Just diagnosed with lyme, pic of rash changing, still lyme?

Diseases & Conditions Lyme Disease
1
Hi,
I have just been diagnosed by my doc for lyme, but it took her a while since its not a common thing in England and in October (season for ticks is May to Sept although this October we had summer weather) so I started taking some antibiotics for common infections and after she did some research I started with Doxycycline.
I have been reading this forum and I am a bit concerned regarding the dosses she recommended me: 200 once a day for 14 days. I have a rash where I was bitten which appeared after a week, and had flu symptoms etc, then i took the common antibiotic and got a tiny bit better, then she changed my antibiotics but since i was abroad i did not take them for a week and when I cam back I had proper symptoms, neck pain, cold and hot, bone pain etc... was in bed for a week (a first for me since I have never had the flu in my live), I have now been 2 weeks on doxycycline and the rash got dry and flat but this week it has appeared again and has changed from shape, from being round to more like a hart. I do not have the typical circle around the circle rash, but a rash around another rash.
My questions are, should I continue with the doxycycline?, have a supply for another 14 days since the pack came with 30 pills.
And when can I expect the rash to go? It is incredibly itchy...
I hope someone comes back and helps me, I want to make sure that this does not develop to something more serious.
Thanks a lot,
Ine
turn
2
Hi Ine,

Welcome to Healingwell!! Sorry you have not been feeling well. If you have not read already, you should read the {New to Lyme...Start here} sticky post it on top of the main page. There is Lots of valuable information there.

200mg once a day for fourteen days, may not be enough to eradicate the disease. I would suggest you read Dr. Burrascano's guidelines at ilads.org he is a respected (LLMD) Lyme Literate medical doctor.

It is very important to see a doctor that understands Lyme disease, and other co-infections. You can find doctor referrals at ilads.org

For more information, I would also suggest you visit turnthecorner.org

Best wishes to you, hope you feel better soon.
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Thanks very much Cheezhead, I have read the new to lyme thread, and well, I think I have to follow your advise and visit a doc specialised in lyme, I hope we have those in the UK as well! Do you know when the rash disappears? Its been on my knee for longer than a month. Thanks very much.
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It's hard to say how long the rash will last. Everyone is different, rashes could last from weeks to months. Some people infected with Lyme, or other co-infections never have a rash. One thing you should do is take a picture of the rash, place a coin next to the rash for contrast and depth. You should also be sure to get a copy of your medical records, and results of your blood work. Be your own advocate, listen to your body, and keep a log of your symptoms. Your best chance to beat this disease, it to be treated properly early in the infection. There are LLMD's in UK, and Europe, but they are few and far between. You may need to travel to visit one. The best way to find a LLMD is to request one at www.ilads.org

Hope this helps
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Hi ine,

Welcome to the forum!

Here is a bit of information for you about dosages of Doxycycline:

Dosage

Increasingly, clinicians recommend that certain drugs used for Lyme disease be given at higher daily doses: for example, 3,000–6,000 mg of amoxicillin, 300–400 mg doxycycline, and 500–600 mg of azithromycin. Some clinicians prescribe antibiotics using blood levels to guide higher doses. Close monitoring of complete blood counts and chemistries are also required with this approach.

Here is the website that the dosage amount came from. 200mg a day, as you can see, if not enough for a new infection. You should also be on antibiotics for at least six weeks.

www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/treatment_guidelines_clearing_
ilads.html

Here is some great information on the do's and dont's for Doxycycline:

www.ehow.com/iphone/#article_2165217
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HI Ine!
Welcome to the HW Lyme forum!! yeah
I am sorry to hear that you have this dreadful disease as well.

A site to check for info in Europe:

http://www.lymeneteurope.org/info/lyme-borreliosis-in-europe

Can Lyme is another good site for info;
http://www.canlyme.com/

Hope this helps some... =)
~Trav
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Hi - I am in England - yes there are LLMD's here - 'eurolyme' would be a good site for you to visit.
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Thanks for all your replies. I am seeing my doctor back tomorrow and I will bring them some info about this disease since it seems they have no clue.
My rash has kept changing in shape and now it looks like one of those things you trow darts at. Not that itchy anymore. I am also sick again, pain in bones, head, neck, throat and ears. Can that be the lyme or do I have fluish symptoms again? The funny thing is that I have no fever. A couple of weeks ago I had the same, was in bed for a week feeling worse than ever, was cold and hot at the same time, even with cold sweat but had no fever at all. Super weird.
I will make a pic of the rash, and send it, since it is not perfectly round. And I hope my doc listens to me because so far I have only taken 200mg of for 3 weeks and that is it.
Thanks for your help, will let you know how I progress. :-(
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By the way, Merry Christmas to all!!!!!
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Merry Christmas to you also ineisa!!

Good to see you have started with ABX. Your picture is defiantly a bulls eye rash. The symptoms you've explained are classic Lyme symptoms. It is good to hear your doctor is treating you as best he/she knows how. Have you attempted to make an appointment with a LLMD yet? I hope you start seeing improvement soon!! Best wishes to you

Cheezhead
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Hi Cheezhead,
Thanks for your reply.
I think the severity of this disease is sinking into me right now. I cant believe I am sick in bed again. I finished my 2 week antibiotic course of Doxycycline 200mg, but of all the research I have done it seems its not enough. I am not sure if it is normal, but I am sick again, just a week after finishing the treatment. I have looked on line and found a doc in Cardiff who treats lyme disease. I think I want to take the highest dose of what ever so I can eradicate this now that I caught it early. Buuu, I am gutted.
Tom I will go to my GP, armed with research info on lyme, and will make sure she gives me some high doses of ABX.
How are you by the way? How long have you had this? Can you tell me what I can expect?
X
Ineisa
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You say you finished your 2 week course of Doxy 200mg. Does this imply you were taking 200mg per day for fourteen days? If so this seems to be a bit on the light side. I hope your GP will extend your treatment until all your symptoms are gone. Do not be surprised if she does not want to treat longer than the fourteen days however. Your best chance of ridding yourself of this disease before it possibly becomes chronic, is to see a doctor who specializes in Lyme disease, not all doctors are properly trained on how to diagnose, and treat Lyme disease. Some doctors will not want to treat you using long term ABX, and will only treat you for the standard fourteen days, if this length of ABX does not eradicate the disease, and no further treatment is given, you could develop chronic Lyme. Keep in mind ticks also carry other diseases, Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichiosis, and others, if you are infected with these, and are not tested and treated for these conditions, you could remain sick after being treated for Lyme.

I contracted Lyme disease, and the co-infections Bartonella, and Ehrlichiosis in the spring of 2006. I am an avid hiker, and fisherman. I spent a four day weekend waking through wooded areas, and tall grasses portaging from one lake to another fishing. Throughout the weekend I pulled some where between 20 to 30 ticks from my body. Many of them were the nymph (young) ticks, very hard to see.

I am still fighting to regain my health, I remember when I was pulling the ticks from my body, I thought to myself make sure you remove them all, or you may get Lyme disease. However I figure if I did contract the disease, I always heard you can rid yourself of it with a couple weeks of ABX.....was I ever wrong

Here is part of my story, I have not updated this in a while however. My former LLMD retired this year, I am currently waiting to see a new LLMD after the new year. I still battle this disease daily. Hope this helps.

You may also like to read other patient stories at this site.

http://www.leaparizona.com/my_story_brandon_jacobson.htm

Post Edited (Cheezhead) : 12/25/2009 6:39:14 PM (GMT-7)

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I only got bitten by one tick, only one in my live, how unlucky is that? I have a horse and went riding in the woods. Anyway, I guess it only takes one infected... :-(
I find it all very scary, I will get myself referred to a lyme doctor tomorrow. I have printed out Dr Burruscani's guidelines and I will present it to them to get a higher dose of antibiotics and then get a referral or pay myself.
I have fever now as well.
I am sorry you found out so late, I hope you get better. Only the 200 mg of antibiotics killed my stomach a few times, not sure how I will cope with higher doses. We shall see.
xXx
Ine
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Hi Ine,
There are quite a few things you can do to help protect your stomach when on anti-biotics. I don't know what you may already be aware of so here are some basics -

Eat something fairly 'solid' (1/2 a peanut butter sandwich for example) before you take your abx. Drink plenty of fluids, eat plenty of yogurt, or better yet drink Kefir. Don't stay out in the sun for any length of time for some people with certain abx.

Hope this helps to start you out with whatever you & your doc decide to do.

It's been said:LD patients can be as ill as people w/ congest. heart failure & in as much pain as post-op patients.

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Thanks traveller, I appreciate it. The doc said as well the other day not to lay down at least for an hour after taking the antibiotic, I did that and had so much pain in the upper part of my stomach.
No doc for me today, everything is closed till Tuesday, I am still in bed, in pain and with 38.5 fever. Nice Christmas. Anyone else in bed?
16

gorbybelle said...
Hi - I am in England - yes there are LLMD's here - 'eurolyme' would be a good site for you to visit.



Hey, can you recommend me a LLMD in the London or South East area? I found one in Cardiff but that is so far from me. How are you? I have been sick in bed again. Bummer!