On Saturday(2-7-09), while I was riding in the car with my fiance, I put my left foot on my lap and noticed a round ring-like bruise a size of a pencil eraser with a teeny, tiny indentation in the middle. It's really odd. That night when I brushed my teeth, my left arm felt weird--stiff and tired, almost like I had used all my might on that arm to brush my teeth, it was so uncomfortable. I also noticed some part of my gum is swollen and tender, I don't know if those are symptoms from a bite. Sunday, my arm felt the same when I brush my teeth, but a little better. Today, I noticed a part of the bruise is disappearing some. I don't remember hurting myself by anything that can cause this unusual bruise. I'm pretty homebound and don't go outside much. I have a greater chance getting strike by lightning than getting bit by a tick. I don't have pets or be around dogs or cats. I just don't know why it's so round like a ring, like a bullseye.
I have done some researching on tick bites and lyme disease, it scares the pants out of me. If it's not a bite, why is it a "round" bruise?
I have some pest problems in the apartment that already exist before we moved in. We have some baby spiders, and silverfish problem, never seen them darn critters before until we moved in here, and it's an overly expensive, luxury apartment which I think it's so over-rated. I didn't want to call the exterminator because I don't want them to spray toxic chemicals around. I tried to get rid of it naturally but it's not very effective.
I really hope it's not a tick bite. I have enough health problems as it is. Whatever it is, even if its a bite from an insect, I hope it's harmless and not infected.
I went back to my doctor for a follow-up visit, toward the end of the visit I showed her my bruise and she said she couldn't tell me what it is. She said it's either something round hit it or something got in it cause of the indentation. It's right on my inside left ankle bone. I get chills and anxiety attack every time I look at it.
I also remember my son had dropped his little metal cars on my foot a couple of times and it hurts like hell; I screamed in pain. It happened a day or two before I found the bruise. But how can it be round? Is it possible?
Any thoughts, suggestions, or comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks. I am freaking out!
Well, my left arm doesn't feel stiff and weird when I brushed my teeth last night anymore. But my gums is tender and swollen and its spreading. It doesn't bleed, or smell. I don't know why this happen so sudden. It hurts so bad after I floss and it does it throughout the night. It's not so bad during the day, but it still bothers me. I have good oral hygiene. I used xylitol (Spry) mouthwash and toothpaste. I don't know if this is a detox reaction from the heavy metal detox that I have been doing.
I still have the weird round, ring bruise on the iside of my ankle bone. It's fading a tiny bit. I am so bothered by this.
Well, my left arm doesn't feel stiff and weird when I brushed my teeth last night anymore. But my gums is tender and swollen and its spreading. It doesn't bleed, or smell. I don't know why this happen so sudden. It hurts so bad after I floss and it does it throughout the night. It's not so bad during the day, but it still bothers me. I have good oral hygiene. I used xylitol (Spry) mouthwash and toothpaste. I don't know if this is a detox reaction from the heavy metal detox that I have been doing.
I still have the weird round, ring bruise on the iside of my ankle bone. It's fading a tiny bit. I am so bothered by this.
Anyone has any idea?
TML,
From the symptoms it sounds like it's a venomous bite, and from your description of your living area, it is probably a spider bite rather than a snake bite. However I still wouldn't entirely rule out Lyme. In any case do not take any chances. The spreading of the inflammation in your gums alone is sufficient reason to contact your local Poison Control Center as soon as possible. Explain the entire situation, including your living quarters with the spiders, etc. and all of the symptoms you have experienced. They will be more knowledgeable about the possibilities than your GP and will give you the help that you need. Don't delay. Contact them as soon as possible; just click on the Link below, click on to your State or Province, and hit the Search button:
As a matter of fact, I called the Poison Control Center right after I read your post. The lady said that it's probably not a tick bite since I can see it doing so, and it would be engorged into my skin. I have not seen any sign of ticks anywhere near or in my home. I believe she had mentioned that it could be a spider bite. I also mentioned that my left arm was feeling stiff and weak when I brushed my teeth that night; she said it could be that my arm is tired and that it's just a coincidence. And the swollen gum, well she said I need my doctor to evaluate that since it could be the heavy metal detox reaction, or it's because I had stopped taking the Armour thyroid med. I guess she was concern because my syptoms are not related to a tick bite and that they are getting better?
I have been brushing my teeth with grapefruit seed extract and flossing with it. I also swished my mouth with warm, very salty water a few times a day. My gums hurt so bad when I flossed the night before last, but it got somewhat better last night. Almost all of my gums is swollen except the top half of my mouth--that's weird. So far the swelling has gone down quite a bit, less pain today. When I pushed my tongue against my gum and teeth it almost doesn't hurt anymore. I don't know why it swelled up all of a sudden.
I'm going to see my doctor tomorrow, I hope she'll say something or do a test that'll put my mind at ease.
It sounds like a Spider Bite to me. And it could be a staph infection from it. A tick will not normally detach itself from a blood supply. Although it is possible you knocked it off accidentally, it is not likely.
Things are unsure right now. Thanks for asking. I finally got to see my doc again yesterday since the last time I saw her. I told her about my gum suddenly got swollen(not anymore), and my left arm for a couple of days felt weak and stiff when I brush my teeth. Even now arms and legs feel tired faster than normal when I do things repeatedly. And my scalp is achy and tender again. This could be symptoms from stopping the thyroid med(got back on it 8 days ago). My left leg lab was sore for days and went away when I started back of the med., I don't know if it's a coincidence, but everything started on the left side--the same side where I got bit.
I have been pretty worry about this. I got a prescription for Doxycycline(antibiotic) about a week and half after I saw my doc on Feb. 9. I called her and left a message with the staff about my symptoms and waited for days and she never called. So I tried to do a walk-in for a few days straight since an appointment will take forever to see her. Didn't get so lucky with the walk-ins, but got a prescription from her through the staff. She said it's for the bite(the message that I left), if it's infected or irritated. I never got it filled.
When I saw the doc., she said it's possible that it could be a deer tick bite(infected). She said I had a fever of 103, which I didn't even know I have. I think I was a little bit too warm from the clothes and sweater when the nurse took my temp. So she was a little suspicious, and kind of disappointed that I didn't take the antibiotic. I asked her to do a test for lyme, my heart was racing and I was terrified when I asked. I was scared out of my mind. I did the Western Blot test for antibodies. Waiting for result.
I have been almost surfaced anxiety attack every time I think of it. Sometimes it's hard to breathe so I tried to do things around the house to keep my mind off of it.
Was it a mistake that I didn't take the antibiotic. I haven't taken any drugs for almost two years, that's why I was so reluctant. Is there a natural antibiotic that anybody know of that is equally effective to the above prescription?
Dan, what if it's staph? What am I suppose to do? Do you know what I need to do? I am keeping my fingers cross and praying with every breath that everything will be okay.
I'm glad you came back to us with an update, and that you persevered to request a test for Lyme. However, be aware (especially if your doctor may not be) that the Western Blot, as good as it is, may have to be repeated later due to the timing regarding antibodies, as you noticed the suspected bite mark and the onset of symptoms only a month ago on 2/7/09. WebMD states:
"It may take up to 2 months after becoming infected before antibodies can be detected in a blood test."
However, with Lyme, the sooner that antibodies are detected and treatment begins, the better, so your insistence on the early test was a wise decision.
The following Link will provide you with a number of very informative articles about Lyme by several experts in the field:
Regarding exactly what type of a bite you suffered, the following excerpt by John D. Bleiweiss, M.D. was an eye-opener for me:
"While deer ticks and LD [Lyme disease] have a well known affiliation, other potential vectors can carry the spirochete that causes LD (Borrelia burgdorferi; Bb). These include the lone star tick, fleas, the biting flies (e.g. green-headed fly) (and mosquitoes ?)."
Also be sure to read the article by Dr. Charles Crist, M.D. Note in particular the following excerpts:
"Pain is far and away the number one problem for those with Borreliosis. Not all patients have pain but most do. Any part of the body can hurt, including the head, neck, eyes, ears, jaw, arms, ...
Tiredness or fatigue is the second most common symptom...
The third most common symptom is brain or cognitive problems. ... decreased mental concentration, mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety ...
Blurry vision is the fourth most common symptom...
Finally, there are the neurological symptoms. ...muscle weakness...
In addition to the above symptoms, there are the "red flags" that I highly associate with Borreliosis. These include...symptoms that affect one side of the body more than the other..."
To get a good understanding of testing for Lyme, hit the Link that Dr. Crist provides at the bottom left part of the page, "Testing for Borreliosis".
With that said, I sincerely hope that you do not have Lyme disease. However, if it turns out that you do, the more information you have about the disease and about the difficulty doctors have in diagnosing it, the better you will be able to help them (and unfortunately you may have to go to more than one or two to get results) with testing, diagnosis, and/or treatment. Remember, knowledge is power, and you can either let things happen to you, or with knowledge you can make things happen for you. If necessary you can print out one or more of these articles and show them to your doctor. With your perseverence to get the test for Lyme you have already started to make things happen for you, and you should feel very good about that, especially about getting the jump on it so soon. And of course, you always have us to vent with if needed.
Take the antibiotics. They will not hurt you any. You can take a probiotic to keep your stomach bacteria in good shape.
If it is Lyme, you basically only have this one chance to get rid of it for good. My wife could not get diagnosed and could not get treated in a timely manner. Now we are over three years into treating it ourselves.
This is not a time to wait. If you have MMS you can use that after the antibiotic. You also can used Cumanda from Nutramedix.
The main thing is not to wait. If it is Lyme, it is entrenching itself by the day. The longer you have it, the more difficult it is to get rid of it. If it is not Lyme, then you have just been cautious.
Do not wait for a positive test. You may never get one.
I just had a good, merciful cry after I read Beach Man's post. I am now drench with fear. I have been having health problems for about 8 years and just found a doctor who's trying to help me get to the bottom of it. And now with this bite and all the red flags(symptoms).
I'm getting my fiance to go home and get my antibiotic prescription filled as I'm posting. It's like all the problems that I've been having on and off just suddenly came back--irregular heartbeat, pain in my feet(bottom), tender, nerve pain on my scalp, last night was really bad, even when I moved it hurts--today the pain is gone. My right arm starts feeling kind of weak since yesterday, even after I typed it felt tired. I'm so scared at this point. Can lyme be cured? Whatever bit me, I pray to God it won't bite my child or anybody else. I am scared out of my mind right now.
Thank you so much for all concerns, caring thoughts, and great info.
Beach Man, I will go through all the links that you gave later when I feel better, up to it. I'm just really terrify right now.
You can cure Lyme if treated soon after the bite and if you do a longer course of antibiotics.
Longer than the two weeks worth they normally give you. If they only gave you two weeks worth, I would get some Cumanda from Nutramedix and use it when the prescription is done.
Use it for a couple of months. It has no side effects, and it does work good against the Lyme spirochete.
When you wait too long the bacteria goes from the blood deeper into the tissues where blood flow is low. At this point it only gets harder to kill.
It is not anything to worry about, but it is something to take action against. I was bit twice last year. I took MMS for a week after. I took it as soon as I was bit. I do not have Lyme disease either because the tick did not carry it, or because I treated right away.
My property is loaded with Deer Ticks. I do not worry about it, but I do take a bite seriously and take appropriate measures.
Dan, I just got the antibiotic and I don't feel right taking it after reading all the possible side effects. This drug is very hard on both the kidneys and liver and can impair the function of both of these vital organs, and not to mention other serious reactions. I don't want to end up with liver poisoning or hepatitis, wouldn't that be worse than Lyme itself?
Where do you get Cumanda? Is it natural? And can I take that in place of the antibiotic? Please let me know soon.
The risks you are reading about is with prolonged use. There are people that take this for months with no problem. It is this long continuous use that you have to be more careful with. I doubt your prescription is for more than two weeks. It is one of the more safe antibiotics and has a long history of use.
Children can get staining of the teeth, so I would use something else on a developing child, if possible. I have this staining, but it was better than death by Pneumonia which was the choice my parents had to make. And that side effct probably was not even known at that time.
Unless you already have some Liver problems the odds of you having a problem are very slim. In any case your doctor can do a liver function test quite easily and stop its use long before any damage is done. It does not happen quickly. Tylenol use is the leading cause of Liver Failure to put it into perspective.
Doxy can make you photosensitive so avoid long sunlight exposure until you are done with it.
Doxy has more evidence of effectiveness than Cumanda. I would use it first. The extremely small risk of side effects is well worth the alternative of the disease becoming a permanent fixture in your body. Then you are talking inter venous antibiotics to even have a chance of getting well again, and most likely it will not work.
I took two weeks of Doxy and had my liver tested in between. I had no liver stress at all.
It is hard on the stomach, so read up on how to prevent this problem.
MMS has the least testing of anything. I would take Doxy as far as safety is concerned long before MMS. I have used both, but only because MMS had the specific properties I needed for my particular Crohn's treatment. I was not thrilled about the lack of studies or known and unknown side effects.
It was prescribed for 12 days, one twice a day, 20 capsules total.
I guess I should take it and get a liver test in between like you did. I don't have liver problem. I thought I had kidney problem, got tested and a sonogram--they were fine. Did you take yours twice a day? There's nothing else natural I can take. I just started gulping down aged garlic extract tablets, grapefruitseed extract, selenium, olive leaf extract, and zinc; whatever I could find lying around.
I need to order some cumanda, did you get it directly from Nutramedix?
I should start taking the med right now, I'm in such a ----hole right now, I don't think I should waste time. I hope I'll be alright taking it since it's not long term.
Yeah, it will be fine. I doubt you could find a person that has had Liver failure from a twelve day prescription.
That is not long enough to kill a Lyme infection reliably. I did order my Cumanda directly from Nutramedix. My wife has used Cat's Claw and Cumanda. The Cumanda works better.
In a pinch, you could use Cat's Claw as it is probably available in a GNC or similar store.
But, if you can get the Cumanda, it would be better. It actually has quite a few different uses. My son took it for Pneumonia, when he would not buy his prescription. In a couple of days he was over it. He is young and has a strong immune system, so that helped him out quite a bit.
There are many knowledgeable people with Lyme there. Then you can get more opinions on the matter. You will find I am not overstating the importance of immediate action.
Help! Could this be a tick bite?!
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