Hi,
My mom, who is 80 years old, was bitten by a tick last week on her shoulder. There is a red ring around the area and it is sore and itchy. Today she started running a fever and feels weak. She is going to call her primary care doctor tomorrow. Are there any recommended remedies for this? I know that if this is not treated properly it can turn out to be very nasty.

Thank you,
Sue K.

In the Journal of the Society of Homeopaths, volume 52, 1994, Bill Gray wrote about a man with Lyme Disease who was successfully treated with ledum, which is indicated for puncture wounds and insect bites.

[ 09. June 2003, 04:52: Message edited by: David A. Johnson ]

It's purely low-potency pseudo-homeopathy (LPH), or allopathic homeopathy (an extreme oxymoron), to prescribe on the basis of a disease diagnostic category. We don't do that, and one of the main reasons allopaths cannot cure but the simplest illnesses is because they do. Of the two forms of quasi-homeopathy, that is the very worst one. Guernsey in the 19th century called the thousands of such so-called homeopaths "mongrels" for good reasons. My buddy! Hahnemann always did, and Hahnemannians always have, vehemently denounced it and them in no uncertain terms because there is no homeopathicity between case symptoms and the materia medica ("materials of medicine") when based upon the common symptoms of a disease diagnostic category. Specifically, show me a homeopathic drug that hasn't cured what we so far know of this dear woman's complaints. Where there is no match of symptoms as closely as possible, there is no application of the Law of Similars and thus no precipitation of the processes of cure we can specifically identify by additional natural Laws or at least Rules of Cure. Anything less is NOT homeopathy, period. Two centuries and millions of cures via The Law of Similars proves that uncommon/characteristic or “strange, rare and peculiar symptoms” lead to an unambiguous match of symptoms and then cure via the optimally ultramolecular dose of the person’s simillimum ("thing most similar"); so our first issue in any case is always and forever and anon to FIND them!

"Ledum...is indicated for puncture wounds and insect bites?" It is? By stupid LPHs, and it’s also just one of many drugs so indicated. Besides, lyme disease, if it turns out to be that, is NOT an insect bite. So don't be telling people things like that. Argh...

What we know about this dear woman's case is:

1. An elderly woman has a red ring around a bite area from a ghastly tic;
2. It is sore and itchy; and
3. She started running a fever and feels weak.

There is no differential information there. Those are all common symptoms potentially expected to result from the bacteria factory of a blood-sucking creepy crawler. That information could not possibly lead to the one in 2500(+) drugs that would cure her, IF she needs medication. Indeed, this will hopefully prove to be a self-limited issue thanks to the wonders of our immune system, for lyme disease is far less common than our fears allow us to reasonably imagine.

Specifically regarding what is known here: 1) the bite of a tic produces such a red ring because the damn thing buries its legs into us -- been there, done that; 2) it itches like hell and is definitely sore, I assure you; and 3) infection produces fever to disintegrate bacterial and viral proliferation, and malaise is an adjunct feature of fever.

Ma'am, I understand your concerns. Can you be more specific about the dear woman's complaints if they persist?

More helpfully, one of the few Hahnemannians in the world is in Norwalk, CT: Ahmed Currim, MD. I recommend that you take her to see him. But I think I can speak for him to ask you to please come to him with details that could prove differential to homeopathic case analysis.

Finally, I sincerely hope the dear woman recovers on her own from what turns out to be a simple bacterial infection.

__________________
Albert, also Hahnemannian444B

hi Sue K.
Lyme disease was discussed in detail, on this forum previously, and Led.200 was efficient. Try to find that dicussion issue. Is your mother living in the area where Lyme disease is endemic?

__________________
SHOSHY

Actually, the red ring isn't due to the tick burying it's legs into us.

I've six or more such bites already this season. Red ring, itchy as heck...is part of it and subsides in about 10 days. My money is on David Johnson's Ledum. Will Taylor once wrote he uses it in 10M but as Shoshy suggested, 200 might be more appropriate for an elderly person. A 60+ year old friend took one dose 10M two days before beginning the antibiotic treatment and avoided having to go through that experience.

__________________
Sometimes on Earth, you can find something that resembles a little piece of Heaven. And sometimes on Earth, a little piece of Heaven can find you.

Will Taylor (a Hahnemannian homeopath who started out medical life as an MD) has written extensively on the epidemic of Lyme Disease--particularly when he was living in Maine, Lyme Disease Central. He took advantage of the opportunity to observe, and treat, the large number of patients he saw in his practice presenting with this disease. Using Genus Epidemicus protocol (take several cases, determine the scope of the epidemic, determine remedies which would treat the variety of symptoms shown--and prescribe for the "epidemic" using these limited remedies as both treatments and prophylactics).

The Genus Epidemicus Remedy for Lyme Disease: Ledum.

The disease is a syphilitic one; in fact, a spirochete-like organism is at the base of Lyme disease, just as it is for syphilis. It is not a simple bacterial infection. Long term effects of this disease include nerve damage, extensive pain, and progressive deterioration.

There is nothing Un-Hahnemannian or "pseudo-homepathic" in determining, and then prescribing, genus epidemicus remedies properly. There is also nothing un-Hahnemannian or "pseudo-homeopathic" in using clinically proven, first aid treatment remedies such as Ledum--for insect bites and stings, or as a defence against tetanus which may arise from deep puncture wounds or puncture wounds of any kind. This is just very useful knowledge homeopaths have accumulated and relied upon, just like proving data, to treat acute and potentially life threatening diseases effectively.

[ 09. June 2003, 18:04: Message edited by: Divina ]

__________________
...and deliverance has many faces<br />but grace<br />is an aquaintance of mine

Just what I was trying to say, Divina! (What would we do without you?!)

Re tetanus.....long time ago gave up the routinely given, yearly (!) "inoculations" for the horses (that often caused symptoms...terrible stuff) and used ledum if "suspected" there might be an ensuing problem from a puncture.

__________________
Sometimes on Earth, you can find something that resembles a little piece of Heaven. And sometimes on Earth, a little piece of Heaven can find you.

Is 'lyme disease' a genus epidemicus? How is it any different from a bee-sting, ant-bite, or any other insect bite? Those aren't considered genus epidemicus'!!

Remember, Ledum is not the only remedy for puncture wounds. It could be ledum -- or someone could take the full case and the symptoms may just point to another remedy.

Also, she hasn't been diagnosed with "lyme disease" from what Sue posted......

Sue, I'd take her to a homeopath if you have access to one.

Good luck - Austin

[ 09. June 2003, 20:42: Message edited by: Austin Powers ]

Hi,
Thanks for all the responses. She has been diagnosed with the Lyme Disease because of the bulls eye rash, fever, itchy and achey area and all over weak feeling. We live about 20 miles from Old Lyme, CT. He prescribed antibiotics. I gave her the ledum right after she pulled the tick out but it still progressed to the symptoms she currently has. She started taking the antibiotic. Should she continue to take the ledum after she completes the antibiotic to prevent any residue from the bite? Should she possibly be taking any sufur in conjunction with the antibiotic? She won't travel to an appt with a homeopath but she is receptive to what the bulletin board suggests.

Thanks,
Sue K

The antibiotic will only suppress her natural ability to overcome this assault by the tick. It may 'come back out' once the antibiotic is finished, and then again, it may not - in which case, the whole matter becomes a little more complex/sticky to treat.

Someone needs to take the case properly before prescribing anything. It's hard to tell if the ledum was resolving things or not, because antibiotics were thrown into the mix.

If she hadn't had the antibiotics, then you could have observed to see if the situation would have resolved quicker [after giving the ledum]. But now the picture/case is clouded by the antibiotics. So, now you need to wait and see what symptoms arise - that CLEARLY indicate a remedy.

Then report what's going on to a homeopath - and let him/her assess what's needed.

Don't underestimate how suppressive antibiotics can be. It varies with each person, of course - but it does happen.

Just observed a case of a little girl with impetigo.
-She was given oral antibiotics. The impetigo cleared up.
-2.5 weeks later - the impetigo started to come back out (once the course of antibiotics were finished).
-The parents wanted to treat her homeopathically (since it's obvious the antibiotics did absolutely nothing to cure it).
-She then was prescribed a dose of Sulphur 30c- because the symptoms indicated it.
-Then we were waiting to see what symptoms would clearly point to another remedy (if any) and her father (we later found out) was continuing to put antibiotic cream on the spots (thinking it was going to keep it from being contagious to others)!!
-Now she's a mess. Having all sorts of headaches, general malaise, aches and pains in her hypochondria, stomach pains and a few other symptoms. She's been given another dose of Sulphur (200c this time) and now we're waiting to see what happens.

Good luck! I hope you're able to get some sound help. And, I wish your mother the best.