Man, I've got lyme

[10-K]

So, I've been out of work this week thinking I had the flu. Yesterday I felt so bad I went to the doctor and he immediately sent me to the ER with suspected meningitis. I spent yesterday in the hospital getting fluids, IV toradol, CT scan and all kinds of labs.

I'm waiting on the tests for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and lyme disease to come back (takes 3 days) but this morning on my upper leg there is an almost perfect bullseye about 4 inches in diameter so I guess that's as good as a lab result as far as diagnosis goes.

FWIW, the ER doc sent me home with a prescription for doxycycline so that's good.

I picked at least a dozen ticks off of me going from HF to Rockfish Gap - guess I missed one.

[zoidfu]

Ouch.... my buddy got it last year and had to get a spinal tap...

[zoidfu]

I wish I could tell you that it wasn't that bad but he said it was excruciating.... hope you don't have to go through that.

[warraghiyagey]

[zoidfu]

Yup, excruciating lol.

[warraghiyagey]

Yup, excruciating lol.

I don't know. . . I thought 'Sex Farm Woman" was a hountingly beautiful ballad. . . .

[10-K]

I'm glad all this pain and agony is bringing a laugh to someone.

I wouldn't wish this crap on anyone. The worst part is the migraine-level intensity headache that just won't go away and that nether-world place I go to when i try to sleep.

[warraghiyagey]

I'm glad all this pain and agony is bringing a laugh to someone.

I wouldn't wish this crap on anyone. The worst part is the migraine-level intensity headache that just won't go away and that nether-world place I go to when i try to sleep.

Sounds like you didn't get treated in the early stages, I had it in '98. . . big perfect bullseye on my chest. . . lethargic for a couple weeks but no residual effects since. . . sorry about that it can still be a humorous subject sometimes. . . .

[Gray Blazer]

My guitar amp goes to 11!!

[Gray Blazer]

They've got a worse lymes disease in the FL Keys.....Key Lyme disease!

Sorry about that. I hope your's goes away.

[bigcranky]

Sorry, 10-K. I had Lyme in 2005, picked it up in Shenandoah. It was totally miserable -- the sickest I've ever been. The antibiotics work pretty quickly -- you should be feeling better in a couple of days. Just make sure you take the whole cycle.

[skinewmexico]

Make sure you take all of your antibiotics. I know a lady who's Lyme went undiagnosed, and the long term effects have not been pretty.

[Alaskanhkr23]

Yeah my buddy got it and woke up one morning with half his face Numb and temp paralyzed,Sorry to hear by the way

[10-K]

If you've had it, did you find the symptoms to come and go in waves?

I'll feel ok for an hour or 2, then for a few hours my joints will feel like they're on fire, my head will feel like it's about to explode and my neck will start really hurting. Then I'll feel ok again for a while. Nighttime is the absolute worst because instead of sleeping I feel like I'm going in and out of consciousness and I have to get up because I've soaked the bed with sweat. Ughh.

I've also had a fever of 100.5 - 101.7 since Monday. Looking forward to getting better soon.

[gravityman]

You might have gotten all the ticks off, but you might not have done it correctly...

If you squeeze them or use a chemical to remove them, they can regurgitate their stomach contents in to your bloodstream. Probably the most effective way to get a tick-borne disease. And Lymes isn't the only one, nor is it the worst...

Gravity

[Phoenixdadeadhead]

Kind of off subject, but after my shakedown in Shenandoah and being assaulted by ticks, I have been considering using flea and tick drips on this months hike. They work so good on the dog hours after putting them on him you could see the ticks jumping off him like he was a burning building, and the ones who stayed died. I know it may seem weird to use a Dogs tick prevention, but the stuff works great on them and last a month or until the next bath, so all I would need is to retreat at every shower.

[Manwich]

I was on doxy for 6 months for lymes.

Now I take 2 garlic pills a day. If a ticks on me, he wont be biting.

[bigcranky]

If you've had it, did you find the symptoms to come and go in waves?

Yes, very much. I had severe fatigue and 105+ fevers, which would come and go several times over the course of the day. Sometimes I would feel just a little crappy, then 20 minutes later I couldn't stand up.

Never got the headache or the joint pain. Just massive fatigue and fevers.

[gregor]

questions for those of you who have had lyme's. Did anyone notice bells palsy, or the face droop as one of their first, or first noticable symptom? I woke up this morning, and a colleauge of mine said, "dude, what's up with your lip" and sure enough my lip on the left side of my face, as well as the facial muscles are droopy. Not terrible, but noticable. I've got nothing else other than this minor droop, no fever, chills, or anything along those lines. Also no rash that i can see.

I just ask because a few weeks ago i pulled a tick off me. Most it could have been on was 24 hours, not sure if that's enough time to transmit.

[JAK]

Just a few cases starting to happen up here. We have lots of deer in out neighbourhood, but very few lyme cases. Same with stuff like West Nile, and Bear Attacks. Lots of critters mut very few problems. Just the economy sucks I guess. Rather have me health though. Hope you get well soon 10-K. I'll use it as a wake up call for myself, and try and be more vigilant.