Vibramycin
100mg
Doxycycline 100mg capsules and tablets, used for acne vulgaris, chlamydia, Lyme disease and respiratory tract infection. A broad-spectrum tetracycline.
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Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted through the bite of infected ticks. Cases occur in wooded and rural areas where ticks are found. Travellers heading to forested regions carry a small but real risk.
Key points
- The infection often begins with a spreading rash, sometimes forming a bull’s-eye shape, in the days or weeks following a tick bite.
- If untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system, sometimes for months afterwards.
- Doxycycline, a protein-synthesis-blocking antibiotic, is the usual first choice for early cases, though advanced disease may call for a longer or different course.
What the infection looks like
The earliest sign is often a spreading skin rash, sometimes with a distinctive bull’s-eye pattern, appearing days to weeks after a bite. Fatigue, fever, headache, and joint aches follow. Without treatment, the infection can affect the joints, heart, and nervous system over weeks or months.
Treating Lyme disease
Doxycycline is the standard antibiotic for early Lyme disease in adults and older children. It belongs to the broader antibiotics group and works by blocking bacterial protein synthesis. A full course clears most early infections; late-stage disease may need longer treatment or a different regimen under medical supervision.
Seek prompt medical attention if you develop a spreading rash after a tick bite, or if symptoms such as facial palsy, severe headache, or joint swelling appear.