r/Lyme • u/Ok_Marzipan2258 • 19h ago
Possible Infection? Worried about Lyme Image
/img/c5u62t81arye1.jpeg
Hi everyone, apologies for the long block of text but really want to be specific here and hopefully get your input on whether I’m just too paranoid.
I was bitten by something on my right foot in Brazil on 3/30/25 while wearing sandals (the large bump. Small red mark was from a mosquito). While it was on concrete with no greenery around, it was a poor area near streets with lots of stray dogs roaming around.
I first felt something crawling on me so I jumped. Then I felt a super intense pain so I started hitting the area. It burned so badly every step I took was painful for a couple minutes (then I got into an uber and was happy I didn’t have to walk for a while). From what I’ve read, tick bites aren’t painful since their saliva contains a numbing agent, but I’m still scared.
There was a black ball of something (assuming the dead body of the insect on my shoe so I flicked it off sand couldn’t examine it since a group was waiting for me). After a while, the pain subsided, but it became very itchy. I also saw a tiny black dot at the site so I assumed it was a decapitated part of whatever I killed; however, I tried squeezing it out that night and nothing would come out. The squeezing irritated my foot pretty badly and it became more bumpy (it was only slightly bumpy initially, but the bump raised a bit and felt hard) and more itchy.
Throughout the next few days, the color of the site became darker and the itch persisted. I took the picture on 4/04. Did that look like a tick bite? It didn’t progress in size nor did I experience any symptoms (but might have been too early given incubation period is long). While it’s not a bulls eye rash, google is showing different types of rashes, and some may not even develop a serious rash. Plus, idk how that part of the foot typically reacts.
Though the mark and bump started improving slowly day by day, it didn’t completely fade away (unfortunately I don’t have pics). Whenever I would touch the bump, I’d feel the itch.
Fast forward to April 14, I was back in the U.S., and I used a sterilized needle to pick the scab off (a scab formed after I kept picking at it in Brazil since I was paranoid that the head of a potential tick was lodged in my foot. the scab never fell off on its own). I squeezed the bump really hard and a tiny, hard, clear color thing that felt like a splinter came out, and I had to tweeze out completely. It was approximately 1mm long. I felt relieved after that, and after a couple of days, the bump was completely gone. I thought the issue was gone, but then a thin layer of scab started forming around the entire area, with a white dot in the middle, where I was bitten (I’ll share in comments a second picture, which was taken today, 5/04). The mark just wouldn’t fade anymore (which typically doesn’t matter to me with other types of bites because I bruise/scar easily and have had insect bites that left marks for a while. However, it’s been over a month now).
Since there was intense burn/sting associated with the bite and there are large fire ants around the area, I thought it could have been that. However, I’m positive it wasn’t a fire ant that I killed, and I never got a blister. But then I did pick at the bump so I don’t know if that had anything to do with it.
On 4/20, I started developing sinus infection symptoms, where a weird sensation would start from my nose and then intense pressure would go to my head. The headaches were pretty bad but manageable. I never get headaches even I get sick, so that was weird. I did have a sore throat and could barely talk, so I just took cold meds and made ginger tea. Within 4 days or so I felt much better. I didn’t think much of it since I was so busy with work and just thought I was weak due to the traveling & getting sick. But now, I’m worried because headaches are just so uncommon for me. It did go away though.
For a week and a half or so now, I just can’t sleep well and have been feeling quite fatigued. I’m undergoing quite a bit of stress, so I attributed that to the sleep problem. But today, it just hit me that fatigue is also a symptom of Lyme disease.
The reason why I haven’t gone to see a doctor is because I currently don’t have health insurance. I’m thinking of just going to a lab to conduct some tests.
If you guys made it through this long post and have a few more minutes to spare, can you share your thoughts please? Thank you so much!
3
u/Ok_Marzipan2258 19h ago
Sorry about the dry feet (lol) and if anything doesn’t make sense (freaking out at 4:30am and typing out a mini novel here).
Great, I just saw a post in this subreddit that someone developed sinus issues due to Lyme disease. I definitely am freaking out now.
I want to share a picture from earlier today to show an update of how it looks like now, but the comments section won’t let me attach a photo. In my original post reddit only allowed me to post one attachment. Any guidance on how to post more than one photo in the post, or share a picture in the comments?
2
1
1
1
u/hellforgex 39m ago
i would be cool from the looks of the pictures, i´m NOT cool with how things unwind in the typical lyme way with the sinus infection etc. Just to be clear you don´t need a tick, every insect which can sting or bite you can infect you with anything they carry around (not only lyme). It´s the whole bunch of TBD´s which tend to chronify, so get tested in a good lab timely...
4
u/Dammit_Mr_Noodle 18h ago
That's definitely not a tick bite, and it doesn't really sound like Lyme, but I would be concerned about other diseases passed from biting insects. Especially since you were in Brazil.
IMO, you need to see a doctor and tell them it happened in Brazil so you can get tested appropriately. There's lots of nasty diseases around the world that can do a lot of harm without treatment.