Antibiotics for Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an infection that can be spread by deer ticks and Western black-legged ticks. The only way to contract Lyme disease is to be bitten actually by a tick, but not every tick bite results in the disease. The most popular treatment for Lyme disease is antibiotics, which usually cure the disease within 3 weeks of beginning treatment.

Amoxicillin

• Though amoxicillin is a mild antibiotic, it is not recommended that everyone who is bitten by a tick take a course of the antibiotic. Because many people may suffer side effects from amoxicillin, only those people actually showing symptoms of Lyme disease should take it.

Erythromycin

• Erythromycin is an antibiotic given quite often to children, especially if the child is allergic to amoxicillin. The drug may be taken by mouth, intravenously or as an injection. It depends on the patient and the doctor which type will be given.

Tetracycline

• Studies have shown that tetracycline given in the early stages of Lyme disease is not as effective as doxycycline or amoxicillin (see link in Resources). To be as effective as those two drugs, the tetracycline had to be given in high dosages which aren't always safe.

Penicillin

• If Lyme disease starts to affect the nervous system, one of the most popular treatments is penicillin. It is most effective when given intravenously, and the general course of those antibiotics usually runs 2 to 4 weeks.

Doxycycline

• Research shows that a single dose of the antibiotic doxycycline, if given within 72 hours of getting bitten by an infected tick, may decrease the odds of getting Lyme disease by 87 percent. This is an effective treatment and one that is highly popular. This drug should not be used on children younger than 8 years of age or on pregnant women.