Lyme Disease any thoughts

B

bear1889

Joined
Feb 21, 2009
Messages
492
on the disease, and preventative measures. This is becoming more prevalent. Last time I looked there was no vaccine for it. I know of a guy who has been fighting it and he contracted it year and half ago, he was lucky it was diagnosed within two weeks of the tick bite, but it almost killed him three times so far.
 
Well, I'm in lyme disease central and can't swing a stick w/out hitting someone who has/had it. Your friends case sounds odd to me...especially with the quick diagnosis folks seem to make out well with the antibiotic treatment. My brother went undiagnosed for years and has fall out from that. The little critters carry other bugs as well, my Dad was almost killed by something called babsiosis last summer- but, he's 84. Never been so sick in his life.

Not getting it is the ticket. We use a repellent and do checks. Pulled one of my 4 year old last year too. Those are some small ticks...
 
it sounds like they're treating the wrong variant - there is Lyme disease and there is another tick carried illness that has the same symptoms, but does not respond at all to the Doxycyclene.
 
Check with your local health dept. They should have all kinds of good info on this. In Ct. they will send your tick off to be tested for free.--KV
 
I went undiagnosed for years, a lot of doctors are NOT in any way shape or form familiar with the symptoms, treatments etc. They tell you its not Lyme Disease, just a bad mosquito bite, dont waste our time, you'll be fine etc etc.

I finally got diagnosed by a rookie first year doctor, who happened to come from northern BC where tick bites are common. However it was far too late for the first stage antibiotics.

our hospital couldn;t even test the tick samples i had brought, they had NO IDEA where to send it for testing.
 
I pulled 2 engorged ticks off me over the summer. I had them tested and they both came back positive for Lyme. I then went to the doc and they prescribed me Antibiotics.
I never got the rash or any symptoms from those bites. I have been lucky. :)
 
The ticks have to be on you for 24-36 hrs to engorge and take a blood meal to pass on the spirochetes that cause Lyme's. If they're not engorged the state lab wont even test them. A lot of doctors in this area presribe a one day mega-dose of Doxy immediately after any tick bite for prophylactic purposes--KV
 
Bushman5 said:
I went undiagnosed for years, a lot of doctors are NOT in any way shape or form familiar with the symptoms, treatments etc. They tell you its not Lyme Disease, just a bad mosquito bite, dont waste our time, you'll be fine etc etc.

I finally got diagnosed by a rookie first year doctor, who happened to come from northern BC where tick bites are common. However it was far too late for the first stage antibiotics.

our hospital couldn;t even test the tick samples i had brought, they had NO IDEA where to send it for testing.
Click to expand...

So where does that leave you now?

In 1999 and 2000 I had the 3 shot vaccine regimen for Lyme (Lymerix). Subsequently, as some of you know, they withdrew the vaccine because some people were developing the very symptoms, they were trying to avoid. Apparently, certain genetic makeups were responsible. There was a subsequent class action lawsuit against Smith, Kline, Beecham (information available on line)

So here's my problem(s). I can't be tested for Lyme, because I will test positive, anyway. At least as far as I have determined at the moment.

There are two different tests for Lyme - the one they use in Canada is the least trustworthy of the two, from what I can determine.

There is a (dare I say) conspiracy amongst the medical community and governments to downplay the threat even to the point of saying, in different areas, that we don't have it here, despite evidence to the contrary. And Lyme-conversant doctors are often sanctioned by their colleagues and governing body(ies). When local cases pop up, they say that the victims must have got it while traveling in different areas. (Presently I know of 2 people in my area that have chronic Lyme that have never left the area).

This past summer, up here in Canada, there was a recurring radio ad warning people about Lyme and pointing them to the website at the CanLyme Foundation (recommended to all my fellow Canadians).

They tell you that when you come in for a hike, check yourself over for ticks! Hell, I can't see my ass, for example, let alone see something that small with my eyeglass-enhanced, 63-year-old eyes! :( (Where is Brad Paisley when you need him?)

I have played in the woods all of my life, and have felt completely comfortable there. The dynamics have changed! :( That's one reason I look forward to winter, because all tick activity is dormant below 35 degrees F., at least according to one source I read.

Another problem we have here is that permethrin is not approved for personal use in Canada, although, thanks to a fellow forum member, there may be a way around that.

Anyway, sorry for the long-winded post, but it is something of great concern to me, and something which I have not resolved to my satisfaction at the moment, at least.

Doc
 
We do checks every day during tick seasons - on us and on our animals ... (seems as though the ticks like to hitch a ride and then go to the next one they can reach from the animal ...)
Doctors here advise to stick the ticks in sticky tape so you can have them tested. Once you find a tick on yourself that has started to engorge, go to the doctor asap.
Know what deseases ticks carry in your region, and in the neighbouring regions as there will be some overlap.
 
I had Lyme disease when I was a teenager, bullseye etc. I have the icepick headaches on rare occassions. My sister had it bad, and gets debilitating headaches from it. Check yourself thoroughly when you get back home, wear long clothes if possible.
 
A couple thoughts as I live in the Western Lyme's Disease hotspot of Northern California.
I get about 7-10 ticks on average, not to mention the crawlers that I catch.


-A good natural repellant is Rose Geranium Oil, mixed with Almond oil or Olive Oil. Excellent for pets too.

-The times that I have talked to a doctor after a scary find, they have often said, if less than 8 hours, the chances are extremely low. They can crawl around for hours looking for the right spot.

-the old method of heating a pin to kill them actually shocks them into releasing more of the Spirochet Bacterium into your blood stream. Removal should be a quick movement, no fiddling.

-Small ticks are the ones to especially worry about. They are small, hard to find and can feed for hours. The 'frog eye' swelling is a clear sign.

-In addition to size, Ticks are dual-stage host seeker. In the younger nymph stage they tend to go for lizards, etc. In the adult stage they move to larger hosts. In California this is our greatest blessing and why Lyme's disease is kept at bay. A lizard called the Western Blue Belly has an enzyme in its blood that neutralizes the Spirochet Bacterium that causes Lyme's in ticks. If you find a young nymph on you here, the chances are higher than an adult. Why the blue belly is not being brought all over I don't know, but I can tell you they are quickly becoming endangered with all the vineyard and farm chemical run-off in waterways and car splatterings... With this loss the Lyme's will rise...

-I read an article a while back as to how Ticks migrated to certain areas. They found a prehistoric fossilized tick in the east coast. They evolved from hard outer skeleton to a softer exo-skeleton as animal sensitivity increased with changing hosts. The theory thus far is they found their way onto birds and other migratory creatures, taking them about...

-Lighter clothing makes them easier to notice.
 
My father had it when he was in his mid-70s. Caught iit early (had the bullseye) and reacted positively to anti-bios. It is estimated that approx 100,000 Americans have it without knowing. The most drastic treatment that I have heard of is a stint placed into the upper chamber of the heart. This is done due to the volume/corrossiveness of the medication given. You are then placed in a barometric chamber - why, I do not remember. Permethrin is the best defense, but you must follow the instructions to the letter. It will last several weeks and stands up to washing. The drawback to DEET is multi-fold. Used in concentrations of greater than 30%, and for periods exceeding 72 hours, side effects become common. The two most prevalent are moodiness and insomnia. Plus the yo-yo of information that has been around for decades - health effects and cancer.
 
All I know is Lyme disease scares me, nothing quite like finishing a quick 3-4 hour hike on a mostly groomed trail and finding 8 ticks.

Good info on this thread, thank you.
 
DOC-CANADA said:
So where does that leave you now?

In 1999 and 2000 I had the 3 shot vaccine regimen for Lyme (Lymerix). Subsequently, as some of you know, they withdrew the vaccine because some people were developing the very symptoms, they were trying to avoid. Apparently, certain genetic makeups were responsible. There was a subsequent class action lawsuit against Smith, Kline, Beecham (information available on line)

So here's my problem(s). I can't be tested for Lyme, because I will test positive, anyway. At least as far as I have determined at the moment.

There are two different tests for Lyme - the one they use in Canada is the least trustworthy of the two, from what I can determine.

There is a (dare I say) conspiracy amongst the medical community and governments to downplay the threat even to the point of saying, in different areas, that we don't have it here, despite evidence to the contrary. And Lyme-conversant doctors are often sanctioned by their colleagues and governing body(ies). When local cases pop up, they say that the victims must have got it while traveling in different areas. (Presently I know of 2 people in my area that have chronic Lyme that have never left the area).

This past summer, up here in Canada, there was a recurring radio ad warning people about Lyme and pointing them to the website at the CanLyme Foundation (recommended to all my fellow Canadians).

They tell you that when you come in for a hike, check yourself over for ticks! Hell, I can't see my ass, for example, let alone see something that small with my eyeglass-enhanced, 63-year-old eyes! :( (Where is Brad Paisley when you need him?)

I have played in the woods all of my life, and have felt completely comfortable there. The dynamics have changed! :( That's one reason I look forward to winter, because all tick activity is dormant below 35 degrees F., at least according to one source I read.

Another problem we have here is that permethrin is not approved for personal use in Canada, although, thanks to a fellow forum member, there may be a way around that.

Anyway, sorry for the long-winded post, but it is something of great concern to me, and something which I have not resolved to my satisfaction at the moment, at least.

Doc
Click to expand...

it leaves me with chronic joint pain and a hatred for doctors who cant be bothered to follow basic patient diagnose procedures.

as for the use of permethrin, Home depot is your friend. Spray your pants and boots liberally.
 
My thought is that Permethrin is your friend.

On a side note: I also think that insurance companies in this country have basically covered up a burgeoning epidemic because they don't want to recognize chronic Lyme and pay for the expensive drug treatments that actually help patients with it.

This is my opinion after reading many accounts on Lyme discussion boards and after talking with a friend whose daughter has experienced chronic Lyme firsthand. I have also followed to some degree the attacks placed on this doctor at the hands of the insurance dogs and the medical establishment.

http://stanford.wellsphere.com/lyme...n-important-update-on-dr-joseph-jemsek/618243
 
Guyon said:
My thought is that Permethrin is your friend.

On a side note: I also think that insurance companies in this country have basically covered up a burgeoning epidemic because they don't want to recognize chronic Lyme and pay for the expensive drug treatments that actually help patients with it.

This is my opinion after reading many accounts on Lyme discussion boards and after talking with a friend whose daughter has experienced chronic Lyme firsthand. I have also followed to some degree the attacks placed on this doctor at the hands of the insurance dogs and the medical establishment.


http://stanford.wellsphere.com/lyme...n-important-update-on-dr-joseph-jemsek/618243
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link.:thumbup:
We live in a hotspot for Lyme.
Wife has had it 4X and I've had it once.
Dr's here seem reluctant to diagonse lyme.
This explains a lot!
 
thanks guys for all the info. texas has quite a bit of this stuff. a teen girl 16 miles west of austin was misdiagnosed 2 years back & went into advanced stages before it was caught. i have seen what advanced lymes can do. a psycotheropist i met was an early victum when it was new to this area. she was trying to learn to write lefthanded since nerve damage negated right hand use. within 18 months she had to use a full time nurse & was becoming incoherent. my info in past was if spirochetes get into nervous system then its downhill only .however this is info i got around 1990. i got a tick on me about 1992 & nearly died. docs sent blood to atlanta for dianogos, 3 july released from hospital, nov. when health dept called. i had a disease called ericnoencis caffeniness. [this is misspelled] the techninian said they thought it was in ticks on dogs coming from vietnam.[is that curse ever going away]1st identified in 1975. i asked many doctors & nurses & they had never heard of it. with in 3 years about 17 people died in tex. from this. since then medical world has learned what this stuff is. can only be caught from a tick. one doc told me an associate whom was a bowhunter caught it & went to 135 lbs. he thought he had aids from a patient before correct dianogous was made. on my brothers ranch we found one benefit from fireants. fireants wipeout ticks.have'nt picked a tick up for 2 yrs.ticks are often on deer & move into oak trees to drop down on people.we use off & strip down end of day to check for ticks.
 
I also live in Lyme ground zero. Lyme, in fact, is about a 30 minute drive from here. I have been fortunate to have only had it once (two summers ago) in the ten years I've been in CT. I never saw the tick, but I suddenly had flu-like symptoms in the middle of July so I knew what it was. The doctor didn't bother to test me when I told him I had been outdoors a bunch - he just gave me the antibiotics, and I felt better after a day or two, other than some lingering fatigue. He told me that the test will give false negatives half the time anyway.

Prevention-wise, I just wear long clothes and use DEET. Plus I change and shower when I come back inside - the little buggers will crawl around on you for some time before digging in.
 
Overall good info above.:thumbup:
Use repellent AND check for attached ticks and remove them promptly.
Even if the thicks were infected with the Borellias, you might still get lucky and end up not being infected.

The primary skin symptoms are present only in minority of the patients.
Also, large dose antibiotic may or may not work, even if the bug itself is sensitive to it: the drug must reach effective concentrations for long periods of time in all affected tissues in order to stop the bacteria.

There are other tick transmitted bacterial, parasitic and viral diseases too. Repellants and timely tick removal keeps them at bay too.
 
Bushman5 said:
it leaves me with chronic joint pain and a hatred for doctors who cant be bothered to follow basic patient diagnose procedures.

as for the use of permethrin, Home depot is your friend. Spray your pants and boots liberally.
Click to expand...

Hey B5 - more information, please! Email me if you like - primitive at sympatico dot ca

Thanks,

Doc
 
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