Any Doctors &/or people that have had either Lyme Disease? Posting here for traffic.

[ShakingAndShocked]

About 9-10 days ago I saw what I believed to be a bog standard but unfortunate insect bite on my inner huge right thigh. I do always have quite strong reactions to bites and mine always end up worse than anyone elses (IE if on hols and each of get bitten, theirs stay pretty contained but mine just huge reaction) so thought nothing of it.

However... a friend has just seen it and asked if Doc seen it to which I replied no (in a 'no, it's just a bite FFS!' kinda way) Friend replied she thought it was a 'bullseye' rash poss indicative of a tick bite and thus in urgent need of antibiotics. Ergo if you are a doctor or if you have experience of Lyme can you please please offer your advice/view?

Bite - at point I first saw it (weirdly it was not itchy like other bites not painful, hence only realising bitten when SAW it!) - was very very red and quite 'hot'; could see the bite at centre but broadly bite and surrounding spherical 'spread' were all same colour (v red/pinky/hot). Over past week it's 'refined' to leave just the dot (bite) in the middle and the outer 'circle'. Will post pics but can only do that from mobile so will be in next post.

Be really grateful for advice from anyone who knows what they are talking about

WhatLlama said.

Ds works for NHS, says there's been a major increase in tick bites this year, so worth getting checked. Even if not a tick, it's obviously infected and needs treatment.
Good luck!

Please take the medicine, u don't want to refuse treatment and then face a lifetime of worse problems if it is Lyme

I had a similar reaction to a mosquito bite.

I live in one of the worst areas for lymes in he world. In our local doctors they employ two people that have been trained and research tick bourn diseases. (We also have anaplasmosis and powassan which are way more serious).

Dh has had it 5 times already this year.

That isn't a typical bullseye but lymes doesn't always even have a rash. There are new facts coming out about lymes and I would take the meds. We're a family that never takes medicine, we did delayed vaccination with ds, only eat organic, you get the picture, I wouldn't hesitate to give ds the anti biotics if I even suspected he had lymes.

If you do take it stay out of the sun! Lots of people I've known have had terrible reactions with sunburn, it can make you very photo sensitive.

Also, the tests are notoriously inaccurate. Nobody bothers with them here.

I will say that it's strange you didn't see a tick. Of course it could have fallen off but 9 times out of 10 you feel them bitting and they don't drop off.

I'd take the ab's.

Apart from the sun bit, dh has had the meds at least five times a year for the last few years and he's had no side affects at all. And only the sun thing once.

Lastly, I know at least 30 people with lymes. Some in the early stages some have had it for years. It can be a terrible illness.

A family member has Lyme's. Take the medicine. It is REALLY not worth risking it imo.

Cannot tell you how much I appreciate posts - it's helping clear my head a bit.

As as aside, one thing that both alarmed and impressed me in equal measure was that I rang Surgery after my 2nd post of 14:37 (so GP call c.14:40) and I was in front of the duty GP before 15:00 Getting an appt for even 10-14 days hence is usually a bloody nightmare but on this occasion was no dicking around.

Llama I know it must be a difficult decision for you, and it's really based on a 'what if'

YY. It's precisely that as in I know if I take them there is a reasonable chance I never ever needed to so you are spot on in that summary. And yet, yes, if it were to transpire DEF Lyme then clearly need take them so it really is a 'weighing up' game iykwim.

I'm going to order some high strength probiotics via Amazon Prime so they'll be here tomm in the (looking likely) event I start the course.

Again, very grateful for all posts as zero doubt helping me whilst own brain (itself - IE cognition/thought processes etc - way off normal pace at mo given so frickin weak and lack of fuel & nutrition) in quandary.

I finished a two week course of doxy a few weeks ago as part of a 6 week course of antibiotics. I was gutted as I have spent all of this year on a strict diet to try and heal my gut from the horrendous issues caused by antibiotic use in my youth

The doxy themselves didn't worsen my stomach. I took biokult probiotics at the same time as they can be taken with antibiotics without just being killed. I got some skin rashes and had horrific photo sensitivity so watch out for this sunshine it really isn't worth the risk of getting burnt. Took me weeks to get over that, felt like scald from boiling water

But I'd take the anti biotoics every time over a 50% chance of Lyme

Am clear on the photo sensitivity bit although thanks for the heads up as get maybe some GPs forget to mention that bit? Eek.

Head still machinating over what's best - short term worsening of health to protect against a potentially lethal long term health issue vs. avoiding short term worsening but potentially risking long term issue/s

So, seeing as this thread has a nice resolution (i.e. Take the antibiotics), can I derail it a little and ask if any of the people who have/know people with chronic Lyme's want to pass on any tips for improving it? I have a friend who has been bed ridden for the best part of a year (seriously, take the antibiotics). Doctors haven't been particularly helpful, unfortunately.

Vsl probiotics have the highest number of bacteria I know of on the market. Not cheap but worth it for a month's course. I would take these after antibiotics finished.

And by the way, OP, if you go to the lymedisease.org website, under early symptoms - the pictures of the diffuse rash look just like yours.

If you don't get treated very soon you can be disabled for life. Get to the GP today or tomorrow.

I had Lyme 2years ago, I had a bullseye from my hip to my boob on my side, but I was camping out and therefore didn't see it
I saw the original bite but forgot about it as it didn't hurt.
I noticed the bullseye nearly 4 weeks after the original bite.
You need antibiotics. Blood tests are generally negative, I've had two tests 6 months apart and both were negative.

The bullseye IS Lyme disease.
The Dr offered me 2 weeks of Doxycycline 200mg
From advice I received from lymediseaseuk.com they said I needed to take for a minimum 4 weeks which i ended up doing. As Lyme bacteria grow very slowly.

Please take the antibiotics, use a good probiotic and if you are on Doxycycline keep out of the sun.

I have actually bought Doxycycline online, it's available from Lloyd's superdrug etc, in case I need it again.

No Lyme experience here but was on doxycycline for a while and found that taking each tablet with lots (like, half a pint or more) of water helped avoid the gastric effects.

www.facebook.com/groups/481294698590907/. Good support group if needed. Xx

Take the tablets with food... So you eat half, tablet, eat rest this will protect your stomach as well. Do not lie down either.

Zipzap - but apart from possibly the 3rd picture that's nothing like a bullseye rash. My dh has has the rash probably over 20 times just since I've known him and that isn't classic bullseye.

Below is bullseye.