Posted 7/19/2018 5:05 PM (GMT -5)
Hi everyone - I am new here and looking for guidance.
Two weeks ago I found an engorged deer tick on my back. My husband removed it. My back instantly had a reaction. It swelled up, blistered and then the blisters broke. By day three, I had a rash around the blistered area though not in a bulls eye fashion. I went to urgent care the day after finding the tick. The doctor put me on 7 days of doxy (100mg twice per day). I read about that is not enough to kill Lyme so went to primary care physician and was put on an additional two weeks.
I should mention, the day I found the tick, I had already been on 10 days of doxy as I had a skin infection on leg. So it is reasonable to assume that the entire time the tick was on me, I already had doxy in my system.
It has currently been 15 days since finding the tick. I have not had a fever, flu like symptoms or fatigue but I have had chills, neck and pain pain, jaw pain, nausea, lack of appetite and headache.
The thing is, I am not sure if those symptoms are from the doxy or my anxiety over the fact that I might have Lyme or a co-infection. While the internet is a good resource, I can’t seem to find any hopeful stories after tick bites! Everything is doom and gloom. I am 30 and not financially stable to be able to spend thousands of dollars on treatment. I am a nervous wreck.
Would love any advice! What are the odds of getting Lyme being on doxy at the time of the bite? Is my treatment enough to prevent getting it?
I have a blood test scheduled for 6 weeks post bite (3 weeks after ending doxy) but I read how the Test is unreliable and my doctor won’t order a western blot test without the first test being positive.
Thanks in advance!