Comedian Amy Schumer said Tuesday that she has the tick-borne infection Lyme disease ― and may have had it for years.
The I Feel Pretty star posted a throwback photo of her with her first fishing pole.
“Anyone get LYME this summer? I got it and I’m on doxycycline,” she wrote. “I have maybe had it for years. Any advice? Can you have a glass of wine or 2 on it?”
Schumer said she was avoiding the sun and was taking “lyme-2” herbs, adding: “I feel good and am excited to get rid of it.”
Schumer is likely to make a full recovery if she caught her Lyme disease early, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“For early Lyme disease, a short course of oral antibiotics, such as doxycycline or amoxicillin, cures the majority of cases,” the government institute says on its website.
“In more complicated cases, Lyme disease can usually be successfully treated with three to four weeks of antibiotic therapy.” But joint pain and neurological symptoms associated with the disease can sometimes persist.
Early symptoms of Lyme, which one can contract from the bite of a deer tick, include rash, neck stiffness and fever, according to the Mayo Clinic. Later ones can include neurological problems such as temporary paralysis on one side of the face.
Ticks are having a field day with more people spending time outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic, according to experts. More than half of ticks carry Lyme disease or other pathogens that can disrupt people’s immunity, potentially making them even more vulnerable to COVID-19.