Ticks (Beware)

[C-Bass]

I ended up getting a little complacent as I had not had many ticks since the spring show up on me. Well I ended getting one in a place that was hard to find. Ended up in the ER to have it removed, it's only me at home, I couldn't get at it. It was painfully removed. I sent the tick to be tested, paid $200 plus dollars for everything. Fortunately for me the Tick had not been engorged, there was no blood (human or otherwise) inside it, and they estimated it was on me for less than 7hrs. Unfortunately, it tested positive for Lyme Disease, 2 other Lyme related diseases and the particularly nasty Powassan virus. This got on me in Tuftonboro. So be aware out there.

[bobkatfly]

Hi C-bass. Did you have any symptoms? I got pretty sick back in June 2011 when no one around me was sick. I'd been working in low height brush and grass. Got tested twice and both times positive. Went though an antibiotic treatment for a week and was fine. Thing is, I never noticed a tick or bite sight. From what I remember, there's a lot of false positives with that testing, but twice...hmmm.

[winterh]

Last week I had a big painful pimple appear under arm. Could not really see it that well. Just came out of nowhere. Went to have it looked at and it was a deer tick. They gave me antibiotics and I am fine. I have no idea how long it takes for them to get under the skin like that or how long it was there.

[C-Bass]

I feel fine right now, the ER actually gave me 200mg of Doxycycline before I left just to head it off before it starts.

[SAB1]

What were they trying to head off? The odds of a tick transmitting Lyme if attached less than 24 hrs is almost nill.

[lakershaker]

Originally Posted by SAB1

What were they trying to head off? The odds of a tick transmitting Lyme if attached less than 24 hrs is almost nill.

Ticks can transmit many other infections and parasites besides Lyme disease. Lyme has become sort of the catch-all name for tick-borne infections (like Kleenex, Xerox, Jell-O), but it certainly is not the only one. We have family experience with Lyme, Babesiosis and Borrelia. Close friends have had those and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. For the parasites like Babesiosis, it can spread with small exposure. While I agree 24 hours is not much, our family experience was with either from an unseen tick, or one that was on for less than 24 hours.

Vigilance is definitely the rule in our family now after having seen firsthand how devastating the impact can be. That, and good old fashion DEET spray. Good that the ER gave you Doxy as a precaution.

[Denny Crane]

Last weekend I found one on/in my bicep, red circle with a line starting up my arm. I'm on 3 weeks of doxycycline. Two days later I also discovered one attached down below. Thankfully another successful extraction with tweezers, though the little bugger fought me. TMI
DC

[baygo]

I unknowingly played host to a tick sometime around 1995. That lead to 20 years of pain, on and off blurred vision, numbness, and lumps in some glans. I thought it was just old age pains from working so much. Apparently I was on the verge of death when a retired doctor diagnosed me at the bar one day in 2016.

The initial treatment was extremely testing. At one point I was unable to solve the simple equation of 2x8, and I have a very mathematical mind.

I am now on a maintenance program of monolauren which is a coconut derivative that breaks down the membrane around the cells which protect the parasites and then attacks them.

I would not wish what I’ve gone through on an enemy! Everything that can be done to repel ticks should be done before hiking, golfing, hunting, lawn work, ETC. Eat a lot of garlic!!

I feel much better now except I can’t hit a golf ball nearly as far.

[BroadHopper]

Originally Posted by baygo

I would not wish what I’ve gone through on an enemy! Everything that can be done to repel ticks should be done before hiking, golfing, hunting, lawn work, ETC. Eat a lot of garlic!!

My grandparents, VT farmers, use to tell me to eat a lot of garlic when venturing out in the fields. Wards of bugs! Never thought of ticks!

[Merrymeeting]

We went the whole spring and summer with minimal evidence of ticks, either on us or the dogs. Have taken 4-5 off the dogs within the past few days. Not attached as they receive anit-tick medication. But they bring them in the house for possible attachment to us!

Definitely an uptick in ticks. Be aware.

[SailinAway]

Here's what I learned about ticks this year, the hard way. I always thought ticks didn't like me because I never had one on myself despite spending large amounts of time outdoors. Faulty thinking. This year I started finding ticks on myself, on my clothes, and in my house.

Around July 15 I was bitten by a tick while doing yard work. Two weeks later I became ill. I got tested immediately. For reasons unknown, (1) my doctor failed to prescribe prophylactic doxycycline, which is recommended by the CDC, and (2) my doctor's office failed to tell me I had tested positive until 3 weeks later. By that time I was in a higher category of risk of long-term symptoms due to the passage of 5 weeks without treatment.

I took the doxy and apparently I'm OK, although there's no guarantee long term. Last week I was out kayaking and met a doctor who specializes in lyme. He told me that you should take doxycycline as soon as you know you've been bitten by a tick, without waiting for test results.

I'll add my own bit of personal advice. Ever hear of c diff (clostridium difficile)? It's a life-threatening bacterial illness you can get when an antibiotic kills all the GOOD bacteria in your GI system, allowing the bad bacteria to proliferate. It's very difficult to cure. Doxycycline is "less likely" to cause c diff than other antibiotics, meaning the risk is not zero. To prevent overcolonization by bad bacteria, I now always take a strong probiotic with antibiotics, specifically saccromyces boulardii.

Listen to baygo's experience; you don't want to "wait and see" with lyme disease. I haven't done any yard work since July 15. The next time I do, I'll be covered head to toe.

[TheTimeTraveler]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

Here's what I learned about ticks this year, the hard way. I always thought ticks didn't like me because I never had one on myself despite spending large amounts of time outdoors. Faulty thinking. This year I started finding ticks on myself, on my clothes, and in my house.

Around July 15 I was bitten by a tick while doing yard work. Two weeks later I became ill. I got tested immediately. For reasons unknown, (1) my doctor failed to prescribe prophylactic doxycycline, which is recommended by the CDC, and (2) my doctor's office failed to tell me I had tested positive until 3 weeks later. By that time I was in a higher category of risk of long-term symptoms due to the passage of 5 weeks without treatment.

I took the doxy and apparently I'm OK, although there's no guarantee long term. Last week I was out kayaking and met a doctor who specializes in lyme. He told me that you should take doxycycline as soon as you know you've been bitten by a tick, without waiting for test results.

I'll add my own bit of personal advice. Ever hear of c diff (clostridium difficile)? It's a life-threatening bacterial illness you can get when an antibiotic kills all the GOOD bacteria in your GI system, allowing the bad bacteria to proliferate. It's very difficult to cure. Doxycycline is "less likely" to cause c diff than other antibiotics, meaning the risk is not zero. To prevent overcolonization by bad bacteria, I now always take a strong probiotic with antibiotics, specifically saccromyces boulardii.

Listen to baygo's experience; you don't want to "wait and see" with lyme disease. I haven't done any yard work since July 15. The next time I do, I'll be covered head to toe.

Me? I would say it is time for a different (new) Doctor. You should have received Doxycycline.

[SailinAway]

Originally Posted by TheTimeTraveler

Me? I would say it is time for a different (new) Doctor. You should have received Doxycycline.

I've been thinking about how to follow up on this with the clinic. Two serious errors were made. But these days there's a shortage of family doctors so I'm lucky to have one at all and I'm reluctant to complain.

[mowtorman]

Several years ago I walked from the 90 degree corner between the 2 Kona entrances out the development road to the Braun Bay rafting beach. All state land off the main road. I was loaded with ticks when I got back to the Kona road. I HATE ticks. Made me wonder how many take a boat ride after the jump on waders going on shore to use the facilities. 😲

[baygo]

Make sure to look exceptionally close when inspecting for ticks.