Not something to fool around with is right. A guy I used to see almost every day at the health club I go to started not showing up for quite awhile. One day I'm reading the papers and about dropped my teeth when I ran across his obituary. Called a guy I knew who knew him. Found out he had Lyme Disease and that was what killed him. Sounds like they can't cure you, but can help with the symptoms and keep you alive if you doctor for it.

The doctor I had in the ER Sunday night immediately gave me a DOUBLE dose of DOXY and has put me on it for THREE weeks rather than the normal prescribed 2 weeks. He said the majority of doctors prescribe 2 weeks but in his opinion 2 weeks is not enough time to fully rid yourself of the disease. This is an Amercan dotor who has been practicing in Africa and is going back again. He really seems to understand these diseases and their potency.

Wife went to doctor today. Had one embedded. Taking antibiotic. No problems yet. Doc said NC was #2 state behind OK for tick disease.

Have two trapper friends with lyme.

Most people have no idea how serious Lyme Disease can be. Once you have had it for an extended period of time, and it becomes Chronic Lyme, it's just about impossible to get rid of entirely.
I also have Lyme, and have spent literally hundred of hours researching the disease. In addition to Lyme, there are many other tick related diseases that cause the same physical problems as Lyme. Many people aren't also aware that it is not just spread by ticks. Any blood sucking insect can also spread the disease. Mosquitos, mites, fleas, etc. It can also be spread sexually.
Any good Lyme literate Doctor knows that when you get bit by a tick, you should be on an antibiotic for a minimum of six weeks. Family Doctors generally diagnose two to three weeks of doxy, and that is not near long enough. A Doctor will put a teenager on doxy for years for acne, but wont't put a patient on doxy for more than three weeks if they have a tick bite. It's crazy. Watch the documentary called "under our skin". This is a true documentary on Lyme and other tick related diseases. My Doctor trained under one of the top docs in this documentary. I was on antibiotics for almost a year. I was a walking zombie, with over twenty different crazy symptoms. I decided after one year of antibiotics, and experimental drugs, I needed to find another way. I personally treat myself with the Bob Beck Protocol. It's a combination of colloidal silver, ozonated water, and a magnetic pulser worn daily. This protocol has helped many people I know, as well as greatly improving my health. I feel 90% better than I use too. Through the protocol, diet, and or antibiotics, Lyme can be controlled. Avoiding sugars and carbs helps tremendously too.

After getting RMSF last year I spent about 8 months feeling like dog squeeze. One minute I thought I was going to die and the next minute I was afraid I wasn't.
I'm still not 100% strength wise and I have memory issues and some speech problems too.
I learned that you can get RMSF and not have the rash and you can die from it.
I also learned that you can get Lyme's and be treated and cured and get it again and again.
An excellent source of info is the University of Rhode Island's website
tickencounter.org
Ticks and mosquitoes scare me more now outdoors than the cottonmouths and rattlesnakes.
If you think you are coming down with the flu, go get tested! It could save your life!

I wanted to add, I remember reading an article on Lyme disease a while back , when you first contract Lyme disease it doesn't always show up in the initial test. I think the article said this is because it has not had time to build up in your system yet. So you need to have a second test a few weeks later.
Is this what doctors say now ? or do they have a new test that is better at picking it up the first time ?

I use permanone on my clothes to keep ticks at bay. It keeps about 99 % off of me.

Guys I have to ask, I have two days left of a two week double daily dose of anti's. Not sure what they put me on I will have to look. I did not have the bullseye rash but my bite mark kept getting bigger when I went to the doctor. I did have flu like symptons and the arthritis pains. My bite mark is going down, should I seek longer or another opinion? This happened about 2 1/2 weeks ago.

It is my understanding that you will not test positive until you have had lymes a while. After getting bit by a deer tick, I went to the Doc. He said he couldn't give me any antibio's till I tested positive. Next stop veterinarians, They understand Lymes, Fixed me up.

When I went to my Dr. after a tick bite several years ago that became inflamed, he drew blood to be tested but did not wait for the test result. He went ahead and put me on Doxcy right away. Took several days to get the result of the test which was negative. The inflammation/itching might have cleared up without the drugs but I suspect it cleared up quicker with them.

Bottom line for me.....I think the risks of treating aggressively (before a positive test result) is far less than waiting. The treatment is going to be the same either way.

But I also believe an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I treat my outdoor clothing with Permethrin every spring before turkey season and it lasts through several washings. Since I have been doing this, I rarely have ever had a tick actually get attached to me.

For a new tick bite, you should have at least six weeks of antibiotics. The reason many people get a false negative test for Lyme is because the typical blood test looks for the antibodies
that your body produces to fight the bacteria from the tick. It takes several weeks to months for the antibodies to build up enough that the blood test will show a positive test. Even then, the old out dated test hospitals use today is very inaccurate. The best place to have your blood tested is Igenex out in California. They are the number one tick research facility in the world. Check out their web site. I believe they some how test for dna samples from the tick in your blood stream. You can order a test kit directly from them, although you have to have your doctor sign off on the testing forms. Your local hospital will take your blood samples and place the blood in the test tubes. After that you simply fedex your samples to Igenex.

I had Anaplasmosis in 2007 where I got very Sick flu symptoms, body pains, ect., I had tested positive for Lymes in 2005 and again in 2013. I go in ever year for an annual lymes test. I unlike most of you by the sounds of it had no symptoms no nothing either time. I took both tetracycline and doxycycline it went away both times and have had no issues since. Since 2013 my Doc. gave me an open prescription for doxycycline I get about 30 pills any time. When I pull a deer tick that has bite me for 12 Hours or more I take 2 pills if not sure how long it has been on I take 2 pills and 2 the next day. When or if I run out of pills I email doc thru MyChart saying I'm out of pills and would like to have them refilled for prevention. It has worked out great save me a trip to town ever week or two from pulling ticks off and then like said get an annual lymes test just to be save. I know about 20-25 more people that have had doxycycline prescribed for preventative purpose's. My grandfather has tested positive 3 times for it, he is 91 years old and have had no issues after he was on antibiotics. My father on the other hand tested positive 2 times once back in the mid 90's and 2008, in 2009 he was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, he now fights that battle with a very expensive IV Infusion every 6 months that insurance doesn't cover, the doc's fight back and fourth saying the he didn't or he did get it from ticks!! Who knows. I could probably list about 15-20 people that have had lymes in the past that never got symptoms. I could list about 30 people I know that have gotten a Bulls Eye and of them only about 1/2 got flu like symptoms and body pains. I also know 4 people that struggled and still are, been years and every day is a battle gets better then worse months on end.
Ticks effect everyone differently. Not all ticks carry disease. Not ever bite will give you lymes otherwise I would of had it 100's of times by now. I have never rushed to Doc. or ER for a tick bite never been sick enough. Prevention is a big part permethrin works great once I started to use it. Deet does work but all the time. Check for ticks.

Found out I have Lyme disease today. Woo-hoo for me! Lol

Yes absolutely. I got it bad. You don't want this

Yep igenex is who found it positive in me. After 3 negative results from Westernblot test (this is the normal test). My test was getting thee high doses of antibiotic injected in to me, then have the "herxy effect" which is as close to dieing as I think one can feel, then 3 days in a row pee in a cup and FedEx to lab. I think with this test they are looking for the dead bodies of the bacteria. They found them in one if my samples. The doctor who first tested me still refuses to believe I have Lyme but has no other ideas. I have been poked and prided and had brain MRI s and nothing else ever came up. Tested for everything imaginable. All negative except Igenex urine test.

Again I say. TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY IF YOU GET IT OR MAY HAVE IT. I'm an example of a chronic Lyme patient. A hate givnt assistance but actually today had to discuss the possibilities of social security disability. I hate that thought but losing my home is not a good option either.

Michigan Trapper-- I had Lyme's to a few years back. Doc took one look at me and said Lymes. Put me on drugs even before the test came back positive. I went back a year or two later with another nasty tick bite with no Lyme systems. A different doc had me take one horse pill of antibiotic. Thought it was infection not a illness. The doc said it wasn't necessary to take another Lyme test as once a person has had Lyme the tests will come back with a "false positive" Have you heard this?

thanks

I wonder if there will ever be vaccines developed for these tick borne diseases?

They are working on them. I believe they are close to one for dogs. Probably have to do animal testing before getting approved.

They were ready to start cutting on me! The neurologist was looking at neck and back surgery for the pain I was experiencing and the loss of feeling in both feet and left arm. Turns out my neck and back were fine, it was an infection from a tick. I never found a tick or had a bite site that I recall. He put me on 30 days of horse pills and the loss of feeling stopped getting worse but it never came back either.

Had Rocky Mtn. and Lyme…

Lyme made me sick as a dog and still have burning sensations on my left leg behind the knee area. Took follow up test after a round of Tetra and had positive/neg to RMSF which was still in my system but was non-reactive. I was told that I was most likely treated for something else like the flu which knocked out the virus I never knew I had.