4 yr old niece had tick in her neck and hasnt been herself since. chance of LD?

[Sara20]

Hello! My 4 yr. old niece had a tick in her neck on Nov. 15th. My sister had to take her to the hospital to get it out because the only thing sticking out was the tail...But ever since then, she seems to catch everything and has NOT been herself..She has been sick for a month and has infintego(?). She has not been happy at ALL since this happened..she isnt talkative or anything and my sister said she will not even let anyone touch her. if you try and hug her she says "ouch dont touch me" and my sis said she went in her room the other night and she was just rolling around crying and she was white as a ghost and her lips were purple. Well she got a really bad ear infection yesterday too and my sis finally took her to the hospital and while there, her ear drum broke and her ear was bleeding. im not sure of the symptoms for lyme disease but her mother in law is a nurse and worried that she has it. They tested her for it but said it will be a while before they get the results..i was just wondering what you guys think?!..any information would be very helpful! thanks!

[ticker]

Hi Sara20, welcome to the board!

I am sorry your niece is sick. Since these problems seem to have started after the tick bite, I believe it can be related. If the tick was saved, it could have been tested for disease. Was it removed with tweezers?

Below is a Lyme symptom list. You can have any combination of symptoms.

Unexplained fevers, sweats, chills, or flushing
Unexplained weight change--loss or gain
Fatigue, tiredness, poor stamina
Unexplained hair loss
Swollen glands
Sore throat
Testicular pain/pelvic pain
Unexplained menstrual irregularity
Unexplained milk production: breast pain
Irritable bladder or bladder dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction or loss of libido
Upset stomach
Change in bowel function-constipation, diarrhea
Chest pain or rib soreness
Shortness of breath, cough
Heart palpitations, pulse skips, heart block
Any history of a heart murmur or valve prolapse?
Joint pain or swelling
Stiffness of the joints, neck, or back
Muscle pain or cramps
Twitching of the face or other muscles
Headache
Neck creeks and cracks, neck stiffness, neck pain
Tingling, numbness, burning or stabbing sensations, shooting pains
Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy)
Eyes/Vision: double, blurry, increased floaters, light sensitivity
Ears/Hearing: buzzing, ringing, ear pain, sound sensitivity
lncreased motion sickness, vertigo, poor balance
Lightheadedness, wooziness
Tremor
Confusion, difficulty in thinking
Difficulty with concentration, reading
Forgetfulness, poor short term memory
Disorientation: getting lost, going to wrong places
Difficulty with speech or writing
Mood swings, irritability, depression
Disturbed sleep-too much, too little, early awakening
Exaggerated symptoms or worse hangover from alcohol

When Lyme disease is a possibility, it is very important to see a knowledgeable doctor. Many doctors do not understand Lyme and treat with outdated protocols. No test is completely reliable, and results can vary by lab. The majority of people test negative early in the infection. It is my understanding that the ELISA or titer is the least reliable test and the one most doctors run first. Is this the test she had done?

Besides Lyme, ticks can transmit several co-infections including Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis (HME & HGE), Bartonella, and Mycoplasma. Many people who have Lyme are co-infected, and it may affect treatment choice and progress. It is important to be tested for these by a Lyme reputable lab such as IgeneX in Palo Alto, CA. The best Lyme pediatrician in the country is Dr. Charles Ray Jones in New Haven, CT.

It is good your niece's infection is early. Getting the proper treatment early in the infection may reduce the chance of long-term complications.

It is also important to learn as much as possible. I recommend reading
"Everything You Need To Know About Lyme Disease (2nd edition)" by Karen Vanderhoof-Forschner and Dr. Joseph Burrascano's treatment guidelines. He is one of the top Lyme doctors in the country, and many Lyme doctors follow his protocols.

I hope she feels better soon.

[6Blues]

Hi Sara20.

I am so sorry to hear about your niece! The poor kid!

I have no magic advice - just pretty much what Ticker said. Please try to get her to a Lyme Literate medical doctor (LLMD) and don't forget about those co-infections.

Let her and her family know that we're here and we'll help if we can.

Peace and health to all,

[lymiesarah]

Originally Posted by Sara20

my sis said she went in her room the other night and she was just rolling around crying and she was white as a ghost and her lips were purple.

This sounds almost exactly like what happens to me when the Lyme makes me temperature drop dangerously low... it usually happens when i am on the antibiotic Flagyl.... but it can happen just because of the lyme itself. my temp got as low as 92.3... the brain does not function normally when it is that low and the heart can stop when it gets lower than 90... you lose your color and your emotions go haywire.... this is what happens to me... be careful, if it happens again take her temp to be safe. the doc told me if it happens again try to warm from the inside out like hot tea etc.... instead of a bath....

lyme likes the body to be as cold as it can make it.

good luck