Got bit by a tick

[flamepro2003]

Hi,Do you know what the symptoms of lyme disease are? I got bit by a black legged tick last June and I've been sick since september/october with fatigue,chills,nausea,body aches(flu like symptoms),and sweats. My right ribs are sore(side of bite). I can't hardly move and I've been getting headaches. I was tested back in june(about 12 days after the bite)and the first test was borderline and the second test was negative. It's about 7 months later and I still have a red looking bump. I don't like this feeling. The doctors don't know whats wrong with me,but I know there's something wrong. I just got another blood test done 2 days ago for lyme and waiting for the results. Any advice would be greatly appreciated,thank you! I posted on this website before regarding endometriosis because of the horrible pelvic pain and irregular periods.

[CruisingAddict]

Reading your story reminds me of mine!  I was bit around 30 years ago and had the bulls-eye rash.  All my life I've had immune issues, headaches, taking longer to recoup, some hives (not a lot), tiredness (which people really don't understand...) brain fog, etc.  I always thought I was just a "sickly" person but now I'm beginning to wonder if I had Lyme Disease and never knew it!

[wonko]

Hi margypops,

I've seen you over on the healthy cooking forum, right?

I can't answer your Q with any hard scientific backing.  But from what I've read and grown to believe about Lyme, I think it is possible to be exposed to Lyme, but have it stay dormant until some event such as stress or another illness wakes it up.

I don't recall a tick bite.  Though I grew up in endemic Western NY and now live in an endemic area of Maryland, I actually started to notice my illness when I lived in Philadelphia, right after a very stressful time in my life and a round of other illnesses.  So while I'll never really know, I think I was exposed earlier and that it took hold later.

My LLMD ("Lyme literate" physician) agrees with this hypothesis.  Especially since my earliest signs were neurological, which is more often associated with late stage Lyme.  I also had non-specific white matter lesions on a brain MRI done only a month or so after my symptoms got "bad" for the first time.

Lots of people who are sick for a long time before getting treatment also develop chronic Lyme that can be driven into remission, but can reappear.  That also suggests that Lyme can go dormant in the body, but still be there with the potential to act up later on.

Even without or before treatment, some people can exhibit a relapsing-remitting pattern, which I also think is consistent with Lyme going through dormant and active cycles.

Again, most of what I say is based upon personal experience and testimonials of other patients.  However, since Lyme is so poorly understood, underestimated, and possibly under-diagnosed, it's really tough to get any hard evidence.

Two really great (in my eyes) resources are the book "Cure Unknown" by Pam Weintraub and the (still unreleased) documentary "Under Our Skin."  Both have websites loaded with content that you can easily find by searching the titles.

Like gorbybelle suggests, feel free to start a new post telling us more, it may attract more attention than staying on the bottom of an older thread.

[gorbybelle]

you will find some very informative reading at :http--www.ilads.org-files-burrascano_0905.pdf


I was spending a lot of time in and around 'deer' at the time of tick bite.

If you 'Post Question' at top of forum page  - rather than 'Post Comment' - you may get more response here - there are some very well informed posters who will be happy to help you .


-

[margypops]

I was living in Cornwall I know it was in deer country ..but noone mentioned Lyme desease then ,not where I lived..when I got all these strange symptoms I still didnt realise ..then I did read something in the US and had the test done..came back negative, however on and off through the years I have had many of the symptoms associated with Lyme ,I am left with, is it possible it comes and goes.I have googled it but there is so much misinformation and muddle out there I am not covinced I would get anywhere perhaps just end up costing the earth..

[gorbybelle]

Yes - lyme can re-emerge years later - thats my opinion, I have no medical training it is only from the 'hours' I have spent researching lyme. Many people say they have had all thier symptoms disappear - only to re-emerge months/years later. I feel quite often it reappears when the person is under a lot of stress.  

I have not been diagnosed with lyme but am seeing LLMD soon.  LYME tests are not reliable.  I had a tick attatched for more than 24 hours and it was engorged -thats why I have been questioning my 'symptoms' which started following tick bite.  I had not heard of Lyme at the time. It is a clinical diagnosis where serology tests can help to confirm.

There are many 'more' knowledgeable people  here and I am sure you will get more replies once they read your post.  

I live in England - southwest - which is where I got the tick bite  feel free to ask me any other questions.  Take care.

[margypops]

please

[margypops]

I have been very interested reading this thread ,I was bitten by a tick over 20 years ago in England, husband got it out , no rash , didnt know anything about Lymes desease then,I remember I got a horrible ear infection few weeks later , terrible headaches , pains,and palpitations, again no hint of Lyme.. I also was so fatigued I took Iron Tabs thinking I was aneamic. I then got a bladder infection so was put on some anti biotics, for that.. after that time I seem to get better, however through the years I have had varying symptoms I have thought were allergies etc, I had have chronic hives ,which have got better but bad all round my neck at presant, aches and pains insomia for years, I have low blood pressure, get Raynauds and cold if the temp drops. ,the list goes on. I thought maybe the antibiotic cured it I did have a Lyme test a few years ago, was negative, however I am feeling worse again, my long winded question is can Lyme have always been there , all these years and reemerge every now and again?

[patsy10]

Hope you feel better in the morning.  Sleep well.

[flamepro2003]

Hey,
  Just wanted to let you know I just got back from the urgent care. My symptoms got bad..severe headaches,chills,sweats. It turns out I have something else(not lyme),and i have bronchitis big time. The doctor said my throat is really red..he was a nice doctor. He said hes gonna call me sometime this week to see how I'm doing. I just wanted to let you all know. I'm gonna be going to sleep anytime..he gave me some medicine that has codeine in it. Talk to you all later!!

-Tracie

[flamepro2003]

I also wanted to say that my menstrual cycles have been so unpredictable. I've had 2 this month that were 18 days apart and this last one lasted for a week. Has anyone had/have problems with cycles? I also develop alot of cycts. Since October they've been messed up. They're October 15th,November 9th,December 8th,January 5th,February 1st,March 2nd,and March 20th.

[flamepro2003]

Wow,I'm soo sorry what you've been through. I can't imagine how you've felt. I wish there were more doctor's out there that can help us. It's been hard trying to find an LLMD here in Oregon. I will look up the websites tonight.

I've been in so much pain the past 3 months(rib pain)and feeling sick alot. It's hard to do everyday chores and taking care of 3 kids. It's weird that all of a sudden I felt sick..going from completely fine one day and "bam"the next day I can't do anything. I was fine before the bite,but it seems like my bodys going down hill now. I've developed more symptoms since I was on here last. My memory has been soo bad lately..I  sometimes can't remember what I did or what happened the day before.

My husband thinks I have it also,and hes been very supportive of me. Hes such a sweetheart. I would like to find an LLMD close by. It would be worth every penny for out of pocket. I just want to get treated. I know I would have to be on them for a long time. Could it also takes 3-4 months to get symptoms after a bite? I don't remember the rash though.

Oh yeah,another symptom is sever headaches. They get so bad that I need to rest my eyes and lay down. I've also had red eyes that hurt. Well,I need to get off of here and give my girls lunch. Talk to you all later!!

-Tracie

[lucecaboose]

Tracie - I just finished reading this message thread.  How are you doing?  It just burns me up to read what you have been going through but this is what is happening all over.  Regular docs do not understand Lyme, they don't know how to diagnose and treat it - it is just pathetic.  We need to find you an LLMD.  You had a tick bite and you are still sick - that is PLENTY for a diagnosis.  It is a clinical diagnosis but unfortunately, docs are told to use the tests and they are simply inaccurate.

I had a tick bite in 1999 - never saw the tick - but had a big bullseye rash.  Doc told me that I couldn't get Lyme in Michigan.  And, I wasn't sick at the time, so I received no treatment.  I did some research but never found information to the contrary.  Christmas, 2002 (3.5 years later), I got pneumonia and got sicker as I recovered.  I thought back to that tick bite, and asked for a Lyme test, but it was negative.  I was initially diagnosed with CFS/fibromyalgia, but it just didn't fit because I was so much sicker (and in so much pain).  The symptoms were endless.  I had all the basics of insomnia, fatigue, pain, then developed Raynaud's, vision problems, and in the next 4 years, lost my gallbladder, developed excessive arthritis, had a seizure, developed small and large fiber neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, lost 110lbs for no reason, lost most of my hair, developed permanent chills...and then it hit my brain very seriously, and that is scary.  After 4.5 years of symptoms and 3 negative Lyme tests, I found the right information, diagnosed myself and found an LLMD.

That was two years ago and I am still getting worse, but it's hard to determine what is going to work for a specific patient when there are no established guidelines.  I would have never believed that I would get a disease that would just about destroy my life, that doctors don't know how to treat, that the CDC says doesn't exist (advanced, or "chronic" Lyme doesn't officially exist, but here I am!).  You can't even mention the name of an LLMD online.  It's surreal.

I didn't mean to go on about myself.  I just wanted to let you know that this is a disease that so little is still known about, and that you can have it without testing positive.  I'd say you have it.  You were bitten by a tick, followed by classic symptoms.  You need to be on antibiotics for a long time.  

If you haven't found an LLMD yet, there are two good ways:

1.  Go to the Lyme Disease Association Doctor Referral page:  
http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/referral/   You can find the LLMDs closest to you.  You can only use this three times in one month, or I would have looked them up for you.

2.  Go to ***************.  Join.  Go to the Flash Discussion, then to Seeking a Doctor.  Leave a message that you are looking for an LLMD in your area.  When you get there, you will see the guidelines for posting this message.  You should join Lymenet anyway...it's full of everything you'd ever want to know about Lyme, and then some.

Again, my heart goes out to you, sweetie.  Hang in there!

[patsy10]

Nice to see you back.

[flamepro2003]

I'm back!!!!!

-Tracie

[flamepro2003]

Hey everyone I wanted to say a couple of things. 1-I finally got it out and the bump is healing..but I'm still having symptoms and I'm done taking the antibiotics. 2-We're getting rid of the internet and the landline phone. I'm soo sad we're. I will try to get on here when I can to see how everyone's doing and to let everyone know how I am. Tomorrow is when my husbands calling them. I will try to be on here tomorrow. Goodluck everyone!!

-Tracie

[flamepro2003]

He didn't take it out,he said it should come out anytime. I can't believe it's been in me for 7 months and I didn't know,yuck. I tried squeezing it,but it won't come out. My husband took a look at it and he could see it to. It looks like a pimple with black in it,and it really itches.

[patsy10]

Yikes!   Did he take it out?

[flamepro2003]

Hey everyone,my doctor saw my bump today and he said I have an infection,so he prescribed me with clindamycin(4 times a day for 10 days). He did notice that some of the tick is still inside me(ewwww). I had to see it myself,so I got my make-up mirror and saw some black in there. I just wanted to update everyone,talk to you all later,byee!!:)

[flamepro2003]

I do wonder if there's still some left in there. I remember about 2 weeks after I got bit,that I had what looked like a pimple. It had black in it,so it came out. Maybe I still have some left in there. I remember yanking it out,and it wouldn't move afterwards. I don't remember seeing a head on it. I had talked to the advice nurse and hes concerned because I still have a bump. He said it should of been gone by now(7 months). He asked me if I had flu-like symptoms and I told him I do. Hes leaving a note for my doctor to call me tomorrow. But,he did say that I need to get it looked at and if I get worse,he wants to me to call them. And he wants me to take pictures of it. I took a picture last night and today,so we can compare them. It's still red looking. He told me to take benedryl for the itch and put an ice cube on it,so I don't scratch it. Thank you for the info!!

[JackieCalifornia]

About the bump at the bite site:  I was reading a book on Lyme recently and it talked in detail about the mechanical and chemical action that ticks take when they bite -- that there is actually a kind of 'cement' that the tick spit makes to seal itself to the place it is attached to your skin.  

It's possible then that there are bits left behind when the tick falls off, and even that the tick's head (teeny tho it is) is still imbeded in your skin.  Ask your doctor about it, maybe he or she can remove it.

[patsy10]

It really should have been gone long ago unless there is a piece inside.  I had a chigger bite from the summer and it looked like what you describe.  It was a lump forever and there is still a mark.  My bullseye rashes were gone in about month or so.  

[flamepro2003]

Hi,does anyone know how long it takes for the bite mark to go away? The bite  looks/feels like a bubble(more like a pimple)and it's red/purple looking. You can really feel/see it.

[flamepro2003]

I mean 41 kd IgM=non reactive

[flamepro2003]

Ok,here's my results:
Lyme Disease ,IgG,IgM Antibodies
Lyme Value=1.03 H

Western Blot IgG
18 kd IgG=non reactive
23 kd IgG=non reactive
28 kd IgG=non reactive
30 kd IgG=non reactive
39 kd IgG=non reactive
41 kd IgG=non reactive
45 kd IgG=non reactive
58 kd IgG=non reactive
66 kd IgG=non reactive
93 kd IgG=non reactive

Western Blot IgM
23 kd IgM=*reactive
39 kd IgM=non reactive
42 kd IgM=non reactive

Does reactive mean positive?