Should i see a doctor about this bugbite/rash?

yes- photograph it now and see a doctor to rule out tick- bourne illness.

It may also be some type of spider bite, which can lead to necrosis of tissue. It would be best to have it checked out since it is not progressing like a “normal” bite on you does.

Go and see your doctor before your fellow flutherites convince you you only have minutes to live.
Lots of niggling little things seem like a waste of your doctors time time but thats their job. Its better to go early and get some peace of mind than wait and worry. Plus in the unlikely event it is something serious the earlier you take it to the doctor the easier it is to treat.

Getting it checked by your doctor seems like the best thing, if you leave it too long, and it turns out to be something serious, then that wouldn’t exactly leave it at a happy ending.

I would go in and see the doctor. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

You don’t want it to get infected and turn into a Staph Infection. My mom had a spider bite that got infected and turned into a staph infection and had to take medication. The infection stuck around for weeks.

@surlygirl. Do you have access to a digital camera? Can you take a picture and post it somewhere? That would help a lot in determining what it might be. Also, is the area warm and tender to the touch? Are you feeling sick, or otherwise well? Having any other issues, like fevers, chills, muscle aches, headache? Where do you live, and where did the bite occur (I mean geographically)? Did you actually feel/see the bite, or just see the rash develop sometime later?

You’ve gotten a lot of good suggestions so far, although without seeing the rash, it is very hard to tell. Good luck.

Great suggesstions so far, but the best bet is to let a doctor take a look at it. A simple blood test can rule out lyme. I know from experience that lyme disease is nothing to play around with. If there is a chance you have been bitten by a deer tick, the sooner you get treatment the better your chances of recovery. Better safe than sorry.

because of the location, i couldn’t get a decent picture. sorry! i’m sure everyone was dying to see my rash – ha!

on monday i had little red dots all over my middle, so i went to the doc. he thought it may be an infection from a bug/spider bite. he was really concerned that my red line is now making it’s way towards a lympnode. i am on doxycycl for a couple days. if there’s no improvement, he’s sending me to a dermatologist.

I am glad to took our advice and went to see the doctor. Hopefully, you will see some improvement in the next couple of days. Keep us posted.

Surlygirl. Where do you live? Are you in the Southern US? Regarding the spreading redness, that could be cellulitis (or infection of the skin), for which doxycyline is an acceptable treatment. Likewise, the “little red dots” could be an associated infection that comes with tick bites. Much of the differential diagnosis depends on factors like location, animal/pet exposure and other things. You might also suggest if it doesn’t get better to see an infectious diseases doctor (in addition to, or rather than, a dermatologist). Good luck.

@shilolo: sorry! meant to answer your Qs earlier. the area is warm, but generally not too itchy unless it is touched. i feel fine-no nausea, headaches, fever. my doctor seemed a little puzzled. i’m in columbus, ohio. there are ticks and other bad things around, but i’ve not seen any in the city. i walked in some grass on wednesday evening, but didn’t notice the bite/rash until friday afternoon. the red dots were mostly gone monday night before i started the antibiotics. we have two cats that are allowed on our patio(wood, 4’ off ground) and friday we were at SOs parents’ who have a dog that is in a fenced backyard.

thanks for your concern!

I’m glad to hear you went to the doctor and got some antibiotics. Did your doctor take any blood to test for lyme? I hope it goes away and you don’t have any more problems with this.

Good to hear that things are better. Your doctor made a wise choice with the doxycyline, as it is the antibiotic of choice for lyme disease, as well as many other tick-borne diseases (some of which might be in Ohio). Likewise, as I said above, it can also be used for cellulitis.