A 31-year-old member asked:
I have a bullseye rash around a tick bite but do not have any other symptoms of lyme disease. do i need to get a blood test?
5 doctor answers • 11 doctors weighed in
Dr. Dan Fisheranswered
Internal Medicine 29 years experience
No test.: If you live in or have recently visited an area where lyme is endemic you should not get a test. It will be negative. You should be treated. See your doc.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Randy Bakeranswered
Holistic Medicine 42 years experience
You have Lyme!Get Rx: As dr. Fisher said, a blood test is not needed. A bullseye rash around a tick bite is considered proof of lyme disease.If you do not have symptoms yet, you almost certainly will over time. It takes time for a blood test to turn positive & you should not wait for this; the earlier you start treatment the better the outcome.Many lyme specialists advise Doxycycline 200 mg 2x/day for a month to be safe.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Randy Baker commented
Holistic Medicine 42 years experience
Provided original answer
Also please see Dr. Po's superb answer below. TIcks often carry other serious infections like Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichiosis & STAR.
May 16, 2013
Dr. Jerry Casaleanswered
Pediatrics 40 years experience
Probably: Have ur dr look at the rash sometimes around a bite u might get a localized reaction . If it is a bulls eye rash this is an early indicator of lyme and there might not be symptoms also a blood test might not be positive as iti might take up to 6 weeks for blood to become positive so get treated.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Larry Lutwickanswered
Infectious Disease 51 years experience
Although many would.: Regard the bull's eye rash at a tick bite site to be diagnostic of lyme borreliosis, that is not so. Texas is not a real hot bed for ixodes ticks or lyme disease so it is more than possible that lyme is not the diagnosis. Southern tick associated tick illness (stari) is more likely, etiology unclear but is treated similarly. No arthritis. The lone star tick, amblyomma americanum is the vector.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. John Leander Poanswered
Infectious Disease 20 years experience
Not just Lyme: Avoid being "lyme-centric"! depending on geography, there are several other tick borne diseases ( e.g. Anaplasmosis, babesia, human monocytic or granulocytic erlichiosis) that co-infects with lyme (caused by b. Burgdorferi), or else , the diagnosis is something other than lyme (eg. Relapsing fever caused by b. Hermsii & southern tick -associated rash illness [stari] caused by a diffferent tick.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Randy Baker commented
Holistic Medicine 42 years experience
Thank-you Dr. Po for your excellent answer. I could not agree more!
May 16, 2013
Similar questions
A 34-year-old member asked:
I have the bullseye rash around a tick bite but no other symptoms of Lyme disease. Should i still get a test done?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Randy Bakeranswered
Holistic Medicine 42 years experience
Get Rx & blood test!: A bullseye rash around a tick bite is considered proof of lyme disease.If you do not have symptoms yet, you almost certainly will over time. It takes time for a blood test to turn positive & you should not wait for this; the earlier you start treatment the better the outcome.Many lyme specialists advise Doxycycline 200 mg 2x/day for a month to be safe.Also get tested for co-infections like babesia.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Aug 21, 2017
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