To add to my problems and why I am freaking out....... I have developed a nasty rash on my arms, hands and portions of my feet that had gotten sunburned. The sunburn has finally faded (that has taken 2 weeks just be itself) but I am left with this awful red, raised, bumpy rash everywhere that I had been sunburned. Has anyone else had this reaction to the sun after taking doxycycline? I'm wondering if that is normal or if I have a co-infection. My LLMD doesn't want to test for any of the co-infections yet because she says it is still too soon after being bitten to guarantee a decent chance of getting a positive, but she said she thought it may be a co-inf.

Ok - and the biggie today is.......I got bit by another tick today!!! I never saw the first tick, but this one I did. He had a good hold on me and he had been eating awhile. I suspected right away that he might be a dear tick because even being engorged, he was still a tiny little thing. I packaged him up and sent him to IGeneX this morning and now will wait to see what other things I might be in store for.

(Whew) I'm sorry this is so long-winded but I guess I just finally hit the breaking point where I needed to get some ideas and support for what is happening.

I guess my questions are: Is Biaxin a good Abx for treatment? And Should I pursue this rash with the LLMD before my appt in 30 days?

First-I had that rash after sun exposure on Minocycline---I am different than others, I get the sun thing on Mino, not Doxy. IT was AWFUL! It took a very long time to go away. I put aloe on it and calamine etc. It was sooooo hurtful and burny. (like that word?)

But now I am worried like you are with the recent post about rocky mountain spotted fever....is the rash ONLY where you were burned. I mean, is there a direct connection? Or better yet, when did you get the rash in relationship to the recent tick bite?

Can you call LLMD and report what is up and have them tell you if you need an appoint?

I would say LLMD right away b/c with the new tick bite, who knows??!!! right?

Anyone else wanna help here?
Trails

I am on Doxy also, though twice as much, till my next LLMD appt when I'm s'posed to go on IV.

I've heard Biaxin is a good thing.

Just wanted to let you know that I experienced a bad Doxy+sun thing this past weekend. Fished about four hours -- thought I was wise, covered up with hat, sunscreen, glasses, long sleeves, hid in shade, and STILL GOT MICROWAVED. Fingers and hands and knuckles swelled like sausages. Could not use my hands for several days. Excruciating. Everywhere that burned now has red rash-like dots.

What's really disgusting is my lips look like I've one giant continuous fever blister.

It's beginning to make an IV sound good.

As recent as your bite was, I would STILL call your LLMD and report your rash, just to be on the safe side...

:-)

Didnt mean to inflame the situation.

Being my paranoid self, sorry cast!

The rash on my arms is more spaced out then on my hands so you can see more individual bumps. Mine hurt really bad also at first for about a week after I got sunburned, but after the red color of the burn started fading that is when you could see the rash. I was worried about Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever......my hands and forearms look just like the pictures they show of RMSF, but I only have it where I had sunburn, so I'm not thinking it is really that....but with my current luck - who knows!! I am supposed to be tested for co-infections this Fri by LabCorp. LLMD decided to use them first so insurance might pay and maybe it will even show something positive. Otherwise, supposed to have IGeneX testing in another month after LLMD feels that there might be enough antibodies present to warrant the cost and not just be throwing away the money too soon.

What a sorry day I am having! I have a red mark about the size of a dime where I found that darn tick this morning. Not sure I have ever been bit by a tick before this recent stuff, so I don't know whether the normal (?) uninfected tick makes the same mark after they bite.

So glad I found this site......I think I'm going to be asking lots of questions!

It is so hard tho - I live in a suburban neighborhood - all grass lawns, no wooded areas - but I do like to get out and weed my flower beds tho and that is the only place I can think of that I'm getting the bites from.

That doxy burn is so intense. I have been recently writing about how I had to wear my friends tube socks on my hands coz of the sun coming thru the windshiled when I was traveling from Maine to New Mexico. and then I had to give my money for the toll takers with my tube socked hands!

It was very painful and to this day (4 years later) I can not drive without my little ladies cotton gloves on. I even wear them when I am swimming and surfing. (with the fingers cut off) I highly suggest this, as the sun in the car is INTENSE!!

Someone recently posted about citrus juice making this symptom worse. Maybe do a search and see what you can find. Good luck.

Oh, and two months after the rash, I had BIZARRE fingernail symptoms...stripes and colors and things. Turns out fingernails really mark trauma in your body. Heart attack vicitms show things in their fingernails a month or two later too!
Just be aware that it may happen. DONT FREAK OUT!! Like I did earlier today.

Sorry you are going through all this.

Just wanted to add that tingling in your hands from doxy and feeling out of sorts was probably herxing, a product of the bacterial die off. It may be targeting the strain of lyme you have better then the biaxin thus the herx reaction.

When I was first sick I couldn't take 200 mg of doxy without being left literally so sick with neurological issues I couldn't drive. Now, that the bacterial load is down it is not bad and the herxes are much milder on the doxy and I can increase my dose even.

As far as depending on LabCorp for true readings on the coinfections I wouldn't depend on them. I was negative through them and then went through IgeneX and was extremely positive.

I would go through IgeneX for coinfection testing. You don't want to be treating forever and then find out the reason you are not getting well is that you have Babesia. Not to scare you just something to seriously consider.

Take care and I hope that burn is relieved soon.

------------------
"If I can stop one/Heart from breaking/I shall not live in vain/If I can ease one Life the Aching/Or cool one Pain/Or help one fainting Robin/Unto his Nest again/I Shall not live in Vain." Emily Dickinson

It is very normal to burn and/or fry in the prescense of the sun while under doxy. Im one of the rare ones who don't. I could stay in teh sun all day while I was on it and not get burnt.

I took Biaxin XL for lyme, which is slightly different than straight Biaxin, and it damn near put me in remission.

Regardless of what Dr. B says, if it is working for you, GO FOR IT. It absolutely DOES work for some people.

You have to find the abx that works for you! My mom (the resident Lymie) was on a combo of biaxin and doxy for a long time (zithro and something else before that, don't recall).

Only recently has she been able to get off the doxy, but sticks with the biaxin because it makes her feel better.

I've been on Biaxin for 6 months. It has helped me tremendously. I used to have constant pain everyday.

Now I have twinges of pain here and there and when I'm tired.

Have your LLMD add plaquenil for better absorption.

Don't know much about doxy so sorry about the horriffic burns.

Welcome to this 24/7 support group board!
Here's TREEPATROL's and TINCUP'S combination newbie links.
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/029917.html

Print off the links then check them off as you read as you could spend several months reading all of this.

print & read Dr. Barrascono's info first; you will come back to this often.

Also, see Cheryl's extensive web sites on: LD DIAGNOSIS, SYMPTOMS, & TREATMENT ... wonderful!
http://www.lymeinfo.net/lymediseasetreatment.html