posted
I went camping 2 weeks ago and got bit on my arm by what I thought was a mosquito. It looked just like any regular itchy bite would, but a couple days ago it turned into a slightly raised red bullseye. Yesterday the bullseye turned yellow in color and there was a light red ring around it. Today the light red ring is huge and the bullseye is still there. You can't feel the rings around the bullseye that you could before, but the skin is kinda tough and its sooooo itchy and burns.
My arm is sore from the shoulder down to my fingers and I'm feeling tired but do not have a fever or vomiting or anything. I do feel a little weak, but could be bc I'm tired.
I went to the docs yesterday and he doesn't think it's Lyme Disease. He seems to think that I was bit and I'm having an allergic reaction to the venom of whatever bit me. He did give me the antibiotic Ceftin to take for 2 weeks just incase. I do feel kinda "weird" but don't want to jump to the conclusion that I have LD. I have no other symptoms. Does the bullseye rash ALWAYS mean Lyme Disease?? Could it be possible that I'm just having an allergic reaction? Should I ask the doctor to be on antibiotics for longer than 2 weeks to be on the safe side?? I'm so confused and kinda scared...
Posts: 4 | From Pittsburgh | Registered: Jun 2009
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Starfall1969
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17353
posted
I would say your doc is full of bull crap!
If you have a bbullseye, you have Lyme!
You didn't happen to photograph the bullseye, did you? That might be helpful if/when you seek out a LLMD.
As for the Ceftin, I thought the usual treament for Lyme was Doxy, but I could be wrong.
In any case, yes, you do need more than 2 weeks worth of an antibiotic for Lyme. I don't know how willing your doc will be to giving you the extra weeks of meds, but you should definitely try.
Posts: 1682 | From Dillsburg, PA | Registered: Sep 2008
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posted
Ya, I did photograph it. It's only been 2 weeks since the bite so I figure if we catch it early enough then I should be ok, but how do you prove I have Lyme ya know? I'd rather just take the meds to be better safe than sorry. What is the antibiotic usually used to treat Lyme?
Posts: 4 | From Pittsburgh | Registered: Jun 2009
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posted
When I first got Lyme, my doctor treated me with Doxycycline for 6 weeks.
Posts: 515 | From In His Loving Care | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
I researched Ceftin and it said for the treatment of early Lyme disease so it appears that that may be an ok antibiotic, but I fear that if it is Lyme then 2 weeks may not do it?
Posts: 4 | From Pittsburgh | Registered: Jun 2009
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posted
The Lyme Doctor I see stated Doxycycline will help if there are other bacteria infections transmitted too. But you are right, 2 weeks is definately not enough.
Posts: 515 | From In His Loving Care | Registered: Apr 2009
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
-
Shana,
Take photos - from different angles in good daylight - with a clean coin near the rash for size reference. Also be sure to get your face and the rash in at least one of the photos. You will also need documentation of the date. Get a newspaper of magazine with the date clearly marked and hold it next to the rash in a photo.
Keep a set of these photos for yourself - you may need it in the future. You can give sets away to doctors along the way.
With the rash, you do not need a test for lyme, but will for coinfections. It's too early for a test for lyme, anyway. I don't know when you can test for coinfections, though.
I hope you can get in to an ILADS LLMD soon. The Rx you got will not be enough and you need to be assessed for coinfections.
While this is frightening, you are addressing this early. Still, it may take 30 weeks of treatment, according to some lyme experts. But since you are treating early, you have an excellent chance.
your doctor is clearly not informed. you need a better doctor. good luck.
CONTROVERSY CONTINUES TO FUEL THE "LYME WAR" -(author's details at link)
As two medical societies battle over its diagnosis and treatment, Lyme disease remains a frequently missed illness. Here is how to spot and treat it.
Excerpts:
Meet the players
The opponents in the battle over the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease are the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the largest national organization of general infectious disease specialists, (and)
and the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), an organization made up of physicians from many specialties. ( www.ilads.org )
ILADS, by contrast, asserts that the illness is much more common than reported, underdiagnosed, easier to contract than previously believed, difficult to diagnose through commercial blood tests, and difficult to treat, (especially)
especially when treatment is delayed because of commonly encountered diagnostic difficulties ( http://www.ilads.org/guidelines.html - Accessed April 6, 2007).
. . .
" . . .To treat Lyme disease for a comparable number of life cycles, treatment would need to last 30 weeks. . . ."
`` . . .Patients with Lyme disease almost always have negative results on standard blood screening tests and have no remarkable findings on physical exam, so they are frequently referred to mental-health professionals for evaluation.
"...If all cases were detected and treated in the early stages of Lyme disease, the debate over the diagnosis and treatment of late-stage disease would not be an issue, and devastating rheumatologic, neurologic, and cardiac complications could be avoided..."
. . . * Clinicians do not realize that the CDC has gone on record as saying the commercial Lyme tests are designed for epidemiologic rather than diagnostic purposes, and a diagnosis should be based on clinical presentation rather than serologic results.
- Full article at link above, containing MUCH more detailed information.
-===
Co-infections (other tick-borne infections or TBD - tick-borne disease) are not discussed in the Savely article due to space limits. Still, any LLMD you would see would know how to assess/treat if others are present.
=================
TESTING
You should also be evaluated for coinfections. Not all tests are great in that regard, either, but a good LLMD can evaluate you and then guide you in testing. One of the top labs is:
"With most infections, your immune system first forms IgM antibodies, then in about 2 to 4 weeks, you see IgG antibodies. In some infections, IgG antibodies may be detectable for years.
Because Borrelia burgdorferi is a chronic persistent infection that may last for decades, you would think patients with chronic symptoms would have positive IgG Western blots.
But actually, more IgM blots are positive in chronic borreliosis than IgG. Every time Borrelia burgdorferi reproduces itself, it may stimulate the immune system to form new IgM antibodies.
Some patients have both IgG and IgM blots positive. But if either the IgG or IgM blot is positive, overall it is a positive result.
Response to antibiotics is the same if either is positive, or both. Some antibodies against the borrelia are given more significance if they are IgG versus IgM, or vice versa.
Since this is a chronic persistent infection, this does not make a lot of sense to me. A newly formed Borrelia burgdorferi should have the same antigen parts as the previous bacteria that produced it.
But anyway, from my clinical experience, these borrelia associated bands usually predict a clinical change in symptoms with antibiotics, regardless of whether they are IgG or IgM."
The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) provides a forum for health science professionals to share their wealth of knowledge regarding the management of Lyme and associated diseases.
- In the menu to the left of their home page, you can order DVDs of past ILADS seminars. You might also be able to borrow some from your local lyme support group.
This are invaluable to understanding how these infections work. And, none of this is taught in medical schools. None.
posted
My son took Ceftin for an ear infection right before we tested him for Lyme. He herxed somewhat from that so I think it helps.
Though you will need more then 2 weeks of antibiotics!
-------------------- My lyme disease blog: http://lymetimes3.blogspot.com/ One BIG Lyme family! I tested CDC + 10/08 My mom Igenex + 11/08 & My brother Igenex + 4/09, My 2 boys some + & IND bands, clinical diagnosis 3/09 (youngest has Aspergers too) Posts: 470 | From Painesville, Ohio | Registered: Mar 2009
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posted
Scary stuff! I couldn't believe last weekend when we had a yard/bake sale with signs and brochures and all proceeds going to lyme how many people told me that they recently had or knew someone who had a bull's eye rash and their doctor wouldn't give them antibiotics! One was a small child. I was horrified...
Ann
-------------------- If you keep doing nothing...nothing changes!
groovy2
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6304
posted
Hi Shauna--
It is Super Important that you take pictures- do it like Keebler said to do- Post pictures on Lymenet (LN)if you can--
If you do have the bullseye rash you have been infected with Lyme ZERO doubt--
Tests for Lyme will not show positive till at least the 3rd week or longer--
Doxicycline is the Usual ABX given for early treatment-- it has a wide spectrum--
Minimum of 3 weeks of 300mg to 600mg per day is needed --Longer is better --
My sister lives in PA and has been infected 4 times and one of her sons was just infected for his second time this week--
I just asked my sister today if Docs in PA know about treating Lyme and she said most do-- but that is not what I have seen here on Lymenet-
Ticks can carry many germs that cause several different diseases--Most people end up getting Lyme with Babs or Bart-- so it is Important to keep this in mind--
Dont take NO from any doctor-- YOU are paying them--You are the Boss--Jay--
Posts: 2999 | From Austin tx USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
All docs are told that if a patient presents with an EM rash, blood testing for Lyme is not necessary...the rash confirms it is present.
I have read that there are documented cases of EM rashes from mosquitos, fleas, and spiders. Do find another doc to give you some abx. It will save you lots of misery in the long run. Good luck.
Amy
-------------------- Amy
Diagnosed April 29, 2007. Posts: 136 | From Joplin, MO | Registered: Apr 2007
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