Just found a tick embedded

[Chatterbox58]

Hi it's been a real long time since I have been here.  I was dx'd with lyme probably four years ago now,  I went to the Dr today since I have been sick and I thought to myself if I didn't know any better I have lyme, same symptoms.  I asked my son to check my skull since I felt a scab, he said mom it's a tick, I really freaked, we flushed it, not knowing I should have had it tested.  Could my symptoms of fatigue, fever of 100 and can hardly walk achy and a headache be from lyme?  The Dr said it was viral, now I will call him tomorrow and tell him we took out a tick in my head.  Any thoughts as what I should do, I noticed it was there on Sunday because I felt it and thought I got it out thinking it was a scab, I don't have a clue how long it was in there for...I could use some help on what to do.
Thanks
Chatterbox58

[wonko]

I hope your sudden illness lifts and that it wasn't tick-related, but glad you are "on the ball" just in case!

I also agree that Lyme can "mess" with your body's chemistry.  I'm still waiting for test results but my LLMD is currently investigating my adrenal function due to this terrible fatigue that I get almost every day.  I can go from being able to rigorously work out for an hour in the early AM to being barely able to walk down the hall by lunch time.  I'm sick of only having a few "good" hours during the day, there is simply much more to life than that!  I'm often in bed around 7, and it is hugely frustrating.  I've had some slightly abnormal thyroid results, but nothing that could explain my severe symptoms, which is why my adrenal function is currently the suspect.

I hope you can get the diabetes under control and that the headaches go away.
  

[Chatterbox58]

no, Jackie no steroid drugs.  I just take pills and insulin.  And yes it comes on real quick and only last the most 36 hours.  I really don't think this is viral, but I could be wrong, I am so much better now, the only problem I am having currently is headaches, and they are bad.  Although they could be from high sugar level.

[JackieCalifornia]

Mmm, I think I'd find a new doc.

I get spells kind of like the one you describe, comes on fast, takes a day or two to wear off.

About your blood sugar levels, Lyme for sure can mess with your endocrine system -- my thyroid is wonky now, don't know why it happened or if it's connected to the Lyme, but the symptoms all seem to fit neatly together.  

Are they trying to treat your diabetes with any steroid drugs, since you indicate it's autoimmune -- ?  Lyme and steroids do *not* go together.

[Chatterbox58]

I asked for a longer treatment and he said since we got it within 72 hours that's all they require.  I know much better than this...lol

Jackie - I was sick in February with the flu so he gave me Tamiflu at that time.  When I went in there the other day I asked if I could have Tamiflu for this sickness since it helped me the last time, this was the day before I found the tick.  Also the reason why he said it's viral is because I got sick so quick, I was fine getting ready for work by 9 in the morning I was sick, could hardly walk, not alone move from my desk chair, fever, chills.  When I got sick the very first thing I thought about was WOW been here, done this..gosh I hope this tick wasn't infected.  
I also would love to know if lyme does something to your sugar levels because just six months ago I was dx'd with LADA diabetes, one that most people do not get..latent auto-immune...you guys sometimes I think this is all linked together and I can't put my finger on it.  

Thank you so much for listening to me.

[blamom]

2 100mg doxy is not enough, for anyone let alone a re-infection.  You need way more than that.  Your doctor is obviously not up to date on his lyme knowledge.  I have had Lyme Disease for over 8 years, been re-infected twice in that time.  You need to have way more than 2 doxys.  Please either go to another doctor or demand your current one give you at least 45 days

[JackieCalifornia]

I hope things work as the doc says!  Glad he gave you meds to take -- will keep a good thought for them working as they should.

I have to say I don't understand that saying about the odds of getting tick-bit twice with Lyme rare.  What exactly do they base such an opinion on?  Because of the way the statistics are done, where one has a 'true' case of Lyme ONLY if the tick is seen, the rash appears, blah blah, that means the numbers are smaller than they should be, and then if those numbers are used to predict the number of Lyme cases, of course it will be too small compared to reality.  And another thing:  there is no logical correlation between having been bit once being a preventer of being bit again!  That's simply illogical.  No one would say that about bee stings or mosquito bites.  "Oh, I got a bee sting last summer, so I won't get one this summer."  Aggh.

The mainstream medicine view of Lyme is that it's hard to get, but that's based on cooked numbers.  Your doc is following the standard line, which is not a huge surprise.

I would suggest that you google "chicago lyme" and find an LLMD in your area for a second opinion.  You don't have to, of course, and I know finding and going to another doc for something the first doc is sure is handled already seems way down your list of things you need to be doing.  

May I ask what viral syndrome the Tamiflu is for?

[Chatterbox58]

Thanks Jackie - I went back to the Dr today he gave me two pills of Doxy 100 mg each to take.  He stated that since we caught it within 72 hours this will do the trick.  He states the bloodwork wouldn't help since part of it would come up positive since I have the anti-bodies therefore none taken.  I will keep an eye out for a rash and I will watch my symptoms to see if they get any worse.  After having lyme in the past I definitely know what to expect and really have a gut feeling after how I was sick yesterday it is either back or I am re-infected.  I am taking Tami-flu for the viral syndrome that he is treating me for.  Wish me luck and Hopefully I won't be back on with more bad news.  They say the odds of being bit twice and having lyme is rare, what is your experience with that? Thanks JAckie!!

[JackieCalifornia]

Two weeks of doxy sounds like standard nonLLMD treatment ...

Your old test results that you post above indicates Lyme, to my understanding:  band 23 is specific to Lyme, meaning no other bug would make that band light up on the test.  One positive band may not be enough for a nonLLMD to get excited about, but the tests are imperfect and are only an indicator, not the last word.

I just googled "lyme chicago" and there were lots of hits that could lead you to a Lyme specialist.  That's what I would do, as annoying and time consuming and expensive as it can be -- I'm not medically trained, but I've been through the swamp with Lyme.

Best wishes to you -- let us know how you do, okay?

[Chatterbox58]

Thanks Jackie - yes, he gave me doxy before but only for two weeks.  I will call him today and see if I can get in or at least get doxy called in but for like four weeks knowing what I know today.  Thanks I will keep you posted, previous results:
Lyme AB screen  1.23 H
58 KD (IGG) Reactive
B Burgdorferi AB  Positive
23 KD IGM Reactive
41 KD IGM Reactive
These were from 2007
Thanks

[JackieCalifornia]

I'd say welcome back, but .... sorry you have reason to visit again!

Is this a doc who 'believes' in Lyme and will treat you?  The theory is that if you get treated fast enough after the bite, then it can be effective.  If this is a reinfection on top of an old untreated infection, I don't know how effective that is ... but I'd sure give it a try if that's all you can get the doc to do.

If this is a doc who was not a believer before and didn't treat and/or test you fully previously, I'd look around for a new doc for an evaluation.  Let us know how it goes --