Today is Tuesday; I removed a deer tick from my thigh on Sunday. Should I ask my doctor to begin antibiotic treatment now and not wait for symptoms to appear (or not)?
View 1 RepliesI found a tick on my leg and it was not fully engorged and was able to fully remove The body with tweezers(stored tick in refrigerator with damp towel) and dumped rubbing alcohol on the bite site. Later that day there was a very small dark bruise like spot where the bite was, which I assumed was normal. next day early afternoon I realized it was red around the bite(small bruise spot still there) with a red ring on the outside, a little more red on the outside ring part but this was smaller than an American dime coin which is pretty small. I guess I should mention first, on the day of the tick removal I called my general practice doc over the phone and got prescribed doxycycline hyclate 100mg 2x a day for 14 days and started taking it the next day when I saw this redness. i have a pic if I can share?another thing to note is 1-2 days later the outer ring faded and is gone and now shows new very little amount of light bruising on the outer part.I had scheduled an appointment with my doc and showed pics showing this development and she told me she thought it was normal and not the notorious "bullseye" and said it was most likely irritation from dumping alcohol on the bite and was a normal reaction to bite. I am skeptical can the lyme rash be that small? she insisted it would be bigger I wish I could share pic are my chances good with this course of antibiotics I've read there are higher and/or longer doses people get.
View 5 RepliesYesterday (Saturday) I went for a cycle along a rural cycle path in Devon. When I got home and took my top off my wife noticed something that turned out to be a tick embedded in the left side of my lower chest. She removed it carefully.
I had been on a residential for three days before, in some woods, but had showered every morning and I had a long bath on Friday night and noticed nothing.
We suspect it bit me on Saturday morning but could potentially be any time from Wednesday to Saturday.
What shall I do in terms of going to the doctors / monitoring symptoms?
I was bitten by a tick in 2010. It wasn't until this week I learnt about Lymes disease. I got the bullseye rash, and as the months progressed I had the worst flu of my life, incredibly painful episodes of back pain and neck stiffness so much so that I was given physio and literally couldn't move my neck when i was having a flair up. I got severe headaches which made me almost pass out and so dizzy I was sick. I had tests for labarynthitis and saw a ear nose and throat specialist but found nothing. The right Side of my face I got facial numbness and neuralgia, and my eye would twitch and go blurry. Saw an eye clinic and found nothing.
View 10 RepliesI was diagnosed with lyme and bartonella a year ago and have been on antibiotics and herbals. Solely Herbals for the last four months (I had been doing really well just some minor symptoms) until 2 weeks ago when my llmd put me on Zithromax 500mg (I had a family trauma and all my neuro lyme symptoms came back but not as extreme as first time around). Two days ago I found another tick on me, back of my knee. I don't know how long it was there but I think it couldn't have been more than a few hours. I called my llmd and she said I was covered for infections (currently taking byron white formulas in addition to Zithromax) except viral ones. I took the tick to the health dept. yesterday and they identified it as a nymph female deer tick. They couldn't see blood meal when they looked at it in the microscope but thought that perhaps my husband had damaged the back of the tick when removing it. Yesterday and today I've felt very lymie, headaches, stiff neck, sore throat, tired. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it possible that I got something even though the tick wasn't engorged. I'm freaking myself out that I have one of these horrible viruses like powassan.
View 4 RepliesI found a small flat dark brown tick on the back of my upper thigh on 7/22. I went to see a doctor at MedExpress and she told me that the tick was engorged and that she believed that it could be a deer tick. We estimated that the tick had been on me for over 72 hours based on the time I was in wooded areas. As a precaution she put me on 200mg daily of doxycycline. I have been tracking the bite via pictures and there appears to be a bulls eye forming but I may just be paranoid. I know several people who have Lyme disease with varying forms of diligence for care. I have seen how it can ravage a person's body and mind. I want to make sure I am doing everything I possible can to help myself. What, if anything should I be doing from here?
View 1 RepliesHas anyone with Lyme had eye symptoms.. sensitivity to light blurry vision. floaters..similar to a static television set images..if so can you tell me when your issues started to resolve and what treatments were used for this particular symptoms.
View 3 RepliesI had mirena IUD for five years and in those five years I never had a period I was not regular before mirena and now that I got it removed in 4-14-15 I have only had 2 periods and i haven't been on any kind of birth control I have been TTC for 2 months now and I begin to worry that I can't conceive BC I haven't been using any birth control for 7 months now and I haven't gotten pregnant and now that I am trying to for two months I feel like its not going to happen I'm just worried,is it that I'm just being impatient? should I just relax and keep on trying?
View 1 RepliesI read somewhere if on abx for about 3 weeks and then take another Western Blot test that is would show up positive if you have Lyme. Can anyone confirm this?
View 2 Repliessince my son was born a couple of years ago, I have been to several doctors appointments with depression, lethargy and several other symptoms, that had gotten to a point that I felt I couldn't cope anymore. At first the doctor thought it was postnatal depression and then thyroid, but on my second blood test, when she tested for almost everything she could, my blood test came back strongly for coeliac, and as always very low iron levels. That was back in February, four weeks ago at my endoscopy, on leaving, the nurse said the procedure had shown suggestions of coeliac and disease, they had taken biopsies, and not to start on a gluten free diet as other tests would need to be taken. As I was a bit out of it at the time due to the sedation, I forgot to ask what other tests they would be doing? could anyone let me know what they went through after the biopsy in regards to further tests. I am feeling so low and desperate to start the diet, and wait eagerly for the post everyday. I have to go in for surgery for another problem possibly at the end of June, and I am wondering if just to start now, as I really want to feel stronger for that. Thank you for listening in advance.
View 4 Repliesdoes anyone get cured
View 8 RepliesI have had a number of symptoms starting 6 months ago and have progressively got worse ever since! I've had MRI - normal, thyroid test - normal, neurologist tools lots of blood test looking for inflammation and tested for Lupus - all normal! He's now sending me for a lip biopsy! Here are my symptoms -
- Persistent swollen glands in throat (lots) - all reactive according to ENT
- thyroid nodules
- neuropathy
- Eustachian tube dysfunction (& muffled hearing)
- visual snow with all the trimmings (photosensitivity, increasing floaters etc)
- itching skin
- dull toothache
- tinnitus
- thinning skin (veins very noticeable and bulge)
- tickly throat and dry cough
- thick phlegm at back of nose
- occasional dry eyes
- ear ache
- muscle aches and pains
- joint pain
- on / off mild fevers
- tiny pin prick like spots on torso, arms, thighs
- blotchy skin
- pigmentation in skin (dark around mouth and nose and blotches in other parts of body)
- skin dents very easily / shiny palms / stretchy skin
- constant clearing of throat
- spaced out feeling
-dizziness and vertigo
- headaches
- stiff and aching neck and back
- random skin rashes that come and go but chest is red and blanches
- cold hands and feet
- shivers (get goosebumps all over body for no reason)
- Fingertips sometimes turn blue
- brain fog
- fatigue
- wart like tiny blister looking spots on palms and palms look extra wrinkled and shiny
- joint cracking especially neck
- night sweats (at the beginning, occasional now)
- constant buzzing feeling all over body
- can see heartbeat through clothes / palpitations
These a few more things but I won't bore you all with more!!
Anyone else with lyme had these symptoms? The most concerning is the vision and hearing which really concerns me! Can I have Sjogrens when all my bloods are fine?
Many thanks in advance!
Doctor suggested I do not take vits b,c,e,multi or other typical antioxidants while on Plaquenil and Biaxin for my Lyme. Something to do with the environment needing to be oxidized to kill the spirochetes... (i think)
I've had lyme many years (misdiagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) so the little buggers are in their protected cyst and other forms. I start on above drugs tomorrow.
I have Lyme disease, leaky gut and an unresolved intestinal issue that cause me pain every time I eat. I am also deficient in several vitamins. I take supplements, but I'm not sure if they are enough. I have lost a lot of weight recently and am not getting all the nutrients I need. Should I be tested for anemia?
View 3 RepliesCan anyone relate to this? I have felt like this before but not for ages. I went to the supermarket and for about 10-15 seconds my head felt dizzy and i felt awful like i was going to faint. I stood still until it passed. It's scary at the time but then i just forget about it until it happens again.
View 7 RepliesI have had some troubling symptoms the past few weeks/months. I am just going to post a timeline here. I am going for my first visit to a rheumatologist on Wednesday so I need this for them anyway.
Fall 2013:
Began having ice pick headaches all day, everyday for a week. Thought it was hormonal. Took Evening Primrose Oil for it and it seemed to help. Ice pick headaches would return once a month in Oct, Nov, and Dec. During the fall I noticed lack of energy and fatigue. Was having trouble with herniated disks in L4-L5-S1. Began having spinal decompression treatment at the chiropractor. Discontinued decompression treatment in Jan 2014 as back and leg pain subsided.
Late Dec 2013:
Developed a head cold that included pink eye. I took a lot of antihistamines for this. Advil Sinus and Benadryl. Took antibiotic drops my mom had when she had the same cold/pink eye. Pink eye resolved but turned into dry eye syndrome. Eyes would become very dry and painful to blink starting every night around 8:30 p.m. Waking up at night with eyelids so dry it was difficult to open eyes. No tears, however sometimes I had 'flooding tears' (emergency tears) from such severe dryness.
Jan 2014:
Went to my eye dr about dry eyes. He suggested I may have an underlying disorder such as lupus or thyroid problems. He recommended Restasis but suggested trying OTC drops at first. Began using preservative free OTC drops which helped relieve dryness only momentarily.
March 2014:
Went for annual GYN visit and he prescribed restasis for dry eyes. He was not concerned about an "underlying disorder" and did not test me for anything. Began taking Restasis drops twice a day and dry eyes have improved but not perfect. Take drops once per day now and OTC drops as needed.
Last 2 weeks of March 2014:
Developed a head cold with sinus congestion, big sneezing, mild cough and post nasal drip. Was afraid it was turning into another sinus infection but it ended up clearing on its own. The first symptom I noticed besides the runny nose was a mild sore throat. I had an ulcer on my tonsil that may or may not have been infection. I thought it was a tonsil stone and tried to poke it out with my finger (as I usually do) but it just irritated it so I left it alone. I could not take antihistamines for my congestion due to dry eyes. Throat was still irritated but I used salt-water rinses and honey. By the end of March the cold had cleared up and I was feeling some better. During these 2 weeks I experienced occasional bouts of abdominal cramping and watery, explosive diarrhea. Blamed it on something I ate as I had no fever and no one else was sick.
On Friday March 28 a stray dog showed up at our house. We have a border collie already but this one was a golden lab puppy. (can you be allergic to one breed of dog and not another?) A few days later my crazy symptoms started.
On Tuesday April 1:
I walked around outside around 5 p.m. for 15 minutes or so while my kids played in the yard. I am an active person and stay busy with cleaning for my grandmother, yard work (had just planted bulbs and trimmed bushes a few weeks ago) and exercise such as P90X when I'm feeling up to it. So I am used to more strenuous activity and spending time in the sun. That evening when I came inside I noticed I had a streaky rash on my sun exposed arms. I thought maybe the dog had scratched me when I was playing with it.
Wednesday April 2:
I rode the riding mower from 9 am to 10:30 a.m. Most time I have spent out in the sun all year, however I regret I did not wear sunscreen. I wasn't worried though because I have been out at that time of day before without sunscreen and have only gotten a few freckles or very mildly pink. By that afternoon the streaky rash on my arms were more intense. There were red vertical streaks on my shins that were exposed to the sun. My chest became red with splotches and small pink bumps (similar to the allergy reaction I have had to erythromycin). The rashes on my arms and chest slightly itched (like a tickle itch) but it was tender to scratch it so I did my best not to. I took Benadryl that night in hopes it would help make the rash go away. The rash stayed.
Friday April 4:
I went back outside that evening between 4 and 5 pm for about 15 minutes and threw frisbee with the dogs. Picking up the frisbee, I guess I squated more than I normally do. But I felt fine that night.
Sat April 5:
Sometime during the day - not sure when - I noticed my thighs were sore when I would go up and down the steps in my 2-story house. I blamed it on the 15 minutes of frisbee but I thought that was really weird that I would hurt so bad with so little workout! Frisbee? Really? I usually have very strong and defined thigh muscles.
Monday April 7:
At this point my thigh pain has become more severe. It has become so difficult to walk up and down steps that I was brought to tears. The pain seemed to spread down my legs into my calves, but the thigh pain was unbearable. I did not experience any pain at all when at rest. Only when using my muscles to walk or go up and down steps. Moving from a sitting and standing position was also unbearable. It was as if I had worked out extremely hard and had maxed out or injured my muscles. I was very confused how throwing a little frisbee could create so much pain, when I have done P90X workouts without any problem before.
Tuesday April 8:
Went to visit Dr. Ashley to discuss dry eyes and muscle pain and rash. He performed blood tests and all was normal. Except a few slightly off results:
Bun/creatinine ratio 20.9
MCHC 31.8
Sed Rate 25
other CMP and CBC results normal
TSH, Free T4, RA factor, ANA panel and sjogrens all normal.
Friday April 11:
Went to chiropractor for 1 hour massage and adjustment. Was nice but didn't help.
Saturday April 12:
By this time the muscle pain has spread from my thighs, well into my calves, my lower back is sore and my abs are sore when using those muscles as well. I woke up Friday night with fever between 99-100 and chills. My muscle aches seemed more intense. By this time the rash on my chest has become more red and spotty with bright red/purplish spots. It does not itch at this point but it is unsightly. The rash has spread to my face and neck and is red splotchy with red/pink bumps on my face and neck. I am concerned about the rash and the possibility of something other than auto-immune. I visit the express clinic and they test me for strep (negative) and put me on antibiotics (a cephalexin I believe) to treat me for strep anyway. Blood was drawn for RA and sed rate and results were considered "normal" although I don't know what they are exactly. I was given a cortisone shot and prescribed 800mg ibuprofen for pain. He said my iron and WBC were low.
I continued taking the antibiotic and ibuprofen and felt better on Sunday only because the fever broke. However rash and muscle pain/weakness persist. By Sunday night I felt I could not walk down the stairs due to pain and weakness so I was having to slide down the stairs on my hiney.
Monday April 14.
I awake again with low grade fever and feeling worse. Muscle pain and weakness have increased and spread to my back thighs and hiney. My left arm begins to feel somewhat painful when using it similar to the leg pain.
I visit my GP again and he prescribes Prednisone pack starting at 60 mg. He says to continue antibiotic. He tested urine and stool samples for infection and parasites...normal. He tested blood for Lyme disease, trichinella antibody, rocky mt. spotted fever, and mono.
Wednesday April 16 - The rash and muscle pain continues. It is at this time that I realize that the antibiotic is a close cousin to penicillin. I phone the pharmacists who suggests I discontinue the antibiotic because my rash became worse after taking it. The dr. at the express clinic had prescribed it to me before and assumed I could safely take although i'm allergic to penicllin. But my mom reminded me that he had prescribed that before when I had a sinus infection but we called the dr office and they suggested not to take it and prescribed something else instead. So I was not sure if this rash is getting worse due to the new antibiotic.
Thursday April 17:
Went to chiropractor for decompression therapy. This helped relieve some tension in lower back, but back remained sore when using muscles.
Between Monday April 14 and today Monday 4/21 my thigh pain has decreased but I still feel leg pain and weakness. My calves are still sore to walk (feels like I am about to have a charlie horse but I don't). My lower back remains sore and tense. My left arm is weak and sore, and slightly in my right arm. Doing things like drying my hair and holding things is difficult and painful. My hands feel unstable sometimes like I don't have full control of them. Like a weak feeling. I get out of breath at the simplest tasks. Like coming in the house from the car is exhausting. I am not able to go get groceries or do my usual activities (cooking and cleaning) without frequent breaks and feelings of exhaustion. My rash is severe and intense at this point. Over the weekend (4/18-20) my rash began to itch but it is too tender to really scratch it. I haved tried oral benadryl, hydrocortisone and found some leftover betamethasone I use for excema. The betameth seemed to help relieve the redness, pain and itchiness until after I had my shower. I did not put more on today as I had my appt and wanted him to see how severe my rash had become. It has spread more on my face and is even more red now. It is spreading to my back and back of neck. The skin on my v-neck is very irritated and the skin looks damaged although I have tried not to scratch. I lightly rub the skin instead. I have also used vaseline on the rash to keep it hydrated so it wouldn't dry out.
Monday 4/21:
Received results from tick and parasite tests.All were normal except Lyme Western blot was .97 (equivocal) meaning it was not negative nor positive. He wants to retest in a few weeks. In the meantime he Rx doxycycline in case this is Lyme. He is testing for dermatomyositis and my creatinine levels. I will see a rheumatologist on Wed 4/23. He also prescribed a cream to use for the rash.
Since this all began in April I have noticed that I have something going on with my mouth, but I'm not sure exactly when it began. Maybe around the time I was having fever. My tongue feels tender on the tip and I have lost some of my sense of taste. My sense of smell is not as it used to be when I got the head-cold in March. But the sense of taste is troubling me. I have a constant dry, bitter, salty taste in my mouth. It makes me want to drink more water to 'flush' the taste out, but water tastes horrible and bitter to drink. I did burn my tongue on Wed 4/16 when tasting homemade spaghetti sauce that was too hot. But I believe the mouth problem had started before then. I thought it was due to the medicines I was prescribed at the express clinic.
Other things of note - I feel strange like I'm in a dream. Not sure if it's the prednisone affecting me or what. It's a "is this real life?" feeling that is hard to explain.
I have also lost my appetite. Not sure if it's because my taste and smell are not up to par, but I have a hard time eating. My jaw muscles get tired of chewing. Although I have had minor TMJ troubles in the past I thought the TMJ was bothering me again due to maybe grinding my teeth from being in pain? The jaw muscle hurting when chewing seemed to start as soon as my leg pain started. Depending on what I eat, they may or may not hurt. Chewing meat makes them sore, but eating a banana does not, for example.
I have also gained 10 pounds since Dec'13. I contributed it to being sick and resting my back more due to the decompression therapy, but it may be related to everything else I have going on. I normally weigh right at 170 and have weighed that for around 8 years. I am 5'-8" and 35 years old.
So that's my story...If I think of something else, I will include it.
Any thoughts? Is this typical Lyme disease? I am more concerned about dermatomyositis. We live in a wooded area and usually find ticks on us during tick season. I can not remember if I did or did not have any small deer ticks on my last year, but I know I have found them before. Over 15 years ago I stepped into a bed of the bitty deer ticks and they were covered/crawling all over my shoes. I showered and tried to remove as many as possible. We have a dog that has tested positive for tick disease although she does not show signs of any problems with it. She takes flea/tick/worm medicine regularly and goes to all her check ups.
Throughout this April illness I had also experienced lymph node pain around the time I had low grade fever. I have always experienced shooting random pains in my body when I get sick. That is always a sign to me that I'm getting sick or am sick with something. Once the fevers stopped, the shooting random pains stopped. They are like shooting pains beneath the skin (not muscle or bone). Sometimes in my side, my arm, my leg or my neck under ears.
I just picked up my first Lyme prescription and was surprised to see two antibiotics, Doxycycline & Hydroxychloroquine. I'm not sure if I am supposed to take this together or the doxy first and THEN the hydroxy when I finish that.
Obviously, I can wait until the morn and call my doc, but I'd love to get started tonight. Anyone know if these are usually prescribed together for Lyme?
I have read about Detoxing and Hexes. I am not familiar with these. Could someone be so kind as to explain them to me? I recently got diagnosed and am starting on an antibiotic treatment. I want to be as prepared as possible. I also would like to ask anyone from the Mass. Area for a good Doctor if it's possible.
View 11 RepliesI received my WB results from IGenex and have an apt with an LLD on the 21 of Oct But wanted some input. Here are the results:-
Lyme IgM WB
LINES
18 -
23-25-
28-
30-
**31-
**34-
**39+
**41+
45-
58-
66-
**83-93-
Lyme IgG WB
18-
**23-25-
28-30 -
**31 ind
**34-
**39 IND
**41+++
45-
58-
66-
**83-93 -
I had heard that soaking in some Epsom salts is a good detox for the lyme? Does anyone know if there is any truth to this?
View 2 RepliesI just received the results of a Western Blot Lyme Test done by Quest Labs. And I am not at all sure at how to interpret, nor has my research given any helpful clues.
Anyway I test Non-Reactive on all bands except for the following:
Reactive on B Burgdorferi 93 KD (IGG)
My primary physician office called and said the test was Negative, but I am not so sure as I understand this band is quite specific for Lyme.
I am not at all eager to take more blood tests as I am dealing with another health condition that has involved numerous blood tests.
I am not sure how to interpret this or what is the next step.