Maybe you know this. Did you have a niggle a few days beforehand? If so, that’s the moment to start using a warm (to hottish) salt water mouth wash (hold it if you can in your mouth on the side of the abscess) and to cut out as much as you can sugary / sweet food (the bacteria love sugar). If you are eating sweet stuff then clean your teeth immediately afterwards.
I’m managing an abscess at the moment doing this until I get to see my dentist at the beginning of September. Not ideal, but not causing me any pain - just a lump on my gum.
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Lyme Disease is hard to diagnose in its early stages, even with blood tests. It is, however, increasingly common in France especially where there is a deer population. When you have a tick bite, whether you have seen the tick itself or not, and have the bullseye response within in a day or so, it is a good idea to see the doctor. Most tick bites do not result in this reaction.
Lyme Disease is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia. Tick saliva contains lots of bacterial species of which Borrelia might be one. But there are others which may give you a reaction which is not Lyme Disease. The good news is that most, if not all, of these invaders, including Borrelia, are killed by doxycyclin, which is a good antibiotic without much of a side-effect profile or interaction with other drugs. It usually works within a week. If you still have a problem, go back to the doctor.
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Yikes!
5 West Nile infections in my department 
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Dengue is interesting because having partial immunity really boosts infection and worsens symptoms, sometimes resulting in haemorrhagic fever. It makes vaccine development a little more challenging than usual too.
Dengue, not good. I had once while in Indonesia. I knew it is possible to suffer again but had no idea it coukd be worse 
Quick! Pass the picaridin!
My colleague had it in India, second time round was haemorrhagic fever and she had a couple of months in hospital, aged about 20.
Oh! Was not fun for me. Bedridden for a week with incredibly painful joints. Just when a friend was visiting 
I shall take care never to catch it again!
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It needs to be a reinfection when your immunity is waining but not gone to baseline - say 2 to 3 years after the previous infection, to go on to haemorrhagic fever. If the last time was more than 5 years ago you’re probably fine.
Yeah then!
Good to hear your local pharmacy sorted out some medication. They know you so will know your past medications.
This new for me antibiotic has been effective, but has too many bad side effects.
You need to return to your doctor or on call doctor if your MP is on holiday to changé the medicine. Maybe check first with the pharmacy. But either way you should get it checked out as it sounds that the medicine is not suited to you.
It was prescribed by my pharmacy and I will have it noted on my Carte Vitale.
How long do you have to take it for Jane?
When I’ve had anti-bios in the past it’s usually been a five or seven day course, so worth putting up with side-effects (if not too severe) in order to get the creepy crawlies out of my system.
It has finished, but I still have antibiotic creme. I am going back to the pharmacy tomorrow.
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First time I had Lyme disease, I had a red line which advanced in an expanding circle over my ribcage, No pain but blood test proved positive, anti-bio cleared it up. Next time, back of my upper arm was bit sore near the bite. Blood test in UK was inconclusive , back in France pain became severe, blood test positive and anti-bio cleared it. I think I’ve already told this story on here , soz, but you can’t be too careful. As has been said, long term Lyme is dreadful.
No offence to @cmartin but many years ago I read that Americans were really profligate in their use of antibiotics, to the extent of people sprinkling it on their food ‘just in case’. Long time ago, no idea of the veracity of that story.
Jane Williamson, I hope things are improving for you.
I had to laugh at the idea of sprinkling antibiotics on food. People don’t like taking antibiotics. What’s more likely is that people don’t finish their prescribed course, leading to antibiotic resistance. Personally, I haven’t taken an antibiotic since 2022, and that was for a tick bite.
The advice to take two doxycycline if you find an embedded tick was from the US CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) back when we trusted that organization. The pharmacy and our doctor both gave us the same advice, and the pharmacist said doxycycline doesn’t stay in the body long, so if you get a tick the following day, take two more doxycycline.
Considering the consequences of not treating Lyme disease immediately, I am happy to take two pills and forget about it. We know two people who needed to have a PICC line for months because they weren’t diagnosed right away and began having joint pains.
After the first positive test for Lyme, it’s no use testing after any new tick bite, because you will always test positive for Lyme.
20 days minimum might be what you are prescribed by a doctor who knows of your particular circumstances, but I can assure you that the normal dosage is much less than that.
I have the same problem as yourself, I normally need at least ten to fourteen days to get rid of a chest infection.
I have Doxycycline at home so that I can start treatment immediately I know that I am starting a chest infection as my lungs are so compromised.
MT surely 