Lyme Disease

Question: lyme disease? today i got tested for lyme disease, i am a VERY paranoid person why i look up things online with the same symptoms i have, i think i have it. But i just had a quick question for somebody who would know, if i am getting tested for lyme disease but had malaria would that still show up? i doubt i have it, but just curious.

Answer: No, depends on the test.

Question: How long does it take for Lyme Disease symptoms to appear? We just found a tick on my dog (golden retriever) and it probably was there since sunday, april 1st. I am concerned that she received Lyme Disease. I would like to know how long it takes for the symptoms of the disease to appear?

Answer: The early signs of Lyme disease in dogs are supposed to be loss of appetite, fever and lethargy. Lameness may occur at the same time or may occur later. In some dogs, enlargement of the lymph nodes (usually generalized enlargement) occurs. In dogs, skin signs, heart disease, kidney problems and neurologic signs are reported to be rare. Symptoms of Lyme disease are usually delayed for several months but start to occur about 2 months after exposure and should show up by 5 to 6 months after a dog or cat is bitten by a tick carrying the bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi).

Question: How do you handle joint pain from lyme disease? I've recently been diagnosed with lyme disease, and it's been pretty brutal. I've been given antibiotics to handle the infection itself, but my insurance won't cover medication to deal with the arthritis that's developed as a symptom. It hurts too much to walk, sit up straight, move my left arm or even turn my neck. Does anyone here have suggestions for dealing with nasty joint pain like this? I'm only 18 and start school soon.

Answer: "We are what we repeatedly do" Aristotle pain relief = Daily Stretching = increased oxygenated nourishing blood flow to the extremities visit below for FREE stretching /healing / recovery exercise chart http://www.standonme.com The key is to increase blood flow to the problem area; fresh nourished blood has vital oxygen and energy that aides to eliminate the pain and heal the body The only way to get reinforcements inside our highly complex human body is through the Circulatory systems that provide vital source needed for all life -- which is oxygen and the carrier being blood. Unfortunately the blood through your arteries is not like free flowing water through a plumbing System -- the blood needs to be pushed into the remote areas. The impure blood needs to be Pumped back against gravity into the heart for oxygenation. Due to lack of activity or stress or sedentary / busy life style Stretching is not occurring and there is a blood traffic jam in the pipes (thereby increasing free radicals in the impure blood #1 aging accelerator ) and blood circulation weakens which causes several chronic ailments like Leg callves pain , Back pain , stress, fatigue , depression , lethargy , aging , early wrinkles , low immunity etc… The only way to fix this is by stretching and widening the circulatory pipes and for long term and pain free and a healthy circulatory system invest in the new smart and highly effective solution which is a stretching tool that is so simple to use and carry. valuable benefits of stretching can be found here http://www.standonme.com/benefits_of_Str… use the product : Light weight Inexpensive - low-priced big value Portable Simple to use Minimal storage 0 moving parts 0 Assembly 0 Maintenance use it to stretch at home office airport bus stand anywhere just stand on it! and stretch away 100% natural Not a pill Safe and effective Promotes fast healing and quick recovery Makes you good all over while keeping you inspired for a healthy long pain free life And most important it works Happy stretching! "We are what we repeatedly do" Aristotle

Question: Can a dog get lyme disease from a kennel? I boarded my dog at a new place. A few days after she got home she started limping and was lethargic. I took her to the vet and she tested positive for lyme disease. She is on antibiotics and is fine now, but I can't help blaming the new kennel. Could she have been bitten by a tick from another dog at the kennel and developed symptoms within a week?

Answer: The average incubation time for lyme disease is 7-14 days BUT it can be as little as 3 days or as long as a month before symptoms occur. So while it is possible she got it at the kennel, it is also just as possible that it happened afterwards. Try this link. http://arthritis.webmd.com/tc/Lyme-Disea…

Question: How long should you wait between treatments for lyme disease and heartworm? We're thinking of adopting this beautiful foxhound from a nearby shelter but she has tested postive of lyme disease and heart worm. She has begun the lyme treatment as of May 29th 2007 and will continue that treatment for about three or so more weeks. The heartworm treatment is only two days but both treatments can not be done at once. She is a strong dog and will most likely do just fine but does anyone happen to know how long she will have to wait to have the heartworm treatment done after she finishes the lyme treatment?

Answer: Hmm. Who told you they can't be done at once? I'm not sure that's true, but I may have found another reason for the delay. Lyme disease is usually treated with the antibiotic doxycyline. Heartworms are treated with an injection, but there has been evidence that running a course of doxycyline prior to the injection MAY help kill more worms. If that's not the issue, then maybe the Lyme disease is so advanced that they are worried the shock to her system would be too great. Her body is busy killing and processing the Lyme bacteria now, and although Heartworm treatment only takes two days at the vet, it takes at least a month for the dog to fully recover, and they must be kept calm, with no exercise during that period, otherwise the dead and dying worms can clog their blood vessels and kill them. She can probably have the Heartworm treatment the day after she takes her last antibiotic. You should probably ask your vet to be sure.

Question: How often is Bells Palsy a symptom of lyme disease? How accurate are blood tests for lyme disease? My son was put on steroids after being diagnosed with bells palsy. Since he was bite by a deer tick 5 months before any symptoms I am worried he has lyme disease. The blood test was completed and came out negitive. Could the steroids have caused a false negitive?

Answer: aaargh!! DEB- FIRST, TAKE YOUR KID OFF ALL STEROIDS UNTIL LYME DISEASE IS RULED OUT BY A QUALIFIED [LYME-LITERATE] DOCTOR!! Why? Steroid use can lead to PERMANENT neurological damage if the disease IS present & allowed to get into places where it normally couldn't, due to the local immune-response suppression that steroids cause. {sigh} PLEASE take heed of this warning. Now... Bells Palsy is not a "common" symptom but not rare either, though it occurs more in children, and especially when the bite is in the head/ neck area. As far as the accuracy of Blood tests for Lyme, they are woefully inadequate & miss ABOUT 1/2 the actual cases of Lyme. (I hate having to repeat this over & over, but do some research. It's sadly true.) Lyme disease remains a clinical diagnosis (see CDC & even IDSA guidelines). The typical ELISA test relies on the body's ability to generate sufficient antibodies to the Lyme spirochete PIECES to be detected by the test. Sometimes there aren't enough...for various reasons. Finally, steroids can suppress immune response, but I haven't heard that they particularily interfere with the common blood tests for Lyme. (Oh... and My neurological Lyme symptoms started 4 months after the tick bite. A very common period of time, as I understand.)

Question: Can Lyme disease be spread through anything besides ticks? I've heard that mice and dogs can act as hosts to the B. burgdorferi microbes that cause Lyme disease. If a mouse were hosting the bacteria and bit someone, could that person contract Lyme disease?

Answer: Yes (maybe), though the deer tick is its primary vector there have been reports that the bacteria which causes the disease has been found in fleas and horseflies, however this is fairly rare and still being debated. As for your mouse example, they bite would have to allow them to exchange unlikely large quantities of bloods. Even if that were to happen the bacteria are generally presents in different forms when it is in different hosts in order to resist each hosts immune responses. It would have to shift forms very quickly after getting into the human which, which is highly unlikely making the mouse scenario VERY improbable.

Question: How does lyme disease physically effect my dog? My 18lb chihuahua/terrier (3 years old) mix was diagnosed with lyme a few months ago. He has received his shot and has had 2 series of pills to treat it. I noticed sometimes he limps and was just wondering what other physical effects the disease may have on him. He has also had some trouble with using the bathroom lately (i.e. going in the house!!!) I'm not sure if this could be associated with the lyme.

Answer: Symptoms of Lyme disease in animals are similar to the symptoms in humans. Although you will not see a skin rash on your pet, they can experience a range of symptoms: In dogs: Some infected dogs do not experience any symptoms of Lyme. Symptoms include lethargy, arthritis (displayed as joint pain, shifting from foot to foot, and lameness), loss of appetite, fever, fatigue, kidney damage, heart disorders, and neurologic disorders (including aggression, confusion, overeating). Symptoms can become chronic. Hope This helps and good luck ... Get your dog on a good Flea and tick prevention I like Frontline For Tick in dogs ...Does not help with fleas much so i use sentinel for my heartworm Prevention great combination

Question: Is it possible for a person to get cured from Lyme disease without medication? I was recently tested and the doctor says that I have Lyme disease antibodies in my system, but I don't have illness itself. He said that at some point in my life I contracted it, but I don’t have it now. I was never treated for Lyme Disease!

Answer: Hi- If your question is whether or not it can be treated without pharmaceutical drugs, the answer is yes- but not without "medication". There are many ways to go about treating Lyme, heavy duty antibiotics being the most commonly accepted. Alternative treatments include hyperbaric chambers, HCl therapy, raw/living foods diet, intensive antimicrobial herbs such as cat's claw, colloidal silver, grapefruitseed extract, or any combination of the above. The tricky element of this disease is that some things "work" for some people and not for others. By "work" I mean wiping out the majority of the bacteria and creating an environment in the body where they are less likely to reproduce and disseminate again. I have yet to hear of anyone getting rid of it completely, but there are people out there who are have Lyme but are living without symptoms. Some have done it through antibiotic therapy, some have done it via alternative treatments. Your best bet is to learn all you can, research, and find an experienced practitioner to partner with. No matter what your treatment path of choice is, TREAT IT, and don't try to do it alone, don't experiment, etc. Take it seriously, get support during the process, and get guidance from someone who is experienced in the approaches you are using. Best of luck.

Question: Lyme disease versus lymphoma in dogs--how do you tell the difference? I posted a previous question about my dog's symptoms, but now it looks like we're down to two options, according to the vet: Lyme disease or lymphoma. His lab results apparantly could indicate either of them.... He has swollen lymph nodes, watery eyes, and was a bit limpy (but he's 13 and a half and arthritic, so it's hard to tell what that means). He's responding well to steroids and antibiotics, in terms of his energy level, limpiness, etc. Can anybody shed light on the symptoms of either of these diseases and how to distinguish one from another? Thanks so much. Apparently he tested positive for lyme, but it was not a strong positive. As for his other lab tests, they found high calcium levels (which he had more than a year ago, when healthy) and above average white blood cell count.

Answer: There is a test for Lyme disease. Was your dog not tested??