There have been a couple threads here recently about ticks, and I mentioned that in a lifetime in the woods, I've never had any problems with them.
I've found a few on myself over the years, but they hadn't bit me yet, and I just picked them off.
When I got up this morning my arm brushed against my left side just above my waist, and I won't say it hurt, but something didn't feel right. It was far enough towards my back that I couldn't see it, but when I felt it, I thought maybe it was a pimple.
Imagine my surprise when I looked in the mirror and saw the back end of a tick sticking up out of my side.
The skin around it is deep purple, almost bruised looking, and I'd guess that It's been there for a while. I don't know how I didn't feel it in the shower.
I've always been one to take care of minor things myself at home, but I don't have any experience with tick removal, and from what I've read, I don't want the head left in my side to get infected.
With all I've read here about it, I'm thinking the best course of action is to have a Dr. remove it, and more than likely get some antibiotics.
Your thoughts?
Bob
I would go see the doctor. I got a flu like sickness after a large wood tick bit me a few years ago while out fishing. Doctor gave me antibiotics and it went away soon there after. Ticks can carry diseases other than Lyme.
Ron
There are many different ideas on removing them. Check the section in the NYDEC.
You can't start the doxy. too early.
Get to a doctor. Like Ron said; they can carry other things besides Lyme, and they are all nasty.
I probably picked it up the day before yesterday. I was out doing a little scouting, and just enjoying the woods in general.
It seems strange when I stop and think of all the leaves, grass, brush, etc. that I've walked and crawled through in my life, that it took 50 years for a tick to bite me. It's the only one I know of, at least.
He's really in there too. The only thing sticking out is his butt, and a couple legs.
I hate to go to the Dr's for something like this, but better safe than sorry. Thanks Ron.
Bob
Sorry Kat, I missed your post. Thank you.
Bob
Its better to be safe than sorry especially if that bugger is in there deep and may have been in there for some time.
Ron
I know a few guys that have had terrible medical problems from tick bites and not only lyme disease. Go to the Dr. and have him remove the tick and do a blood test for tick borne diseases.
Just talked to the Dr. They want me there at 1:45 to remove the tick, and start some antibiotics.
I said in a recent post, that I've never had a problem with ticks, but from what I've seen here, I should start taking them more seriously.
I'm not going to let them keep me out of the woods, but I'll be checking myself when I get home from now on.
Thanks Pat.
Bob
Had one bury in my shoulder almost 2 months ago. I pulled it out whole, but the bite spot festered and it has just now finally healed properly. Looks like the remnant of an old chicken pock. Spent most of my youth crawling and scrounging through the woods and have had tons of ticks. Was practically a daily ritual for my mom to go through my hair and look me over for those buggers. This is the first time I've ever had a bite react like this. I'd get it checked out.
I haven't had much of a problem with ticks until this Spring. We are using a cotton ball soaked in peppermint oil to get the ticks to back out of the hold they have on you. Even with the peppermint oil you still have to use tweezers to help pull them out.
My wife had one of the very earliest cases of Lyme disease when we were living in Minnesota in the early '80s. Believe me, anytime a tick is embedded the way you described here, your next step should be to go immediately to a doctor. Ditto if a tick bite shows any swellng, redness or other indication of trouble, even if it's not the classic ring.
For less serious attachments, there are small tick removal tools that are far better to use than tweezers. Most outdoor stores in tick areas will stock them, and they're readily available online.
Ticks are regional-especially the lyme disease carriers. N East hunters are especially vulnerable ticks are very common on deer. What you describe as bruising could be the bull's eye rash commonly associated with infection-be glad you are going to see a doc get it tested and let us know please. Whenever we get a tick it gets tested even though California and most of the West are a relatively low risk area.
I like the Tick Key. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eATpttq6DfA
When you try to remove a tick by pulling it or using tweezers you squeeze the tick juices(for lack of a better word) into your system. Either scrape them off with a credit card or use a tick remover.
When I started spraying my cloths with Permanone(Permethium)sp. I stopped having ticks attach. I learned this lesson by going to the Southeastern Traditional Archery Championships in Elberton, GA, the tick capital of trad archery.
Go to the Internet and look up tick borne diseases. WOW! you have a great list of maladies come up. Ticks should never be taken lightly anymore. In my opinion, every outdoorsman should have a wide range test for tick borne diseases performed at every annual physical exam. Whitetail Addict, you need to have that bite checked out.
I always spray the legs of my pants before I go out into the woods. Keeps 90% of them off. If a bit is turning colors go to the doctor. Better safe than sorry.
I will not go into the woods unless I have sprayed my clothing with a Permithrin product. I mix my own.
The only tick I have had on me in the last 20 years was when my daughter was showing me around her new house.
I felt something itching in the middle of my back the next day and had my wife look. It was a tick embedded in my back. We put a blob of vaseline over it and it backed right out. I have heard this doesn't work but it did for me.
Been bit a few times over the years. Usually looking for arrows. Got so I stripped and showered before going into the house. Started to use the spray stuff, then went to treating my clothes.
Get it checked bud, thats nothing to play with.
Are you sure it's a tick? I've had a couple million tick bites through the years and I've never had one buried where all you can see is the butt and rear legs. But maybe swelling has hidden him.
But I would definitely have the doctor start me on some antibiotics.
Have had good success on both myself and the dog for tick removal by getting a tissue or cotton ball wet with a weak solution of soapy water and then massaging the tick until it backs out .... but the emergency bells should go off anytime a tick is embedded for 24 hours or longer especially with color or swelling. Some good advice on this thread.
Just don't remember ticks being a problem when I was a kid 50 years ago like they are now.
Agree to have it managed professionally, also the tick can be identified to help guide the doc for possible diseases.
Permethrin/Permanone is our cologne for clothes here in the south until a couple hard frosts.
Once the ticks come to your area they are there. Once they became established they were a constant concern. I picked one up early this spring. I usually find them before they get in the skin, but you need to take Lyme potential seriously. I know of several people directly that have been affected by Lyme.
Well, the verdict is in, it was a Deer Tic. The doc agreed that I must have picked him up a couple days ago, and that explained the swelling and purplish color around the bite.
He had a heck of a time getting it out, and ended up crushing it. Not a good thing, from what I've read, but It's gone. He got what he could with forceps, and had to cut out the rest.
I have the "ring" around the bite, he said it was from a Tic in a known disease area, and it had been in for more than 24 hours, so he put me on antibiotics. They took blood today, and I have to go back after a period of time for another blood test. If I get a rash, or get sick, I go back sooner.
They said they're seeing a lot of cases this year. Way more than usual. You'd think the colder than usual winter we had here would have cut them down some, but I guess not.
Hopefully the antibiotics do their thing, and this is the end of it, we'll see. Either way, I'm going to take Tics more seriously from here on out.
Thanks for all your advise, and the well wishes, I really appreciate it.
Bob
Glad you went to the doctors office. Keep an eye on it.
Ron
Sounds a lot like a bite I got some years back. It was buried pretty well in my leg, felt a bump in the shower.
I didn't go to a dr., a buddy got it out as well as he could, but wasn't sure he got all of it. The tick also got real agitated in the process, while it was in one piece.
Never got the bullseye rash, and forgot about it. For a few months, anyway. Until I started having all sorts of random health issues, as well as swollen lymph nodes near the bite.
Long story shorter: after puzzling a few dr.'s, them having me get tested (biopsy) for lymphoma (negative), I got a full blood work up.
Lyme disease.
One thing I learned since then is it's a lot easier to get rid of if treated sooner, rather than later. And duration of antibiotic regimen may very well take more than the three week course they gave me, which didn't work.
After reading all your tick stories I'm glad I went to the Dr's. I'm sorry to hear about all the problems some of you have had.
Permethrin seems to be the thing to use for ticks, so what do you use, liquid, powder? Which brand do you use? Thanks.
Bob
I use Sawyers spray to coat all my clothes. I spray my feet and socks with Deep Woods Off also-chiggers are a problem in Delaware. I have picked up ticks when the temps were in low 30's, below freezing, especially when that was a warm up. I am a "tick magnet", I can go into the woods with ten people and have more ticks than everyone else combined. So far I've been lucky, no dread diseases!!!!
I'll check out the sawyers spray, thank you.
One of my buddy's is a tick magnet too. He has a camp about 60 miles south of here, and it seems like he can't go to the outhouse and back without picking up a couple.
The deer down there have had a lot of ticks the past eight or ten years. Sometimes when you roll one on It's back to gut it, the stomach is crawling with them. I haven't seen many on the deer here around home over the years, but this year may be different.
I'm glad to hear that they haven't caused you any health problems so far, and I hope they don't in the future.
I haven't felt right for the last two days. Just tired and run down feeling. My Grandsons have had some kind of virus, and they shared it with Grandma, so I imagine I'm coming down with that, and It's nothing to do with the tick bite. It does make me wonder at the same time though. Thanks.
Bob
Check with your Doctor, Bob. That's how Lyme's acts-you get to feeling puny out of the clear blue. Hopefully, it's just what your grandkids are sharing-better safe than sorry!!
Wait 'til one of the little bass turds buries in your junk. Then you'll know the true meaning of an "Oh Sheet" moment. I've had the pleasure of that at least 3 times. I am diligent about checking... to the point of sinfulness if I got caught :)
I set up some bee hives in a strip of woods at work this year. I swear I can't walk out there without getting at least 1 crawling on me. Had 2 on me yesterday. None have stuck yet.
John,
You're okay as long as you aren't smiling while you're checking for ticks!!!!
Those ticks are some nasty little buggers. A co-worker found out he has that disease that makes you allergic to beef and pork, all from a tick bite! It seems that every few years they "find" something new that ticks transmit. I don't/won't go in the woods without treating my clothes with permithrin.
I've cut them out a few times, and soak the area with peroxide. I was told it takes 45 days for lyme disease to be detected. Save the tick once you remove them. It can be tested and shorten the detection period.
I'm a forestry consultant and ticks are just a part of life in the piney hills of MS. Remove them immediately, even if the head breaks off, which is rare unless you miss them for a day. You have 36 hours before a deer tick with Lyme disease can infect you, so immediate removal is paramount.
I am surprised of this amount of concern and response about ticks. Yeah they are ugly and I don't like them one bit. Especially if they are in me. They typically take two or more days to bore in. So checking yourself over after being out on trails is just smart. I guess I got used to them. For years I would pick off a dozen or so off my dogs daily during tick season just to try and stay ahead of their accumulating. This was before all the sprays and pills that are available today. Pulling with your finger nails pinching close to the bugger's head ensures that the body does not tear off and that the head comes out.
I get ticks daily. I work in the pine woods of Carolina. My wife has picked them off of me nightly for the last 25 years. I've used permithrin , deet, every other kind of spray and oil and I still get them on me. One thing that does work is if you get one stuck just pat it with an alcohol rag and they will back out.
Three things to consider here:
1. ALWAYS spray with permethrin before going into woods or fields.
2. Don't fixate on LYME disease only. There are a LOT of additional tick borne diseases to consider and discuss with the doctor.
3. Many doctors are not really up to date on the many diseases transmitted by ticks.
My doctor tried an alcohol pad first, but it didn't work. I doubt he left it on the tick for a full minute, and that may not have been long enough though.
Like I said earlier, until now I've always thought of this whole deal with ticks as kind of a joke. I've been doing a lot of reading about it here, and on the net, and after hearing about all the health problems people have had, and with all the diseases they can transmit, I'm seeing things differently now.
I'm not going to lose any sleep over getting bit, but I'm going the preventative route from now on.
Thanks again everybody.
Bob
went to see the vet with my dog that had a tick and he removed it this way
he putted a swab of cotton over it and dose it with alcohol and pull gently while all the time adding alcohol
he told me the purpose of this is to make the tick release its grip and not leave the claw in the skin and provoking a infection
Agree with Selfbow. Flu like symtoms can be a sign of Lyme. If your joints start aching, and you will definetly know it isn't normal, you have a real problem. If you are on the antibiotics, it should do the trick in just a few days.
My blood test came back positive for Lyme disease last year. I am doing fine now.
BTW- you don't always get the bullseye rash, and if you do, it can be anywhere. I was surprised to find out that you can get the rash in locations far away from the bite area.
Good luck, and keep on the meds for the full duration.
Glad you went to the doctor, but I'm surprised he was unable to remove it without crushing it.
Just don't kill yourself slowly by overuse of such products as permethrin. A little goes a long way. I'm constantly reading on here about people mixing their own preparation with versions made for use on livestock and other uses. And then over using it. All in an effort to save a few pennies, I guess.
You can buy and safely use the products for human consumption, like Sawyers, without giving yourself cancer.
My Doctor didn't seem to have much experience with ticks. He did try the alcohol pad, but like I said, I don't think he left it on long enough to really do any good.
He carefully tried to pull it out, but the tick was really in there, and after a couple easy pulls, he just grabbed it with the forceps and pulled harder, crushing it in the process. I could have done that at home.
I don't mean to put him down, I just don't think he's had much experience with them. Other than maybe not using the best tool for the job, he seems to have done everything else by the book. Bloodwork, antibiotics etc.
Fletcher, thanks for the link to the tick tool. I'm going to own one soon.
John, I never even thought of finding a tick on my "junk", and I hope I never do, but thanks.
I walked out behind the house yesterday to dig up and transplant some flowers for my girlfriend, and found a tick on me when I got home. That makes three so far this year. It must be a banner year for them.
We have a local store that carries Sawyers, and my girlfriend is picking some up as I type this. :thumbsup:
Thanks again.
Bob
For Sure, Bob, ticks like warm moist places-waistlines, underware tight places, "junk", necklines, armpits!!!!
This thread is giving me the willies.
For a fleeting moment this afternoon I thought a tick had found its way under my boxers, but I was relieved to find I was mistaken.
Sounds to me like Robin Hood and his merry men had a good thing going with those colored leotards they wore in the woods, I guess they were smarter than we give them credit for!
I'm glad to hear that it wasn't a tick in your boxers Archie. Every time I feel something crawling on me now, I think It's a tick.
Tick proof or not, I draw the line at leotards. :D
Bob
I hear ya, Bob!
Spanx, maybe? At least no one could see those!
:smileystooges:
My daughter had a tick buried in her scalp that was just ugly. She didn't have any complications, thankfully.
I sure miss Alaska. Growing up we had no ticks, snakes, or nasty spiders. Just bears and cold, and you can usually see them both coming.
Fletcher - Just got a tick key. Hope I don't have to use it, but it looks like a great tick remover.
Here's a helpful article consolidating lots of useful information.
http://www.uptodate.com/contents/what-to-do-after-a-tick-bite-to-prevent-lyme-disease-beyond-the-basics
This spring was personally the worst I've ever experienced. Maybe I was just out more, working with the dog but I had them all over from about February til may. It seems they're receding some now.
Here's a visual for you guys. There are 3 different kinds of ticks in this pic: dog tick, lone star tick, and black legged tick/deer tick. Some are adult and some are nymph stage but I pulled these off my dog (plus 17 more the next few days) after a weekend of training
(http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq177/shue5159/9eb910501c4e858ee0b53b39f7fc1790_zpspozjucyo.jpg)
It's not like I don't medicate my dog either. He gets the liquid every 21 days and is on the chewable repellent
I'm glad to hear that your Daughter didn't have any problems after her tick bite Archie. I hate to think of one of those little buggers biting my Grandkids. Any kids for that matter.
Thanks for the link UrsusNil, that's some of the most useful information I've read on the subject so far.
laxbowman, thanks for the picture. That's a big help in identifying the little buggers.
I just remembered reading an article about parasites like this a while back. They put a flea under a high powered microscope, and noticed that the flea had some kind of parasite feeding on it. When they cranked up the magnification, that one had another smaller "bug" doing the same. At least they're getting a taste of their own medicine. :D
Bob
Bob, I had Lyme disease pretty bad. My symptoms were many and varied, and it got to the point I could hardly walk, was doing stairs on my hands and knees, almost bed ridden, and in soooooo much pain I didnt sleep for more than an hour at a time for months on end. I could go on and on. Joke? No sir. My heart would stop beating at different times day and night and then pound wildly, or I would just stop breathing. I had migraines, fatigue, severe system inflammation, I went undiagnosed and misdiagnosed by several doctors and surgeons, for many months following a crappy Lyme titer, and finally diagnosed myself after much study and sought a Lyme specialist.
He saved me.
I never had the classic bullseye rash, in fact, only 1/3 of diagnosed Lyme carriers ever see the rash.
I was on various antibiotics, as well as antibacterial herbs, extracts, vitamins, minerals, and such for over a year and a half.
There were times I honestly didn't think I'd live until morning, and now I'm fine.
How long will your doctor keep you on the antibiotics, and which one (s) is it specifically? Most Lyme specialists believe you should be on them for 6 weeks in cases such as yours.
This is nothing to mess with. Lyme stole two years of my life, but in the end I learned a LOT about my health, changed many things, and will probably be better off for it in the long run.
If you need, I can hook you up with answers, books, websites, doctors, whatever. Just holler.
Jeff
P.S. Start a journal by saving a word doc on your computer. Date each entry and keep track of everything, every symptom whether you think it's Lyme related or not... a headache... a muscle cramp or spasm.... Write in it once a week, minimum. Every day if anything changes. Become familiar with all of the symptoms of Lyme AND its coinfections. My journal spans two years, I took it to my Lyme doctor at each visit, and he read every word and voiced his appreciation each time.
Take care.
In your journal, also keep track of all medications, when you start them and stop them. Which doctors you see, when, and what the two of you discussed. Make copies of all blood work requests and results.... all of it. You may need it later.
Jeff, thanks a lot for all your help, I really appreciate it.
I'm sorry to hear about all the problems you've had, and I'm glad you came through it ok. sounds like you had a rough time, to say the least.
My Dr. gave me Doxycycline. The dosage was just 2 pills, I forget how many mg's total, to be taken at once. From what you said, it sounds like maybe I should have been on it, or something else, for a longer period of time.
As far as the joint aches and pains go, My body is so tore up from all the years of hard physical work I've done, that I feel like that now, but I assume it would get even worse if I'm infected. I haven't had a decent nights sleep in a long time because of it either.
The journal is a good idea. I wouldn't have thought of it, thank you.
Since you offered, I'm going to send you a PM later when I have more time.
Thanks again Jeff, I appreciate it.
Bob
Not a problem at all. I'll help however I can.
I took 2 Doxycyline pills twice a day for many months. My doctor took me off of it in the summer because it makes you sensitive to sunlight. Yes, you should have been on it for 6 weeks or so, IMO. The Lyme bacteria has a 1 month life cycle and isn't equally susceptible to the effects of antibiotics in all of its stages of that cycle.
A simple homemade repellent can be made with a few inexpensive household ingredients. In a spray bottle, mix 2 cups of distilled white vinegar and 1 cup of water. To make a scented solution so you do not smell like bitter vinegar all day, add 20 drops of your favorite essential oil or bath oil. Eucalyptus oil is a calm, soothing scent that also works as a tick repellent, while peppermint and citrus oils give off a strong crisp scent that also repel ticks.
After mixing the solution, spray onto clothing, skin, and hair before going outdoors. Reapply every four hours to keep ticks at bay, and examine the skin and hair when returning home to make sure no ticks are on the body.