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Does this look like the Lyme disease rash?

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Posted 7/19/2011 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
I first noticed the bite bump on Thusday of last week, and then by Saturday it had a ring around it. Since then it hasn't improved or gotten worse and I have been applying an antibiotic cream. I feel like I should go to the doctor but my dad insists that this is nothing but a regular bug bite.

Please help me. Thanks.
Posted 7/19/2011 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
SickTooLong,
I just went into your post to make your link a hyper link.

Hi SCN!!
Welcome to our forum! I am so sorry that you are having this scare right now! I'm sure you will find us to be a caring, helpful and understanding group!

Are you feeling poorly as well? or is the only thing that concerns you the bite itself? You would probably find it helpful to read through our thread at the top of the forum titled,"New to Lyme?...Start here!!", as it is packed full of relevant information and informative links that have been put together by our members here! We also have a pretty good search function on this forum to help you narrow down your search for information from past posts.

From your photo, it's hard to tell what may be going on. Please do as Lymester suggested and take a picture of it every day. If you have the time, go ahead and post that pic here each day and we can help you watch it to see how it develops. SickTooLong also had a good suggestion for you to look at other Lyme rash photos.

So please don't panic, we are here to help you determine if you need to be concerned about this!!!
Posted 7/20/2011 1:16 AM (GMT 0)
Okay so the picture I provided was from last night, this is a picture tonight. It's weird because it faded during the day but the redness came back tonight.
Posted 7/20/2011 4:57 AM (GMT 0)
A Lyme rash can look like dozens of different things!! Most uniformed doctors diagnose it as "cellulitis".

Like the others said, did you have a tick on you, pull one out, or be in a tick area in the last few days, around animals that could have ticks, etc???

If you're not sure, it's safer to see a doctor that knows about Lyme. If your not treated within 14 days of a bite, your cure rate diminishes significantly! Chronic Lyme is no fun! And you'll always have it.
Posted 7/20/2011 5:37 AM (GMT 0)
Looks like you've been hanging out with some vampires to me!! haha

But really... wouldn't you notice if there was a tick hanging off your neck? That's a highly visible area and most people probably would have kindly pointed out that you had a tick latched onto your jugular.

To me... that looks like a mosquito or spider bite. But definitely monitor your health over the next week for flu like symptoms. Also mosquitos can carry viruses. I wouldn't worry too much unless you start feeling sick.


-MysteryLyme
Posted 7/20/2011 10:16 AM (GMT 0)
thats exactly what my last bite looked like. not the typical circle but just a raised red irritated area. slightly bumpy
Posted 7/20/2011 12:43 PM (GMT 0)
Well it's been 6 days since I noticed the red bump, the area around it is not raised, and the bump is slightly itchy at times. I have not felt sick at any point yet.
I never saw a tick on that area but I'm wondering if maybe it was to small to see? Or could you clearly see a deer tick on your neck?
This is why I'm here I have a lot of questions.

I'd also like to add that the redness fades a during the day but at night it gets redder again.
Posted 7/20/2011 1:01 PM (GMT 0)
Hey! I can see up your nose!! Teehee, sorry.

The tick that just got me was as small as the period at the end of this sentence. My husband swore up and down there was nothing there -- I couldn't see it as it was on the back of my upper thigh. I had to rig a light and a magnifying mirror to take a look for myself -- it was just too small for him to see.

They don't have to stay on for very long to infect you. How about you get a doctor to look at it?
Posted 7/20/2011 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
LOL Achievinggrace!!! Leave her poor little nose out of this!! Giggle!

I would suggest that you definitely keep an eye on it and monitor yourself for feeling ill. If this happens, then you should be seen by a doc that knows about tick-borne infections, an LLMD (Lyme Literate Medical Doctor). If you need to see one, we do have ways to help you and your parents locate one as close to you as possible.

Please keep us updated and keep on taking those photos! They can be used later if you find out you do have a tick-borne infection.
Posted 7/20/2011 4:34 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah I have taken a picture everyday just in case other symptoms do arrive and I need to show the doctor the bite. I still feel fine as of now.
Posted 7/21/2011 5:02 AM (GMT 0)
 

Could also be a spider bite.  Some can impart neurotoxins.  Keep an eye on it and see the doc if it gets worse.  You may want to get a Lyme test from IgeneX to be sure.

 

Posted 7/21/2011 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
Well the redness has faded significantly and the bite has faded as well. I'm starting to think that I might have just had a reaction to the bite. I haven't had any other symptoms either.
Posted 7/21/2011 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
It is looking much better today! Good for you! Although continue to watch yourself for symptoms. As Lymester has said, sometimes the symptoms don't show up for a bit. If you suddenly come down with what feels like the flu - but no one around you had the flu - then you definitely need to see a knowledgeable doc about it right away!

There may be other symptoms that show up that wouldn't be associated with the flu though. Please do read through the thread at the top of the forum titled "New to Lyme?...Start Here!", as it has a couple of different symptom lists that you can go over so you know what we are talking about.

Hopefully this was just a scare and you remain a healthy, happy and active youngster!!! Let us know how things go!
Posted 7/21/2011 4:31 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah it's really improved. I'll keep an eye on my body for the next month or so and make sure I don't have any symptoms. But other than that I hope I'm in the clear. I only noticed the bite a week ago and since then the rash has showed up and pretty much gone away in 5 days. It didn't expand or persist that long so I'm thinking whatever bit me made me have a reaction.
Posted 7/22/2011 3:17 PM (GMT 0)
I was bitten by a tick 10 years ago, had it checked for lyme and it was neg.. The rash I got looked exactally like yours, only it got larger and larger with time. I have had no further problems.
Posted 7/22/2011 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
I think this will be the last picture I take. It has faded even more today, it's actually almost gone. I don't know what bit my but I don't think it was a tick anymore.
Posted 7/22/2011 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
Would a rash appear and fade in 1 week? Because it's gone now even the bite is almost gone. I still have no symptoms either other than anxiety over this.
Posted 7/22/2011 10:21 PM (GMT 0)
Hi SCN27 and welcome!

It's good that you are aware of the possibility of lyme disease and posted here.  Knowledge is power. 

First of all, spiders and ticks are in the same family.  Secondly, most people don't even get a rash.   Ticks do "not" have to attach themselves in order to inject lyme bacteria and they also have a numbing agent so one doesn't even know if they were bit.  It only takes a few seconds for a tick to inject bacteria.

My only suggestion to you is if you are truly worried, it would not hurt to take 2 or more weeks of Doxy (400 mg a day) just to be on the safe side.  I would also keep a daily log of how you feel.  

Cheers!

Denise

Posted 7/31/2011 4:05 AM (GMT 0)
Okay so I went to the doctors finally just to be safe and got a physical with the added lyme disease check. My doctor also put me on doxycyline for a month. But here's the thing this medication is literally messing up my insides. My whole digestive tract is messed up. I have bloating, stomach cramps, stomach burning, loss of appetite, and the runs. Is there anything you guys recommend to ease these symptoms? I've only been on the antibiotic for 2 days.
Posted 7/31/2011 12:15 PM (GMT 0)
You need a good quality probiotic from a refridgerated source -- try your local health food store. Take the probiotic two hours away from your antibiotic -- after each dose. And take a lot more than the bottle says. My doc suggests 4 Primadophillus a day but I have found 8 a day to work for me.

Augment this with yoghurt and kefir. You are trying to repopulate the critters in your gut at every opportunity. Fruit and Veg feed the gut flora, so make sure you are getting plenty of those.

A lot of people find that eating some food with Doxycycline is helpful.

I also find the first two days on a new antibiotic is difficult and then things settle down.

Hope this helps! Feel better!
Posted 7/31/2011 1:05 PM (GMT 0)
Hi SCN27,

Other members certainly have their favorite probiotics and have had great success with them. But the only brand that worked quickly and returned my gut to normal function was the VSL brand, recommended by my LLMD and my pharmacist.

If you can find a pharmacy that carries VSL #3 (refrigerated capsules) I would try those. They are expensive (unfortunately) but contain more live bacteria and more strains than any other brand.

The more bacteria the better because some will die before making it to the intestines where it is needed.

Hospital pharmacies usually have VSL. Sometimes a prescription is required-- but I've only seen that for the VSL-DS which comes in packets and is even more potent. That REALLY WORKS !!!

If you have the runs, you are not absorbing the full Doxy. dose. It's going right through you.

Definitely take the Doxy after a full meal. This should help too, as achievinggrace said.

You are doing the right thing (IMO) by taking antibiotics. Better safe than sorry when it comes to Lyme.




*I have no afffiliation with the VSL company.
Posted 7/31/2011 2:18 PM (GMT 0)
Well, thank you, Miss C!!! blush
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