Not good advice

0

To the Editor:

I was most interested to read SamTelford’s info [Sam Telford from Tufts talks tough on ticks at Chilmark meeting, August 28] regarding the life cycle of the tick and the most risky times of year. But, his repeating/suggesting that the two doxycycline pill protocol for the treatment of a tick bite is a consistently viable way to prevent Lyme is very dangerous advice. That is exactly how I was treated back in June of 2008, two, 100mg pills of doxycycline. Not only did I go on to develop Lyme, but I have been battling it since.

After a two and a half years of oral and one year of IV, I am still very symptomatic and test positive for borrelia burgdorfi via live culture. Obviously, had I been treated with a longer course of antibiotics in the beginning, I might have had a fighting chance. In the early stages, Lyme is very treatable with a longer course of antibiotics.

Posy Bass

Edgartown