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A single prophylactic 200mg dose of Doxycyline prevents Lyme disease

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Re: A single prophylactic 200mg dose of Doxycyline prevents Lyme disease

#52
post #10

Had to take doxycycline for 2 weeks after a tick bite. Man does that stuff destroy your digestive system. 7 years ago was on a date, just casually walking down the street. Coughed a couple times for no particular reason but my doxycycline lined stomach didn’t like that and boom projectile vomiting. Luckily he thought it was funny/ felt bad for me.

Interesting! Took doxy for months at a time, with a year being the longest ever taken it. The US military uses it as Malaria prophylaxis, so can end up taking it for a pretty significant amount of time. Never really had an side effects I can recall, but was in my early 20s at the time as well.

Re: A single prophylactic 200mg dose of Doxycyline prevents Lyme disease

#53

Not accurate. If you read the original research study this recommendation is based on, it prevents the bullseye rash, which they used as a proxy measure. It's unclear whether or not it actually prevents lyme. I personally got bitten by a tick, did the prophylaxis dose, and then developed joint pain which continued until I did a full 21 day course. Yeah it sucks not being able to go in the sun for an entire month and…

I am right there with you. Took one week Doxy after being bit and got a rash anyway. About two years later mental fog and all our hell took over, tested positive but doc wouldn't give me antibiotics because I took the initial one week "and it's not possible that I have Lyme". Years later I have lost a business I founded and countless months where I couldn't even think let alone function. One day IS ABSOLUTELY not eno…

> As further reference your insurance won't cover your treatment once it gets bad

Wait, what? Based on what reasoning? Was this before or after the Affordable Care Act?

Re: A single prophylactic 200mg dose of Doxycyline prevents Lyme disease

#54

Not accurate. If you read the original research study this recommendation is based on, it prevents the bullseye rash, which they used as a proxy measure. It's unclear whether or not it actually prevents lyme. I personally got bitten by a tick, did the prophylaxis dose, and then developed joint pain which continued until I did a full 21 day course. Yeah it sucks not being able to go in the sun for an entire month and…

I am right there with you. Took one week Doxy after being bit and got a rash anyway. About two years later mental fog and all our hell took over, tested positive but doc wouldn't give me antibiotics because I took the initial one week "and it's not possible that I have Lyme". Years later I have lost a business I founded and countless months where I couldn't even think let alone function. One day IS ABSOLUTELY not eno…

What did your treatment end up being? Did you take long term antibiotics?

Re: A single prophylactic 200mg dose of Doxycyline prevents Lyme disease

#55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am right there with you. Took one week Doxy after being bit and got a rash anyway. About two years later mental fog and all our hell took over, tested positive but doc wouldn't give me antibiotics because I took the initial one week "and it's not possible that I have Lyme". Years later I have lost a business I founded and countless months where I couldn't even think let alone function. One day IS ABSOLUTELY not eno…

> As further reference your insurance won't cover your treatment once it gets bad Wait, what? Based on what reasoning? Was this before or after the Affordable Care Act?

My understanding is that Lyme disease treatment is basically not covered by anything, beyond initial treatment. The suggestion of the possibility for Lyme to have long-term effects that need a much longer course of treatment is not scientifically accepted, but lots of people have reported symptoms of Lyme disease long after an initial infection.

Re: A single prophylactic 200mg dose of Doxycyline prevents Lyme disease

#56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At this point there are so many common tickborne illnesses, plus many that haven't even been discovered, that I don't see having a vaccine against only lyme as being a huge game changer. I mean don't get me wrong, it would be great, but I don't think it would suddenly make it safe to go morel hunting or whatever while wearing shorts. That said, tick bites are mostly avoidable by following the various best practices t…

Tick bites are not mostly avoidable. It is mostly avoidable to have one on you for > 24 hours by checking constantly. Numbers of ticks have increased the past 2 years in my area of NH. I have gotten them walking from my car to the house. Also if you have animals that are treated with tick medicine they bring the ticks inside and then the tick drops off so you can get them in your house.

Can you wear a Tyvek suit (the kind with the attached booties) under a Nomex flight suit with packing tape wrapped around the joints where your suit meets your boots and gloves? Spray Nomex rated permethrin on the flight suit, boots, and gloves, of course.

Re: A single prophylactic 200mg dose of Doxycyline prevents Lyme disease

#57
https://www.ticklab.org/ if you've been bitten, remove the tick carefully and send it in. Free if you're a Pennsylvania resident, might be an equivalent lab in your state. Plus plenty of stats on ticks & diseases by state.

Nice thing about ticks is it takes awhile (like 16-24+ hours) to transfer Lyme. Use a fine-tooth comb on scalp and do a thorough body scan after outdoor adventures.

Re: A single prophylactic 200mg dose of Doxycyline prevents Lyme disease

#58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel you man. I took it for acne for like 3 or so months, and every morning it was a daily battle not to puke my guts out. It didn’t work btw, and I ended up needing accutane, which left my lips ravaged and bleeding for a year.

The sad part is your acne might have been completely fixed solely through dietary intervention.

Maybe. But severe/cystic acne and the like are rarely solved so simply by dietary intervention. If the acne was so bad as to warrant an Accutane prescription, then my guess is that diet would not have helped much. Accutane can take a large toll on the body but is often one of the most effective tools in eradicating acne long term for those so strongly impacted.

Re: A single prophylactic 200mg dose of Doxycyline prevents Lyme disease

#59
Where I live (SW Missouri Ozarks) Lyme disease isn't as common places back east but ticks and getting bit by them are, especially this time of year.

We get lots of folks coming here to hike and camp and backpack in the Summer months, but most locals don't. We go to creeks and streams and lakes and hang out on the rocky banks and gravel bars and swim, boat, canoe (float trips), and if we camp out we set up our tents on those rocky banks.

I (and most everyone I know here) treat clothes I wear when working outside with permethrin. I spray my shoes, socks, denim jeans, and T-shirts. Those will last at least a month and a couple washings.

We also do "Tick Checks" when we get inside after being outdoors. We do get out, most of us live in forested areas and we have gardens and lawns to tend to, so we do get bit, there's no getting around it, but we get those ticks off fast. I've never had an engorged tick on me.

And I treat my clothes when I go hiking, camping, and backpacking in the cool season too (Late Nov - Mid-March), but the ticks are not near as bad then.

So, those practices likely also have to do with why very few locals get Lyme.

Re: A single prophylactic 200mg dose of Doxycyline prevents Lyme disease

#60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At this point there are so many common tickborne illnesses, plus many that haven't even been discovered, that I don't see having a vaccine against only lyme as being a huge game changer. I mean don't get me wrong, it would be great, but I don't think it would suddenly make it safe to go morel hunting or whatever while wearing shorts. That said, tick bites are mostly avoidable by following the various best practices t…

Tick bites are not mostly avoidable. It is mostly avoidable to have one on you for > 24 hours by checking constantly. Numbers of ticks have increased the past 2 years in my area of NH. I have gotten them walking from my car to the house. Also if you have animals that are treated with tick medicine they bring the ticks inside and then the tick drops off so you can get them in your house.

You should be able to get rid of them near your house though. E.g. by keeping grass trimmed, removing any plants they like, planting persimmon trees to attract opossums, etc.
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