View Full Version : Bullseye Rash
Okay, bit of a weird one here.
I had an insect bite a few weeks back; it was particularly large and hard and the scab lasted a few weeks, until I got sick of it and picked it off the other day (bad of me, I know).
This morning, I noticed a definite bullseye rash in that spot - red centre, clear margins then a raised red circle. Internet says it's a classic lyme disease rash but I didn't see a tick, nor have I been near anywhere there are ticks except for when I was wearing trousers. The rash is a bit itchy, but nothing drastic.
On the other hand, I do know we have spiders in the house and I tend to sleep with my legs exposed, so that's a possibility.
Where the anxiety comes in is that I'd much rather avoid visiting the GP if it's not actually necessary. So, given that there aren't any really nasty symptoms, am I safe to assume that the utter unlikeliness of it having been a tick means I can just assume I had a slight allergic reaction to a spider bite and wait it out?
Disclaimer: I know you're not doctors, would just appreciate some input because I'm sure some of you will know more about this than I do.
Since the rash can take several weeks to appear, this is one of those "better safe than sorry" scenarios IMO.
Positive thoughts
Okay, FMP, good to know. I'll give it the weekend to see if it calms down a bit and then get a GP appointment on Monday if it's looking any worse.
My lovely and eminently trustworthy husband has told me that my rash only looks very barely like the pictures of the lyme rash, and is much less prominent.
He's a wonderful person to have around because he'll listen to my concerns, we can talk about them and I know I can trust what I'm hearing from him.
Well there ya go then ;)
Positive thoughts
Hun blue iris as someone that has contracted Lyme disease I would say don’t take the risk and get some antibiotics. Honestly, it’s not worth the risk. I never saw a tick just had the bulls eye and tested positive.
Since the rash can take several weeks to appear, this is one of those "better safe than sorry" scenarios IMO.
Positive thoughts
In this instance the TYS Gang will allow it (but still be on standby, all the same) :D
Quite right to keep an eye on it and act accordingly if it doesn't clear up by next week. In all likelihood, however, it's nothing serious.
Status: 180!
I’m sure it’s not, but could you see a pharmacist instead of the gp? Or do you hate them too?
I might have a chat to the pharmacist if it doesn't go down over the weekend.
It's just that the chances of it being a tick bite are basically the same as it having been a ninja bat ;)
Or perhaps a ninja tick!
The thing is though, you have a rash that could possibly be a flag. I don’t think you’re being irrational.
Honestly the chances of me being bitten by a tick are next to none, I’m not an outdoorsy person, don’t go camping etc it can happen and to take a course of antibiotics to be on the safe side is better than dealing with Lyme disease
I had the same issue 2 months ago...finally got antibiotics because doctors want to be rather safe than sorry withblymes but I am 99% sure it wss just an allergy to some insect bite. Also didn't see tick.
What you can do is wait 6 weeks then do those blood tests. They are not 100% accurate but better than nothing.
You probably don't have lymes. Tick needs to be attacked to you for at least 24 hours to transfer lymes, so if some insect just bit you, you don't have lymes 100%.
Thanks, Hypo.
I'm pretty sure it was a rogue spider; we have plenty around the house and I know from getting bitten last year that they tend to cause me problems for ages.
Follow-up: my unflappable husband just saw the rash in good lighting and freaked the heck our and made me call the NHS. Currently awaiting a callback, and ready to vomit from the anxiety of it.
Oh love! So it’s ok, it sounds like you’ll probably be given antibiotics maybe?
It’ll be ok.,
I know, I'm just really bad at medical stuff and Pete never gets frightened, so I've gone into full panic mode. I really want to go to bed but I can't because I'm waiting for a callback.
Okay, the 111 GP just called back, and we had a long talk; he made me promise to visit the GP on Monday since I wasn't keen to go to the out of hours service and he was fairly sure 3 days would be okay.
I'm really not a night owl and I was already in bits from stress on the way home tonight; based on prior experience I'm not sure sleep's going to happen.
I have contingency self-care plans in place but I'm feeling a bit grumpy as I went to a lot of lengths to try and ensure a stress-free weekend.
I’ve had so many spider bites...they all get irritated like that. In the very, very rare chance it is Lyme, you’ve caught it early. Youll be okay.
So instead of worrying all weekend, you could still show it to a pharmacist today? Or if you’re really worried you could still go to urgent care?
If not, distraction is the key for the weekend.
I'm not worried about Lyme, oddly enough, because I know it can be dealt with using antibiotics.
Honestly, I think it's just bad timing that this has come up at the point in time when I'm least able to deal with it. I often get weird health issues at this time of year.
No I can tell that you’re more freaked out by the situation. That’s why I suggest getting it looked at sooner rather than later so that you can get back to your normal.
Thanks, Scass. Going to see how it goes today, and if I really can't settle then I'll go get it looked at.
Sorry I feel like I’m being the negative one here, I’m really not and that’s not my intention but I will just say that if it is lyme don’t give it 6 weeks to roam around your system, you usually should wait for that time till testing as it won’t produce antibodies till then.
Start the antibiotics as soon as possible, then yes it can be zapped.
I've had a bullseye type easy before. It also swelled up like a mini cookie. The chemist told me I might be starting with bite allergies and if they get frequent or worse to investigate getting an epipen.
Anyway, years later I'm ok for anything like lymes and don't need an epipen. I still have very sensitive skin which doesn't help with bites.
Lady, you're not, I'm going to the GP first thing Monday and because the rash really is textbook, I'm hoping they'll start me on the antibiotics that day.
Glad to hear, it should be doxycycline and according to lyme literate drs you need 400mg a day. The gp will prescribe half of that. Let us know how you get on.
Glad you're seeing the doctor. It really is the prudent thing to do. I just want to say I think you've handled it beautifully (at least from a forum perspective). We're saying see a doctor and YOU were the one saying "nahhhh.. just a spider bite. No such things as Ninja ticks" ;) AND... still it's still not certain anyway. Like we're saying, you'll probably get a round of antibiotics for safe measure and all will be well :)
Positive thoughts
Thanks, FMP. I was reading about quite how small ticks can be, and suddenly it's that bit more plausible that I might have missed one.
I spent this morning catching up on the sleep I missed last night, and a chunk of this afternoon having an antihistamine nap. Currently feeling pretty cheery, to be honest.
You may find that the anti histamine helps but still a sensible idea to show your GP on Monday.
I'd never heard of bullseye rash before. Sounds like an allergy to Jim Bowen...(this will show my age!!:D)
Glad you are going to get it seen, yet again I've arrived at one of your threads realllllyyyy late lol I think you have done really well with managing this actually, from a mental health perspective, and been sensible, logical and all the rest.
Thanks! Yesterday one of my line managers mentioned a friend of hers had a bite that looked like mine; she just texted me now to say her friend had been diagnosed with Lyme yesterday.
Urrrrgh, well, the good news is that you can have a short or longer antibiotic course depending on what stage they think its relevant to treat it as....and all should be hunky dory.
Yeah it’s still possible to eradicate it should it be lyme, just make sure you take the right dose for the right length of time. I was on doxycycline for 2.5 months! I’m now on a herbal protocol.
Hi Blueiris, as someone who’s been very helpful to me on here, I’m sorry to hear your going through this scare, but you seem to be coping great with it! Hopefully you can get answers soon, and I know I’d be worried as well - but it’s more than treatable.
Thanks, Mr. L - it's good to hear from you!
MyNameIsTerry
15-09-19, 04:55
Glad you are going to get it seen, yet again I've arrived at one of your threads realllllyyyy late lol I think you have done really well with managing this actually, from a mental health perspective, and been sensible, logical and all the rest.
I'm also late to this one but agree with Carys. You've been under a lot of pressure at work on top of everything else and at some point there will be the straw that means you need to get some of it out of your head. But remember you are addressing things sensibly despite not being someone who likes tests or doctors. You have a thread here where you engage with everyone and listen. And it's only racking up the pages because you are a popular member hence others are more likely to want to support you.
So when anxiety is throwing one of it's his hissy fits just try to slow it down and break things into smaller chunks so you are less likely to be overwhelmed. And remember doctors cover their bums so if can't view it there & then they will mostly likely want your GP to check anyway.
Fill your weekend up with stuff so your mind has less opportunity to annoy you with doubts and obsessive trigger thoughts. Do some of your crafting perhaps? Or get your fella to take you out somewhere nice with the weather being good.
Monday will be here before you know it and you will handle the appointment. You have support around you.
Thanks, Terry. I really love this place, y'know that?
Got lots of odds and ends to do today, but I'm hoping to sneak some beadwork in this afternoon and maybe start working on something fun for myself rather than the sales table.
Plus, I have a couple of small Lego sets being delivered tomorrow - they're my go-to treat when things get rough. I told Pete which specific item I wanted, then asked him to find me a surprise to go with it.
All in all, things could be a lot worse.
Enjoy your lego therapy! What a lovely man you have..He must make you feel very safe which is such a comfort.
He does, I'm really lucky. I'm also lucky because I'd probably have neglected this if he hadn't been so insistent about me getting it dealt with sooner rather than later.
Best wishes for tomorrow and I hope you have a decent consultation and are satisfied with his/her opinion.
A few years ago I had a couple of bug bites that looked like this, and it turned out they were infected. No Lyme, just plain old infected bites. Antibiotics cleared it right up. I learned that I should not scratch my mosquito bites while gardening!
LouiseAndy
16-09-19, 00:25
Just seen this- I'll be thinking about you tomorrow x My Dad been treated for/expected lyme in the past. We had to fight him to go to the doctor most of the time! He's perfectly fit (He's pushing 70 and probs the most fit in my family lol!). You've handle this so, so well x
Thanks so much for all the support, everyone!
I honestly don't feel as though I'm handling it very well right now; I'm shaky and nauseated from the thought of having to sit in the waiting room and not knowing which doctor I'll see.
You are still handling it and facing up to the situation and in my book that means 'handling it well', it doesn't mean without anxiety. I'd be the same I LOATHE seeing the doctor and avoid all visits unless really necessary (as your is now). I sweat and feel sick through the whole time before, heart racing, but just as you will do today - I do it. Not sure why you don't know which doctor, with ours you book a specific one, but maybe its an emergency appointment in which case you do get who is on duty.
Our GP has walk-ins in the morning. All the doctors are okay, but there's only one I really trust and she doesn't work Mondays; the waiting list to book an appointment with her tends towards six weeks.
I'm a total mess; I know I should really settle my blood sugar with some breakfast but I can't face it. Going to hold off, I think, then grab canteen breakfast when I get into work.
If you can manage a biscuit maybe? Just tiny little mouse nibbles it might help? Or sip some squash? Or suck a mint? (These are my strategies!)
You’re going to do great. Can you listen to something on headphones maybe? Or play a game on your phone.
Hopefully you won’t be there too long.
Squash is a good idea, Scass. Normally I'd have plain yogurt on medical panic days but we don't have any in.
Luckily the surgery is five minutes walk from both home and work, so I won't have to wait ages once I'm done.
Canteen breakfast sounds like something to look forward to.
They've started serving fried bread this year, too! ...I know it's massively unhealthy, but if I don't deserve it after facing a challenge like this I don't know when I do.
You know you need to get this checked out so it will be worth the trauma for an expert opinion and an end to speculation. Afterwards you will be glad you went. Just go on autopilot and think about your fried bread!!
Thanks, Pulisa. Queues are huge this morning so I'm working on my breathing. If the stress wrecks me that badly I'll take a sick day once I've dropped some stuff off at work - today's boss knows how badly this stuff affects me.
Try not to give this appointment too much significance? You're going to see if you need antibiotics or not. It will be a quick appointment and you will be on your way. You will be ok xx
Not Lyme! Just an ordinary bite gone septic.
I lucked out and saw the lady I normally see for my antidepressants, so I didn't have to explain the whole panic attack thing when I got in. She told me to go back if I started feeling ill but that she really didn't think it was Lyme, and gave me a cream to clear the infection up.
She's awesome and I trust her, which means I can now relax. I've just finished eating that full English and it was LOVELY.
Thanks so much for all the support! I'd come to all your houses and hug you individually if it wouldn't be expensive and slightly creepy.
Really happy for you! Good on you for going there and dealing with it I can imagine it wasn’t easy!
Thanks! It was pretty terrifying, yes. I really appreciate your support and the information you offered, Lady.
Well done and very good news! Pace yourself for the rest of the day if you can.
This is the plan, Pulisa. Luckily people are running about like crazy because of the Ofsted inspection tomorrow, and I'm not important enough to be involved so I'm just slowly dealing with my task list and pausing to work on my breathing every now and again.
FAB !!!!!! I'm feeling relief for you. Congratulations on facing the demon.
Thanks so much, both! I'm thoroughly tired out, but I'll be home in a few hours and I can fall asleep in front of the TV.
Midnight-mouse
16-09-19, 14:40
You absolutely aced it! Sorry I wasn’t around sooner, you’ve done so well! And I’m glad it’s a just a run of the mill infection that will soon be history!
That full English was most certainly well earned and so will the feet up time in front of the tv!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great news. You did really well.
Yay for a fried breakfast too!
MyNameIsTerry
17-09-19, 02:00
That's good news, Blue. :yesyes: And another one in the eye for anxiety as it's a simple situation compared to the horrors it was conjuring up :winks:
Look at it this way, you went when you could have not. You could have avoided rather than faced. Whilst it's not great it's a difficuly experience you still overcame what anxiety wanted you to do, hide away and worry but be stuck in inertia. The more you expose yourself to situations like this the easier they will beocme anyway. So, take out the bits that are positive and accept the bits that need more work.
I hope you now have a lovely relaxing day watching your colleagues firefighting all those issues they have put off all year that they should be doing daily...because now a regulator is coming in (if it's anything like the businesses I've worked in :biggrin:).
Oh I did see your comment about the person at your workplace pulling sickies but Nic closed Darkside's thread before I could reply. I think any doctor can easily work out if a thumb is broken and it's not like they don't use x-rays all the time. Sounds like they just wanted a bit of a holiday :winks:
Only just saw this! So sorry I didn’t reply sooner... but thank goodness all turned out ok!
Thanks, Terry. I felt wretched at work yesterday but an evening on the sofa and an unexpected curry sorted everything out; definitely feeling back to my old self now even though it seems that as soon as one of my bosses learns not to be evil I get another one who's determined to ruin things for everybody.
Jojo, no worries, it was awful and now it's over. I don't have a problem trusting GP opinions, but it helps that there's one at our local surgery who I like and who I can trust not to make me feel uncomfortable. She knows that waiting rooms trip all my triggers so I don't have to explain, and let me have a few seconds to sit and get my head together after the appointment was over before I headed back into work.
MyNameIsTerry
18-09-19, 01:39
New broom. Some managers come in trying to make their mark (until they get ploughed under by the volume and have to ease off) and often alienate everyone in the process. Maybe they will settle down?
Just an update on the person taking sickies at the busy time of year whilst doing their Avon business.
They came back on Monday and have been doing the minimum they can get away with ever since. Last night they were complaining of exhaustion on Facebook and I may have lost my temper with them slightly. Today's going to be interesting, but I'm absolutely determined I'm not going to apologise for calling them on their crap.
Just saw this Blue, and glad to see that it wasnt Lyme. :)
golddustgirl1000
23-09-19, 03:59
I’m from the Midwest and have had my fair share of ticks found on me...when I was a kid I just picked em off- I don’t advise that btw.... I remember picking 30 off my horse one time... so big their bodies looked like kernels or corn... disgusting little
Things....Please get it checked out..not trying to scare you on this one.
A close family friend went hiking in an area not known for ticks in California.... bullseye rash appeared but because it wasn’t normal in her area dr’s shrugged it off - told her she was fine...
Her tick was carrying lymes disease as well as twenty other co-infections..
She didn’t finish taking antibiotics as she was allergic to them... now 8 years in.. her family has moved her down to Mayo Clinic- the disease crosses her blood brain barrier and she has permanent excruciating pain and neurological damage.... she was 20 when it happened...
Again not trying to scare you- I tend to be more natural and don’t trust drs... but with this specific disease please be careful.
I get you, Dreaming, and I really appreciate your concern.
I'm keeping a close eye on this, and the second I get any funny symptoms to suggest it's anything other than an infected bite, I'll be going straight back to the doctor.
Has it leaked any pus? All of my previously infected bites have eventually, before they healed.
Not since the rash came up, but the original bite did.
Oh, okay. It should be healing soon then, as long as you don’t pick at it. Some of them stay angry for awhile.
Yeah, the bite isn't angry any more, the rash is just taking some time to fade.
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