[-jimi-]

If I get mosquito bites or tick bites, the bites don't heal. I also have some scratches where I accidentally scratched myself while being itchy and they don't heal either.

I had the same bites for a year once. Right now i have a bite that I got months ago. The scratch is probably a year old too.

I have tried steroid creams to stop myself from scratching which I might do in my sleep. But that never helped. Nothing is infected. Things just scab over, scab falls off, the bite looks fresh again, scabs over and it never stops.

The weird thing is that the scratch that won't heal is in a place I can't really reach so I don't know how on earth I could easily have aggravated it.

Yesterday a rash broke out around an old bite. I have no idea what triggered that.

[healingme4me]

Have you had your BP or sugars tested, recently? Sometimes, that can be the cause of skin wounds not healing in a timely manner.

[-jimi-]

Yup, came out fine.

[shezbut]

It could be due to an allergy to whatever fabric detergent and/or softener (dryer sheets) that you're using. I have an area on my right forearm that just feels super-itchy every now and again. I look down (usually before or during scratching) and can see a break-out of little welts.

My skin is super-sensitive. To fabrics, perfumes, dyes & whatever else they use in detergents nowadays. Sticking to the products that are fragrance and dye free work a lot better on me! Perhaps you should give that a try & see how those bites do then???

Best wishes to you!

[possum220]

I would go and get a second opinion.... Or get a referral to a skin specialist.

[-jimi-]

Doctors are out of the question. If they don't take me seriously with something that can kill me, I doubt they will with this.

Anyway, I think I'll pay more attention to detergents. We have washers that are really efficient and don't really leave residue, but I will switch to a hypoallergenic and see what happens. I don't use dryer sheets or softeners. Thanks, I hadn't though about that.

[sunrise]

Do you take aspirin or other blood thinners regularly? I take aspirin daily and all my cuts heal very slowly because of this. A superficial scratch can take months to heal and quite a large scar is left behind.

[-jimi-]

Nope, I don't even tolerate aspirin, it makes me vomit from being so acidic.

[H3rmit]

How about other painkillers such as tylenol or ibuprophen? I had the same problem and the doctor described that as one possible cause, and it made the difference for me. I was using them frequently because of an injury at the time. The inhibit the immune responses or something, ie inhibit healing in the skin.

[-jimi-]

They do? Had no idea. I think my problem is the opposite though, I think I get a too strong response so things never stop itching.

[unaluna]

I think they arent regular mosquito bites then. Every once in a while I think I get a flea bite or a spider bite that lasts forever. Like you say, it keeps scabbing over, falling off, and returning. That'll teach me to be friendly to miscellaneous animals. I had it checked out once by a dermatologist and that's what it was, my fiance's mother's dog's fleas. I had never been around dogs at all before that. They took a biopsy and everything. I must had had good insurance back then - I can't believe they couldn't figure it out by just looking at it. Or maybe I was freaked out and insisted

[-jimi-]

We don't have spiders that bite here. And I know what I been bit by. Mosquitoes and ticks. Saw them.

[-jimi-]

I hear when you break out in rash from Lyme, it takes up to a month. There has been three months since the tick bite that is the last thing not healing. But pretty much right after posting, small raised heat rash bumps appeared around the bite, although they didn't disappear but became terribly itchy. I know this is not the classic Lyme rash but can't wonder if it is Lyme connected since I have been in more pain than usual.

[wife22]

Originally Posted by jimi...

If I get mosquito bites or tick bites, the bites don't heal. I also have some scratches where I accidentally scratched myself while being itchy and they don't heal either.

I had the same bites for a year once. Right now i have a bite that I got months ago. The scratch is probably a year old too.

I have tried steroid creams to stop myself from scratching which I might do in my sleep. But that never helped. Nothing is infected. Things just scab over, scab falls off, the bite looks fresh again, scabs over and it never stops.

The weird thing is that the scratch that won't heal is in a place I can't really reach so I don't know how on earth I could easily have aggravated it.

Yesterday a rash broke out around an old bite. I have no idea what triggered that.

are they in sun exposed areas?,get it checked by dermatologist,you might need little biopsy to make sure what you are dealing with,it may be psoriasis ,especially if scab fall off and you see tine bleeding dot,which will be covered by scaly scab soon again. One year of allergy is bit too long. Get it checked

[wife22]

Originally Posted by jimi...

I hear when you break out in rash from Lyme, it takes up to a month. There has been three months since the tick bite that is the last thing not healing. But pretty much right after posting, small raised heat rash bumps appeared around the bite, although they didn't disappear but became terribly itchy. I know this is not the classic Lyme rash but can't wonder if it is Lyme connected since I have been in more pain than usual.

occasionally you can have exaggerated response of immune system to bites,when skin around bite becomes red,inflamed,tender,may swell,lasts for about 3-5days. But they eventually heal,if they do not heal sick dermatology advise. Lyme dis after 3 month have more symptoms then just a rash

[-jimi-]

Nope no sun exposure, and I don't have the right to see a dermatologist. Right now I fight to even get a GP back.

I have a lot of pain and fatigue and pain has become worse, but it's always hard to say when you also have a chronic illness, there is no way for me to know if I have Lyme or just a flare of my illness.

Also I turn off signals from my body since so many people tell me I look too well to be ill and I should stop pretending. So these days I can have pain and be unaware of it.

[wife22]

Talk to GP
Generalized body pain,joint pain ,rash may all be part of outlining disease which occasionally may cause psychiatric symptoms (unless you have been tested for autoim panel)
Good luck

[-jimi-]

Now a nurse says my last bite looks like rickettsia helvetica, one in ten ticks carries it here while one in three carries lyme. She also said that the docs are not up to date on this info so I will not get tested, and if you have RH you most likely have a lyme coinfection. Great news all over. I just had to laugh.

This is getting stupid.

[-jimi-]

Got a new flare with dots around the old bite. I'm tired as heck from a cold my friend gave me, but getting better I think I can maybe drag myself to the doc. I'm so scared they will dismiss me, I'm not so scared getting my life ruined by some disease that doesn't get treated, I'm nore scared of the mental pain of being a nobody again, something that doesn't matter and shouldn't be taken seriously.

If I go I can at least ask why my referral is missing and my old labs from my chronic illness checkup. I bet they know nothing about it and will look at me with that surprised face that tells me I'm both an idiot and something that shouldn't upset their schedule.

Sigh. And then someone from here told me what LOVELY health care we have....

[possum220]

There is a reason that things don't heal. Mostly to do with a compromised immune system. But you should at least get a proper diagnosis a some doctor for what the issue is. You deserve to be treated with respect. If they lose paperwork then they should find it.

If you find it hard to get your message across do you have an advocate who can get the ball rolling? It is hard when you aren't feeling well to get what you want. You deserve to be listened to and get help. Change doctors if you need to. Get help from a friend.

You are not an idiot. You are sick and need attention.

[-jimi-]

Yea I have issues with immune system which might be the reason my body reacts to bites and minor injury in a weird way. Problem is one doc says this one says that and at the end some jerk doc wins and says I don't have immune system issues (although I test positive). I know I have an issue and some docs just likes to oppress people and a lot are told most patients with these immune system issues are just malingering... In the past they "diagnosed" people with pains and aches with "WB" to let the next doc knows. (And yea, it means whiny b****.) I know of all this, stillll they get inside my head and I tell myself what if they are right what if I'm just trying for attention or want to create problems for them? What if I'm not sick at all?

Planting doubts is an easy thing it seems.

Anyway.. this new thing is not at all like the old "wont heal" stuff. It sort of was when I started the thread, but now the area around the tick bite flared twice and I've never had that stuff before. It has never spread or became worse than what was there originally. So this is brand new.

I'm bracing myself and diving in once I get an appointment. My mom had Lyme for almost 2 years before she was taken seriously. She fought hard and won and finally got treatment but by then it had progressed too far so she will never be healthy again.

No, there are no patient advocates. I have had my psychologist going in with me once. We have the right on paper to bring anyone in as support but in reality if they don't want witnesses they will kick out whomever is with you. It's against the law but it's that or they wont talk to you at all.

Recently a Muslim woman who traditionally don't greet men by shaking their hand was turned down from ER care! Adapt or forget care. That has been said to me a lot when my Asperger's has gotten in the way, like I freak out if you touch me without warning me. I was always told if I really want treatment I have to stop having Asperger's for the time I'm with the doctor. They don't make exceptions. Either do it their way or off you go. So I let them do things to me which I find abusive and then I go home and shake and cry for a week.

I love doctors here...... so kind.... so understanding.

[-jimi-]

At least I made an appointment. I'll try not to think about going there until it's time. I don't know who my doc will be so I can't check up their reviews. I'll try to just not think they will be really good or really bad, because I hate disappointment if I get my hopes up.. and I hate worry.

[-jimi-]

I was very lucky and got a young and fun doc that didn't have doc pride but focused on being efficient and he was also knowledgeable to recognize an atypical lyme rash. He didn't bother with tests or even try to mess with me or turn me away. Sometimes I do get the right docs! In case I'd have a lyme coinfection, doxycycline is right for that too.

All good!!! I'm just overly sensitive to all meds so I hope I can survive 14 days on them.