Aa
rash
I have a round rash that has tripled in size it's now the size of a dinner plate.round rings on my side.Dr said it's cellulitis.I think its lymes disease.how long does a rash like this last with lymes disease
Error: Above I wrote: "This does mean these are perfect docs, but they are a good place to start."
Should read: "This does **NOT** mean these are perfect docs, but they are a good place to start." Duh. Sorry! ;)
Should read: "This does **NOT** mean these are perfect docs, but they are a good place to start." Duh. Sorry! ;)
and PS: your Lyme doc needs to know about your MS diagnosis. As said, I am not medically trained, but since many docs don't know much of anything about Lyme, they can too often look at a Lyme patient's symptoms and mistake it for another ailment ... which can include MS.
So be sure when you see a Lyme doc to tell him/her about your medical history, including the MS diagnosis. A Lyme doc will know how to deal with that issue and whether MS is an accurate diagnosis, or if Lyme was mistakenly diagnosed as MS.
So be sure when you see a Lyme doc to tell him/her about your medical history, including the MS diagnosis. A Lyme doc will know how to deal with that issue and whether MS is an accurate diagnosis, or if Lyme was mistakenly diagnosed as MS.
Sorry to hear that you have Lyme, but the good (?) news is that now you know what you are fighting, and you can now get proper treatment.
Lyme disease has been around for at least a couple of decades, but it is only very recently that it has become recognized for what it is, instead of misdiagnoses of other ailments. Even when that realization dawns on your current docs, they may not have the resources and experience to know that the 'Lyme' ticks very often (about half the time) carry other infections completely unrelated to Lyme disease itself. These co-infections are often difficult to diagnose, and the symptoms of Lyme and one or more co-infections are unclear even to experienced MDs.
There is also a major split in the medical community about how serious Lyme disease and its co-infection are or are not, and how to treat the infection(s) with what meds for how long. The reason for the split among the docs is that Lyme is a very newly recognized infection, and the medical community is still not sorted out on testing, diagnosis and treatment.
For all those reasons, I would, in your situation, find an MD who is a Lyme specialist, preferably a member of a voluntary group for MDs who focus on Lyme disease and the several other infections that the 'Lyme' ticks often carry. That voluntary group for MDs is called the International Lyme and and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS for short, pronounced 'eye-lads'). Other docs mean well, but Lyme is a fast-moving area of medicine, and we the patients need the most up-to-date and informed MDs possible to get rid of the infection(s).
I personally had Lyme and one additional co-infection, and it took me almost a year to be diagnosed, after seeing 20 MDs, one after the other. The first 19 docs did not know what I had, and the 20th doc finally ran a test for Lyme out of desperation, because she could not think of anything else that the other docs had already ruled out. My Lyme test came back positive, but the kindly doc said I could not possibly have Lyme, because I didn't "look sick enough."
It happened though that an old friend of mine who lived on the other side of the country had had Lyme some years before, and from her I already knew that Lyme was nothing to ignore. So I took my Lyme test results and found a Lyme specialist nearby, who confirmed the Lyme infection and also found I had an additional infection from the 'Lyme' ticks that needed separate testing and treatment from the Lyme.
After about a year of treatment (first killing one infection, then the other), I was officially cured of the infections, and then it took another ~year before I felt like the old me again. Everyone's dance with Lyme is different, which is why it is so important to have an experienced and knowledgeable MD to work with for diagnosis and treatment. The older views of Lyme diagnosis and treatment are terribly out of date, but some MDs keep on using them, thinking they have all the answers already. It is that split in the medical community that, in my experience and reading, is as big a problem as Lyme itself.
That your current docs are new to the field of Lyme, I would without hesitation find a Lyme specialist to confirm your diagnosis, determine whcih collection of infections you have, and structure a treatment approach. Lyme and the various co-infections you may have quite often need completely different medication, and it takes an expert Lyme doc to understand and figure all this out.
If you go to the ILADS website, they can send you names and contact information for ILADS member MDs near you. This does mean these are perfect docs, but they are a good place to start. Lyme is a very new infection, and not all docs are equal in their ability to diagnose and treat Lyme, but you gotta start somewhere.
If you are up for reading, the ILADS website has information, including Dr Burrascano's diagnostic and treatment guidelines, which may help you understand what Lyme (and getting rid of it) is all about.
No one here on this website is medically trained that I am aware of, so don't rely on us for diagnosis or treatment suggestions, but please do consider finding a good Lyme MD to work with. It's worth the trouble, because Lyme doesn't just go away by itself.
Hang on, and let us know how we can help. Best wishes to you --
Lyme disease has been around for at least a couple of decades, but it is only very recently that it has become recognized for what it is, instead of misdiagnoses of other ailments. Even when that realization dawns on your current docs, they may not have the resources and experience to know that the 'Lyme' ticks very often (about half the time) carry other infections completely unrelated to Lyme disease itself. These co-infections are often difficult to diagnose, and the symptoms of Lyme and one or more co-infections are unclear even to experienced MDs.
There is also a major split in the medical community about how serious Lyme disease and its co-infection are or are not, and how to treat the infection(s) with what meds for how long. The reason for the split among the docs is that Lyme is a very newly recognized infection, and the medical community is still not sorted out on testing, diagnosis and treatment.
For all those reasons, I would, in your situation, find an MD who is a Lyme specialist, preferably a member of a voluntary group for MDs who focus on Lyme disease and the several other infections that the 'Lyme' ticks often carry. That voluntary group for MDs is called the International Lyme and and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS for short, pronounced 'eye-lads'). Other docs mean well, but Lyme is a fast-moving area of medicine, and we the patients need the most up-to-date and informed MDs possible to get rid of the infection(s).
I personally had Lyme and one additional co-infection, and it took me almost a year to be diagnosed, after seeing 20 MDs, one after the other. The first 19 docs did not know what I had, and the 20th doc finally ran a test for Lyme out of desperation, because she could not think of anything else that the other docs had already ruled out. My Lyme test came back positive, but the kindly doc said I could not possibly have Lyme, because I didn't "look sick enough."
It happened though that an old friend of mine who lived on the other side of the country had had Lyme some years before, and from her I already knew that Lyme was nothing to ignore. So I took my Lyme test results and found a Lyme specialist nearby, who confirmed the Lyme infection and also found I had an additional infection from the 'Lyme' ticks that needed separate testing and treatment from the Lyme.
After about a year of treatment (first killing one infection, then the other), I was officially cured of the infections, and then it took another ~year before I felt like the old me again. Everyone's dance with Lyme is different, which is why it is so important to have an experienced and knowledgeable MD to work with for diagnosis and treatment. The older views of Lyme diagnosis and treatment are terribly out of date, but some MDs keep on using them, thinking they have all the answers already. It is that split in the medical community that, in my experience and reading, is as big a problem as Lyme itself.
That your current docs are new to the field of Lyme, I would without hesitation find a Lyme specialist to confirm your diagnosis, determine whcih collection of infections you have, and structure a treatment approach. Lyme and the various co-infections you may have quite often need completely different medication, and it takes an expert Lyme doc to understand and figure all this out.
If you go to the ILADS website, they can send you names and contact information for ILADS member MDs near you. This does mean these are perfect docs, but they are a good place to start. Lyme is a very new infection, and not all docs are equal in their ability to diagnose and treat Lyme, but you gotta start somewhere.
If you are up for reading, the ILADS website has information, including Dr Burrascano's diagnostic and treatment guidelines, which may help you understand what Lyme (and getting rid of it) is all about.
No one here on this website is medically trained that I am aware of, so don't rely on us for diagnosis or treatment suggestions, but please do consider finding a good Lyme MD to work with. It's worth the trouble, because Lyme doesn't just go away by itself.
Hang on, and let us know how we can help. Best wishes to you --
Well I did go back to my family Dr.they were so shocked they said you have lymes disease..and to top it off they had their drs in the room taking pictures of it saying they have never seen such a text book case
Well I did go back to my family Dr.they were so shocked they said you have lymes disease..and to top it off they had their drs in the room taking pictures of it saying they have never seen such a text book case
Sounds like the typical lyme rash and Jackie is right it needs treating right away. The tick bite can include co-infections which require different meds. The LLMD will know about it.
Welcome to MedHelp Lyme --
This is definitely 'Lyme season', when there are many new infections. If you have been bitten by an insect carrying Lyme disease bacteria, it is important to consult with a Lyme specialist MD (or a naturopath, if you prefer) for a proper diagnosis and (if needed) treatment with antibiotics. Ticks are often the carriers of Lyme and other infections, but other insects can carry it too.
The sooner you start treatment, the better, because as time goes by, the Lyme bacteria burrow in and are harder to get rid of. The usual treatment is with oral antibiotics, and an MD who understands Lyme disease will know what to test you for and what medications you may need to get rid of Lyme and any other separate infections the 'Lyme' carriers often bring along.
Lyme has spread widely in the US in recent years, and many MDs just don't have the experience to know what they are looking at when they see the spreading red rash. Look on the internet for your state and search (for example)
LLMD Tennessee
or include a city
LLMD Knoxville TN
LLMD is patient shorthand for 'Lyme-literate medical doctor', which is not a degree or title, but is a handy way to refer to an MD who understands Lyme disease and knows how to test for and treat it.
Please do not delay seeing an MD. If you do not have Lyme or another infection carried by the 'Lyme' ticks, that's good, but it is important to have a knowledgeable MD make the diagnosis of Lyme or no Lyme.
Once Lyme bacteria burrow in, they are hard to get rid of, and the human immune system is not able to kill the bacteria because they can hide in the body out of reach of the immune system. Lyme is in the same bacterial family as syphilis, and it is nothing to ignore. Not trying to scare you (Lyme also messes with one's hormones and emotions), so I would find a Lyme specialist without delay. This is 'Lyme season', and MDs get booked up quickly this time of year.
You can search online for 'ILADS', and they have a referral function to send you the names of Lyme specialist MDs near you. Also, please take cellphone fotos of your rash, because it will begin to fade, and it is best for the MD you see to know what the rash was looking like earlier.
You are doing the right thing, I think, to follow through on this. Lyme is not like other insect bites, and it needs to be treated as soon as possible.
Take care, and let us know if we can help further and also how you do. Best wishes!
This is definitely 'Lyme season', when there are many new infections. If you have been bitten by an insect carrying Lyme disease bacteria, it is important to consult with a Lyme specialist MD (or a naturopath, if you prefer) for a proper diagnosis and (if needed) treatment with antibiotics. Ticks are often the carriers of Lyme and other infections, but other insects can carry it too.
The sooner you start treatment, the better, because as time goes by, the Lyme bacteria burrow in and are harder to get rid of. The usual treatment is with oral antibiotics, and an MD who understands Lyme disease will know what to test you for and what medications you may need to get rid of Lyme and any other separate infections the 'Lyme' carriers often bring along.
Lyme has spread widely in the US in recent years, and many MDs just don't have the experience to know what they are looking at when they see the spreading red rash. Look on the internet for your state and search (for example)
LLMD Tennessee
or include a city
LLMD Knoxville TN
LLMD is patient shorthand for 'Lyme-literate medical doctor', which is not a degree or title, but is a handy way to refer to an MD who understands Lyme disease and knows how to test for and treat it.
Please do not delay seeing an MD. If you do not have Lyme or another infection carried by the 'Lyme' ticks, that's good, but it is important to have a knowledgeable MD make the diagnosis of Lyme or no Lyme.
Once Lyme bacteria burrow in, they are hard to get rid of, and the human immune system is not able to kill the bacteria because they can hide in the body out of reach of the immune system. Lyme is in the same bacterial family as syphilis, and it is nothing to ignore. Not trying to scare you (Lyme also messes with one's hormones and emotions), so I would find a Lyme specialist without delay. This is 'Lyme season', and MDs get booked up quickly this time of year.
You can search online for 'ILADS', and they have a referral function to send you the names of Lyme specialist MDs near you. Also, please take cellphone fotos of your rash, because it will begin to fade, and it is best for the MD you see to know what the rash was looking like earlier.
You are doing the right thing, I think, to follow through on this. Lyme is not like other insect bites, and it needs to be treated as soon as possible.
Take care, and let us know if we can help further and also how you do. Best wishes!
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Lyme Disease Community
Fearing autism, many parents aren't vaccinating their kids. Can doctors reverse this dangerous trend?
Can HIV be transmitted through this sexual activity? Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Garcia answers this commonly-asked question.
A breakthrough study discovers how to reduce risk of HIV transmission by 95 percent.
Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Garcia provides insight to the most commonly asked question about the transfer of HIV between partners.
Before your drop a dime at the pharmacy, find out if these popular cold and flu home remedies are a wonder or a waste
Fend off colds and the flu with these disease-fighting foods
