Lyme Disease Treatment Q & A

When Lyme disease is treated in its early stages, the treatment success rates are very high, and patients can expect to be cured within two to four weeks of the start of treatment. However, some symptoms may continue for months post-treatment due to a condition known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). If left untreated, the progression of Lyme disease can have far-reaching effects on your body. Early-stage Lyme disease is characterized by a rash that resembles a bullseye and flu-like symptoms. If Lyme disease is not treated at the early stage, categorized as the early localized stage, it will progress into the early disseminated stage and then late disseminated stage. The following symptoms characterize these latter stages:

• Early disseminated: After approximately one month of Lyme disease, it will progress into the early dissemination stage, which could last for up to four months. The early dissemination stage characteristics are multiplying and expanded rashes, joint pain, numbness or weakness, inability to control facial muscles, headaches or fainting, poor memory or concentration, conjunctivitis (pink eye), and heart palpitations.
• Late disseminated: If Lyme disease is not successfully treated after four months, it will progress into the third and final stage, affecting the brain, joints, and nerves for months or years after the initial infection. This third stage can be characterized by arthritis, numbness or tingling in the back or hands, extreme fatigue, inability to control facial muscles, challenges with memory, mood, or speech, insomnia, and, rarely, heart problems.

When treated in the early stages, Lyme disease usually goes away within one month. That said, symptoms can remain for six months or longer for those who suffer from post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTDLS), but they will eventually subside. If Lyme disease is left untreated, it can last for months or years, depending on how well it responds to treatment. While Lyme disease is treated with oral antibiotics in the early stages, it is treated with intravenous or intramuscular antibiotics in the later stage for up to two to three weeks to trigger a more robust response. Thus, while Lyme disease does not stay with you forever, it is crucial to seek urgent treatment as soon as you notice any signs of Lyme disease to limit the damaging effects on your body that could stay with you indefinitely. 

After the initial infectious tick bite, symptoms can take anywhere from three to 30 days to appear. Seeing that Lyme disease’s early localized stage occurs after one to four weeks of the initial infection before progressing to the early disseminated stage, it is critical to seek medical attention at the earliest sign of Lyme disease. For this reason, an urgent care clinic is a great place to go to for Lyme disease treatment, as they accept walk-in appointments and see patients on a first-come, first-served basis, which means that patients can make a same-day appointment and see a doctor soon after they arrive at an urgent care clinic!

We welcome you to Reddy Urgent Care for quick and effective Lyme disease treatment! For a walk-in appointment, you can come to Paramount, CA from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM from Monday to Friday or from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on weekends.