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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How Can Lyme Disease Be Treated?

Hi There, I have not had an absolute positive ID for having Lyme s Disease. However, I have been taking Doxycycline, the antibiotic that is supposed to help battle LD. After developing a rash a week after bitten, (i never saw the tick or bug), both thumbs began to hurt and I got trigger finger in both thumbs. Fast forward 3 months, trigger finger is not better and now I am getting purple spots at the base of the finger nail. All fingers hurt but not as bad as my thumbs. I cannot even touch the thumb nails without excruciating pain. Please help.
Wed, 8 Aug 2018
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.

Antibiotics are used to treat early stage Lyme infection. Patients typically take Doxycycline for 10 days to 3 weeks, or Amoxicillin and Cefuroxime for 2 to 3 weeks. In up to 90% of cases, the antibiotic cures the infection. If it doesn’t, patients might get other antibiotics either by mouth or intravenously. For early disseminated Lyme disease, which may happen when a Lyme infection goes untreated, oral antibiotics are recommended for symptoms such as facial palsy and abnormal heart rhythm. Intravenous antibiotics are recommended if a person has meningitis, inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, or more severe heart problems. In late-stage Lyme, a patient may receive oral or intravenous antibiotics. Patients with lingering arthritis would receive standard arthritis treatment. Now coming to your problem of trigger finger, it depends on how severe your symptoms are. Most of the time, you’ll start with: 1. Rest: Try not to move the finger or thumb. You may need to take time away from the activity that’s causing the problem. If you can’t quit, you might try padded gloves. 2. Splint: The doctor can give you one designed to keep your finger still. 3. NSAIDs: Your doctor may suggest over-the-counter drugs that fight inflammation, like Ibuprofen or Naproxen. 4. Steroid injections: She might give you a steroid shot into the tendon sheath. It can keep your symptoms at bay for a year or more, but it might take two shots to get results. Surgery for Trigger Finger: If you have severe symptoms or if other treatments don’t work, your doctor may suggest a procedure. There are two types: 1. Percutaneous release: Your doctor will numb the palm of your hand then insert a needle into the area around the affected tendon. She’ll move the needle and your finger to loosen the tendon and make it work smoothly. She’ll probably do this in her office. She might use ultrasound so she can see where the tip of the needle is. This will help make sure she doesn’t damage your tendon or nearby nerves. 2. Surgery: She’ll make a small cut at the base of the finger and open the sheath around the tendon. This will probably take place in an operating room.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Sanjay Kini
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How Can Lyme Disease Be Treated?

Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice. Antibiotics are used to treat early stage Lyme infection. Patients typically take Doxycycline for 10 days to 3 weeks, or Amoxicillin and Cefuroxime for 2 to 3 weeks. In up to 90% of cases, the antibiotic cures the infection. If it doesn’t, patients might get other antibiotics either by mouth or intravenously. For early disseminated Lyme disease, which may happen when a Lyme infection goes untreated, oral antibiotics are recommended for symptoms such as facial palsy and abnormal heart rhythm. Intravenous antibiotics are recommended if a person has meningitis, inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, or more severe heart problems. In late-stage Lyme, a patient may receive oral or intravenous antibiotics. Patients with lingering arthritis would receive standard arthritis treatment. Now coming to your problem of trigger finger, it depends on how severe your symptoms are. Most of the time, you’ll start with: 1. Rest: Try not to move the finger or thumb. You may need to take time away from the activity that’s causing the problem. If you can’t quit, you might try padded gloves. 2. Splint: The doctor can give you one designed to keep your finger still. 3. NSAIDs: Your doctor may suggest over-the-counter drugs that fight inflammation, like Ibuprofen or Naproxen. 4. Steroid injections: She might give you a steroid shot into the tendon sheath. It can keep your symptoms at bay for a year or more, but it might take two shots to get results. Surgery for Trigger Finger: If you have severe symptoms or if other treatments don’t work, your doctor may suggest a procedure. There are two types: 1. Percutaneous release: Your doctor will numb the palm of your hand then insert a needle into the area around the affected tendon. She’ll move the needle and your finger to loosen the tendon and make it work smoothly. She’ll probably do this in her office. She might use ultrasound so she can see where the tip of the needle is. This will help make sure she doesn’t damage your tendon or nearby nerves. 2. Surgery: She’ll make a small cut at the base of the finger and open the sheath around the tendon. This will probably take place in an operating room. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Sanjay Kini