Lyme disease or nothing to worry about?

[biscuitbadger]

About 5 weeks ago I noticed a small red bump like a little bite, on the inside of my elbow. I work outdoors and am prone to getting bitten/scratched a fair bit so I ignored it, assuming it would go away.

After a few days a red patch appeared around it, which then over the course of a couple more days spread slowly outwards to maybe 3cm diameter, and a clear patch appeared in the middle.

Thinking it could be ringworm, I popped into a pharmacy. The pharmacist wasn't sure but thought it looked like it could be fungal, and I was given antifungal cream. I started using the cream and the spot and red patch disappeared within 48 hours.
This was now all about a month ago. I thought no more of it until I saw sth in the news about Lyme disease...

I have had a slightly upset stomach and felt a bit nauseous and tired for the last week. Yesterday I felt worse and had a headache too, but this morning I don't feel as bad. So I think I just have a mild stomach bug.

I also have health anxiety.

I'm freaking out now that I might have Lyme disease and that I should have seen a doctor when I had the original bite.

Should I see a doctor now? Is it urgent? Am I panicking over nothing?

Would a Lyme disease rash be so small and clear up so quickly?

Could Lyme disease make me feel queasy and bloated rather than fluey?

Because of my health anxiety I tend to try and avoid bothering the doctor when I'm in a sudden panic. But I don't want to miss something important.

Hi OP! I'm going through something similar now. Did you ever get answers?

No not really!

If I remember right, I went to the GP and had a course of antibiotics, and I think they also did a test which didn't show anything.

Nothing bad seems to have happened to me... 🤞🏻

Ah thank you for your reply! I had this show up in my hand in June. Pharmacist said she thought it was ringworm and the cream treated it in a few days and it didn't get any bigger. Now I'm experiencing joint pain and heart palpitations so my mind is going crazy!

Haven’t you already posted somewhere else about this OP? Go to a GP and address it and your health anxiety.

If the blood test didn't show lyme antibodies/active lyme you probably didn't have lyme and the sickness was unconnected. Try not to worry.

@rustcohlesmug and @Boomboomboomboom - thanks for the misplaced concern! I posted this a few years ago and have only returned to answer a question from @Emmasian94, who now has a similar situation.

Emma, if you are worried I'd talk to the GP.

If it's any reassurance, that photo looks like what most insect bites look like on me! What I had that time was bigger and had a lighter patch inside an outer circle.

Oops missed the zombieness.
The testing for Lymes has got better over recent years so @emmasian94 I would advise seeing your gp to ask for a blood test. My child's symptoms for lyme disease started about 3 months post infection and joint pain and a racing heart wear symptoms - although her heart really raced after antibiotics (so much do we were worried about heart block).
Interestingly, or not, she still has some issues 5 years on, and has high antibodies for lyme although no active lyme now

Oh really?! It would be over 4 months since I had the mark on my hand now. I will be going to the GP tomorrow as I feel horrendous. Sorry to hear your little one still experiences some problems xx

A Lymes disease bite\radh is more of a bullseye shape rather than solid rash. I had this once from a tick bite. Got completely wiped out for a few days, GP gave me antibiotics which made all the difference.