Can a bullseye rash be attributed to anything other than Lyme Disease?

If you live in tick country and have noticed the very distinctive bullseye rash, I would assume Lyme or at least a trip to Doc’s for prophylactic antibiotic. I have only seen the Lyme bull’s eye – it is certainly hard-to-miss, but IANA doctor. Nasty photos are all Lyme or Lyme-related.

I picked both a crawling Lyme tick and a horribly embedded and engorged one from my cat the day I was supposed to apply a new app of Frontline. The ticks are nasty and sneaky and hardy little buggers.

There are several other tick-related diseases; all bad.
Ehrlichiosis
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Babesiosis

The area I live in isn’t a known ‘hot spot’ for Lyme. But I was bitten and had the bullseye rash after taking part in cross country and football. I live in quite a rural area. That was 2 and a half years ago. I was told I had GAD and they wrote off the symptoms I’ve been experiencing as side effects of that. I didn’t tell my GP about the rash, because I didn’t know anything about Lymes at that time. I just assumed it was a bite from something the cat brought in. Having looked at wiki (not the most reliable source, I know) and a few other places, I think it might be best to get an appointment for a blood test. Just to be on the safe side.

Thank you for your response. Those photos are nasty!

Lyme disease symptoms can easily generate GAD, I promise you. I live in the epicenter of L/D in the US. NYS 12037. Friends of mine have contracted L/D six or seven times. The first time I found an embedded and engorged tick on me, I had hysterics. Now I have the alcohol, the special tweezers and a new-found resolve.

The tick is traveling; Canada has a site; where are you? In the UK? Here’s their site;

http://www.wadhurst.demon.co.uk/lyme/lyme3.htm

Yes, I’m in the UK. That you for the link. I’ll book an appointment with my GP tomorrow, then.

Thank you ever so much for your help.

I hope that your doc. is up on the sophisticated blood tests. There is more than one if the first results are ambivalent. Good luck. Let us know.

Info on blood tests. http://www.ehow.com/how_2056029_test-lyme-disease.html

Me too. I will let you know.

Please persevere, TennisStar. Untreated Lyme Disease can have devastating effects later.

Good luck.

I don’t mean to scare, – but it also depends on where the bulls-eye is. If it’s on a boob, around the nipple, it could be a sign of something more serious – especially if the chest area changes shape or swells. Although Inflammatory Breast Cancer is rare, is can present itself in that way, along with a burning or itching feeling. Glad you are seeing the Doc – hope it’s nothing serious.

Let me be the voice of reason here. This bite and rash were 2 and a half years ago? You didn’t see a tick, either, right? Do you have any symptoms now, like joint aches or generalized fatigue?

Basically, what I am trying to say is that if you live in a low probability area, and the event was more than 2 years ago, and you don’t have any symptoms, then I doubt highly that you have lyme disease. Even chronic lyme symptoms manifest a few months after the bite. Be wary of any blood test results, either way.

Note: I am an Infectious Disease doctor.

@rowenaz: It was on my leg, so there’s no chance it’s that.

@shilolo: No, I did not see the tick. I have joint pain and aches, muscle aches as well as generalised fatigue. I was recently rested for RA, liver/kidney function, thyroid activity and Glandular Fever. Thankfuly all of them came back clear, which is good, although I’m still left without answers.
Thank you for your advice.

Shi: What about the Western blot? It shows a lot of different titres.

@Tennis; you mean tested and not bed rest?

@gailcalled: I do indeed mean tested. My typing goes a bit haywire on occasion.

@Gail. The Western blot is actually a test to see if you have made antibodies to a number of Borrelia burgodorferi (Lyme) antigens (proteins). It isn’t a titre, per se. It needs to be done be a solid laboratory, as the interpretation of negative, equivocal and positive depends on the type and number of positive bands. This website claims very few cases in the UK (~800 cases in 2006), so, while possible, I think the likelihood is low.

I just got the results back and the levels were normal.

@Tennis5star. Good news (not that I am surprised).