What should be taken after a tick bite that causes Lyme disease? - briefly
A single 200 mg dose of doxycycline administered within 72 hours of the bite is the recommended prophylaxis; if doxycycline is contraindicated, a 10‑day course of amoxicillin is an alternative.
What should be taken after a tick bite that causes Lyme disease? - in detail
After a tick bite that carries the risk of transmitting Borrelia burgdorferi, immediate medical action focuses on antibiotic prophylaxis and subsequent therapeutic management if infection develops.
A single dose of doxycycline (200 mg for adults, weight‑adjusted dose for children ≥8 years) should be administered within 72 hours of removal, provided that the tick was attached for ≥36 hours, the local incidence of Lyme disease is high, and the patient is not pregnant or allergic to tetracyclines. This regimen reduces the probability of early infection by approximately 80 percent.
If prophylaxis is not given or if early Lyme disease signs appear (erythema migrans, fever, headache, arthralgia), a full treatment course is required. Recommended regimens are:
- Doxycycline 100 mg orally twice daily for 10–21 days (adults and children ≥8 years).
- Amoxicillin 500 mg orally three times daily for 14–21 days (children, pregnant or lactating women, doxycycline contraindications).
- Cefuroxime axetil 500 mg orally twice daily for 14–21 days (alternative for doxycycline intolerance).
Therapy should begin promptly after diagnosis; delay increases the risk of disseminated disease. Monitoring includes:
- Clinical assessment of rash resolution and symptom improvement within 2–3 weeks.
- Serologic testing (ELISA followed by Western blot) if symptoms persist beyond 4 weeks or if atypical manifestations arise.
- Follow‑up visits at 1 month and 3 months to evaluate for arthritis, neurological involvement, or cardiac complications.
Adjunctive measures encompass wound care (cleaning the bite site with soap and water), removal of the tick with fine‑pointed tweezers, and documentation of bite date and location. Patients should be educated on tick‑avoidance strategies—protective clothing, repellents containing DEET or permethrin, and prompt tick checks after outdoor exposure—to minimize future incidents.