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Engorged conspiracy

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Posted 7/5/2019 1:39 AM (GMT 0)
From my own experience and what I have read here I'm starting to think a tick doesn't have to be engorged to cause Lyme. If that is true I can see why the medical community would be slow to admit it. If the AMA announced that a tick could be on you a short hour and cause Lyme it could cause a lot of panic. Currently doctors only give strong antibiotics when the person has had symptoms or a bulls eye or discovered an engorged tick. But if it is discovered that none of those three need to be present for the person to develop Lyme in the future (like may have happened to me) doctors would have to give strong antibiotics to EVERYONE who gets a tick bite even if they get it out quickly. Doctors are no longer quick to perscribe antiobiotics, especially strong ones because it is risky. Are doctors being slow to announce a tick doesn't need to be engorged to cause Lyme because of their fear of overmedicating bite victims? Or is there still just not enough information to confirm that a non-engorged tick can cause it?
Posted 7/5/2019 2:37 AM (GMT 0)
Are you saying Drs used to be quick to prescribe abx?
I don’t think so.

The older dr burrascano (ILADS guidelines) just say embedded ticks - not engorged ticks only . Here’s what to consider:

“TICK BITES - Embedded Deer Tick With No Signs or Symptoms of Lyme (see appendix):
Decide to treat based on the type of tick, whether it came from an endemic area, how it was removed,
and length of attachment (anecdotally, as little as four hours of attachment can transmit pathogens). The risk of transmission is greater if the tick is engorged, or of it was removed improperly allowing the tick's contents to spill into the bite wound. High-risk bites are treated as follows (remember the possibility of co-infection!):
1) Adults: Oral therapy for 28 days.
2) Pregnancy: Amoxicillin 1000 mg q6h for 6 weeks. Test for Babesia, Bartonella and Ehrlichia.
Alternative: Cefuroxime axetil 1000 mg q12h for 6 weeks. 3) Young Children: Oral therapy for 28 days.”

I would consider all of US and Canada to be high risk areas - most of Europe too??
Posted 7/5/2019 3:33 AM (GMT 0)
If I am interpreting your response correctly...you are saying that doctors have admitted that a tick has to be on you for just 4 hours to cause Lyme? I have read that doctors claim that it has to be engorged (not just embedded) but maybe I was reading outdated material. Also, regarding your first statement...are you saying that doctors did not dish out antibiotics more liberally years ago?
Posted 7/5/2019 5:36 AM (GMT 0)

Astronomer said...
If I am interpreting your response correctly...you are saying that doctors have admitted that a tick has to be on you for just 4 hours to cause Lyme? I have read that doctors claim that it has to be engorged (not just embedded) but maybe I was reading outdated material. Also, regarding your first statement...are you saying that doctors did not dish out antibiotics more liberally years ago?

The lyme Literate Drs will clinically diagnose the patient - using: exposure to ticks, known tick bite, bullseye rash, symptoms and test results used as a back up.

LL Drs are who lyme patients should see.

Most “Regular” Drs won’t diagnose unless there is a bullseye rash and then they won’t treat it with the correct dosage of abx and not long enough.

I’m not aware that doctors were dishing out antibiotics more liberally years ago?
Posted 7/5/2019 12:39 PM (GMT 0)
Doctors play the percentages for the most part. If a tick was not engorged the odds of you getting sick are much less. They did a recent study of 400 deer ticks in Maine 41% carried Lyme 8% anaplasmosis. Combine those two percentages and most doctors figure the chances are low. Which they are but people are still getting infected and suffering.
Posted 7/5/2019 1:06 PM (GMT 0)

Girlie said...

Astronomer said...


I’m not aware that doctors were dishing out antibiotics more liberally years ago?


Thank you for these responses. I am so happy and fortunate to have found this place.
I'll be honest I'm not sure about this dishing out antibiotics thing. I only know from what my doctor has told me and just one doctor is not enough to draw a conclusion. I was diagnosed with a leaky heart valve 25 years ago. Thankfully it hasn't gotten worse since but still must be checked on a regular basis (and was checked again recently since Lyme can worsen it). 20 years ago I was told that I'd have to take pre-meds before each dentist apointment since any type of infection could damage the heart valve....so I did. 10 years ago my doctor (and dentist now that I think of it) discontinued the pre-meds because they both said that the medical community (AMA maybe?) said that dental pre-meds were no longer recommended. As I recall they said it had been determined that antibiotics were being overprescribed. I'll admit that there is a chance I could be remembering the conversations incorrectly.
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