Rachel Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 (edited) I have a bullseye rash on my arm, going to the doctor in about an hour. No other symptoms have shown up yet. I live in a area with Lyme, I hike a lot and I was backpacking last weekend. I never saw a tick but a rash showed up yesterday, the border has changed since last night and it has taken on the bullseye appearance. Do I insist on testing for Lyme, antibiotics? Is there anything else I need to bring up with my doctor? If it makes a difference I also got poison ivy last weekend and have been on prednisone for the past 7 days. This is definitely not poison ivy. Update: Doctor says my symptoms are classic Lyme symptoms, I started antibiotics. Hopefully I went in soon enough that I won't have lingering issues. Edited July 25, 2017 by Rach 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 Take a picture of the rash. Insist on 6 weeks of doxycycline. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 Take a picture of the rash. Insist on 6 weeks of doxycycline. This. And because you are on prednisone, your immune system is weakened. That may be why you are seeing the rash. I don't know how this will impact your treatment, but you should keep in mind that it might. Your scenario is how my LLMD became an LLMD. She had a bullseye, thought, "no big deal, I'll take abx and be fine." But she was on prednisone and because of that, it was not so cut and dry. She had to go through a major mind shift to get well. That said, this was the early 2000s, when they thought ten days of doxy would clear it up. Because you are on prednisone, I'd want a minimum of six weeks, with at least 30 days of that while you are not on prednisone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 Oh, and a bullseye is enough for a diagnosis. You don't technically need testing. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted July 24, 2017 Author Share Posted July 24, 2017 Thanks. I had my husband outline the border last night, I took a picture today. My regular doctor wasn't available but her partner had an opening this afternoon. Thanks for the heads up on the prednisone, I knew that it weakened the immune system but had forgotten. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegGuheert Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 Since you are outside a lot, unless you are allergic to penicillin I suggest amoxicillin over doxycycline due to the extreme sunlight sensitivity that doxycycline causes. Basically, you must stay out of the sun while taking doxycycline. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted July 24, 2017 Author Share Posted July 24, 2017 Since you are outside a lot, unless you are allergic to penicillin I suggest amoxicillin over doxycycline due to the extreme sunlight sensitivity that doxycycline causes. Basically, you must stay out of the sun while taking doxycycline. Thanks for pointing that out. Swim hasn't wrapped up for the season and I have hikes scheduled for this week and weekend. Heading to the doctor now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 (edited) IMHO, you need to be on doxycycline, 200 mg 2x/day for 20 days at least. (Make that 6 weeks since you have been on steroids.) They will, at best, prescribe 100 mg 2x/day for 14 days. Get what they'll give you, and then do your research and decide what to do next. If you get more symptoms . . . please seek out a really good doc who treats a lot of Lyme. If they don't at least prescribe doxy, I'd go to another DR (and then another) until someone prescribes it. Urgent cares might be of use. Since you are in a Lyme endemic area, hopefully your docs will be more on top of things than most . . . Not sure if it's soon enough for a positive test, but I'd ask for one today, and then test again in 14 days if you don't get a positive result today. Here's one (of a zillion) fairly recent article on the current state of Lyme medicine. http://www.mvtimes.com/2016/07/13/visiting-physician-sheds-new-light-lyme-disease/ It's particularly helpful in that it highlights the numerous areas of controversy in Lyme medicine. Edited July 24, 2017 by StephanieZ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 I think the level of sun sensitivity with doxycycline can vary. I was quite sensitive but my son had very little reaction. He was on doxy for 18 months, never wore sunscreen, and was often outside (we were living in the high desert at the time) without getting burned. I think doxy is more effective, so my personal choice would be to take doxy and use lots of sunscreen along with long sleeved, shirts, hats, etc. (and the extra coverage with clothing is a good idea anyway because of ticks). And I would push really hard for a 6 week prescription. I hope your doctor is cooperative! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 Best wishes. We are fortunate to have some very well-informed members on this forum. Bill 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 Just to say... I know Lyme is scary, but in a classic presentation like that and getting abx early, it's very likely you'll have no lingering issues. That's what happened for my son. Thank goodness for the bull's eye rash. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share Posted July 25, 2017 Just to say... I know Lyme is scary, but in a classic presentation like that and getting abx early, it's very likely you'll have no lingering issues. That's what happened for my son. Thank goodness for the bull's eye rash. This is what the doctor said. I asked about the sun sensitivity, he said wear sunscreen and I should be ok. He felt that because doxycycline worked better it was worth dealing with the possibile sensitivity. I'll take an umbrella to the swim meet for extra shade tomorrow. He only wrote the prescription for 2 weeks, but said if I started getting achy joints or headaches to come back in right away. He isn't my regular doctor but I have no doubts my regular doctor will extend the prescription if I start having additional symptoms. He said everything I had was textbook down to the timeline and felt confident the usual approach will be fine. I do have a friend with chronic Lyme who goes to a doctor specializing in Lyme disease, if things don't clear up I'll make an appointment with him. Thanks for the concern and advice! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share Posted July 25, 2017 Oh and doxycycline isn't cheap! The pharmacist verified that I was ok with the $68 copay before he filled it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Oh and doxycycline isn't cheap! The pharmacist verified that I was ok with the $68 copay before he filled it. Shop around for your RX. That's a rip-off. I know drug pricing (and we buy doxy wholesale for our vet hospital). You paid way over whole sale price, so either you paid a (very high) retail price and your insurance sucks, or both. Check goodrx.com for local pricing, or call around. Personally, I'd find a new pharmacy. You got robbed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Shop around for your RX. That's a rip-off. I know drug pricing (and we buy doxy wholesale for our vet hospital). You paid way over whole sale price, so either you paid a (very high) retail price and your insurance sucks, or both. Check goodrx.com for local pricing, or call around. Personally, I'd find a new pharmacy. You got robbed. Looks like it may be on Walmart's $4 list, depending on the exact Rx written by your doc. http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/four_dollar_drug_list.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share Posted July 25, 2017 (edited) Shop around for your RX. That's a rip-off. I know drug pricing (and we buy doxy wholesale for our vet hospital). You paid way over whole sale price, so either you paid a (very high) retail price and your insurance sucks, or both. Check goodrx.com for local pricing, or call around. Personally, I'd find a new pharmacy. You got robbed. My insurance sucks. The pharmacy is normally very reasonable and I didn't shop around. Edited July 25, 2017 by Rach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share Posted July 25, 2017 My insurance sucks. The pharmacy is normally very reasonable and I didn't shop around. Looks like I could have gotten it cheaper at Kroger too. 😠We use an independent pharmacy and do not have prescription benefits until we meet a deductible. The pharmacy is fantastic from a customer service perspective. I hate that I spent too much but I'll check around next time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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