It’s mid-summer, which means outdoor time and outdoor time means exposure to arachnids and insects. One type of arachnid, ticks, are particularly vexing because they can transmit several infections, of which Lyme is the most common. Fortunately, only one species of tick carries Lyme and there are some very simple actions you can take to avoid getting it.
Don't forget that a bulls eye rash is not the only way a Lyme infection manifests. When I and others in my circle were treated at Johns Hopkins by Dr John Aucott we all had multiple bruise-like "lesions", dark blotches with no bulls eye pattern. Many health care providers had refused to test us for Lyme (bad call) as we had not reported a bulls-eye. After two years in a JHU Lyme study I am a lot more aware of all the ways Lyme shows up!!
Thank you for bringing attention to Lyme! While the rash photos are helpful, I think it's incredibly important to know that MANY people never get a bulls-eye rash (like 40% or more!). A random "virus" in the middle of summer with fever, fatigue, headache, chills, and loss of appetite, could be an immediate signs of a tick bite. Joint swelling is a commonly known later sign of the disease, but Lyme can also present as a cardiac or neurological case (think PANS in kids!).
Additionally, most ticks carry more than one disease! While Lyme (Borrelia burgdorferi) is most well known, patients should also look out for Babesiosis, Erlichiosis, Bartonella, Anaplasmosis, and more... thorough testing for many species of each disease is expensive and hard to get, but it's crucial to get identify all the pathogens and treat accordingly.
For those who may be interested in much more about Lyme Disease, read "The Power of Change" by Tracy Mansolillo. Her Substack is full of knowledge and information from her own personal Lyme Disease experience as well as when her son was diagnosed. I highly recommend reading her articles. I especially urge you Dr. Lucy McBride to give you a deeper understanding of Lyme Disease.
I have gotten Lyme twice! And probably from my DMV suburban backyard or park. I would add to your story to pay special attention in May and June. For me, I never got a bulls eye, never saw the tick, no fever. I did get horrible diarrhea which is how I ended up in doc's office and tested for recent time #2. For the first time, I had awful joint pain and swelling, no other signs, and a second opinion on proposed knee surgery diagnosed me. My GP at the time said no need to test. In general I think there should be more default testing of Lyme and I hope there is a vaccine. It's no fun, but yes doxy fixed.
I agree with most of what you say in this article. However, the tick can be even smaller than a sesame seed -- about the size of a period. (.) Most people get well when treated quickly. However, some people develop CHRONIC LIME DISEASE, which is VERY DIFFERENT from what you describe in this article. It can be life altering debilitating, taking years to recover from. Once the bacteria is in your system, it hides in various body organs, such as the brain, or lungs or other organs. Then it goes to sleep, or dormant, for a period of time until it wakes up and starts doing its thing, making the sufferer sick all over again. It may migrate to another organ at that time. It doesn't just live in the wooded outdoors. I was infected while on the beach, not far from Lyme Connecticut, for which the disease is named. An additional horror is the number of uneducated physicians who don't know about or recognize LIME and the blood tests are frequently false negative, leaving the patient sick with no help or treatment.
Thanks for letting me share more information from my own personal experience. Another Substacker writes of her own personal experience as well as the horror she went through with her young son, who is still struggling as an adolescence. Look her up and read of their journey.
Don't forget that a bulls eye rash is not the only way a Lyme infection manifests. When I and others in my circle were treated at Johns Hopkins by Dr John Aucott we all had multiple bruise-like "lesions", dark blotches with no bulls eye pattern. Many health care providers had refused to test us for Lyme (bad call) as we had not reported a bulls-eye. After two years in a JHU Lyme study I am a lot more aware of all the ways Lyme shows up!!
Yep!
And if you are allergic to doxycycline? I haven’t found any suitable alternate treatments. Do you know any?
We often use Amox/clavulanic acid for doxy allergic pts
invariably helpful. thank you.
Thank you for bringing attention to Lyme! While the rash photos are helpful, I think it's incredibly important to know that MANY people never get a bulls-eye rash (like 40% or more!). A random "virus" in the middle of summer with fever, fatigue, headache, chills, and loss of appetite, could be an immediate signs of a tick bite. Joint swelling is a commonly known later sign of the disease, but Lyme can also present as a cardiac or neurological case (think PANS in kids!).
Additionally, most ticks carry more than one disease! While Lyme (Borrelia burgdorferi) is most well known, patients should also look out for Babesiosis, Erlichiosis, Bartonella, Anaplasmosis, and more... thorough testing for many species of each disease is expensive and hard to get, but it's crucial to get identify all the pathogens and treat accordingly.
Yep indeed
For those who may be interested in much more about Lyme Disease, read "The Power of Change" by Tracy Mansolillo. Her Substack is full of knowledge and information from her own personal Lyme Disease experience as well as when her son was diagnosed. I highly recommend reading her articles. I especially urge you Dr. Lucy McBride to give you a deeper understanding of Lyme Disease.
West nile virus, and dengue are around also.
Does the bullseye’s rash only appear from a tick bite?
from Lyme
Thanks for posting this information.
I have gotten Lyme twice! And probably from my DMV suburban backyard or park. I would add to your story to pay special attention in May and June. For me, I never got a bulls eye, never saw the tick, no fever. I did get horrible diarrhea which is how I ended up in doc's office and tested for recent time #2. For the first time, I had awful joint pain and swelling, no other signs, and a second opinion on proposed knee surgery diagnosed me. My GP at the time said no need to test. In general I think there should be more default testing of Lyme and I hope there is a vaccine. It's no fun, but yes doxy fixed.
Thanks for sharing this :)
I agree with most of what you say in this article. However, the tick can be even smaller than a sesame seed -- about the size of a period. (.) Most people get well when treated quickly. However, some people develop CHRONIC LIME DISEASE, which is VERY DIFFERENT from what you describe in this article. It can be life altering debilitating, taking years to recover from. Once the bacteria is in your system, it hides in various body organs, such as the brain, or lungs or other organs. Then it goes to sleep, or dormant, for a period of time until it wakes up and starts doing its thing, making the sufferer sick all over again. It may migrate to another organ at that time. It doesn't just live in the wooded outdoors. I was infected while on the beach, not far from Lyme Connecticut, for which the disease is named. An additional horror is the number of uneducated physicians who don't know about or recognize LIME and the blood tests are frequently false negative, leaving the patient sick with no help or treatment.
Thanks for letting me share more information from my own personal experience. Another Substacker writes of her own personal experience as well as the horror she went through with her young son, who is still struggling as an adolescence. Look her up and read of their journey.