AboutCarol Expertise I can answer questions about Lyme disease and recommend websites where one can find good, up-to-date information. I can also tell you how to find a Lyme specialist which is critical if you or anyone you know suspects that he or she may have Lyme disease. I can, also, provide you with a symptoms list.
Experience I suffered for 2 years with a bad case of neurological Lyme disease & finished a 37-month course of antibiotics in March, 2007. I went undiagnosed for 2 years, & saw a total of 14 various doctors and 'ologists. I attended a two-day Lyme conference in the spring of 2005 and I keep myself current on the topic of Lyme disease.
I quickly learned that YOU CAN HAVE A FLAMING CASE OF LYME DISEASE AND STILL HAVE NEGATIVE TEST RESULTS! It is essential for anyone who suspects that he/she may have Lyme disease to be tested for the co-infections that can occur with it. Only a Lyme specialist can perform these tests and make these diagnoses.
Question Hello Carol,
As I was watching the news yesterday when I saw some photos of what a bull's eye rash looks like when you contract Lyme disease from a tick bite. I have heard of this rash but never saw what it actually looked like until yesterday.
In early June, I was bitten by mosquitoes. I had tried using a citronella based repellant instead of DEET. While it worked mostly on the applied areas, they attacked me where I didn't apply - mostly on my underarm. I didn't think anything else about them until one week later. The bites became extremely itchy. I couldn't sleep at night because I wanted to scratch them so badly. First thing the next morning I put Benadryl creme all over them. They continued to itch intensely. Soon I noticed that each bite became swollen and started forming a bull's eye pattern, even the bites that I didn't put Benadryl on. They were warm to the touch as well. I finally got relief when I took Benadryl in the form of a pill. Within a day or two, some of the bites turned a yellowish color and then disappeared.
I know I was not bitten by a tick. I have not had any further symptoms. Should I still go and have the blood test even though it's not 100% reliable?
Answer HI, Kathleen.....
Many people don't know that the Lyme bacteria can be transmitted by a mosquito, flea or any other bloodsucking insect. It's a myth that only ticks can carry this bacteria. You are a prime example.
The symptoms of Lyme disease don't necessarily happen immediately and can begin as a minor annoyance and snowball into a list of symptoms a mile long. This may take place long after the bite has occurred and long after you've forgotten about the bite.
You're right, the tests are unreliable. If you go to an MD and you have negative results, you will not get treatment even though you may have the disease. If you go to a Lyme specialist, tell him about the bite and the rash, you will receive treatment no matter what the test results say. This is called a clinical diagnosis.
Going just by what you told me, I'd seek out a Lyme specialist, get tested and start treatment ASAP. To find a Lyme specialist, go to www.LymeNet.org and register. Click on Flash Discussion and then on Seeking A Doctor. Post there with your city and state and someone will email you privately. There is a policy not to post doctors' names on the site due to privacy issues. You will see LLMD a lot on the site and that stands for Lyme-literate MD.
Good Luck and let me know if you need anything else!
Carol
