No. A certain kind of rash, called erythema migrans, is a telltale symptom of Lyme disease, and if you have it call your doctor immediately. But not everyone who has Lyme exhibits a rash, much less the “bullseye” rash so often associated with Lyme disease.
The chart below illustrates several of the forms these rashes might take.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that as many as 70% may exhibit the erythema migrans, but this can vary by region. For example, a 2010 study showed that in the state of Maine only 43% of Lyme patients exhibited this particular type of rash.
There are many symptoms of Lyme disease and it is critical that you are alert to all of them. See Lyme Disease Symptoms for more information.
Don’t Be Fooled
Lyme disease is often referred to as the great imitator because so many of its symptoms resemble those of other diseases. Without a telltale skin rash, it can be very hard to diagnose Lyme disease. Many people never recall being bitten.
Below is a list of just some of diseases that many people have initially been diagnosed with, only to receive a Lyme diagnosis later:
- Arthritis: typically manifesting as joint pain, swelling, redness, heat, and limitation of movement
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a childhood disease that causes joint inflammation and swelling
- Fibromyalgia: especially widespread muscle and soft tissue pain
- Chronic fatigue syndrome: severe and debilitating fatigue
- Multiple sclerosis: leading to problems with muscle control and strength, vision, balance, sensation, and mental functioning
- Lupus: joint pain, swelling, may affect kidneys, brain and other organs
If you suspect Lyme, even if you do not recall being bitten, try to recall where and when you might have been exposed to infected ticks, and discuss the situation and symptoms with your doctor.
Image courtesy of Emily M. Eng
I tested negative for Lyme but positive for Babesia, but I have a circular rash on my stomach where I was a bit (I never saw the tick). It’s not a bullseye rash, just red and oval. I read that Babesia normally does not come with a rash. Should I be retested for Lyme since you can have both Babesia and Lyme at the same time?
Can you send me the reference for the 2010 Maine study please?
“For example, a 2010 study showed that in the state of Maine only 43% of Lyme patients exhibited this particular type of rash.”
Does a tick bite only leave a bull’s eye rash the first time you’re bitten? Or can subsequent tick bites also leave the rash?
I got bit on my inner thigh by a tiny deer tick that I picked off. A few weeks later, on same leg (knee area), I developed bullseye rash that looked harmless, next day it was so intense I couldn’t stand on it I went to ER.
I’m on 2wk antibiotics. The blood work came back negative, although it may be too soon, so have to get another test in 2wks. No other symptoms!
Louise, I was sitting at work and crossed my legs and noticed what looked like a bruise behind my left knee. When I and my coworker looked at it, it was a Bullseye with the tick (not engorged) still attached in the center of the bullseye. I was working at the Baltimore City Zoo at the time. I contacted my Manger, Kevin Long, (we worked for Aramark and we had no insurance)…he saw the bullseye, (I pulled off the tick while sitting in my office)and said there is nothing he could do for me. Didn’t know where I was bitten..if it was at the zoo or somewhere else. I’ve had blood test done (non-specific, but I asked ) and have asked my Rheumatologist for a specific test and my insurance won’t pay for the test. According to this website, there’s no possibility not to have Lymes if I had the Bullseye and the tick still attached. I experience major joint pain everywhere in my body nonstop and other maladies. Heart valves problems, arrhythmia, tachycardia, joint problems)in every joint except my ankles. An plethora of other biological problems since being bitten (with the prominent bullseye) in 2003. Please advise. I thank you in advance.
So sorry to hear that. Im wondering g what happen after . My daughter got bit and so did I with in 2 days Hers seems worse as it developed a red circle around it but not exactly a bullseye rash. She has no symptoms of anything and it’s been 6 days. The circle is still there. Emergency room doctor prescribed the antibiotic but seems more concerned about Rocky Mountain spotted fever but thinks it’s ok since there is no symptoms Im confuse as to if she should
Take the antibiotic or not as a preventative for lymes
I woke up on Tuesday morning and realized that I have a new rash, very irritated and oozing. I didn’t think anything of it cause I can’t remember where I got it. I keep putting neosporin on it hoping it will help, but it just keeps on flaking. It’s about a dime in diameter and it’s not itching or annoying but it is concerning cause it might be a tick bite. My sister thinks it’s Lyme disease but i don’t know. What should I do if I don’t have any medical coverage?
Hi Michael, Bay Area Lyme is not a clinical organization and therefore can not provide any individual guidance but there are some resources you should be aware of and some steps we would encourage: (1) The US CDC (Centers for Disease Control) provides images of Lyme disease rashes and common look-alikes here; (2) We have a list of other Lyme disease symptoms here on the Bay Area Lyme site. If you suspect you could have Lyme disease, we would encourage you to speak with your doctor or other care provider about getting tested. Both ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) and LymeDisease.org offer directories of physicians sorted by geography if you prefer to seek out a specialist familiar with Lyme disease.
With the current COVID-19 pandemic, there are many doctors and direct care providers offering virtual telemed consults right now, which may be a good first step. In all cases, we encourage patients to thoroughly document symptoms (what, when, for how long, how severe, if changed, etc.), with photos as relevant (e.g., to record changes in rash). We wish you health.
Go to a Homeopathic Holistic Specialist and ask about receiving Des Bio treatment for Lyme and Babesia/Bartonella. Google Homeopathic and Holistic Des in your area. If you can’t find one Google Des Bio treatment and order Lyme treatment and Babesia/Bartonella drops and take every 3-4 days until gone
Yours sounds like impetigo. I know this is an old forum, I’m just curious as to what the results ended up being. I hope everything turned out ok.
Doctors tend to be professional conclusion jumpers. They play the odds and are on to the next patient in 5-10 minutes. Their lives are unaffected if they are wrong. If you suspect Lyme, ask to be tested.
My daughter had multiple bullseye rashes on her legs last night before bed. I planned to take her in right away today, but this morning the rashes have gone away and she only has a bite. We live in WI where ticks are terrible and she spends a lot of time in wooded areas. I have pictures from yesterday, should she still be seen? My older daughter had Lyme last year but her rash was a lot more tell tale, it expanded where my younger daughter’s did not, it just faded. Thoughts?
Bay Area Lyme is not a clinical organization and we cannot comment on individual cases but we would advise you to speak with your doctor or care provider any time you have symptoms and especially when you have had exposure in a known tick habitat. Typically, a bullseye rash is a tell-tale sign for Lyme disease but you may also want to consult the CDC site for more images of Lyme disease rashes and other lookalikes. We wish you and your daughters good health.
I am sorry to hear you believe doctors are so flippant. I am a physician and am sorry every single time I am incorrect. I even think about my patients and their ailments at night while trying to sleep. It often affects sleep which my husband constantly points out. We are not perfect beings. We must act on the data provided to us and examination. Neither are perfect. I hope your future experiences are better.
I felt compelled to address the doctor who commented below and to others who may come here. The comments made about the diagnosis or dismissal of concerns by doctors regarding tick bites is not a personal commentary on doctors as an individual person, or their committment to patients. I live in a tick infested area, and some doctors here quickly react to any bite of significance, whereas others here say to come back if symptoms arise, no questions asked. At the ER here, they treat you, whether they have the tick still or not, they dose you with doxy at the very least. It does seem to be a matter of personal opinion, or maybe it is a lack of tick education that causes the gap. I don’t know.
No matter the profession, one can only speak to their own experiences and like any profession, we know there are some better suited than others for certain jobs. It’s not a sin to admit there may be some physicians that let stuff fall through the cracks. Both sides of the coin, the doctor and the patient, need to remember that doctors are human, and they too can make mistakes. I myself have had poor medical experiences with a couple, but I know it’s not that way with my other doctors. I do wish that some physicians were strong enough to admit when they make a mistake versus more denials. I had a GI/Liver specialist tell me at age 20 that I needed a good shrink to help deal with my food issues versus wasting his time. He agreed to order a test to “humour me”, and then refused to face me when result proved that I had Crohn’s disease. It was severe. My results brought about my admittance to hospital for 4 months to save me and build me up from 88lbs back to my norm of 140 at 5’9. Years later that same Dr saw me regarding another issue and did the same crap. He said people would pay for my low blood pressure, and that I just wanted to complain. I’d been passing out in the streets. Test results proved Addison’s disease. My point, some bad professionals exist… however I don’t, and others shouldn’t paint them all with the same brush.
To the doc below specifically: I am sorry you that your work keeps you awake at night, but if your personality is one that carries such concern, then you also are blessed with a better degree of empathy than some. I can say this because a dear friend of mine is an MD and she is the same.. it’s about wanting to give your best, and a bit of worry about if you have…mixed together…a curse to some.
Thanks all.
I have a massive sore from a tick at this moment. Seeking advice. 😊 Got off track.
Hello, my 4-year-old daughter was bitten by a tick this morning in France. We found it immediately and it was removed within less than 2-3 hours of being on her skin. So I think that’s a good thing… No redness, rash or anything as of yet.
My question: It is to my understanding that rashes don’t always occur. In the unlikelihood of Lyme disease without rash (30% of cases), can I rely on other symptoms to make sure she does not have Lyme disease? I am so scared of her having it and me not being able to detect it if there is no rash. They won’t give antibiotics in France unless we are sure she has it…
In most cases, ticks need to be attached for 24 hours or more to infect a victim, so it is good that you found the tick so quickly. However, as you state, it is also true that Lyme disease does not always present as a rash. You can refer here for more information on other Lyme symptoms. You should certainly continue to monitor your daughter’s health and continue to speak with your doctor if you have concerns as they can best diagnose your situation. (You can also find referrals for doctors familiar with Lyme and related tick-borne infections through the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) website.) Best wishes.
My daughter has just been through the most dreadful case of Lyme, which having an underlying arthritis condition anyway meant we didn’t pick it up when she had an arthritis flare and then subsequently developed facial palsy. She similarly didn’t present with a rash and only found out when her heart started palpitating at a ridiculous rate. In hindsight there were lots of clues that could have been spotted before it got to stage but were masked by the fact that she already suffers with arthritis.
Ticks carry a bacterium (Borrelia) which causes Lyme. If you can’t get antibiotics, try something that is anti-microbial — ginger, garlic, turmeric, etc.
I have what I thought was a mosquito bite or pimple on my chest/shoulder area that has changed and now looks like a quarter-size red itchy circle that won’t go away (2-3 weeks now) and looks a lot like pictures on line. I’ve had flu like symptoms and my joints are hurting, my hands especially. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow to find out for sure. I don’t remember being bit by anything.
I don’t agree that the tick needs to be attached for 24 hours to infect you. I was bitten on Fire Island in 1992. I set one leg off the boardwalk to pick up a dropped item and came up with a tick on my thigh, felt the bite, pulled off the tick, and had a huge bullseye the next morning. Within a few hours, I was on 400 mg of tetracycline. So much for my vacation at the beach! Tetracycline made me so photosensitive that I sunburned if I passed a light bulb! So I spent my beach vacation indoors. I have had very few residual symptoms, thank Goodness!
Yea, last summer I have the same kind of bite as Sherri York. Even run to the hospital to see that pimple /it was very painful/ the doctor tells me it isn’t a tick bite.. However, a year later I have some of the symptoms linked with this particular disease…I will go to make a test…but is it possible??
How did you get on Sherri? My husband has been bit by a tick out hill walking in the peak district and just been put on antibiotics and a referral to hospital for infectious diseases.
I found a tick on my belly, pulled it, out 2 weeks ago. I’m guessing it was there more then 8 hours. Never got a rash, but occasionally feel lightheaded, some stiffness on the left side of my neck… not sure if I am fighting off a flu bug, or it’s the tick bite.
How small can a bullseye rash be? We noticed what looked like a mosquito bite yesterday. It is now a bullseye, but about an inch diameter. It’s on his forearm — we check regularly and have never seen a tick. However, he had a fever for five days (now gone). We are making an appointment, but in our experience the doctors where we live in Quebec don’t know much about Lyme. Thank you!
We would encourage you to photograph the rash and to carefully document any and all symptoms, especially flu-like symptoms which can occur from Lyme, and then to speak with your doctor. The US CDC website has several images of Lyme rashes that you may want to consult for reference. There are many variations of rash that can occur (and it is also true that in many cases there is no rash at all) but it is also true that other insect bites, eg spider bites, can also cause skin irritation. Should you need more help (unfortunately with Lyme disease, you often have to be your own advocate), you may want to visit the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) site which offers referrals to physicians familiar with Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. You can search by geography. Best wishes.
I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2014. I was bitten by a tick. About a month later, during my self breast exam, I found a lump under my arm, had no bullseye rash. I went to my doctor with this discovery. My doctor orderED blood test and a mammogram since breast cancer runs in my family. It turned out I test positive for Lyme disease. I was treated with antibiotics (doxycycline). It came back 2 years later, with flu-like symptoms, night sweats, fatigue (falling asleep at work), pain in my hands and wrists, and blurred vision. Again treated with antibiotics.
My daughter, 11 years old, just diagnosed with Lyme disease yesterday. She was not bitten and no rush at all, but she has knee pain. She can not bend it. The doctor ordered blood test and came positive. She gave her antibiotics for 28 days. I hope it cures disease. I heard it is chronic.
Obviously she was bitten, how are you going to say she was not?
My daughter, 11 years old just diagnosed with Lyme disease today. She doesn’t have any rash, and wasn’t bitten but she has knees pain. Her doctor ordered X-ray which was totally fine and blood test, it shows Lyme-positive. She gave her antibiotics for 28 days. Hopefully will be treated.
Jason, Lyme can be past through the placenta to the fetus, so in fact she would have NOT needed to be bitten to have Lyme disease.
I have no rash, but I have been experiencing pain in my wrist and ankle. I didn’t fall or bang into anything! The pain has been getting worst plus I’m experiencing muscle weakness. Getting kind of nervous. Do you think it’s Lyme?
I’ve been going through the same thing — random pain that’s either in my knee, wrist, or elbow. I have a mark where the tick bit me that hasn’t gone away, kinda like a scar. But no rash and I’m having these random pains.
I [had] Lyme disease twice and never saw a bullseye rash or bite.
Never noticed being bitten by a tick. I thought it was a mosquito bite or possibly even an inflamed cyst for a couple days. I felt really sick today (chest pain, headache, fatigue, etc.) and a few hours after I woke up, I noticed a bullseye patterned rash around the bite. My father had Lyme disease a couple years ago and he didn’t get treatment fast enough because he didn’t remember being bitten and ended up in the hospital. Could this be the same thing?
I just returned from Mexico were I believe I was bit by some kind of insect/tick. My inner thigh was itchy and a bright red circular welt was present. It was very itchy and burning. The doctor that looked at the photo of my leg said it was a bruise but to me it looks identical to a red-blue lesion. I’m not experiencing any Lyme disease symptoms currently.The doctor prescribed antibiotics and told me to return in two weeks if it was still present. If it’s a bruise why would I take antibiotics? Is there anyone out there with any experience with tick bites and Lyme disease?
I had Lyme disease 2 years ago. I never had any itching at bite site. Was told by a doctor that tick bites don’t itch. I think your doctor just wants to cover all bases by giving you the antibiotics.
Tick bites absolutely can itch.
I’ve had Lyme disease in the past. I recently found a deer tick on me. I’m worried it’s Lyme only bc the bite area burns & stings, just like in the past. I’ve had bullseye in the past. This time the rash is blue/purple with center being bite mark. I’ll wait to see what happens by tomorrow.
You may want to consult the CDC page illustrating many of the possible erythema migrans (skin rashes) caused by Lyme. Whenever you have a known tick bite and are showing possible Lyme disease symptoms, you should certainly consult your doctor or other knowledgeable health care provider. We wish you well.
Hi Rene,
Two days ago I developed a red circular area with a bluish middle behind my left knee. I also came down with a fever, joint aches, a headache, and light red rash on my chest and arms. I went to the nearest urgi-care and was told it was classic Lyme disease. I started on Doxycyline immediately. Today, the area has expanded which is typical of Lyme, however, it is warm to touch and itchy (which all the searches I have done state there is no pain or itchiness just warmth and the area can spread up to 12 inches). My blood work came back negative for Lyme but the MD also stated it may have been too early to test since my body didn’t have time for the antibodies to adhere to the disease and to go back in 30 days. Since I am very concerned about cellulitis and the antibiotic I’m on for Lyme is not the antibiotic for cellulitis, I’m going to give it another day.
About 5 1/2 years ago I had a bullseye rash on my inner arm. I mistakenly brushed it off. I’m always outdoors kayaking and at the time I was a dog groomer. I am generally healthy, but feel tired all the time, have aches and pains, and my brain feels like it stopped working most days. I eat very well (I am a registered nutritionist). I had my doctor run a blood test for Lyme (I’m in Ontario) and it came back negative. I’m concerned that if I do have it and I don’t control it, I may pay for it in the future. So my question is, If I had a bullseye do I definitely have Lyme?
Unfortunately, there is not a simple answer and your best bet is to consult with a knowledgeable doctor familiar with Lyme and related illnesses. [The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) offers a physician directory that can help you find a provider in your geography if need.]
Not all Erythema Migrans Lesions (bullseye rashes) are indicative of Lyme disease (e.g,. see this 2017 story in the American Journal of Medicine). In particular, STARI (or Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness) often presents a very similar rash though generally has less severe symptoms. And as we all know, many patients infected by Lyme never present any rash at all. The Center for Diseases Control (CDC) does have images of typical Lyme-caused EM rashes as well as images of skin conditions that are not EM.
If you believe you have been exposed to a tick and are experiencing symptoms, you should certainly continue to seek the care of a doctor.
From everything I’ve been told, if you have a bullseye you have Lyme. I was bitten by a tick, went to the doctor, had 2 Lyme tests — which both came back negative — and, a few days later, I got the bullseye. Sounds to me like you have Lyme disease. Find a doctor that has experience with Lyme disease.
You had a western blot test? The ELISA and Western blot are the most common tests used to diagnose Lyme disease. Both tests measure antibodies (proteins made by the immune system to fight infection) to Bb, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. … The ELISA and Western blot can only detect whether a person has been exposed to Bb.
Canada is notorious for false negatives because we only have one kind of test that often doesn’t detect it. If you had the bullseye rash, chances are high you actually do have Lyme. You can pay for a private test in California but it costs like $5000. This happened to a family in Kamloops,BC and their four kids. Canadian tests all came back negative but all four kids have now tested positive on the American test. So sad that Canada is lagging so far behind with Lyme.
I had Lyme symptoms five days after being in a tick prone area and then discovered an attached tick. About 85 hours possible exposure. No rash but Doc started me on Doxycycline. I’m almost a week in and don’t feel any better. I haven’t found anything online about whether that is typical. Does anyone know how long it takes to see improvement?
I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease back in 1996 after a phone call to the CDC that I made. They said the only disease that causes a bullseye rash is Lyme disease. I was bit in 1990 and it took me that much time to finally get treated because no doctor believed Lyme was really on the West coast. I hope you got treated. You also want to be followed by a naturopathic physician because the treatment can cause havoc with your gut.
This looks and sounds like… I broke out with this rash last year in October. I’ve been on /off prednisone for about a year. I’ve been off now for about 3 weeks. I’m bright red – sun burn rash and peeling. Very dry and itchy. My homeopath has me on supplements and elimination diet.. Seeing small improvements, but this rash is stubborn and painful. Warm bath actually feels great… I’m using avocado oil too – which gives me some comfort during the day, but it’s always weeping. Any suggestions? I’ve been seen by dermatology (3), allergist and now homeopath.
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yes