Bug Spray and Lyme diease.

[+JSRjr]

Whew!! JSR's lloonnggggggg nightmare of a summer is final over. I have one word for everyone, BUG SPRAY! Ummmm, OK, that's two words but you get my point. Don't scoff at the idea and think that you don't need it, your only going to be in there for no more than an hour. Diagnosed with Lyme Disease in early July, it took the entire month for me to feel right again. With sever arthritic symptoms in my shoulders and neck, someday's not even being able to lift my arms. There were days I couldn't even, or didn't want to get out of bed. After a few weeks, those pains finally subsided and I was left with feeling lethargic for the rest of the time, not wanting to do anything. This is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Anyway, I'm back!!!!! Whose got fresh batteries I can borrow??

[+Riverwolf]

Glad to hear that you are feeling better and ready to get back at it. I can think of a bunch of people that would've given up caching because of something of this nature.

[+JakeInPA]

Good to hear you're okay. This is a "back of the mind" fear of mine, especially after pulling deer ticks off of myself yesterday, but I'm hooked on the hobby.

 

Bug spray is one item I keep forgetting to pick up, but this post will definitely influence me to buy it before we head out again. Thanks!

[sdarken]

I'd be interested to hear how you contracted Lyme Disease. Ticks? Or something else?

 

I dont think bug spray is foolproof against ticks so a visual inspection is usually a good idea if you're in that kind of area. I'd read that you'd need a tick lodged in you for 24-48 hours before there was a likelihood of Lyme disease. I pulled a number of them out of myself. Usually I find them within a few hours at most.

[+Winstonsmom]

JSRjr - what a nightmare! Your story is the motivation why Winstonsdad and I always apply 40% DEET Insect Repellent in our skivies and then stuff for clothing. The Centers for Disease Control Traveler's Health website cites the value of using DEET to protect against diseases transmitted by ticks and other insects. JSRjr thanks for sharing your story and reminding us to use the stinky stuff to avoid the exposure to nasty ticks!

Edited August 10, 2009 by Winstonsmom

[+Ms.Scrabbler]

We were in the woods caching in RI, went back to my son's house, showered, slept and the next morning flew home to NC. After we got home I found a well imbedded tick in my shoulder. That's not the kind of travel bug I expected to pick up.

 

Apparently they latch on tight and can hang on through showers etc. He was with me for at least 36 hrs.

 

Dr. put me on two strong antibiotics just in case since Lyme disease is more prevalent in New England.

 

BTW we never did find the cache

[+cerberus1]

Good to see you were diagnosed early in stage.

I wasn't and after almost two YEARS of arthritus and flu-like hassles, finally okay.

 

Important to spray deet on skin. socks, etc.

We now spray permethrin on all our "outdoor" clothes - good for a coupla washings.

 

Cache safe.

[+mchaos]

Bug spray and visual checks are not enough. I get tested at least once a year, usually twice.

 

I know a woman who loves to garden, and she gets tested a few times a year. She gets it all the time. To her its no big deal because she gets tested, and she loves to garden.

 

Make sure you get checked at least at the end of the bad tick season.

[+geodarts]

I am sorry to hear about your case of Lyme's Disease. It reminds me to be careful when we are on a brief trip to the East Coast. I can be a tick magnet, but fortunately the Western Fence Lizard eliminates most of the lyme disease where I live.

[+flaffle]

Bug spray and visual checks are not enough. I get tested at least once a year, usually twice.

 

I know a woman who loves to garden, and she gets tested a few times a year. She gets it all the time. To her its no big deal because she gets tested, and she loves to garden.

 

Make sure you get checked at least at the end of the bad tick season.

 

I'm really glad you are feeling better. Lyme disease is no joke.

 

I'm going to go against the grain a bit though and share my story. I live in a heavy Lyme area (south central PA) and was having a heck of a time with ticks through the late spring. Every time I came out of the woods there was at least 3 or 4. One time, the hubby came out with 11! While 40% DEET solutions do seem to help, it's still no guarantee.

 

I went in for a routine physical in June and the doc (not my regular) saw all the tick bites on my stomach and back. He totally freaked and ordered the Lyme tests. It should be noted that I had absolutely no symptoms of Lyme disease. Both tests came back positive and they put me on the antibiotic regiment. Went back for a followup and saw my regular doctor who's also a big outdoor enthusiast.

 

His take on it was not to worry unless I become symptomatic. If I redid the test it would almost surely come back positive. At that point I would need to go on a 2 week IV treatment. Nearly everyone in a high Lyme area that gets bitten by ticks carries some Lyme antibodies. Also, the tests are flawed but that's another topic. If you're asymptomatic, it's kind of a crap shoot. However, if you have ANY symptoms, GO NOW!

 

I have two friends that got very sick from it. The irony is that both them go out into the woods about as often as you probably get a manicure. Neither of them had any idea where they could have gotten bitten. They never had a tick on them to their knowledge. They were just very, very sick.

 

The point is that yes, it doesn't hurt to get tested. It doesn't hurt to take the antibiotics if you come back positive. At the same time, don't freak out every time you get a tick bite. Don't stay indoors because something may or may not happen. Even using all proper precautions (DEET, long pants, etc.), you will probably still pick up the occasional tick.

 

On a side note, if you're caching with your geodog, get them the Lyme vaccine. I wish they still had that for people.

[+paleolith]

Condolences, and everything that's been said.

 

DEET helps but is not very good against ticks. Permethrin (applied to clothes) gets better ratings in reviews. Long pants, tucked in, weather permitting. Oddly, convertible pants help a lot because ticks crawl up the outside and get stuck at the flap (though sometimes they can get through the point where the zipper meets). Careful self-examination, but noting that the ticks which caryy Lyme are usually very very small, not the dog ticks that most of us conjure up when we hear the word.

 

Edward