There I was, faced with that moment I never wanted to find myself in. Through groggy eyes, I stared down at my leg in disbelief. An overwhelming feeling of panic came over me as I realized that yes, it was an engorged tick. I took a deep breath, gathered my thoughts and went into action.
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As I looked down and saw this tick, full of blood, attached to my leg, I had a variety of thoughts, one being, how could I be so stupid! I know that ticks are a problem year-round. I know that I shouldn’t let my dog in our beds or on our furniture. I even know that I should apply tick treatment to my dog during the winter.
But there it is, and I’m quite certain that tick wasn’t there the night before, and now, I have to figure out how to practice what I preach.
This isn’t a story from my initial infection, in fact over eleven years ago when I was infected, I never saw a tick, I never had a rash, a fever or any other initial symptoms. But finding this tick, this is something that just recently happened and it happened in February. It just goes to show you that you can get a tick bite in the Winter!
Why I’m Not Getting Antibiotics
As I decided how I would treat this tick bite, I knew for a fact that I wasn’t going to go to a doctor to get myself on antibiotics. I honestly never want another antibiotic unless my life depends on it. Don’t get me wrong, antibiotics are a great treatment option for someone who has a recent tick bite. However, I’m not so sure it’s as helpful for the person who has an active infection or who has had Lyme in the past. There probably isn’t even a study for that.
The truth is, there aren’t any studies showing exactly how much antibiotic one should take for an early Lyme infection or how long one should be treated. This lack of research and the controversy that surrounds it causes many people to have a false sense of security. They believe that just because they got a prescription, no matter how many days it’s for, they’ll be cured once they take it.
At one time the CDC recommended one Doxycycline to treat an early Lyme infection. That’s one pill, not one week! Just as a side, this is exactly what my pediatrician gave my daughter and she ended up with a severe case of Chronic Lyme disease and co-infections for over seven years.
The reality is, treating a new Lyme infection with antibiotics can be effective but only when the correct dose is given in high enough doses and for a long enough duration. But because no one can agree on what that is or what the best treatment is, ILADS has put together a guideline for treatment. They suggest that you don’t wait for symptoms, treat the tick bite, because time is of the utmost importance!
You can find that here in my Printable Treatment Guidelines
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I’ve been off of my usual homeopathic sprays for probably six months. Instead, I’ve been working with a friend of mine, who has a new holistic practice. She has been running hair, nail, and saliva scans on me and preparing a very personalized homeopathic remedy for me to take.
I’ve been feeling fine other than the continual leg and feet pain I always have. I learned that I have some mild vascular issues that could be contributing to this but it could also be a result of heavy metal toxicity or a residual Bartonella infection. I’ve also been told that it’s permanent damage from being sick for so long, so I honestly don’t even know what the problem is.
What I am Doing for My Tick Bite
When I found this new tick, I immediately did what I always tell you, my readers, to do. I grabbed my tick kit, pulled out the tweezers, placed it firmly against the skin and around the head of the tick and I began to pull the tick straight up and off my leg.
As I pulled, the tick completely disintegrated into the tweezers. This can sometimes happen when the tick is engorged so if it happens to you, don’t get too grossed out. Because I no longer had a tick available, I couldn’t send it off for testing.
If you remove a tick and it’s intact, it’s a good idea to have it tested and to find out if that tick is carrying any pathogens that could potentially cause infection.
Next, I cleaned up the area of my leg where I was bitten and immediately sprayed Sovereign Silver on it. Silver is a very powerful antibiotic and I’ve used this particular brand for years. I applied silver at least three times a day for a week and I kept a close watch of that area to make sure that a rash didn’t show up.
Tick bites that transmit Lyme disease only produce a rash 50% of the time and a bulls-eye rash 25% of the time.
Homeopathy & Herbs
Once I got my leg cleaned up I took a dose of Arsenicum Album 30. I read that this remedy is used when you feel you’ve been poisoned and I definitely felt that way. After taking the Arsenicum, I also took a dose of Ledum palustre 30 because this is what I had on hand. You should use Ledum palustre 200c according to Joette Calabrese. I continued to take the Ledum three times a day for the next few days and then down to once a day for another week.
CORRECT HOMEOPATHIC PROTOCOL: I’ve since learned that you should take the Ledum 200c every 3 hours the first day, twice daily for a week and then twice weekly for a month. You should also take Arsenicum Album along with Hypericum perforatum twice a day for one week and then follow the same protocol as the Ledum. You can find the details on Joette’s website which is super helpful.
I began having air hunger, heart palpitations, an overall physical weakness, overall pain, and that really deep fatigue you get with Lyme disease. I suspected I was also having symptoms of a possible Babesia infection but again, I don’t know for sure.
I decided rather than take any chances, I would go back on my homeopathic remedies from my doctor. I also added a few herbs that I had on hand for Babesia. The first herb is CSA which is a combination of Cryptolepis, Sida, and Alchornea. These herbs are super helpful for Babesia and Bartonella. The other herb is Stephania and both are made by Woodland Essense.
If you are not familiar with Stephen Buhner and you’re interested in learning about herbal treatments for Lyme disease, I highly recommend his book, Healing Lyme, 2nd Edition and his website BuhnerHealingLyme.com is a wonderful resource.
As I listened to my body and made adjustments as needed, I continued to take the homeopathy and the herbs for the entire month. I noticed the air hunger and heart palpitations quickly went away and now the symptoms that I’m left with are fatigue and some pain but not as bad as before. I plan to continue using my homeopathic remedies, which helped us so much initially, and I will be following up with my doctor.
Lifestyle Habits
It’s important to maintain a very healthy lifestyle and focus on eating a mostly whole-foods diet. I’m reading The Lyme Solution by Darin Ingles, ND, and he discusses the importance of an alkaline diet. I tend to lean more toward ketogenic and modified paleo but as I reviewed his list of foods to eat and those to stay away from I realized that the only thing I consume that’s on the “do not have” list is coffee. I don’t have plans to give up coffee anytime soon and when I do you’ll know I’m desperate!
I’ve shared in the past why exercise is so important and so I’ve made that a priority in my life. I’ve been exercising five days a week but because of my low energy and feeling so inflamed, I had to back down to restorative exercises. I really enjoy Yoga with Adriene. I’m also enjoying the infrared sauna at our local Therapeutic Spa, which is also where my daughter works. Perks! 🙂 It has been hugely helpful for my pain and afterward, I take activated charcoal and drink plenty of lemon water to help sweep up any toxins.
The Most Important Thing
The most important thing I have tried to implement during this time is a calm mindset. Read Five Things You Must Not Do When You Have Lyme Disease.
I’m not going to worry and fret over whether or not this tick bite is going to destroy my health. I’m staying on top of symptoms and taking care of myself in every way. I really want to know whether or not homeopathy works for a new tick bite and while our doctor’s combination remedies helped my family regain health after a very long battle with tick-borne diseases, I’ve always wondered how to use individual remedies and whether they are trustworthy enough to recommend to others.
I know that not everyone can go see my doctor and I also know that Medical Doctors are not willing to give the recommended antibiotic treatment so we need a better way to protect ourselves and our children. It’s just not realistic to hide ourselves in our homes and never able to enjoy the great outdoors. I’m proof, I got a tick bite in my home!
I’ll keep you posted but until then, do your tick checks every day, especially if you’re in an endemic area! If you find a tick follow these steps outlined in Help! I Found a Tick.
It’s best to have an action plan laid out ahead of time so that you’ll know what you need to do! Don’t wait until the weather is warm or until you find a tick. Ticks are out all year round and whether your doctor believes it or not, all ticks carry diseases! They’re all over the world and in every state in the United States. Keep your immune system strong, limit stress, get plenty of sleep, and eat a healthy well-balanced diet.
Be educated, be tick smart, and always have a plan!
Dear Tricia, thank you again for all this wonderful information! I have shared it on my FB page in hopes that others will be encouraged and know what they can do and how to do it! You are a blessing!!
Thanks for this blog- so encouraging! And I’m so sorry you had another run in with a tick- but inspired that you kept from panicking and just put to use all that you have learned. Thanks for sharing this with the world! Be blessed!
Yes, I’m so glad I can use what I’ve learned! I feel much better and I’m pretty sure I beat whatever infections I may have gotten. Thank you for your encouragement!