Anyone actually had Lyme Disease who can describe symptoms?

[TheCrenchinglyMcQuaffenBrothers]

I noticed I had a tick on my lower leg last Monday (so over a week ago). I noticed it first thing when I got out of bed and it was not full of blood, well stuck in though, so I assumed it had not long been there and wasn’t too worried. Immediately removed it (I’ve done this lots of times on various animals so I’m sure I did it correctly - no bits left behind). Small red bump at the site. We are in an area where there is higher incidence of Lyme infected ticks. However as from Saturday I have had a very weird ill feeling, headache, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, shivery. But it’s not all of the time - I’ve woken up every day since Saturday and felt fine, but by about 3-4pm every day I’m wiped out. I only put 2 and 2 together yesterday and checked Lyme Disease symptoms on the NHS website and they fit but do they come and go? No rash but apparently 1/3 people don’t get a rash, and symptoms can come on within a few days. I will definitely go to the GP btw - although easier said than done - but just wondering, anyone who has actually had Lyme Disease, do the symptoms come in waves or would I feel bad all of the time?

Hopeful bump

Flu like symptoms - shivers, alternating high and low temps, vomiting, generally feeling awful. Not sure how quickly the symptoms came on after being bitten as there was no rash and the tick wasn't spotted.

I think you should see your GP sooner rather than later. My understanding is that Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, but the earlier the better.

Lyme disease is caused by the parasitic infection transferred from tic to human.
I'd be quite surprised if the symptoms came on that quickly to be honest. It was months before my child displayed the symptoms of lyme disease and serious damage was done by then but if you are worried I would contact the gp.
Lyme disease is awful and essentially post Lyme disease auto immune issues have really badly impacted my child's life for 7 years and counting...if you can avoid that all the better

Get urgent GP appointment today if you have had a tick bite and now feel unwell. I've had dozens over the years and no problems (live in moorland). Mum got one a few years ago, temp a few days later, fortunately saw a Dr and got antibiotics that day, felt ill for 2-3 weeks and the antibiotics weren't fun, but no long-term symptoms. Definitely call now

Thank you. Did the symptoms come and go though or did you feel awful all of the time?

Hi, my son had Lyme's disease but was only 18 months old at the time. I would say flu like symptoms, high temp. Phone 111 and push for antibiotics. We were given 4 weeks and then a blood test once that was positive another few weeks of antibiotics.

@TheCrenchinglyMcQuaffenBrothers The acute symptoms were continuous for about 10 days. Dr said it was 'flu. Thereafter, it got better (improved) but not better (cured). Would get random moments of feeling hot / weak / nauseous. After 2-3 weeks of this continuing, I requested a blood test from GP as I suspected Lyme disease due to often having ticks around (live rurally).

Ok, thank you. So I guess I have the ‘benefit’ of knowing I was definitely bitten by a tick as I removed it (and photographed it). I was just thinking as it wasn’t 24 hrs a day feeling ill maybe it was just a coincidence but now you’ve said random moments of nausea - which I’m also getting - I think I’ll go to the walk in tomorrow morning as I think antibiotics work better the quicker you get them.
thank you!

Ds had Lyme a few years ago. He did get a classic bullseye rash (though even with that, it took 3 GPs looking at it for anyone to believe me).

Otherwise, he also had a fever, chills, joint pain and really severe fatigue. Like I’d leave him in the lounge watching tv (he was 4) and come back 15 minutes later and he’d be asleep in the middle of the floor.

I can’t remember if he felt ill all day, but it definitely was worse in the afternoon.

I think it’s quite tricky though to get it diagnosed without a rash because it potentially mimics so many other things. It was hard enough to get anyone to take me seriously with a very obvious bullseye rash.

I might be inclined to wait it out and see how you feel in another week. You still have time before you have to start treatment. But it’s a very long course of antibiotics and I wouldn’t want to take them if it was, say, COVID or whatever.

I got the classic rash 15+ years ago while staying in an area where it was common. Doctor recognised it immediately and I had the antibiotics. Never had any other problems, so I hope that's reassuring.

As in - reassuring that if you see Dr promptly and are treated for Lyme, you can be 100% fine after

RUN to the GP asap for antibiotics!!!!

My neighbour had it years ago, before it was well known. She had a red painless round patch on the back of her leg (not the bull's eye), didn't know it was there before one of her family mentioned it. It went away, she thought no more of it. No fever.
Some weeks later she started getting pains in her knee joints. The GP sent her to see a rheumatism/arthritis specialist and he asked her if she'd been tested for Lyme disease. She'd never heard of it, but sure enough she tested positive. She had a long course of antibiotics and is fine now.
I have met at least a dozen people round here who have had it. We live in Purbeck in Dorset which has a high incidence of Lyme. Thankfully our GPs now are well aware it's a possibility!

I diagnosed a colleague with Lyme disease! (I'm not medical). She came back from camping in the New Forest saying how horrific the mosquitos had been and how she had tick bites as well. She was feeling achy and shivery, basically not at all well. I suggested Lyme disease - she went to the doc, I was right.

(I'm also extremely good at diagnosing patients in medical dramas 😁)

British GPs won’t even entertain you suggesting Lyme unless you have the classic rash. Telling them some people don’t get the rash simply doesn’t wash. If you do manage to persuade them to test you, they will take a negative result as gospel, even though the test is unreliable. In other words, if you don’t have the bullseye rash you are fucked.

I don't believe that's always the case @Miriad
My son had a tick bite last year, and a few days later was feeling unwell. He went to the GP who told it it was too early for the blood test to work, but gave him the antibiotics just in case.
2nd blood test later confirmed no Lyme's but that could have been because of early intervention from the antibiotics.
Some Gps are better than others. We are not in the country but lots of parks and lots of ticks around, so maybe it depends where you are.

DS had lymes disease with the bullseye rash, got the antibiotics within 18 hours of the symptoms starting. For a few days whilst the antibiotics were getting to work he got very tired asking to go to bed and then still tired from teatime for a few weeks.

Miriad yes I’ve heard that, though I’m hoping that because I actually have a picture of the tick embedded in my leg and then afterwards when I’d removed it (and that we’re in an area of high incidence) it might be ok.

Kid at school had similar symptoms after a tick was removed after a camping trip last weekend. She’s had antibiotics and feels much better, think you need some too.

Yep.
I think blood tests aren't foolproof either. I keep hoping eventually a proper test will be developed, which can show the disease no matter how many years post initial infection. I've been left with a numerous health issues, but trying to persuade my gp it's due to Lyme disease is impossible!

@TheCrenchinglyMcQuaffenBrothers How are you feeling now? My DC has just been diagnosed after being bitten this week. Would be good to hear how you have fared.

I wasn’t ‘diagnosed’ as such as they didn’t do any tests, but I did get prescribed ‘precautionary’ antibiotics and I’m absolutely fine. I am now thinking it was a huge coincidence and I may have had COVID (I didn’t test at the time) as there was a little outbreak amongst a circle of contacts. Or, of course, maybe the antibiotics did the job 🤷‍♀️. Sorry to hear about your DC, Hope they get the meds they need and have a quick recovery. X

Glad all is well. Whatever it was, good to get passed it, and recovered.
Fingers crossed for DC. GP surgery sorted out an emergency in person appointment within a few hours.

I had Lyme disease a few years ago, and it started with flu-like symptoms and fatigue before the joint pain and brain fog kicked in. The rash wasn’t obvious for me, which made diagnosis tricky. If you're unsure and want to check early, a Lyme disease test kit can be really useful. It gives quick results and can help you figure out if you need to push for further treatment.