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What Causes Tick Bite Rash On Thigh Despite Having Negative Tests For Lyme Disease?
Question: Hello, I recently went to my dr. and he saw a bite, which he diagnosed as a tick bite, which was located on the top of my thigh ,close to the groin. I received an antibiotic injection in my hip and much blood was taken. Results were negative for Lyme Disease, however my symptoms are still present. These symptoms include feeling very jittery constantly, muscle weakness and tightness all over my body, including my neck and a feeling of heaviness. I have had these symptoms for 3 weeks, with no diagnosis. Is it possible, that I could have Lyme Disease and it did not show up in the blood work. I read where Lyme Disease can be difficult to diagnose. Is this correct? Thank you very much for answering my question.
Dear Dr., my symptoms are those that affect the Nervous System and I can say that this constant feeling of jitteriness and "shakiness", which I am feeling, are not caused by anxiety or stress. I am not hysterical, nor am I having a nervous breakdown, which my dr. did question me about. He said he had to ask these questions, for the process of elimination, which I understood.
Is there a more precise and specific test to diagnose Lyme Disease, which is not normally done in routine blood work, to test for any possible tick-born illnesses?
Thank you
Dear Dr., my symptoms are those that affect the Nervous System and I can say that this constant feeling of jitteriness and "shakiness", which I am feeling, are not caused by anxiety or stress. I am not hysterical, nor am I having a nervous breakdown, which my dr. did question me about. He said he had to ask these questions, for the process of elimination, which I understood.
Is there a more precise and specific test to diagnose Lyme Disease, which is not normally done in routine blood work, to test for any possible tick-born illnesses?
Thank you
Brief Answer:
Tick bite is pathognomic
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
If your doctor is sure about tick bite based on the skin mark and rash around it the blood test results should be positive. You can request again to test for IgM & IgG markers for Lymes. Is there a history of hiking or going into woods/trekking from your side let your doctor know? Lymes responds very well with the above mentioned antibiotic therapy. If tested negative again and if there is no history of hiking in my opinion it is better to look for alternate diagnosis.
Coming to your symptoms they are not specific for Lymes disease. In Lymes there is paralysis from the legs towards the upper body if there are mainly neurological.
Consider a Neurologist for a better work up towards a diagnosis.
Tick bite is pathognomic
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
If your doctor is sure about tick bite based on the skin mark and rash around it the blood test results should be positive. You can request again to test for IgM & IgG markers for Lymes. Is there a history of hiking or going into woods/trekking from your side let your doctor know? Lymes responds very well with the above mentioned antibiotic therapy. If tested negative again and if there is no history of hiking in my opinion it is better to look for alternate diagnosis.
Coming to your symptoms they are not specific for Lymes disease. In Lymes there is paralysis from the legs towards the upper body if there are mainly neurological.
Consider a Neurologist for a better work up towards a diagnosis.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Thank you Dr. Mazumdar,for your reply to my question. You stated that if I had Lyme Disease, it would have shown up in my blood work. I do not know what tests were done on my blood work, but I will ask about the IgM & IgG markers for Lyme. I also have been reading where a person had a tick-born disease, which is also known as a co-infection to Lyme Disease. This co-infection is known as
Bartonella Henselae. It, too is pathognomic, but is caused by Bacteria, rather than the Spirochete, of Lyme. This person, who was diagnosed with Bartonell Henselae DID NOT test positive for Lyme Disease and went undiagnosed for months, until her symptoms became so severe that she continued to become worse and worse, until she almost died.
I reading about Bartonella Henselae, I learned that both the Spirochete of Lyme Disease and the Bacterium of Batonella's have a nasty ability to burrow into our body cells and they have a particular affinity for burrowing into nerve cells.
Could this be a possibility for the Nervous System responses, I am having and the lower leg heaviness and muscle stiffness?
Also sir, what tests could I request that would test for Bartonella's Henselae, since my other blood tests did not indicate Lyme Disease?
I need to find out what is making me so sick. I have read so much about people having Lyme Disease, yet this did not initially show up in their blood work and they became progressively more ill, to the extent of going into organ failure. I'm just trying to find out more information to discuss with my dr.
Another question I have sir, is that I had previously mentioned that I had seen my dr., regarding a boil, I had on my body. This boil broke and bled a lot. I went to my dr. initially , concerning the boil, at which time he prescribed Doxycycline. The boil went away, but then I started having these other Nervous System symptoms and muscular stiffness. Could these symptoms possibly be related to
the presence of Staff bacteria?
Thank you sir, for your first reply to my question and I look forward to hearing
your reply to the above mentioned question, also.
Most Sincerely,
XXXXXXX
Bartonella Henselae. It, too is pathognomic, but is caused by Bacteria, rather than the Spirochete, of Lyme. This person, who was diagnosed with Bartonell Henselae DID NOT test positive for Lyme Disease and went undiagnosed for months, until her symptoms became so severe that she continued to become worse and worse, until she almost died.
I reading about Bartonella Henselae, I learned that both the Spirochete of Lyme Disease and the Bacterium of Batonella's have a nasty ability to burrow into our body cells and they have a particular affinity for burrowing into nerve cells.
Could this be a possibility for the Nervous System responses, I am having and the lower leg heaviness and muscle stiffness?
Also sir, what tests could I request that would test for Bartonella's Henselae, since my other blood tests did not indicate Lyme Disease?
I need to find out what is making me so sick. I have read so much about people having Lyme Disease, yet this did not initially show up in their blood work and they became progressively more ill, to the extent of going into organ failure. I'm just trying to find out more information to discuss with my dr.
Another question I have sir, is that I had previously mentioned that I had seen my dr., regarding a boil, I had on my body. This boil broke and bled a lot. I went to my dr. initially , concerning the boil, at which time he prescribed Doxycycline. The boil went away, but then I started having these other Nervous System symptoms and muscular stiffness. Could these symptoms possibly be related to
the presence of Staff bacteria?
Thank you sir, for your first reply to my question and I look forward to hearing
your reply to the above mentioned question, also.
Most Sincerely,
XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Bartonella is cat scratch disease
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Bartonella is not a co infecton of Lyme's, it is called cat scratch disease, with bacteria going into the lymph nodes enlarging them or at least prolonged low grade fever and fatigue. Bartonellosis is self limited even without treatment. However antibiotics are given for 2 to 3 weeks to limit the suffering. It is a benign problem and symptoms are generally fever, chills, enlarged lymphnodes. Additionally joint and muscle aches, injected conjunctivae, headache, dizziness, and pain behind the eyes are common. THere is no muscle stiffness mentioned. To confirm Bartonella you need to get IgM or IgG titres in the blood for Bartonella. If there is a strong suspicion even after negative titres one can get PCR.
If you keep reading about a specific disease(s) then you obviously think you have it with any single symptom matching your read. Unfortunately the symptoms of almost diseases are common.
Yes the boil could be staph or streptococcus. You can get this tested.
Bartonella is cat scratch disease
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Bartonella is not a co infecton of Lyme's, it is called cat scratch disease, with bacteria going into the lymph nodes enlarging them or at least prolonged low grade fever and fatigue. Bartonellosis is self limited even without treatment. However antibiotics are given for 2 to 3 weeks to limit the suffering. It is a benign problem and symptoms are generally fever, chills, enlarged lymphnodes. Additionally joint and muscle aches, injected conjunctivae, headache, dizziness, and pain behind the eyes are common. THere is no muscle stiffness mentioned. To confirm Bartonella you need to get IgM or IgG titres in the blood for Bartonella. If there is a strong suspicion even after negative titres one can get PCR.
If you keep reading about a specific disease(s) then you obviously think you have it with any single symptom matching your read. Unfortunately the symptoms of almost diseases are common.
Yes the boil could be staph or streptococcus. You can get this tested.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Neel Kudchadkar
Thank you again, Dr. Mazumdar for your prompt reply to my question.
I just watched a video from the Dr. XXXXXXX Show, where a young, previously healthy and vibrant woman was misdiagnosed by multiple doctors, when in fact she did have Lyme Disease. It was ONLY after she had become so debilitated and sick from the disease, to the point of having paralysis and seizures, that a diagnosis of Lyme Disease was finally given. Physician Experts stated that 60% of the time, the blood tests are inaccurate for Lyme Disease. That frightens me, that I could possibly be one of those misdiagnosed cases and a doctor could think that sickness is Psychosomatic, which is not the case, I assure you.
I had a 2 pea-sized pustules on top of a 2 inch scratch on the inside of my thigh. close to my groin area. That's where my doctor saw the mark and said it was a tick bite. I hadn't been aware that I even had a bite on my inner thigh, close to my groin. I also had a boil that was located on my labia ( rather embarrassing, but that is where the boil was located. Both the boil and the pustule on the scratch have cleared, but the scratch is still visible. I was wondering if the two are
related and if I could have Cat Scratch Disease.
Could you please inform me, as to what other questions, I should ask my doctor to help me get better? Thank you sir for answering these questions.
Dr. What is the most effective treatment of Lyme Disease?
I just watched a video from the Dr. XXXXXXX Show, where a young, previously healthy and vibrant woman was misdiagnosed by multiple doctors, when in fact she did have Lyme Disease. It was ONLY after she had become so debilitated and sick from the disease, to the point of having paralysis and seizures, that a diagnosis of Lyme Disease was finally given. Physician Experts stated that 60% of the time, the blood tests are inaccurate for Lyme Disease. That frightens me, that I could possibly be one of those misdiagnosed cases and a doctor could think that sickness is Psychosomatic, which is not the case, I assure you.
I had a 2 pea-sized pustules on top of a 2 inch scratch on the inside of my thigh. close to my groin area. That's where my doctor saw the mark and said it was a tick bite. I hadn't been aware that I even had a bite on my inner thigh, close to my groin. I also had a boil that was located on my labia ( rather embarrassing, but that is where the boil was located. Both the boil and the pustule on the scratch have cleared, but the scratch is still visible. I was wondering if the two are
related and if I could have Cat Scratch Disease.
Could you please inform me, as to what other questions, I should ask my doctor to help me get better? Thank you sir for answering these questions.
Dr. What is the most effective treatment of Lyme Disease?
Brief Answer:
Growing concerns should refer to Lyme disease expertss
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Psychosomatic element cannot exist alone it has a base from which it arises probably an organic disease may be Lyme disease/Cat scratch in your case. This psychosis can wander you alone through the internet trying to research on all possible conditions.
Suppose you had had Lyme's as I said earlier you were already given DOXY and other Penicillins (most effective treatments) for two weeks which could have eliminated the Borrelia spirochete (lyme). In such a case IgG antibodies should be available on the blood tests. This proves you wrong. similarly with Cat scratch. There are special clinics run by Lyme Literate doctors in its endemic areas which you can refer yourself. Find out them in your state writing to these http://www.ilads.org/ (or) lymenet.org. They can find you one in your area.
Do not behold your thoughts only to these two entities there are certain other alternative diagnosis that can relate to your existing symptoms a specialist neurologist can help your current treating doctor with those alternates.
So ask your doctor for referral to a Neurologist with his findings.
Growing concerns should refer to Lyme disease expertss
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Psychosomatic element cannot exist alone it has a base from which it arises probably an organic disease may be Lyme disease/Cat scratch in your case. This psychosis can wander you alone through the internet trying to research on all possible conditions.
Suppose you had had Lyme's as I said earlier you were already given DOXY and other Penicillins (most effective treatments) for two weeks which could have eliminated the Borrelia spirochete (lyme). In such a case IgG antibodies should be available on the blood tests. This proves you wrong. similarly with Cat scratch. There are special clinics run by Lyme Literate doctors in its endemic areas which you can refer yourself. Find out them in your state writing to these http://www.ilads.org/ (or) lymenet.org. They can find you one in your area.
Do not behold your thoughts only to these two entities there are certain other alternative diagnosis that can relate to your existing symptoms a specialist neurologist can help your current treating doctor with those alternates.
So ask your doctor for referral to a Neurologist with his findings.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Aparna Kohli
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