Jump to content

Lyme Disease


ktroxell72

Recommended Posts

I went caching on Monday in a regional park and had to follow a geo-trail and bushwhack to get to the caches. This morning I was surprised to find a tick embedded in the back of my thigh just above the knee. I didn't think there were too many ticks out and about this time of year. I guess the winter has been warm and not affected the tick life-span. Two questions: Should I be concerned about Lyme Disease? And, how do you protect yourself from picking-up these hitchhiking insects?

Link to comment

Well, if you don't mind lookign like a dork, were long pants and shirt, tuck the pants into your socks. Make sure it is all light colored (that way you can easily spot the ticks when they are on your clothes).

 

Wear bug spray with DEET, that will help keep them off.

 

Treat clothing with Permathen (not sure of the spelling, but you put it on your clothes, and it's good for multiple washings).

 

Remove the ticks as soon as you can, but you do have a bit of time. To contract Lyme Disease, a tick needs to be attached 24 to 48 hours.

 

If you do get the bulls eye rash, or feal aches in all your joints a week or two after finding a tick on you, go to the doctor. A three week regimen of antibiotics will knock it out.

Link to comment

Keep an eye on it. It took me about 10,000 tick bites before I finally got Lyme disease, but you if you "luck" out and get the right tick you could certainly get it from just one bite. I'm not sure what percentage of deer ticks are actually infected - would be interesting to know.

 

Was it a dog tick or a deer tick? The dog ticks (larger) don't carry Lyme but can give you other diseases (i.e. rocky mountain spotted fever).

 

If you feel sick at all (joint aches, high fever, bad headaches, etc...) go to the doctor. I never got the bullseye rash, but I got awfully sick :laughing:

Link to comment

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...hl=Lyme+Disease

 

This is an oft visited topic on these forums, suggest you search the forums for prior threads, some of the info that you will find is full of good info and some is just wrong. Lyme is associated with areas of heavy deer population, which would be most of northern new jersey at the present. Ticks do not generally die off in northeast winters, the temps are not that cold. Many magazines such as Discover or Discovery and Yankee magazine ran good informative articles within the last 6 months, you can google. If I found an engorged tick on my person, I personally would go for the antibiotic propylaxis, and I have, but that is just me. You best source is your own doctor.

Link to comment

Keep an eye on the bite location. If you see the bulls eye get to the doctor and get on a plan for treatment.

According to the specialist I say, it's best to treat when the Lyme symptoms are present.

 

There is a lot of information out there about Lyme's Disease. Some good, some bogus, some conflicting.

Get yourself up to speed at the CDC.gov site.

 

I think this is a good synopsis of how to keep the ticks away.

 

Here's some more info from the GC forums.

 

Public Service Announcement Ticks are activet

 

Lyme Sux

 

Geocachers Disease

 

My secret formula for keeping the ticks off is to wash with a tar based soap and use Badger Balm

Badger Balm Rose Geranium oil that the tick seem to hate.

Link to comment

My doctor informed me that the "bullseye" will not necessarily be where the tick bit you. It is an immune system response. I had a bullseye around where I pulled a tick out, but it turned out it was just the bruising I gave myself pulling the sucker out.

 

Also, you don't need to save the tick these days for testing, there is a blood test they do now. Of course, you need to be infected for about 1-2 weeks before the test will tell you anything, and if you get the test too early your doc may think you are a hypochondriac if you ask to be tested again.

 

However, since we are in a tick-infested, deer-infested area, the docs are more willing to believe and test these days!!

Link to comment
My doctor informed me that the "bullseye" will not necessarily be where the tick bit you. It is an immune system response. I had a bullseye around where I pulled a tick out, but it turned out it was just the bruising I gave myself pulling the sucker out.

 

Also, you don't need to save the tick these days for testing, there is a blood test they do now. Of course, you need to be infected for about 1-2 weeks before the test will tell you anything, and if you get the test too early your doc may think you are a hypochondriac if you ask to be tested again.

 

However, since we are in a tick-infested, deer-infested area, the docs are more willing to believe and test these days!!

 

This is true about the bulls eye, but it's typically very near the bite.

 

My doctor was very firm about test only when you have symptoms and treatment should only start when the symptoms are present, as this nasty disease can hide out in your brain and not be effected blood antibodies.

 

Back to T32 question, I've heard the 50% of deer ticks have the disease.

Link to comment

Talk to your Dr. Some will begin prophylactic antibiotic treatment immediately. Some want you to display symptoms first. Look for flu like symptoms, body ache, fatigue and the rash (though the rash does not always appear).

 

Best protection in the future is to spray your clothing with permethrin (Duranon, Permanone, Sawyer Permethrin are common brands) and your skin with a DEET based repellent. Also wear light colored clothing so you can see the ticks before they get underneath.

 

Finally strip and do a full body tick check at the end of the day. This can be a very rewarding experience if you can convince Charlize Theron, Angelina Jolie or some Russian tennis player to do the tick check for you.

Link to comment

Dont go with the bullseye rash as a sole provider of whether or not you're infected. Something like 30% of infected bites dont show ANY signs of rash. I came down with it in 2001 from a tick bite. I noticed the tick, pulled it off, and brought it in. I had to wait a week or so, and looked every day for the rash. It never appeared. But, when I got my bloodwork done, sure enough I came up positive for it. As a result, I went on the 1 week antibiotic treatment. I never developed any symptoms to date, fortunately. I believe I caught it early enough.

Link to comment

Yes, if you have the bullseye rash, definitely see your doctor. My first case of Lyme, I never saw the tick. An irregular bullseye developed. Two days later I had rashes all over my body. (I was in western PA, and it took me two days to get home.)

The second case of Lyme, I had no rash at all, but felt the same as for the first case. Blood test positive.

The rash is common, but does not happen in every case.

Some doctors will treat a suspected case of Lyme. Others require symptoms to be present.

Link to comment

Well, if you don't mind lookign like a dork, were long pants and shirt, tuck the pants into your socks. Make sure it is all light colored (that way you can easily spot the ticks when they are on your clothes).

 

Wear bug spray with DEET, that will help keep them off.

 

Treat clothing with Permathen (not sure of the spelling, but you put it on your clothes, and it's good for multiple washings).

 

Remove the ticks as soon as you can, but you do have a bit of time. To contract Lyme Disease, a tick needs to be attached 24 to 48 hours.

 

If you do get the bulls eye rash, or feal aches in all your joints a week or two after finding a tick on you, go to the doctor. A three week regimen of antibiotics will knock it out.

 

Once you've had lymes disease, the "dork" factor isn't really a consideration. Sweats followed by chills followed by sweats followed by chills, etc., etc, headaches, body aches all while running a temperture over 102 degrees for 3-4 days, makes wearing long pants and using a good repellant a minor inconvenience. P.S., once bitten you are not immune.

 

Educate yourself, e.g. know the difference between dog and deer ticks (only deer ticks carry lymes), bullseyes only appear about 80% of the time and not always before you get sick (I can atest to this item). I've had it twice and had very different symptoms. My first case, I had severe acute symptoms (see above description) but the bullseye rash (about the size of a grapefruit) did not appear until my other symptoms were over. The second time I had no acute symptoms at all except the rash (a bit bigger than the first time). Either way, if not treated the chronic affects can be serious.

 

As noted in other logs, there is a pretty good blood test available, which can aid in the decision whether or not to treat. Finally, if you have dogs make sure they are using a tick repellant also and get tested as part of their yearly examination at the vet. Lymes in dogs can shut down their kidneys if left undected/treated.

 

While this all sounds scary, I still spend a lot of time in the woods, albeit with long pants (not tucked into my socks) and a good deet repellant applied beforehand. Being educated and taking some simple precautions can go a long way.

Link to comment

Well, if you don't mind lookign like a dork, were long pants and shirt, tuck the pants into your socks. Make sure it is all light colored (that way you can easily spot the ticks when they are on your clothes).

 

Wear bug spray with DEET, that will help keep them off.

 

Treat clothing with Permathen (not sure of the spelling, but you put it on your clothes, and it's good for multiple washings).

 

Remove the ticks as soon as you can, but you do have a bit of time. To contract Lyme Disease, a tick needs to be attached 24 to 48 hours.

 

If you do get the bulls eye rash, or feal aches in all your joints a week or two after finding a tick on you, go to the doctor. A three week regimen of antibiotics will knock it out.

 

Once you've had lymes disease, the "dork" factor isn't really a consideration. Sweats followed by chills followed by sweats followed by chills, etc., etc, headaches, body aches all while running a temperture over 102 degrees for 3-4 days, makes wearing long pants and using a good repellant a minor inconvenience. P.S., once bitten you are not immune.

 

Educate yourself, e.g. know the difference between dog and deer ticks (only deer ticks carry lymes), bullseyes only appear about 80% of the time and not always before you get sick (I can atest to this item). I've had it twice and had very different symptoms. My first case, I had severe acute symptoms (see above description) but the bullseye rash (about the size of a grapefruit) did not appear until my other symptoms were over. The second time I had no acute symptoms at all except the rash (a bit bigger than the first time). Either way, if not treated the chronic affects can be serious.

 

As noted in other logs, there is a pretty good blood test available, which can aid in the decision whether or not to treat. Finally, if you have dogs make sure they are using a tick repellant also and get tested as part of their yearly examination at the vet. Lymes in dogs can shut down their kidneys if left undected/treated.

 

While this all sounds scary, I still spend a lot of time in the woods, albeit with long pants (not tucked into my socks) and a good deet repellant applied beforehand. Being educated and taking some simple precautions can go a long way.

 

I just had lyme last July and thought I was dying of god knows what until the bullseye finally appeared and then we put it together really fast. I'm not a tuck the pants into the socks kind of girl - I hike in shorts and a tank top in the summer - but you won't catch me out without using the repellant anymore. I use it year round on myself and the dog. I saw ticks the last weekend in December in ringwood state park and also at the Sopranos caching event at garret mountain the last weekend in January - they never seem to die - they just stay alive and warm under all of the leaves in the woods. Use the repellent and do a full body check after you're out.

 

BTW, I know of 2 times for sure that I got bit by a deer tick last year. the 2nd time was 4 weeks before I got really really sick. I couldn't imagine why I had a 104 degree temp and the flu in the summer. I was sick for about 5 days before the bullseye rash appeared (on the opposite shoulder of where I had been bit). I had already had blood work done, but if they're not testing specifically for lyme they won't know. After I went back for the next round of bloodwork it showed up. I was put on 2 rounds of doxicycline (3 weeks each round) which wreaked havoc on my stomach all summer. I started feeling better after about week 4.

Link to comment

Finally after a TWO year struggle, lymes is in remission.

Got a tick in my calf -dead (gross) after a hike in Allamuchy. Panic set and a visit to the doctor.

My doctor wanted to wait until symptoms appeared - there WAS none. No ring, nada.

This was also when "the shot" was becoming popular and I believe the doctor thought I was "jumping on the bandwagon."

TWO months later I had the flu - in August.

Ended up with flu-like symptoms for two years while taking every antobiotic known (supposedly) in treatment.

Everything depends on your getting treated as soon as possible. Insist on a blood test.

I now have a new doctor.

 

We always spray ourselves with deet and have started spraying our clothes with permethrin.

 

Last week we were in Allamuchy (a new "5" out") and I had a tick embedded in my forearm, a place I don't usually spray in Winter.

 

I'm now shared scitless.

Link to comment

Remove the tick properly (dont squeze it or use fire or vasaline etc)... use tweezers, FINE head type and grab it gently at the HEAD and pull it out. Put it in a baggie and bring it to a doctor and get it tested... The sooner you start antibiotics the better if you do have lyme... in NJ something like 50% of the ticks are supposed to have lyme... scary...

 

I pull them off my clothing all the time (hunting and caching).

 

Try not to brush against bushes etc (yea right)

 

stop and check your clothing frequently for them. Easier to see them on solid colored clothing. I notice they don't grab onto tight woven fabric as easily (nylon 'swishie' type pants, the ones that go 'swish-swish' when you walk)

 

have a GOOD friend / spouse, etc check all those spots you can't see... (yes.. all of them)

 

A good friend of mine suggested wearing a flea and tick collar around my pantleg(s) when hunting.... never tried it but sounds like a great idea. Don't come in contact w/ it though....

 

Lyme hasn't been around that long and may be a lot worse for us than we think...

 

Be careful out there....

 

NJ95K

My Website

 

<<Edit>>

Almost forgot - as for winter is concerned w/ ticks... Ticks don't generally die in the winter!!! I have been in my ground blind hunting in 8 inches of snow... when I cleared the snow to place the blind I found ticks UNDER THE LEAVES!!! As soon as they warmed up they came 'back to life'! Cold seems to make them leave the bushes and go to sleep... thats all... the cold, however, does kill the nymph ticks primary host - field mice!! If all the mice die off, fewer nymphs will survive... need a REALLY bad winter for that, though...

<<END Edit>>

Edited by nj95k
Link to comment

my wife and I where covered in ticks today in the woods searching for a cache , we managed to flick them all off before they bite us except me I found one on my hip when I got in the shower. It couldn't have been on more than a hour or two. So how much risk does that give me?

Not much, fortunately. It usually takes between 24 and 48 hours for the tick to transmit enough pathogens for you to contract Lyme.

Link to comment

Ah, Lyme Disease.

 

The Great Imitator.

 

Syphilis used to be The Great Imitator but now it's Lyme Disesase. It can imitate any other disease presentation. Flu-like symptoms? Could be Lyme. Cognitive problems? Might be Lyme. Homicidal rage or suicidal depression? Yep, possibly Lyme. Aches and pains in one or many joints? Oh yeah, Lyme again. And the list goes on...

 

Unfortunately, lots of people and websites give out alot of wrong information about the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme Diseae. Many expert clinicians disagree with the CDC information. There are two opposing groups of expert Lyme clinicians and they disagree on the diagnosis and treatment.

 

There are lots of false positive and negative lab results. You not only need a Lyme titer but a Western Blot and that's not always perfect. It's an evil disease and the spirochete likes to hide in your body. It's especially bad when it gets into your central nervous system and you can't remember your name or walk without falling.

 

PREVENTION is the key.

 

(edited for spelling errors...I must be tired...time for beddy bye)

Edited by Nerves
Link to comment

The vast majority of ticks you'll see in the woods are dog ticks and don't carry Lyme. It's the tick you don't see, the tiny deer tick that can be right in front of you and you think it's a speck of dirt, that latches on and stays long enough to give you Lyme. So yeah, flick them off and do regular tick checks, but don't think that just because you didn't see a tick you can't have the disease.

 

So far no humans in this family with Lyme, but three dogs (and the last one had Lyme AND anaplasmosis). Don't neglect a yearly Lyme test for the dogs in your family, and if the dogs are in the woods a lot consider doing it in the early spring and the late fall. Since it takes several weeks for the blood to test positive, the spring test catches the ticks the dog was exposed to during the fall, and the fall test checks for exposures during the spring/summer.

 

My doctor told me that they're seeing a lot of "moving" rashes--red, white center, like an enormous hives attack, and then it's gone two hours later and then pops up in another spot. So don't only look for the bulls-eye.

Link to comment

so far to my knowledge haven't had ticks latch onto me-but my dog is a different story. she's a west highland white terrier and the ticks love her. just pulled 5 off of her after hiking in jefferson county, pa for agt caches. she's vaccinated for lyme ever year. was asking about ticks on her at our animal response team meeting last night. our resident vet recommends advantex. I think someone in this thread said something about spraying the dog with bug spray/deet-is that safe for the dog?? just asking. these ticks are a serious problem for zoie-she's not happy with me pulling them out of her. I don't want to have to start leaving her home cause of ticks. she gets both on her-those little deer ticks are a bugger to pull out.

Link to comment

Talk to your Dr. Some will begin prophylactic antibiotic treatment immediately. Some want you to display symptoms first. Look for flu like symptoms, body ache, fatigue and the rash (though the rash does not always appear).

 

<snip>

Immediate, prophylactic antibiotic treatment, if you have been bitten by a deer tick, is a much, much better option than waiting to see if symptoms develop . . . If your doctor won't prescribe antibiotics, you might need to look for a "Lyme Literate" physician who will be willing to prescribe them. This site has lots of good information.

 

Lyme disease is a terrible illness and if it isn't caught early, keeping it at bay can become a life-long struggle. :P

 

Here is a blog written by a local TV Traffic Reporter who nearly died from Lyme disease.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...