Possible hypochondria...historic bullseye rash.

[MaximumVolume]

Yesterday I saw a picture of the Lyme Disease "bullseye" rash. I don't know how this had passed me by (I work in medical research & know a lot about symptoms of Lyme Disease) but anyway I'd never seen a picture of one or heard it linked to Lyme Disease.

Anyway, I had that rash. A textbook version of it. About 6.5 years ago (I know the exact date as it was on a relatives milestone birthday).

Is it worth going to the GP now?

I really wouldn't be surprised to hear I have Lyme Disease. I generally feel awful all the time. Fatigue, aches, sleep problems, constant colds. I actually had lots of blood tests done last year because I presented at the GP in pieces because I was so run down. Conclusion was that I was suffering from being a working mother of 2 small children.

The timing of the rash was that I was recovering from a late miscarriage (at 12 weeks & I bled for nearly that again) and then got pregnant with my eldest a few months later. Any immediate symptoms I'd have probably put down to that.

Any advice would be welcome. I know lots of medics but feel a bit embarrassed to ask in real life!

I had one too, absolutely text book, but assumed it was just a bite. I had been in Cyprus on holiday and had been walking in their equivalent of heath/woodland a day or so earlier. It went within a week and I felt awful over the ensuing years, tired, absolutely no energy but I also suffered miscarriages and put it down to that and then being a mother.

I am only just now beginning to feel as if I have any energy at all. I often worry that I have/had Lyme disease but I assume I would have even more symptoms if that was the case.

Can any other bites give that text book bulls eye?

Wow suffering interesting that we've both had similar symptoms as well as the rash.

I've bitten the bullet & booked a non-urgent GP appointment. We'll see what they have to say.

Yes!

They say the tests are not that reliable and it is only just hitting GPs radars. I had never heard of Lyme disease when I got my rash. I was so worried that I would not be able to fly that I mentioned it to the reps/airline staff when I was in the queue. She said she had never seen anything like it, but her colleague said she had and some people just get that sort of reaction. I thought of going to the GP when I got back but it went eventually and you could see it subsiding - it left a sort of tide mark on my leg (a ring) which showed how far the rash had got. I would say it was 6" across at its worst.

I only started to research it when my ds started to suffer from incredible fatigue too and was having to miss school on occasion - he had lots of tests and the hospital said they should test for Lyme, but I thought it unlikely. I think it was more likely Vit D deficiency as he was sweating a lot at night too. We made sure he got more sun and he has been a lot better over the last few years.

Yes, I just looked and some of the tests have a sensitivity of less than 50%! However according to NICE guidelines, the rash is such a clear indication of Lyme Disease that they don't bother testing if you present with one. They just start treating you straight away.

So I guess it comes down to how reliable my doctor considers my description to be!

I think it also is more reliable the longer you've had it as the tests are looking at your antibodies.

Interesting that they look at the antibodies, as there will be no disputing that.

Best of luck with the GP - please report back.

I will. It's a week today.

Can any doctors tell me... I see a 3-4 week course of amoxicillin is one of the options for Lyme. I’ve had 3, possibly 4 “normal” courses of amoxicillin since then for other stuff. Would they have made me feel a bit better without doing a full job of getting rid of it?

@sufferingicecakes just had my appointment. I think it went well...I'm to have all the usual blood tests + Lyme antibodies test & an ECG next week (one of my symptoms is a racing heart). Doctor was very concerned by my bp (120/101). I'm to see him again in 2 weeks for a review of my test results & formation of an action plan.

@MaximumVolumeThanks for coming back - I was only thinking of you today. Glad they took you seriously. I've just had an ecg too, as part of a pre-op for something entirely different and fairly routine. It was fine but my blood pressure was high! The top number of yours is pretty good (certainly by my standards) but the bottom number is quite high

I think I will mention it to my GP soon - please let me know how you get on with your results. Any idea how they can tell between active Lyme and one that has been cured by antibiotics?