# Does this look like Lyme to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 11, 2006, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-lyme-to-you/368294 "2006-08-11T16:08:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-lyme-to-you/368294/1 "2006-08-11T16:08:50Z")
I noticed two rashes the other day. One on my left thigh and one on my right leg near the ankle. About 3 days later they went away. I’m wondering if they could have be a sign of Lyme Disease. I did take a picture of my leg one the day I noticed it [![](https://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k59/elevynj/isitlyme.jpg) ](https://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k59/elevynj/isitlyme.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-lyme-to-you/368294/2 "2006-08-11T16:35:46Z")
[QUOTE=MannyL] I noticed two rashes the other day. One on my left thigh and one on my right leg near the ankle. About 3 days later they went away. I’m wondering if they could have be a sign of Lyme Disease. I did take a picture of my leg one the day I noticed it [![](https://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k59/elevynj/isitlyme.jpg) ](https://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k59/elevynj/isitlyme.jpg) [/QUOTE] Have you noticed any ticks? Has the rash spread at all? Are you having any other symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, fever, stiff neck, swollen glands? Whether you have any of those symptoms or not, if you suspect Lyme fever you should get a blood test (from someone who knows how to interpret it - call Public Health). Don’t take any antibiotics before you get tested, because that can give you a false negative test. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-lyme-to-you/368294/3 "2006-08-11T16:56:22Z")
I am a hypocondriac and although I have no other symptons and did not see any ticks on my body I was in an area that ticks are known to be in. I saw two rashes that was round and thought hmm that could be a sign ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-lyme-to-you/368294/4 "2006-08-11T17:15:30Z")
Yikes. Definitely Lyme. Or maybe the plague. I’d say you’ll die in two weeks, tops. Can I have your stuff? Or maybe you wanna check with a doctor just to confirm my diagnosis. I still want your stuff, though. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-lyme-to-you/368294/5 "2006-08-11T17:22:42Z")
[Erythema chronicum migrans](http://www.dermis.net/dermisroot/en/14939/image.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-lyme-to-you/368294/6 "2006-08-11T20:38:27Z")
It doesn’t look like what I had when I went to my doctor, but I liked his response to whatever it was he saw. “It might be Lyme, it might not be Lyme. But either way, I’m pretty sure it will respond to a massive dose of antibiotics.” And it did. So my advice is, go see a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-lyme-to-you/368294/7 "2006-08-13T06:31:53Z")
Yes, see your doctor; but if it makes you feel any better, I have always heard that a Lyme rash looks like a bullseye. Specifically, this means concentric red rings. (not perfectly delineated, but with definite normal-colored flesh in between.) My father got Lyme disease, and he definitely had a classic “bullseye rash”. However, this was years ago, and his doctor said, “Nonsense. They don’t have that west of the Rockies.”, and refused to give him the (costly at that time) test. Go, HMOs. By he was finally confirmed with Lyme disease, it was incurable. ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-look-like-lyme-to-you/368294/8 "2006-08-13T18:56:17Z")
Looks more like a deerfly or stablefly bite to me…