Comments on: Symptoms of Lyme Disease

By: Fran

Fran — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 21:35:00 +0000

In reply to deb collins. Thank you Deb. x

By: Louise

Louise — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 21:16:59 +0000

Hello Fran and Angela,
I’m really glad you’ve got some antibiotics pretty early for your daughter, Fran. I don’t know enough about Lyme to know whether that length is a good precautionary measure or not, but at least you have space now to make further enquiries in the knowledge that she’s already on medication. I would personally recommend to you both the LDA and the Facebook group who were both very helpful to me in the early stages of our Lyme experience – the Facebook group continues to be so. You would be able to “meet” with others who have been in exactly your situation. Please keep an eye on your daughter for any signs of illness. I hope she’s reassuring well for the next few weeks. So sorry to hear about your experience, Angela. That demonstrates two key areas of misunderstanding: the bull’s eye rash is completely diagnostic and antibiotics should be given without reference to any test, and that the test does not give a positive until the window for early treatment is over. I hope your illness is over and you feel well nowadays. It’s very interesting to hear about the dogs! So often it seems we treat our dogs more sensibly than humans!

By: deb collins

deb collins — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 21:07:15 +0000

In reply to Fran. Hi Fran, Just want to say I am so glad you have some treatment for your little one. Wishing everything well for you all. Lots of love xxx

By: Fran

Fran — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 20:33:56 +0000

In reply to deb collins.

Hi Deb,

Prompted by yours and others stories, I have been in contact with the doctor again. I shunned the blood tests that were offered and we have a 10 day course of co-amoxiclav, which we are starting tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, if it hadn’t been for people posting and commenting I wouldn’t have forced the issue at all.

Good luck to you too.

Fran

By: Fran

Fran — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 20:31:16 +0000

In reply to Louise.

Hi Louise,

I called the doctor again today. They are pretty clueless. However, we have a 10 day course of co-amoxiclav, which we are starting tomorrow.

Thanks for posting, if it hadn’t been for people sharing their experiences I wouldn’t have called the doctor again to insist on precautionary antibiotics.

Fran

By: Fran

Fran — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 20:28:15 +0000

In reply to Angela Howard.

Hi Angela,

Really sorry to hear about all of those symptoms you’ve experienced. I called the doctor again and said that I was really concerned. They really don’t seem very clued up at all. She made some noises about blood tests, but I knew from what others have told me on here that these are pretty inconclusive in early stages and there are many false negatives. I said no to that and she asked me what I wanted so I said antibiotics as a precaution. We have a 10 day course of co-amoxiclav, which we are starting tomorrow.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, if it hadn’t been for people posting and commenting I wouldn’t have forced the issue at all.

Fran

By: Angela Howard

Angela Howard — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 20:14:20 +0000

Hi Fran,
The advice given above is very good. Not much more I can add. (I was bitten by a tick, at a National Trust property, I didn’t see it though. I got the bulls eye rash. I had to insist on a test even though the Dr said you don’t get Lyme in this country. I had flu type symptoms plus fatigue, tingling down one side, acute
Hearing, migrating arthritis around my joints, weight loss, sleep problems etc, many weeks later I got a call from my Dr saying “you’ve got Lyme Disease whatever that is”. He said I was probably better as the results had taken so long. After doing some research I asked for antibiotics. Technically, I caught it “early” but was Ill for many years.
I do think as a precaution antibiotics should be given to your daughter, even if the tick didn’t carry the bacteria and co-infections.
I thought it was revealing to hear a Doctor from Scotland say that his area is seeing more and more
Lyme Disease so (without any testing) he treats his dog three times a year with antibiotics – as a precautionary method.
I hope your daughter stays well but at least you are well informed.

By: Fran

Fran — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 09:40:30 +0000

In reply to Louise.

Thanks Louise for you encouragement and for sharing your experiences. I hope your daughter gets the treatment she needs in Germany.

Thanks again.

Fran

By: Louise

Louise — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 07:49:40 +0000

Good for you that you are using your nasty experience to warn others. It’s useful to have people report tick incidents away from what everyone believes are the hot-spots. We are currently taking my adult daughter to a German doctor for treatment of chronic Lyme picked up in Oxford. Like the others above it’s hard to strike a balance between scaring people and making sure we help avert what we are coping with. Going back to your doctor is not over-reacting. In Germany people who have a definite tick bite are given antibiotics immediately as the infection is easier to treat the earlier you get it. Several weeks unnecessary antibiotics may seem harsh but not when compared to the effects of a possible chronic infection. Tick-borne disease may appear to be more common in Germany but, to be honest, for the individual the probability is not important; Lyme is present in the UK and any tick bite could transmit it. Best of luck – I hope this is an unpleasant but temporary episode for you.

By: Fran

Fran — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 07:29:58 +0000

In reply to deb collins.

Thanks Deb. I am definitely going back to the doctor.

Sorry to hear about what you and your daughter have been through.

Fran