lymes disease? in humans not horses

[gallopinggram]

I’m hoping someone can give me good news. . .

This past weekend I suddenly felt very ill, fever, body aches, unrelenting headache. But it didn’t seem like a normal virus, cause I was very hungry and had no gastrointestinal type symptoms. Just a high fever, fatigue and body & joint aches. So I waited for a day to see if it would pass, then I remembered that I may have had a tick attached about a week ago. I felt something at the nape of my neck under my hair and scratched, something popped off. I tried to find it, but couldn’t. Now, being the farm girl that I am, I have had several ticks attached with no issues over the course of my 57 years, so I didn’t think anything of it. Until now! My husband looks back where the tick was attached and yup, there was a rash.

So I went to the doctor, and she prescribed doxycyline for 3 weeks, which I am just starting.

Has anyone been through this? I have of course been looking on the internet, and am half scared out of my wits with what I am finding.

[Rbow]

My understanding is the rash signifies an early stage infection that is not difficult to deal with.

If you live in an endemic area, you might be more worried about any bites you did not notice and any infection that went untreated. The infection is much more difficult to treat once well established.

Be sure it’s treated long enough and hard enough and you probably have nothing to worry about.

[Reagan]

I had it a few years ago. I never had a rash or noticed a tick bite. I got really sick in January. I have never felt so awful. Flu like symptoms, I couldn’t eat, just miserable. I went to the doctor and got a false positive for Strep. They prescribe amoxicillin and off I go. I start feeling better but get these HUGE red lumps all over my legs and can hardly walk they hurt so bad. Go to the doctor again, oh its a reaction to the meds, stop taking them you will be fine. 2 weeks go by and I’m only getting worse, by this point I can barely walk, I’m in excruciating pain and no one has any idea what’s wrong with me. The doctor pulls blood and I only have one of the Lyme’s antibodies, but she immediately started me on doxy and Ceftin. I was taking vicodin every four hours to be able to function for a few months (I’m not a sissy either, it was debilitating pain!) I was on several supplements to help my immune system, devil’s claw and red wine extract, as suggested by the doctor. She had never seen anything like what I had. She kept me on antibiotics for 8 months, 2 months after my symptoms really went away.

I’m very healthy, in my early 20’s. I’ve never been seriously ill besides the random cold or flu, normally only get sick once every few years and to be totally taken out of commission was terrifying. I would try to walk and collapse on the floor if I wasn’t up on my pain meds, it was completely miserable!

The doctor warned me that most doctors will give you 3-4 weeks of doxy and a lot of times that isn’t enough but people don’t believe in chronic lyme’s. I got really lucky to have found this doctor who was so passionate about my case. If you don’t feel your doctor is taking it serious enough, get a second opinion or find a specialist. It isn’t something to mess with.

See if you can get your hands on “Under Our Skin”. It is a documentary about Lyme’s that was very informational (though scary!) for me.

[Bogey2]

The effects can be quite different person to person as it is in horses. I had a bite I thought was a spider bite…got tested three weeks later because my doctor thought differently. I tested positive for it now and showed I have also had it previously. I had no side effects other than the area around the bite being hot and swollen. I did take the Doxie…my stomach hated me because of it.

[gallopinggram]

Yes, I have started the doxy and it’s no picnic! I had no idea that this disease could hurt so bad. I haven’t been able to sleep for 2 days cause of the pain. As I am older, I already have some arthritis issues, the best way I can explain this is it seems the already present issues seem to be magnified by 50 times! Not to mention I’m supposed to be showing my pony this weekend and next. Thank goodness I’m not riding - a friend is doing the first show (dressage), a student is doing the second show (hunters). But I do have to do all the bathing and primping (he’s gray).

Thanks for responding, I hope this resolves quickly!

[quietann]

I was lucky and got away with just a bite and no other symptoms this summer, even though it took over a month for me to figure out that yes, that “weird” rash on my ankle was a classic Lyme bullseye.

I did doxy for 3 weeks, just finished in fact. My first bit of advice: if you’re going outside, even for just a few minutes, put on your sunscreen! Second, if the doxy’s making you nauseous or worse, eat half a peanut butter sandwich every time you take it. Something about that sticky food helps keep the nausea down.

[Obi]

You need your sleep!!!

[QUOTE=gallopinggram;5793511]
Yes, I have started the doxy and it’s no picnic! I had no idea that this disease could hurt so bad. I haven’t been able to sleep for 2 days cause of the pain. As I am older, I already have some arthritis issues, the best way I can explain this is it seems the already present issues seem to be magnified by 50 times! Not to mention I’m supposed to be showing my pony this weekend and next. Thank goodness I’m not riding - a friend is doing the first show (dressage), a student is doing the second show (hunters). But I do have to do all the bathing and primping (he’s gray).

Thanks for responding, I hope this resolves quickly![/QUOTE]

First of all, I have been in your shoes and it is its own private hell. You need to contact your doctor and get him to prescribe something for sleep and for pain. Your body is fighting off a master manipulator of bacteria that can hide in your organs, joints, brain, etc. Even with docy, your body is experiencing a ‘die off’ as well as the stronger bacteria finding a safe place to hide.
First thing you can do is start drinking green tea (I know, I am not a big fan but damb that stuff helps with inflammation). I brew a big pot with a few bags of herbal tea (orange zest, etc to help give it some flavor). I make iced tea out of it and try to have 3 big 16 oz glasses a day. Next-detox with hot baths and epsom salts. You need to sweat out the dead bacteria. You also might want to give up gluton and sugar for a bit. The bacteria LOVES sugar (gluten produces sugar in your body). Also take acidopholis (sp) and at the first sign of a yeast infection get on Diflucan from your doctor.
Under your skin can be rented I believe through Net Flix. Also make sure your doctor is a Lyme Literate doc. Check out past lyme posts on this subject.
Remember, you need your sleep and if that means staying in bed for 20 hours a day until you feel better, than do it. Listen to your body.
Good luck!

[gallopinggram]

Finnegan’s -
Thanks for the helpful info. After a week and a half on the doxy, I am beginning to feel better - got my first good night’s sleep last night. Only woke up once!
As per your advice, started drinking green tea, maybe that is helping.
Just as a wake up call to everyone out there - be aware of those nasty little suckers, I have had ticks attached many times, and was beginning to think the whole lymes thing was just nothing to be overly concerned about. Boy was I ever wrong! Please check yourselves after you have been out, especially in your hair. I have always been so good about checking the horses while grooming, but myself, not so much. I am trying not to sound preachy, but this disease is no picnic!