are we absolutely sure we know the tick "just" bit us? Nymph stage is rather difficult to note degree of tick engorgement, which is apparently the accepted stage needed for the organism back flow to happen.

I just really believe that while it's ok to calm a person that might be freaking out about finding a tick, by giving them generalized statistics, do, please medical community, begin treatment immediately 'just in case'. And treat adequately.
Posted 5/2/2017 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
Exactly THIS.

I was bit by a nymph on the top of my chest (very top of breast). Any easy to see place and I shower twice a day in the summer, in the country. I never saw it until at least two days later. Smaller than a beauty mark.

Very good point about the fact that you do not have to be in the woods. You can just have a pet or someone else could go in the woods. I no longer pick up laundry and hold it to my chest while carrying it.
Posted 5/2/2017 9:20 PM (GMT 0)
I had a bite one February..hadn't left the house in two days.....was kind of bedridden at the time with a broken shoulder. I went to bed one night and woke up in the morning with a very strange looking "mole" on my neck. Upon closer examination, that mole had legs..and had screwed itself into my neck for a meal.....EWWWW. Could not have been attached more than 8 hours......... must have hitchiked in on someone or something else and found me in my bed.....Yep, don't need to be hiking (or maybe I was in a dream?)
My husband woke up in the middle of the night with an attached tick in his though...could not have been attached more than five hours,,,, He is still treating his lyme a year later!

Not sure why these anecdotal stories carry no weight!
I guess we are all just crazy!
Posted 5/2/2017 10:23 PM (GMT 0)
AK,

Hi! Oh my goodness that story. Do you guys have pets?

I can't believe that and sorry your husband is still treating from a five hour tick.

I hope you are both doing better now.
Posted 5/3/2017 3:12 AM (GMT 0)
I don't think my tick was on me for very long at all. The luncheon I attended was at 12 noon. I picked up the tablecloths about 2pm. Went home and took a shower about 9pm. I saw the bite mark and no tick. It looked like a spider bite or a flea bite. I just went to bed.... In the morning it was a bull's eye. I had no idea what a bull's eye was until months later. I had never been bit by a tick ever before. All these years in the mountains and always around deer, but no bite.

I called my Mom because I knew she was allergic to flea bites. I asked her if this is what I might have. Well three weeks later and the bite mark was still there. No itching and no burning. Just this red circle with another red circular section inside it. And then it went away......

about 6 weeks later...... I got a stiff neck and then it was all downhill...
Posted 5/3/2017 12:51 PM (GMT 0)
Peteza,

You were so lucky to get your bulls-eye so quickly. So six weeks transpired before you began treatment?

This is music to my ears. I always thought you began treating immediately, which as we all know is a faster healing for most.

I'm sorry you went through all of that but you are such an inspiration having healed.

One day very soon for the rest of us.
Posted 5/3/2017 1:51 PM (GMT 0)
I just got a text this morning and she got her son into a clinic and the doctor did not say a thing, he just handed her a script for doxy!! Yeah.
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