[happyopossum]

> doc wouldn't give me antibiotics because I took the initial one week "and it's not possible that I have Lyme"

Why would you accept that response from a doc if you were confident you had symptoms of lyme? Get a second opinion, or straight up fire your doctor.

[russiasux]

Correct. That is what happened.

The issue is that bullshit as listed in the title of this thread makes it that much more difficult for actual patients, who are going through their life collapsing, to do that.

Yes second opinions. Yes get more than one day of doxy. Yes antibiotics are not enough (but we're a requisite for me getting better).

Lyme is more expensive so much worse than anything you have read once you have made the wrong call and accepted too little doxy after being bit. Do not accept one day, don't accept one week, and demand one month of doxy which will cost you maybe $40 out of pocket but may save you the $200k (and counting) it cost me.

[yial]

I truly would not suggest abusing this, but doxycycline is currently used as an antimalarial.

If you actually need it quickly, call a travel clinic and say you are going to somewhere with malaria soon, forgot to get one, and you would prefer doxycycline. (Iquitos, Peru fits this bill) Say you’re going for at least a month.

Alternatively, if you have a primary care, they will also usually write for this without too many questions. (Usually just calling you back after they verify the dosage as an antimalerial )

Edit: if you don’t have insurance, use something like GoodRx or just call around several pharmacies first to get a cash price before you have your doctor call it in.

When I needed it for travel, it would have been $100+ at CVS out of pocket, but was $13 (I think at Wegmans )