Lyme Disease

[penguinsandpanda]

Went to rainforest in August and bitten by an insect leaving a large 1 to 2 inch oval flat red rash. Around 3 weeks later become ill with extreme tiredness, dizziness, flu, muscle aches, bone aches, pins and needles etc. Still same after 6 months, rarely well enough to leave house, and just had 2 days of severe chest pains which ive had checked out at A and E. Do you think its worth testing for Lymes? Cancer tests are so far proving negative. Blood tests normal except anaemia and one issue on kidney test.

You need the Lyme test but you also need a full workup by someone who understands about tropical medicine. A Lyme carrying tick is by no means the most likely culprit.

Ticks where I am also carry TBE so we are all vaccinated against that. Lyme is present in Costa Rica but it’s not hugely prevalent and the ticks that carry it need to be attached for a good 24 hours before they transmit the disease.

It’s also possible that what bit you was not a tick. Costa Rica has dengue, malaria, chikingunya, and Chagas’ disease. All insect bourne and all nasty.

Your GP should have referred you - anyone returning from a tropical place with fever and illness after a bite needs a workup. Chagas in particular is awful - google Chagas and kissing bug and ask your daughter if that’s what she saw on you.

Thanks very much. My daughter can no longer remember the insect but at time said a red spider. I showed her a tick picture and she said like that but bigger but it was an internet picture so didn't have a size. Didn't notice anything attached for 24 hours though it was close to my ankle and my eyesight isn't 100 percent. The rash was a perfect red oval around 1 to 2 inches flat don't think it itched, didn't grow.

Don't remember any major fever, I never took my temp but I would say up to 38 degrees possible but not a big fever. But very flu like dizzy and crazy pains all over in bones and muscles, shooting pains in night, struggling to balance first symptoms and more added since. Thanks very much.

It could well be mild dengue - I’ve had something similar to that and it’s like the worst flu you’ve ever had whilst someone is trying to snap your bones and drive spikes into your joints. I’ve never had pain like it .

You absolutely need follow up from someone with tropical disease expertise. Most of the viral stuff like dengue you will get over and be OK, but stuff like Chagas can have long term health implications.

Obviously malaria is a risk as well - that can be cleared by the body but a substantial number of infections don’t clear and will recur. Again it’s fairly easy to rule out.

Hope you get some answers - when I returned from tropical climes I was riddled with worms and had suspected malaria. I was admitted for a few days.
They ruled that out, wormed me (joy) but never pinned down what the odd viral like thing I had was. There are plenty of things they have never seen before or the tests aren’t 100%. It took me a while to recover the first time and I have had relapses. I’ve never found what it was.

Thanks very much. I will see what the test shows then get back to doctors. I have cancer test on 24th then will do this one. So hard to know what it is, thought doctors would know but no. DD said no to chaggas but we were in rainforest most of the holiday so all kinds of weird and wonderful things around.

Had quite a few more symptoms and work forced me into a sign off at full pay as getting very ill collapsing and out of breathe a lot. Constant infections, quite a bit of internal bleeding but all cancer tests negative. NHS doctors not keen on Lyme, doctor just said he didn't know about it and anything can cause Lyme symptoms. After 5 negative cancer tests he put things down to anxiety but OH aren't accepting this and there's no way this is caused solely by anxiety, I am out of breathe after a few steps, I am bleeding, I am woken in night with pain, I have infections every 2 weeks, ct scan showed enlarged adrenal gland and its looking like it could be Lyme especially as had the rash. In theory they should be treating me now but they won't as they didn't see the rash. I can go private don't know if that helps, work give me private insurance. I haven't done blood test yet as constantly on antibiotics or feeling too ill and worried it only picks up 50 percent. Putting on weight with it too which never happens to me.

Realise this thread is almost a year old but came across it searching for Lyme Disease as my 6 year old son is being treated after a tick bite then swollen lymph nodes in his neck a few days later.

I wondered how the OP is if @penguinsandpanda you are still reading? Hope all got resolved