MY EXPERIENCE HAS PROVEN TO ME THAT, SINCE LYME DISEASE IS STILL IN ITS INFANCY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, MEDICAL SUPPORT IS, I FOUND, VERY LIMITED
me awake at night. It was then that I decided to go to the local pharmacy as I didn't feel like annoying the GP again. I suspected maybe ringworm but the rash - in my opinion - wasn't the right shape or size for it.
‘I had been taking pictures of the rash over several weeks and showed them to the pharmacist and gave her a very brief history on it. She confirmed it was not ringworm and, because it seemed to be stemming from the lump on my shoulder, she suggested that I contact the GP again.
‘It was only through my conversation with her and reviewing approved medical diagnostic tools - which I use in my own work as a St John Ambulance volunteer - that I realised Lyme disease had been listed as one of the potential reasons for all my symptoms.
‘So, after research, and armed with both the NICE guidelines on Lyme disease and my photos, I contacted the GP again. Following consultation with the senior GP, the GP – the fourth I had seen - clinically diagnosed me with Lyme disease.
‘Two twenty-one day courses of antibiotics were prescribed, but, despite these, I am still symptomatic.
‘My experience has proven to me that, since Lyme disease is still in its infancy in the United Kingdom, medical support is, I found, very limited.
‘The impact of the pandemic on healthcare in my area meant that GP telephone consultations had to be implemented. During the course of my ‘journey’, I had no fewer than four different GPs assessing me over a five/six-month period as it was not possible to get the same GP for each consultation.
‘It was for that reason that I had gone to the pharmacist hoping that the rash I had developed was either a viral infection or allergy and that they could give me something for it. From what I gather, Lyme disease is usually easier to treat if it’s diagnosed early, so I hope that my experience will give primary care health providers some insight into this bacterial infection so that others won’t have to endure what I’ve had to go through!’
What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks. The good news is that most tick bites are actually harmless and only a small number of ticks are infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Ticks that may cause Lyme disease are found all over the UK, but high-risk areas include grassy and wooded areas in southern England and the Scottish Highlands.
Symptoms Many people with early symptoms of Lyme disease will develop a circular red skin rash around a tick bite. In most cases, the rash will appear within the first four weeks, but it can actually appear anywhere up to three months following the bite. It usually lasts for several weeks.
The rash is often described as looking like a ‘bull's-eye’ on a dartboard, ie, the skin will be red and the edges may feel slightly raised. Having said that, not everyone with Lyme disease will get the rash.
Some people will also have flu-like symptoms in the early stages, such as: • a high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery • headaches • muscle and joint pain • tiredness and loss of energy
Ongoing symptoms Unfortunately, a few people who are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease, continue to have symptoms, like tiredness, aches and loss of energy that can last for years. These symptoms are often compared to those of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
scottishpharmacist.com 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
