Table of Contents
Treatment
Antibiotics are the drugs used for treating all phases of Lyme disease. In nearly all cases they can cure Lyme, even in later stages.
Preventive Antibiotics after a Tick Bite
According to guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), people bitten by deer ticks should not routinely receive antibiotics to prevent the disease.
A single dose of the antibiotic doxycycline may be given in situations that meet all of the following conditions:
- The tick is still attached to the patient and is positively identified as an adult or nymphal I. scapularis (the tick that carries the Lyme disease B. burgdorferi spirochete).
- Doxycycline treatment can be started within 72 hours of the tick bite.
- There is proof that at least 20% of ticks in that geographic area are infected with B. burgdorferi.
- It is safe for the patient to receive doxycycline (this drug should not be given to pregnant women or children younger than 8 years of age).
In general, the risk of developing Lyme disease after being bitten by a tick is only 1 - 3%. However, patients who have removed attached ticks from themselves should inform their doctors. Patients who have been bitten by a tick should be monitored for up to 30 days to make sure they do not develop symptoms of Lyme disease, especially the tell-tale bull’s-eye rash. If you do develop a skin lesion or flu-like illness during this time, be sure to tell your doctor.
Treating Early Stage Lyme Disease
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Review Date: 01/13/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.
Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M.,
Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
