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Original poster

Tell me this isn't a tick bite on DD...

31 replies

keeponworking · 17/09/2017 22:07

It started 3-4 days ago, just looked like a little bite indicated by the normal red area that you'd see if you'd been bitten by a mosquito or something.

Since then it's started looking more like a bruise. It's quite swollen (so I'm initially concerned to address possible cellulitis) but the 'bruise' is developing and growing in size and extent out from the original 'bite'.

I also question if it was a bite because it wasn't itchy (and they normally are) - although I understand tick bites aren't? Does this look like a tick bite reaction or could it be something else? We've not had the proper bullseye thing develop so I'm not sure - but does that normally develop straight away or take a week say to show?

How quick do you have to get to the Dr's with this in order to have treatment to prevent Lyme Disease developing??? And if it's just cellulitis, should I get her to the Drs tomorrow?????

OP posts:

MiddleagedManic · 17/09/2017 22:12

I can't see well from the pic, but if it's at all bullseye, then doc's tomorrow, yes.

Modestine · 17/09/2017 22:14

I think you should get a GP to check it out.

Original poster

keeponworking · 17/09/2017 22:17

Yeah, not the best pics I know. No bullseye-ness to it at the moment.

I'll look at it in the morning and we'll see how we go.....

It is inflamed and oedema-ey, the tissues are inflamed but there is no heat indicating no infection.

Thanks for the quick replies - blimey!!

OP posts:

Millie2013 · 19/09/2017 20:30

Sorry, late reply and I'm guessing you're already sorted, but my tic bite looked like that, briefly, then cellulitis and bruising took over, so you couldn't really tell what it was! Thankfully, the GP was able to diagnose from my description and looking at the bite.
A looong course of doxycycline and I was fine :) Always better to get checked out

DonkeyPunch88 · 19/09/2017 20:36

I was bitten by a false widow spider cleaning my garage out a couple of weeks back and it went like that quite quickly. Antihistamines and antiseptic gel fixed it up

user1471548375 · 19/09/2017 20:38

Like the PP I had a very similar experience with a spider bite!

No pain or itching, so didn't really suspect anything until it had swollen so much my sock was uncomfortably tight. Course of antibiotics sorted it.

Original poster

keeponworking · 19/09/2017 20:50

Hi -thanks to all for answers.

Took DD to Dr "It's a bruise". Er, right. Ok.

Not concerned that in pressing it you can hear it's so full of fluid it was crackling!

Not concerned with the doughnut-shaped spreading outward bruise.

Can't be any kind of bite because it wasn't itchy.

I despair of GPs I really, really do.

I'm monitoring and if I don't like the look of it by the weekend, we'll bugger off to the walk in centre.

OP posts:

Millie2013 · 19/09/2017 20:54

Mine wasn't remotely itchy, I was only alerted to it by the fact I knocked the top off and it bled a bit, then the bruising started
My GP was baffled at first, the bruising had spread by this point, but when she examined the puncture wound closely, she suspected a tic bite. The bruising quickly concealed the typical rash

user1471548375 · 19/09/2017 20:58

Do the biro thing op, one line round where it is now, and another a centimeter out. If it continues to expand, or you start to see red spider veins, go back to docs

Witchend · 19/09/2017 21:11

When dd2 had a tick it was still in so clear.

But you can have an ordinary bite that swells up. I ended up with antibiotics this summer when my foot swelled up!

charliethebear · 19/09/2017 21:24

When I've had tick bites they've been very itchy if its any consolation op. It does look like a bruise, maybe a normal bite that has got infected? Keep an eye on it and then go back if you are worries

DipsyLaLa22 · 19/09/2017 21:31

So you "despair" of a GP who has at least 10 years training because they disagree with you?

Original poster

keeponworking · 19/09/2017 22:20

Yes, there's no heat in it and no red lines (yet!!) which would tend to indicate that no it's not infected so that's a positive.

Yes Dipsy, based on the completely ineffectual 'examination' - which was visual only. To not even touch it (to feel the extent of the oedema) and when we reported that DD has not bashed her knee, and thus there was no chance for a bruise to have occurred (these normallhy occur when you bash yourself, right?) along with the circular expanding 'bruise' with an unbruised circle in the middle of it it seemed a bit odd to me, as it did to the nurse who triaged us over the telephone first. I would have felt all that detail would have warranted a less 'decisive' diagnosis. There is nothing to say that it wasn't a bite and no one can say that it isn't, no one can be sure it is a bruise from a bash, and no one can say it was from some kind of puncture to the skin (which DD also doesn't recall either). But at least I've examined it in detail which is more than the GP did.

Sometimes tick bits don't itch as they drool all over you and it dulls the itchiness (apparently, but I bet that's different for each person). Anyhoo - if you read up on tick bites they say that you need to treat them only if you start getting symptoms (lol!! Wait until you're ill and then act - marvellous!!). But that's ok, if she gets any 'flu like symptoms obviously we'll head back and I'll keep monitoring it daily and see if it gets better or worse. Just with it being over the kneecap you wouldn't want an infection/cellulitis to develop and get into the tendons/bone.

Thanks all!! I'll update if it gets better or if her knee drops off!!!

OP posts:

CamperVamp · 19/09/2017 22:31

I would be suspicious of that, too, OP.

And..no such thing as 'just' cellulitis. If it looks like cellulitis go straight back.

Original poster

keeponworking · 19/09/2017 22:39

Yeah, Campervan I will be keeping my eye on it checking it twice daily. I agree, cellulitis is never to be trifled with which was one of the reasons I was a bit baffled at her making a diagnosis on visual 'examination' only, which literally was instantaneous - before she'd asked about it or put any hands on it it was 'oh ha it's a bruise' - like I don't know what a **ing bruise looks like! Helloooo!

OP posts:

CamperVamp · 19/09/2017 22:47

Is the fluid directly under the skin like a blister?

DH had bad cellulitis and I don't remember there being heat around it - but there were water-filled swellings. He felt bad, too. Unwell and very bad tempered and irritable.

He ended up in IV antibiotics.

Original poster

keeponworking · 19/09/2017 23:03

No it's not like a blister. You can feel the tissues generally full of fluid - but not in an isolated pool like a blister. Just if you feel with your fingers you can feel it's puffy and 'crackled' slightly when I touched it. There is NO heat. There is no joint pain.

She's still in good shape but I'll be straight back to primary care if I even have a hint of it needing antibiotics. Thanks Camper.

OP posts:

highinthesky · 19/09/2017 23:05

The second picture looks bullseye to me.

Get another medics opinion and express your fear of Lyme's. Better safe than sorry.

Original poster

keeponworking · 19/09/2017 23:25

Yeah. I can't say I was reassured by my visit to the GP.

But what do they do - do a blood test for it / only give treatment if you have symptoms - or what (wasn't sure how that worked).

OP posts:

highinthesky · 20/09/2017 01:54

Treating when symptomatic is not best practice. Early detection and treatment is, so if you are concerned please stand firm. And get re-tested after 12 weeks if negative.

Better to be safe than suffer years of serious ill-health.

Original poster

keeponworking · 20/09/2017 10:42

Would you always get fever with initial symptoms??

OP posts:

highinthesky · 20/09/2017 10:58

Not always. The presentation isn't always consistent, which is part of the reason it can be tricky to exclude by history alone (esp as some people don't even realise they've been bitten by a tick!). But once its in your systom, the potential for wreaking havoc is established.

Is the oedema subsiding, the bruise reddening or fading btw? Either way, I think you should seek an alternative opinion.

Theonlyoneiknow · 20/09/2017 13:02

Would you have been walking somewhere with long grass, bracken etc where it's possible that it could be a tick bite? Only 50% of cases present with a bulls eye rash so I wouldn't rely too much on that. As said above if you wait until symptomatic then it's too late. It needs to be hit hard with high dose course of antibiotics asap.

I have had a few tick bites in my time and never had a fever. I have always removed the tick and kept it in a freezer bag just in case. Not all ticks carry Lyme disease. Most GPs dont' really know much about Lyme though and will only prescribe antib if you have a rash ...... and can often get negative blood test results for Lyme too, they aren't 100% reliable unfortunately

Original poster

keeponworking · 20/09/2017 13:26

You see Theonly, I did question her thoroughly about this. She's not been out for a country walk/to the park and the last time she was near some (well cut) grass she had trainers, socks and leggings on (plus we've not seen any evidence of a tick (not that that's to say it wasn't one) but also that was at least three weeks ago and if that had been the opportunity for Mr Tick to have a meal, it wouldn't have taken three weeks to show.

I have been researching images of bites - spider bites, tick bites etc - online this morning and the ones that hers appear to match with are spider bites (see sample piccy below, NOT my DDs leg). There's loads of images like this but they are, to a man, assigned as spider bites.

I guess I could see more that it was a tick if there had been any red. Bullseye or not, would it be fair to say that the majority of tick bites will have some kind of red mark, albeit not necessarily a bullseye formation???? From the images I've seen, ALL tick bites that produce some kind of mark, always have redness - and there is NO redness at all here, in any pattern.

I will be examining DD carefully in the light as soon as she gets back from school so I can monitor progress - it was a bit of a rush this morning so I didn't get chance to do much more than a cursory glance.

OP posts:

Witchend · 20/09/2017 19:50

That does look like a circular bruise to me. The fact she doesn't know where it came from doesn't seem strange as I often have bruises that I can't account for, as do the children. I've had bruises that are funny shapes like that.

The tick bites I've seen are red, definitely red, not grey/black bruise coloured. The centre might be slightly red, but the outside is not.

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