Just wondering if any LWs have ever had Lyme Disease. I was finally diagnosed as positive on September 11 after 2 weeks of being sick.I am certain that I was bit at a 3D shoot (I won't mention the club name).The first week was absolutely brutal,the sickest I have ever been in my life.I thought at one point I was at death's door.I have been on antibiotics since Sept 11 and still don't feel like my old self.This will be the first year in over 2 decades that I won't be bowhunting.I haven't shot since August. Plus,the temps her in N.Y.have been incredibly warm,the longest stretch of 80+ temps since records have been kept in 1902.My advice is protect yourself at all costs.I hope to God I never get this again.

Sorry to hear of your illness, Jose it gets,better soon. It's takes 24 hour foe a tick to dig in so after being in the woods or any area with ticks about you have to check yourself. I found one o my head the day after being out and I check myself really well after the outing. At my desk the next day rubbing my head and felt a bump, yep a tick, pulled him off and luckily no limes. I have heard ticks do not like dandruff shampoo, so some head and shoulders might not be bad after a hunt.

Good advice LBshooter,thanks

I had it for a long time. Doctors missed it, the tests missed it. Once I got to a Lyme specialist and got it figured out, I was on a variety of antibiotics for over a year. At my worst, I felt close to death, and at that time I was in such misery I didn't really care one way or the other. In all, it lasted about 2 years. I missed 2 bow seasons. Worst physical and mental things I ever went through. But I got better and you will too, as long as your physician is competent and treats you right.

What kind of antibiotics did they give you? and for how long? It should be a minimum of 4 weeks, 6 is better... and that's if you feel cured. They're stubborn bugs and sometimes hard to get rid of. As long as you continue to improve, do what they tell you. But if your prescription runs out and ANY symptoms persist at ALL, ask for more... and if they refuse, don't hesitate, get to a different doctor immediately, preferably a LLMD(Lyme Literate M.D.) And if that's the route you go, I can help you find one near you.

If you're still on antibiotics after a few months and any symptoms persist, the meds should be changed or added to. Sometimes different meds work better for different folks and/or different Lyme Co-infections. If you have any questions fire away, I'll help any way I can.

Yes you're very fortunate to have diagnoses early! I had a many years before diagnosis. Doctor to doctor specialist to specialist spent thousands of dollars--i'd be very cautious of the ole 21 day doxycycline regiment, if I were you I would find a doctor that will give you at least two months of it just my personal Opinion. The spirochete bacteria is very hard to get rid of . I was a teacher coached three sports and ran seven marathons, nowadays I teach one half-day, mow several lawns on the side and feel very fortunate to walk 2-3 miles and bow hunt etc. There are approximately 200,000 cases diagnosed every year in United States of America. I've had tick bites my whole life never thought about him until this, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy if I had one.

I had it along with babesi-another tick borne illness. I actually didn't know I was sick until I had blood drawn for another issue and they found Lyme, another test the babesi. The Doxy is what got me. Couldnt even look at em after a while. By the way it wasn't the club. Ticks are everywhere and carry way more than just Lyme. Checking yourself each time you go outside is a great idea. Now if you pick the ticks up and they get in your truck, the next day you find one on your arm, crawling on your neck, etc so be aware

In complete sincerity, I had every symptom on Mission Man's chart there.... and more.

Oh, one other thing I'd like to mention... and this goes out to anyone who finds themselves battling Lyme. It may benefit you in the long run to keep a running word doc on your computer and enter dates, all symptoms, meds, improvements, setbacks, doctor's appointments, blood work results, etc. Start by trying to remember when you were bitten, the onset of symptoms, up through the current time, and then add to it every week or sooner as needed. A health journal of sorts. I did this in great detail and took it with me to my LLMD at each visit, he would read it in its entirety, then we would discuss. Each and every time, he would comment on how useful it was and that he wished all of his patients would do it instead of just trying to remember, with their brain fog, all of the details since their last visit.

I just came back from the woods and swamps a few minutes ago, and now talking about Lyme, I feel like I got stuff crawling on me. Damned bugs.

Check out previous posts on Lymes.

http://leatherwall.bowsite.com/tf/lw/searchaction2.cfm

I am grateful to be using ElimiTick® tick-repelling clothing in early season and I use head and shoulders dandruff shampoo everyday anyway. After ready the above post I am even more grateful and I am going to go hug my Gamehide ElimiTick pants- shirt-hat-socks-gloves right now!! hehe! Sorry you fellers had to endure this as last year I had one under my armpit and no idea how long it had been there. So I retired my Woolrich outfit and ordered this stuff.

Pennsylvania now leads the nation in reported cases of Lyme disease! I remember when you could spend all the time you wanted in Penn's Woods and ticks were of no concern and Lyme disease was reported as a distant problem.

I still use the same clothes I always wore, just treat them with permethrin...Sawyers in particular. No ticks since I started that and it lasts all season for me.

X 2 for Permethrin. Spray my clothes and pack in A trash bag. After awhile they smell a bit ripe but no ticks On me since.. The scary thing for me was I discovered one on My neck one winter evening. A real wake up call for me. I guess they are Present all year round..

Pa led the nation in Lyme Disease cases last year.

My county, Butler, is THE worst in the state. I don't step foot in the back yard without thinking about it and never go to the woods without layers of protection. That said, I've spent more time in the woods this year than I have in a long, long time... wading through countless brush fields, swamps, and seas of weeds and multiflora rose. I use Sawyer's Permethrin spray on all clothes and boots, and Deep Woods off on exposed skin.

I had the Lyme test it cam back neck is this accurate?

Not necessarily. It depends. The tests vary in reliability, some often throw false negatives, and many physicians treat "equivocal" results as negative results when in reality, the patient is full blown infected.

At this point in Lyme-time, I don't think any tests are 100% accurate. And then with each, there are variables. How long you've had it, degree of infection, strength of, or individual response of immune system... and whether you've been treated prior to testing can sway the results one way or the other. Often, it's better to be treated with antibiotics for at least a few weeks prior to testing. This is how I was revealed as positive... acute and chronic.

Books have been written about this stuff, but hey, if I thought I might have Lyme, and my initial Lyme titer came back negative or equivocal, and I hadn't already been on antibiotics, I would INSIST my doctor gave me 6 weeks of Doxycycline, 3-4 weeks minimum, and then retest with a Western Blot at IgenX lab in California, even if I had to pay for it myself, which I did, about $300... best 300 bucks I ever spent.

Nowadays, you may very likely be able to get your doctor to order this test from this lab(not all labs judge Western Blots by the same criteria) and be covered under your insurance. I was going to a doctor that was 'out of network' at the time, so paid myself then asked to be reimbursed and was denied.... I could have resubmitted it I suppose, but whatever... I was happy I was finally told the truth.

They told me I had Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever 4 months ago. I took the antibiotics for 4 weeks. Just got tested again and I still have it so I just got another 4 weeks worth. My wife wants me to go to a specialist.

I'm not sure if Rocky Mt Spotted Fever is the same way, but many specialists believe the full treatment regimen for Lyme should last approximately as long as the patient was infected prior to beginning of treatment.

If the additional four weeks of treatment doesn't fully cure you, go to a specialist. Why wait? Nobody cares about your health more than you do. If you go to one, don't go to just any 'specialist'. Do your homework. I researched, chose, and waited for the best LLMD within driving distance. People have come from as far away as Australia to see him, and were cured.

Any LLMD will be adequately versed in the diagnosis and treatment of Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever. The ILADS(International Lyme and Associated Disease Society) will give you a list of LLMD's in your area if you email them and ask.

Email: [email protected]

Although our deer weigh about 80 pounds and their antlers are pathetic, at least Lyme Disease, West Nile, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever haven't made it down here thus far.

Yes....had Lyme and Anaplasmosis (sp) from same tick bite. Tests were performed at Mayo Clinic in Rochester Mn Symptoms started a couple weeks after bite.. 20 days of Doxycycline cleared it up Was miserable prior to diagnosis....

what was your guys symptoms

My symptoms included night sweats, fever, fatigue, muscle pain ...just feeling like crap all the time..these symptoms are not unique to Lyme so getting blood work done for a credible diagnosis is important

Fiddler, After checking Florida on Google = "Of the Lyme disease cases reported from 1999-2008, 30% were acquired in Florida. "

"The most common diseases that come from ticks in Florida are ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other spotted fever illnesses. Symptoms of tick-borne diseases usually start within two weeks of being bitten."

"A dead crow found in a backyard in Florida has tested positive for West Nile virus, marking the virus' first appearance in the state. The Florida Times Union first ..."

""From 1973 to 1983, 49 Florida residents were reported with confirmed Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), 25 of whom were considered to have had Florida-acquired disease."

Clyde not sure of your source but West Nile Virus has been in Florida for awhile the crow might be a 4-5 year old report? Fiddler I agree with you mostly I get ticks on me regularly but they are starting to give attention to Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness if you want to Google STARI.

Mike, I just googled each disease in Florida for 2017 and that's some of the info that came up. The source for the crow was ABC news.

Here's another=West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes mild to ... first introduced to the United States in 1999 in New York and reached Florida in 2001. Guess this stuff is everywhere.

We've been vaccinating horses for WNV for probably 10 years it's definitely here but rare in humans-mosquitos! The State places "sentinel chickens" out to monitor for encephalitis diseases as they are normally bird diseases.

Wow,what a wealth of information. You guys are great.I was lucky this got diagnosed fairly early.After 10 plus days of the doxy,I am feeling pretty decent but will continue all 28 days of treatment.

In case anybody didn't get the memo....

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS finish up the ENTIRE script on your antibiotics. People who don't do that are partially responsible for the rise of the incurable Superbugs. It's selective breeding headed the wrong way...

Ask your doc how to handle things if you change meds part way through the course, because the last thing this world needs is any more incurable diseases.

I was getting headaches, dizzy, and foggy in my thinking after strenuous weight lifting. Had a MRI on my brain for clots, tumors, etc. all clear. Blood work came back with Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever. I really don't know if the symptoms are related. I never really felt bad except for when I worked out.

My symptoms were a blinding headache that lasted a week,chills,sweats that would soak the sheets.Ct scans showed a spot on a lung and liver was malfunctioning. Blood and protein in urine.Follow up ct scan and ultrasound showed lungs clear and liver function normal.Urine has cleared up.As you can see,this is not a disease to ignore since it really messes with body functions

Yep, severe headaches 24/7. Go to sleep with them, wake up with them. That's systemic inflammation due to a major infection. Body functions screwed up... yes. Wake up every hour due to severe pain, and wake in between the sharp pains because your heart stops beating and then hammers out of your chest waking you thinking it's a heart attack. Breathing so shallow and seldom, minimal.... hanging on to life by fingertips.... you find you need to consciously tell yourself to breathe again, or else. Autonomic bodily functions failing... Ticks suck.

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