I was diagnosed a couple of days ago. Been having lots of trouble with my joints, along with an overall feeling of malaise. I’m pretty well versed on the disease itself- was just wondering if anyone can share their personal experiences. I’ve been put on a 21 day antibiotic regimen. Was your treatment similar? Did it prove effective? At what point might I expect to begin feeling better? Will Lyme Disease do permanent damage to my joints?
Any input would be helpful. Thanks.

Lyme disease in dogs is a condition that can cause a wide range of problems with your dog.   It can damage the heart, kidneys, or joints if left unchecked.   This disease usually occurs in southern states, northeastern states, California, and Mississippi.   However, it can occur in virtually any part of the United States. Cause You may be wondering what causes this disease.   Dog Lyme disease is transmitted via tick bite.   The tick that carries this illness is infected with a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi.   The bacterium can’t be transferred immediately though, as the tick has to stay attached to your dog for one or two days. Symptoms If your dog is affected by this illness, he will show a range of symptoms.   Most dogs developing limping, especially in one of the forelegs.   Although this limping will be hard to detect at first, it will become much more noticeable as the disease progresses.   Other symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, loss of appetite, and fever. Diagnosis The veterinarian’s first step in diagnosing Lyme disease in dogs is to take a medical history and discuss your dog’s symptoms.   These symptoms will appear suddenly, which points to Lyme disease.   The condition can be definitely diagnosed through a blood test to detect the presence of the aforementioned bacterium.   Treatment Dog Lyme disease should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.   If not, permanent damage can be done to your dog’s joints and nerves.   The preferred method of treatment is through the use of antibiotics.   These drugs must be taken for at least three weeks.   If your dog is experiencing a lot of pain, your veterinarian may also prescribe aspirin. Prognosis Although treatment lasts for about three weeks, most dogs will start feeling better within a couple of days.   However, the disease may recur in months or even weeks.   This will require another round of antibiotics.

Description

Lyme disease was named after Lyme, Connecticut, where the disease was discovered. The disease is spread by ticks, though only a few species of ticks carry the bacterial organism that causes Lyme disease. One species is the deer tick, or black-legged tick, which lives in the Northeast Southern, and Midwestern United States. Another is the Western black-legged tick, which inhabits the Pacific coastal states. Victims rarely feel the insect’s bite because it injects an anesthetic (which numbs the area of skin) both when it punctures the skin and when it withdraws. Many experts believe that the tick must be attached to the body for at least 24 hours for infection to occur.

The first symptoms of Lyme disease appear anywhere from 3 to 32 days after infection. One of the most recognizable early signs is a circular, red “bull’s-eye” rash at the site of the bite (though the rash does not appear in many cases). In its initial stages, other symptoms of the illness resemble those of the fluintermittent fatigue, fever, nausea, headache, and chills. If the condition is not treated in its early stages, serious secondary symptoms can occur weeks or months later. These include arthritis, joint disability, muscle problems, and heart, nervous system, and even brain disorders.

Signs and Symptoms

Circular “bulls eye” rash, often with a red border and clear center, at the site of a tick bite

Headache

Fever and chills

Body aches

Sore throat

Joint pain and inflammation

Fatigue

Loss of mental acuity

Irregular heartbeat or chest pain

Conventional Medical Treatment

If you suspect you may have Lyme disease, visit your doctor immediately. If it is detected and treated early, the disease often causes no lasting harm; if, on the other hand, it is left to worsen, it can cause permanent complications involving the joints, heart, and brain. Your doctor can diagnose the condition with a blood test. Treatment for Lyme disease includes antibiotics to fight the bacteria and aspirin to help relieve any joint inflammation.

Complementary and Alternative Treatments

Nutrition and Supplementation

Garlic is a natural immune booster, so you would benefit from eating it in its natural state or taking it in supplement form. “Green drinks” provide chlorophyll, which detoxifies, along with vital nutrients and enzymes. These can be found in your natural foods store.

To improve your condition, follow these recommended daily guidelines:

Most Important

essential fatty acids (as directed on label)-reduce joint stiffness and inflammation

pancreatin and bromelain (as directed on label)-aid digestion

evening primrose oil (1000 mg 2 to 3 times daily)-combats pain and inflammation

Also Recommended

garlic (as directed on label)

kelp (1000 to 1500 mg)-detoxifies the body

selenium (200 mcg)-a free radical scavenger

multivitamin and mineral complex (as directed on label)-use a high-potency formula for necessary nutrients

glutathione (600 mg)

thymic extract (as directed on label)

maitake D fraction (as directed on label)-boosts immunity

(Consult your healthcare provider regarding the duration of treatment. )

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture Acupuncture treatment can be used to help relieve the fatigue, joint pain, and related side effects of Lyme disease.

Would you know how to remove a tick? Did you know that the old wives’ tales for removing them should be avoided? Never attempt to burn them off, crush them with your fingers, cover them with petroleum jelly or apply any other chemicals. These methods may actually heighten the risk of infection by causing the tick to produce excess saliva or vomit into the wound! Yes. . . Yuk!
A tick will remove itself from your body once it is engorged with your blood by simply falling off, but this process can take several hours or even days. As revolting as this subject is, it should give backpackers, travellers, and even those who think they are safe pottering in the garden, the urge to read on. . .
This article is not intended to cause alarm, but to heighten awareness of ticks and the potential for catching the diseases they carry. Fresh air and exercise is good for us, so the outdoors should not be avoided because of the fear of catching something or getting bitten. However, it is better to avoid the bite than deal with possible consequences like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (U. S. ) or other tick-borne illnesses.
Ticks resemble tiny spiders. There are several types of ticks and the diseases they carry depend on the geographical location. Ticks are reported to be the next most prolific spreader of disease after the mosquito. Although mainly inhabiting woodland areas, they are also found in our gardens and city parks. They are most active in warm weather but are present all year (even in Britain). Lyme disease is common across the United States, often transmitted by deer ticks, with thousands of cases reported each year. It is not as well known in the U. K. , but many will be surprised to learn that hundreds of cases are reported each year. Lyme disease is also found in Europe, especially Scandinavian countries, as well as in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Cases have been reported in many other parts of the world, including Australia, S. Africa, China, Japan, and the former Soviet Union.
A tick bite does not automatically mean it will always result in Lyme or any other disease. Not all ticks carry the disease but, unfortunately, some ticks are capable of carrying more than one disease. Those who are bitten and infected do not always experience symptoms, and often are not even aware they have been bitten, so the disease can be hard to pin down.
Successful diagnosis may hinge upon relating it to a bite – which is why awareness and knowledge is so important. The tick will latch onto you any way it can, but its favourite spots to feed are the neck, head, armpits, back of the knees, groin and navel areas. Taking a photo of any rash that develops at the site of the bite before it disappears can help convince doctors to take symptoms seriously. Many victims remain undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed because doctors are not well educated about tick bites and Lyme disease. It’s often up to the patient to be pro-active and pursue it by informing the doctor that they have been bitten and requesting tests and treatment.
Tips to avoid encounters with ticks:
* Wear light coloured clothing and long sleeves.
* Tuck trouser legs into socks and shirt into trousers.
* Wear shoes or boots rather than open sandals.
* Check yourself after sitting on grass or logs, brushing past branches or leaning against tree trunks.
* Use a light-coloured picnic blanket to easily spot ticks and other insects.
* Inspect outdoor pets regularly for ticks and keep them off furniture.
* Arrange with travel companions to check each other for signs of ticks (or use a mirror to check the parts you can’t see).
* Use insect repellents effective against ticks.
* Check clothing and shoes before entering your car or home.
Education is vital in avoiding and removing ticks. Know the correct method for removing them from the skin, preferably with tweezers or a special removal tool. Keep the tick so that it can be examined if symptoms occur. If head or mouth parts of the tick break off under the skin during removal they must also be taken out or medical help obtained as this can heighten the chance of infection.
If symptoms occur following a bite, antibiotic treatment should begin as quickly as possible. Symptoms of Lyme disease might include skin rash, headache, fatigue, fever, muscle and joint aches and swollen lymph glands. Left untreated the disease may spread to other parts of the body and cause chronic problems.
Apologies to the squeamish and arachnophobic who now have one more thing to worry about! A vaccine against Lyme disease is not available at the time of writing, so backpackers, hikers and campers should be especially vigilant. It is hoped that this information will remind lovers of the outdoors to take extra care and avoid unwanted close encounters of the buggy kind.

There are ten tick borne diseases recognized in the United States. Three were identified in the last 25 years:
Lyme Disease (1970′s)
Human Ehrlichosis (1980′s)
Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis (1990′s)
Ticks are external parasites that suck blood from other animals to survive. They are most prevalent in wooded rural areas but can be found anywhere animals live. Ticks bite dogs, cats, livestock, snakes, squirrels, turtles, ducks, robins, and people. Most ticks are just a nuisance but some transmit disease. For example:
Lone Star and Deer Ticks carry Lyme Disease
Brown Dog Ticks carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
TICK LIFE CYCLE
The life cycle of the tick plays an important role in determining when disease can be transmitted.
Ticks lay eggs in the spring, one month later larvae emerge. The larvae feed once in the summer on small mammals (like rodents) especially the white-footed mouse, then over winter.
The next spring, the larvae molt into nymphs. Nymphs feed on dogs, cats, deer and people in the late spring and early summer. Nymph are tiny, smaller than a mole, and therefore, difficult to detect in your pet’s fur.
In the fall, nymphs molt into adult ticks and feed on larger mammals, like white-tailed deer. They mate, lay their eggs, and die. Nothing can actually prevent ticks from attaching to pets or people. The key is to remove the tick promptly.
TO REMOVE A TICK
Use tweezers and grasp the mouthparts of the tick as close to the skin as you can and pull back. If part of the tick’s head remains, use a sterilized needle to remove it, just as you would a splinter. Don’t squeeze the tick because that can cause the contents of the tick’s body to be injected into the person or pet, and if the tick is carrying a disease, the individual can become infected this way.
When you’re in an area that may have ticks, i. e. , hiking or camping in the woods, check yourself, your children, and pets carefully in less than 12 hours. Most ticks don’t carry disease and if those that do are removed in less than 12 hours, it is unlikely that you and/or your family or pets will get a disease.
TIP: Wear rubber gloves to remove ticks, and then put them in a sealed jar containing a little alcohol. Call your vet and/or physician to identify the tick, just to be sure.
Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease is the most commonly reported tick borne disease in the United States. A multisystem illness caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgderferi and transmitted by Ixodes ticks. Lyme Disease is a complex illness that affects dogs, cats, other animals, and people. To date, cases have been reported in 44 states in North America and many other countries around the world and the incidence is increasing.
Lyme Disease is caused by a microscopic organism called a ‘spirochete’, which is transmitted through the bite wound of certain types of ticks, i. e. , Deer Tick, Black-Legged Tick, and Western Black-Legged Tick. The ticks must be attached to the victim for at least 24 hours to transmit Lyme Disease.
If infection does occur, the disease affects the skin, joints, and nervous system. In cats, signs are generally more vague than in the dog but arthritis with fever, lethargy, and appetite loss may occur two to five months after initial exposure. Treatment is with antibiotics given for two to four weeks and your cat may suffer relapses.
PREVENTION OF LYME DISEASE
Since nothing can stop ticks from attaching, prompt removal and preventing exposure to ticks in the first place are the solution. In the past insecticides applied to the coat as a spray, powder, or dip killed the ticks, but their protection only lasted three to five days. Therefore, in high-risk areas, treatment had to be repeated every seven to ten days.
New monthly medication prescribed by your vet can be given to cats as a pill or drops. These new products are easier to give and far more effective than those previously available. Frontline is a new, over-the-counter product that kills adult fleas on contact and controls ticks. Frontline is approved for cats over 12 weeks old and dogs. It comes as a liquid, which is applied to the skin between the shoulder blades at 30-day intervals.
TIP: Cats are very sensitive to insecticides and only products specifically labeled for cats should be used. Your vet will be able to recommend the best product for your pet.
FACT: Vaccines are available for people and dogs living in high-risk areas. and after treatment.

Connecticut channel WTNH-8 (ABC) report on the debate that is raging over the diagnosis and treatment of chronic Lyme disease. This report was aired in the wake of two new studies, one published in. . .

Lyme disease is an irritating disease that is caught from an infected tick bite. Most people have no idea just how frustrating and awful this disease can be for those afflicted by it. It causes muscle and joint agony that could last for days or many weeks at a time. You can end up with more than enough journeys to the health practitioners office, misdiagnoses and failed cures all can make for an awfully stressful part of your life.
Coping with Lyme disease can be notably difficult because most of the time the illness is misdiagnosed, which leads to taking drugs and medicines that don’t work, and you then suffering ongoing illness and agony from the disease. Because there is no conclusive test to resolve whether or not a Lyme disease infection is present, an incorrect diagnosis is common. This is especially aggravating for sufferers that are told that their illness is “all in their mind,” and then they’re are prescribed anti-depressants.
There are over 100 different symptoms of Lyme disease, which can make it very complicated for doctors to narrow down the symptoms into one illness. Lyme disease is also frequently misdiagnosed as another type of illness such as arthritis, and so the patient will not get the correct treatment.
If you are coping with Lyme disease in your life, following are some tips that could help you as you fight the disease:
Attain as much knowledge as you can about this disease. Educate yourself on the basics of, such as its symptoms, causes, how it is diagnosed and prognosis of the disease. Lyme disease progresses from the bacteria Borrelia, that is ordinarily transmitted by way of the bite of a deer tick. After the bacteria invades your body you’ll most likely start to suffer from the symptoms within a few weeks. Symptoms include a bulls-eye shaped reddish rash, fatigue, fever, and arthritis-like joint and muscle pain.
Putting up with Lyme disease and its multitude of symptoms certainly is not enjoyable, but by examining your symptoms and your medical history, your health practitioner will hopefully be able to make a proper diagnosis. Once a correct diagnosis is made, a cure can begin. This will almost certainly include either IV or oral antibiotics to rid your body of the bacteria. Having more knowledge of the illness and how it affects your body is an important part of coping with Lyme disease.
Talk to your health practitioner about the different cures that are feasible. Antibiotics are most commonly used to fight the disease. Be that as it may, you have alternative therapies available. These natural remedies help you cure your illness without relying on medicines and drugs that could cause other infections later, and could, in the long term, become expensive.
The most difficult thing to do while you’re feeling awful is be patient, but it’s very important when coping with your disease. You need to give your body the opportunity to be cured and respond to treatments, and worrying or stressing over how long it’s taking or dwelling on how bad you feel will not give you relief any quicker. In fact, it will hinder your recovery. So just try and relax — you will cure in time.

Medical professionals have varying opinions on how to best treat lyme disease.

Hartford (WTNH) – Connecticut has long been known as ground zero for Lyme disease. Now, state lawmakers are taking the controversy over the treatment of Lyme disease in the head. Over time h. . .

If you are in the uncomfortable position of having Lyme disease after being bitten by infected ticks, and appreciate how difficult the disease can be. Most people do not realize how Lyme disease can be aggravating and painful for those affected by it. Municipalities and the agony of muscle, which can last days or weeks at a time, many trips to doctors, misdiagnosis and treatment tried everything we can do to a very stressful life.
Suffering with Lyme disease can be particularly difficult because the disease is often diagnosed incorrectly, leading to treatments that do not work ever attempted, and then you suffer from the disease and the constant pain of the disease. Because there is no evidence to solve desisive if you are suffering from Lyme disease, correct diagnosis is normal. This is particularly frustrating, especially for people who say their symptoms are "all in their minds," and therefore are prescribed antidepressants. There are over 100 different symptoms of Lyme disease, which can make it very difficult for doctors to limit the symptoms in a single disease. Lyme disease is often confused with another type of disorder, like arthritis, so the patient does not receive proper treatment.
If you're with Lyme disease as a daily event, here are some tips that can help you how to fight the disease:
Acquiring knowledge as possible about their condition. Educate themselves about the facts of Lyme disease because its symptoms, causes, as a means of diagnosis and prognosis of the disease. Lyme disease is transmitted by the bacterium Borrelia, which is usually transmitted by the bite of a deer tick. Once the bacterium has invaded your body will more than likely begin to experience symptoms within a few weeks. Symptoms include a bull's-eye-shaped red rash fever, fatigue, and arthritis-like joint and muscle pain. Put this disease and its symptoms is certainly very fun, but looking at the symptoms and medical history, your doctor is expected to be able to make a correct diagnosis. Once a correct diagnosis was made, the healing can begin. This often includes both oral and intravenous antibiotics to rid the body of the bacteria. Understanding the disease and what your body is an important part to cope with their illness.
Talk to your doctor about different treatments that are available. Antibiotics are used to combat the disease. Whatever the reason, there are no other resources. These natural treatments help cure their disease, without drugs and medications that can cause other infections later, and may in the longer term, become expensive.
The hardest thing to do when you feel it's terrible to be patient, but it is very important when the dough with Lyme disease. You must give your body a chance to heal and respond to treatment, and worrying, or stressing when you are taking or thinking about how you feel bad does not give you any help faster. In fact it is more likely to slow recovery. So try to relax – it can heal with time.