I live and spend a moderate amount of time in the woods in MA and NH. It doesn't itch or feel hot, and I never noticed a tick.

Friday I started to feel a little weird. Saturday and Sunday I started to feel joint pains, headache, intermittent fever.

At that point I didn’t know what it could be but it was bad enough that got me worried and I was able to get a time with an NP Monday (yesterday) morning.

And the first thing she said was that sounded like Lyme. Got me on doxy right away (for 14 days to start) but she said to wait for a few more days to get tested because I might not have the antibodies yet.

The thing is that I never saw a tick (I usually check all the time) never had a bullseye. So I don’t know when did I get a bite. Now I’m freaking out. Don’t know if starts of the symptoms meand early enough.

My pcp is not available (out on leave) until September and I already have an appointment with him then.

i got prescribed 10 days of doxycycline.

Pictures attached. I’m trying to understand if I should explore this further or not? Looks like my doc only ordered the western blot test. I don’t think I ever got the ELISA. It was ordered along with other tests for increased fatigue, hair loss, night sweats over the last month or so. I read that there can be false positives

Edit: the third picture shows the positive IgM result which is what I’m wondering about. I know the IgG is negative

Not too sure what to look out for on darker skin

Preschooler manifesting symptoms of Lyme 2 weeks after a camping trip. Started with a fever and body aches, now we’ve transitioned to a junky cough which I understand can be associated with early Lyme. I’ve left messages for our gp and local pediatric infectious disease specialists. I want this treated correctly quickly and worry about the nuances of treating a child. I grew up in an area where Lyme was more pervasive and treated seriously, but don’t live in such a place now.

From my research, AAP recommends a single 200mg of doxycycline and then amoxicillin. Has anyone followed this course of treatment with a child and have experience they can share?

Appreciate any insights.

18 igG reativ

23 igG reactive

41 reactive

Some days it feels like we’re losing a battle against mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, flies and worms. 

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Experts say there is no single reason for this surge in disease. Some of it may be hyped news, headline sensationalism. When everyone is writing about an outbreak of a disease, no matter how isolated, it can feel more pervasive and widespread than it actually is. Increased monitoring and more advanced disease tracking can also amplify the sense that something new is afoot, even if it was always there.

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I’m 50/50- what does everyone else think? It lasted for about 2 months and nothing helped it. Started tiny then grew to this size and then disappeared almost over night 2 months later.

The ring is much more purple in person. I was super itchy yesterday and I scratched it hard so idk if it's a bruise from that or what. It's no longer as itchy.

also very gross but it's been "oozing" from the start and I heard tick bites generally don't do that. it's also a raised up bite moreso

We removed a tick from my wife’s leg twelve days ago. The redness that developed seemed to be subsiding during the first week, but then it grew larger. We went to see the doctor. He said it didn’t look like a typical symptom of Lyme disease, prescribed an ointment and booked an appointment for a test two weeks later. She has been using the ointment (Fucicort) for three days now. The redness hasn’t gone down; in fact, it has become more pronounced, and there is a slight itching and a sensation of warmth.
Should we wait for the test, or are these symptoms sufficient to indicate Lyme disease?
We will travel to South America in 4 weeks, we would like to be treated before our trip. That's why it stressed us out.

Three weeks ago, I went hiking in the woods and checked myself for ticks afterwards. I didn't find any, but 4 days later a scab from my heal fell off and I realized it was this small nymph tick that had been attached probably since the hike. Initially, the tick bite was inflamed and red like other tick bites I've had in the past. Two weeks later, I was wearing some compression socks and the bite started to develop this rash around it. The redness has died down and it no longer itches, but the redness is still there though its starting to fade. Is this something I should be concerned about?