Forum Index
»
Health and Medicine
Lyme Disease: found a tick, no rash, now symptoms??
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I found a deer tick (in my cleavage, yikes!) about a month ago, and removed it w/ tweezers. A piece of the tick got stuck, but came out on it's own later. No rash developed. The last couple days I have felt HORRIBLE, tired, sore throat, really bad muscle and joint pain. I have an appt w/ the doctor tomorrow, but I'm wondering if anyone has any experience w/ this disease?
Also, my 11mo DD has been sick this week w/ her fever getting up to 104 a couple times. She seems to be on the mend now. She's still nursing, but Dr. Google said that the disease isn't known to pass through breastmilk... |
Anonymous
| OP here, of course I realize that we may just have a run-of-the-mill virus... |
Anonymous
| HOw long was the tick in? If it was in for less than 36 hours, lyme disease is unlikely to have transferred to you. You probably just caught what your daughter had. |
Anonymous
| OP here--I found it the next day, so it was over 24 hours, but not 36. |
Anonymous
|
Don't discount the possibility of Lyme disease. You should be tested, and re-tested later if you still have symptoms. Spend a few minutes on the internet checking on what is the gold standard in testing versus what is less accurate. I went through this last year and wish I could remember the info and repeat here, but my memory isn't that great!
The rash is a symptom only in a certain percentage of cases - I believe the minority of cases, if memory serves - so do NOT assume no rash = no Lyme disease. Good for you for being totally on top of this. Lyme disease is pretty awful if it goes untreated. |
Anonymous
| OP here-- my sister lives in an area that's pretty high for Lyme Disease, and several family members have gotten it, so my family may be a little paranoid about it... |
Anonymous
| Op more than likely you have Lyme disease. I found a tick on me lat last year and I didn't have the muscle pain and fatigue until last month. My blood tests came back positive for Lyme disease and thy started me on the antibiotics. But I do hope it turns out differently for you. |
Anonymous
| My DH had the rash which he got on Cape Cod (a hot spot of Lyme), but never tested positive. HE had all the symptoms and after going from dr. to dr. he finally was put on IV antibiotics. He still has some symptoms (numbness in his feet), so good for being so proactive, OP. |
Anonymous
|
Not everyone gets the bullseye rash. Also, at least several years ago, the test had a high false negative rate. I believe the accuracy of the test goes up the longer it has been since exposure though, so in your case it may have a higher accuracy rate.
I had lyme several years ago, got the bullseye rash, took the antibiotics, and have had no lasting problems. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| I don't have an answer for you OP, but good for you for going to the doctor... keep going until you're satisfied with the answer. My sister had the bullseye so it was detected early and she is fine... however, I have two friends that are terribly sick on and off from catching it undetected. One has a PICC line and is in and out of the hospital routinely... not something to mess with. |
Anonymous
|
Lyme disease is not a well understood disease and is often missed as a diagnosis or inadequately treated. Not something to blow off, so good for OP to be following up and taking this seriously.
Ideally, it WILL turn out to be just a virus, because Lyme disease sucks. |
Anonymous
| Speaking of ticks - I found one today on my son's head while we were at the zoo. scary! |
Anonymous
|
I had Lyme disease about 20 years ago. Oddly, I couldn't figure out where I had gotten it because I had just returned from my freshman year in college in NYC (Central Park??).
Basically, for about a week I woke up feeling like I had a wicked hangover, which would ease as the day progressed. After that passed, I developed a sore throat that wouldn't go away. Thankfully my doc at the time knew to give me a Lyme test and it came back positive. I took antibiotics for 10 days and that was the end of it. I did have a small bullseye rash on my outer thigh. |
Anonymous
| OP here-thanks to everyone for posting! Immediate PP, that's exactly how the last two days have progressed for me! For most of the day I am moving like an old lady because by muscles and joints hurt so bad, but by now I feel like I just worked out hard. So kooky. I'll let you know what the doc says... |
Anonymous
|
If you still have the tick, you can have it tested for Lyme. I did when I found that F-er on my daughter.
negative, thankfully! Not all people with Lyme develop a rash either. But I'm guessing that you have what I have, as it's going around and around and around! |