Antibiotics for a Tick bite?

[LoveSoDeep]

Okay so I had a tick bite. It was in a place where I couldn't reach it myself really and I was afraid if I did get it out I might leave part of the head in and not even know it (plus the whole thing just grosses me out) so I went to a pharmacy quick clinic and the nurse got it for me.

 

She prescribed me a full course of doxycycline like 2 pills a day for 2 weeks! I think this is a bit excessive. I don't live in the northeast or in an area where lyme disease is common and it wasn't even for sure a deer tick. The reason she wanted to prescribe the pills was because I was probably exposed to the tick sometime Saturday so it was large and obviously engorged. It had probably been on me more than 36 hours.

 

In reading up online I have seen that sometimes a single dose of doxycycline is used to prevent lyme disease just in case...and it seems a single dose is just 200mg once.

 

So does anyone know can I just take the 200mg and be doen with it?

 

I wouldn't ask but this nurse tried to look up twice what I needed to take and it seemed like she just went with 2 weeks b/c she couldn't find a better answer.

[Seraphim]

I would take what she says..........you wont like Lyme disease.

[Catdancer]

Do you have a primary care physician or even an gyno that you see regularly? Call and ask them.

[LoveSoDeep]

@Victoria - I know...I don't want lyme disease but I hate taking anitbiotics for 2 weeks if I don't have to.

 

@ CD - I have a new PCP that I have only seen once and she's a resident. I live near a big medical school and I figured it wouldn't matter that they are still earing since I'm normally very healthy...Yeah I guess I could call.

 

I just wondered if anyone had ever been prescribed this before and if the 200mg thing seems right? Or if it was more like 2 weeks for them too.

[Seraphim]

I was being rather dry with my humour sorry, it slips out sometimes. Is there a dr you can check with? I have never had a tick bite myself or even known anybody who has had one. I think we do have ticks here but living in a more northern climate we might not have too many of them. Check with a dr about what the right dose would be.

[LoveSoDeep]

Oh, you're quiet alright! What's funny is this is the first tick I've had that I have to take care of myself (I think as a child maybe I had one or two tops) and my dog has had one or two. So I'm just clueless!

 

Like I said I would call my doctor but she's just a resident and I'm not sure she whould be much more help than the NP who I saw this morning. lol

 

I was being rather dry with my humour sorry, it slips out sometimes. Is there a dr you can check with? I have never had a tick bite myself or even known anybody who has had one. I think we do have ticks here but living in a more northern climate we might not have too many of them. Check with a dr about what the right dose would be.

[Seraphim]

Residents are pretty knowledgeable I would think.....if they do not know then they have superior to ask.

[itsallgrand]

I've been on antibiotics a few times for tick bites. Full cycle, always.

 

Better safe than sorry, I figure. But I do live somewhere that has a lot of spreading of scary stuff through ticks and mosquito.

 

It's the kind of thing most people think nothing of until they get the bizarro disease and are in hospital. Why risk it?

 

But I would be having a regular doc to check in with. Someone who knows your history - some random nurse is basically doling out the generic treatment for it, so it's hard to say if it's the best option for you.

 

You need a reg doc! lol.