Rashes and Lyme Disease

If rashes make you squeamish, don’t read this post. There are some pretty nasty photos. I have no idea when I contracted Lyme disease. I do, however, know that around 2005-06, while dealing with a very stressful personal life, I started having rashes. By rashes, I mean extreme skin issues. Nothing was ever in the much-hyped bullseye shape, but in retrospect, I believe the rashes marked the start of my battle with Lyme disease. My life at the time was a perfect recipe for a Lyme disaster. A difficult situation at home, school and career uncertainty, lots of time in the woods, and regular travel to the northeast. I never found an embedded tick, but that’s true of so many Lyme disease patients I’ve talked with– they either never knew they were bitten or they removed it very quickly but suffered the consequences anyway.

Here’s a picture of the first major rash I got, in what I believe was the start of my Lyme disease. I felt the rash inside, like in my guts, before it even showed a pink spot on my skin. It itched, but more than that, it was deeply tingly and alarmingly painful. And I felt very, very sick, but strangely so– not like any sickness I’d ever felt before. One doctor said it was poison ivy, which I knew was wrong. Another said it was an allergic reaction to an unknown substance. A third doctor claimed it was a type of psoriasis. None of these diagnoses ever rung true to me.

Still Lymey, Still Rashy

The rashes persist today, although they look somewhat different each time. I currently have to baseball-sized patches of red bumps on my back just under the scapulae. Sometimes I go months without a rash, and other times at least one patch of bumps is present for weeks. I used to use prescription steroid cream to knock them down, but I don’t anymore. The cream was never a cure, and I’d rather have one less medicine in my body anyway.

A quick search of “rashes and Lyme disease” turns up about a million results. Every person’s rash is different because, as I’ve read and been told over and over again every person’s Lyme disease is different. Stress definitely makes mine bloom, heat doesn’t help it, but beyond that I’m pretty clueless about its comings and goings. The 15ish years of mysterious rashes made the most sense they’ve ever made when I was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease. So many people I’ve talked with or read about have Lyme disease and rashes. While that doesn’t change my life, it’s a sadly reassuring to know I’m not alone.