Lyme rash

Okay, since I saw band 23 reactive on my test I'm really digging to find out why. Like I've said before I've been bitten by ticks but never had the rash.. the pictures I've seen are bright red rashes one big solid circle with a bright red ring around it. So I never thought about the one time in my life I had a rash, bc I thought it was a ringworm! After googling ringworm vs lyme rash mine was definitely the lyme rash! Just not big and bright red. Only like 2 inches a little less maybe.. it stayed for a long time and I remember exactly where it was bc I have a small brown spot where the center was! Has anyone had one random "ringworm" and didn't think it was lyme? Has anyone heard of it leaving a small raised brown spot?

I got the more classic looking lyme rash like 8 months into having lyme. Just like you it wasn't as bright or big. There's no cookie cutter rules or timeline to lyme because everyone's body is different.

Weird skin symptoms happen. new "freckles". red dots. brown spots. bumps. etc. Some go away and some don't. It's just the scars of lyme disease.

PeteZa said...
I thought my bite was a spider bite at first. After a week it had not changed, so I thought maybe it was a flea bite and maybe I was allergic to flea bites. After another week, I was concerned. No symptoms, nothing but a circular bite mark.

Week 4 it slowly started fading. I never gave it a thought until 2 months after the bite I got a stiff neck and a weird head pain (ache). Then I started researching and learned my bite mark was a bull's eye.

Similar story. When the bites first appeared I wondered spider or bed bugs. Lyme didn't cross my mind. They faded. Moved on with life and then like 2 weeks later, lyme crash.

Thank you all! I question the band 23 bc I am not sure if it was positive bc of lyme, even tho it's lyme specific, it may be a dumb question but maybe your body produces the antigen without it? Is that possible? Or is it possible that it was false positive? There's so much conflicting info my head is spinning. I went to my family doctor after my rash, never about the rash but just the extreme fatigue and headaches and muscle weakness. He quickly said chronic fatigue and I've lived in hell since age 19. I'm 29. My quality of life is crap. Except for the past few days, I've been self medicating with antibiotics again. I feel great 😆😆😆

Unfortunateevent said...
Thank you all! I question the band 23 bc I am not sure if it was positive bc of lyme, even tho it's lyme specific, it may be a dumb question but maybe your body produces the antigen without it? Is that possible? Or is it possible that it was false positive? There's so much conflicting info my head is spinning. I went to my family doctor after my rash, never about the rash but just the extreme fatigue and headaches and muscle weakness. He quickly said chronic fatigue and I've lived in hell since age 19. I'm 29. My quality of life is crap. Except for the past few days, I've been self medicating with antibiotics again. I feel great 😆😆😆

No, a "Lyme specific band" means specific for Borrelia Burgdorferi, sensu stricto - Lyme disease in the strictest sense. There is only one on the over 300 known strains of Lyme that is considered Bb, ss. Nothing else will turn a Lyme specific band positive other than Lyme disease.

And if it was just some 'random syndrome', why would abx make you feel better? They only work on bacterial infections.

Some say it's band 23 and some say it's band 25. Often they are grouped together, as I believe they both represent OspC (Outer Surface Protein C). From what I've seen, it's band 25, but as we all know, all of this is highly controversial.

We literally don't know who to trust on much of the detailed information because studies can be 'tweaked' to show the results that the lead researcher wishes for the results of any clinical trial or study to be. I got confirmation from a medical researcher that this goes on a lot - and they are trying to find ways to stop it, but as you can imagine, it's difficult.

"Turkey butts that makes these rules sure did not want everyone to understand them." Very true!! This is meant to be confusing!!!!!

PeteZa said...
I understood that 22 and 25 were specific and 23 was OspC. But these band things are confusing and I still wonder why we have to have more than one positive - as discussed in the other thread.

Turkey butts that makes these rules sure did not want everyone to understand them.

According to THE Dr. H. - band 23 is on the 'list' when making a diagnosis.

Dr. Horowitz: "We need to teach doctors how to make a clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease after ruling out other diseases, supporting that diagnosis by finding borrelia-specific bands on the Western Blot, which show evidence of exposure. This would include finding the 23(OspC), 31(OspA), 34(OspB), 39, and 83-93 kDa bands on the Western Blot. If the patient has classic Lyme symptoms such as migrating joint and muscle pain, with good days and bad days, and symptoms that come and go, made better or worse with antibiotics, you need to use your clinical judgment and recognize that those are classic Lyme symptoms. "

www.publichealthalert.org/-interview-with-dr-horowitz.html

That's why it is so hard to get information ! All I've read is 23 is specific, like this ..
There are nine known Borrelia burgdorferi genus specie specific KDA Western Blot antibodies (bands):

18 23 30 31 34 37 39 83 and 93

Would you feel more 'settled' with the diagnosis if you saw a LLMD and he 'validated'?

Is that an option?

Unfortunateevent I too was scared to claim it. I so relate to this statement.

Like I said, I did not believe one person from this forum telling me I had lyme. I had to hear it again. And, then I still did research.

Finally I came to terms with the FACT and then it was game on!

For me it was different.

I had so many symptoms that came on literally overnight...and kept stacking.

When I finally tested positive and had a lyme diagnosis 15 months later...I cried tears of happiness.
For me...it was something treatable...after ruling out some really scary stuff.

Unfortunateevent said...
I'm so glad you understand! I guess I've been conditioned to thinking nothing is wrong. And I've never known anyone in person that had lyme or known it rather. Not saying anyone doesn't or anyone is lying to me lol just scared is the word.

I did not know what a bull's eye rash was. I had no idea what lyme was. I was an extremely healthy very physical woman all my life. I was rarely sick. I don't think I have ever had the flu. Bronchitis when my daughter was in school, I got everything she brought home. But after age 30 I was the most healthiest woman I know. Went to the gym every day, did a super physical job about 60 hours a week, ate organic and detoxed was just part of my life.

For me to go to a Women's Bible study luncheon on a concrete patio by a pool and get bit by a tick was nothing I ever imagined doing. It was the fluke of my life.

But, it is what it is and dealing with it was my ONLY option. The symptoms got worse day by day and there was no way I could wish it away. I had to treat. I read enough to know that it didn't just run its course and you were done with it. It was not a cold.....

I had to take medicine??? Oh my gosh, medicine? I could not remember the last time I ever took a drug..... and my journey to health began.

You can do this. If stubborn, obstinate, impatient me can do this healing, you can too. Anytime you need a boost of positive, let me know.