Data Report

Off Topic => Off Topic Discussion => Topic started by: Steve on March 29, 2025, 10:30:16 am

Title: Re: So a tick got me...
Post by: Masked Man on June 02, 2025, 07:59:13 pm: (Man, you are magnet for those suckers :o )

I got "frontline Shield" on my dog..its supposed to last a month..I lawn mowed but I used some anti mosquito tick repellent ..I figure if I'm gonna use the spray might as well repel mosquitos as well as ticks.

I always take a shower and still check for ticks and shower off the bug spray chemicals too when I get inside.. I try to spray it on my clothes instead of direct skin.. so far its seems to work as there's a lot of deer and tall grass while I mow. Of course chemical on skin that repel ticks and mosquitos probably cause cancer so again I try to spray it on cuffs and collars instead of skin. Its hard trying to choose the lesser of two evils.. I am not too find of chemicals

...A lot of actors and musicians struggle with Lyme diseases..wouldnt surprise me if tons more people have Lyme disease that don't talk about it, or don't know it.

Decades ago I lived on a farm with girlfriend and her dogs ran free on farm and at end of day she routinely pulled ticks after tick off her dogs.. Nowadays, I definitely think that is dangerous and think chancing topical tick preventative measures for the creatures would have been better. I tell ya a field of Cattle is prime area for ticks.

Now I'm itching and scratching my body just thinking about it!
Title: Re: So a tick got me...
Post by: Steve on June 02, 2025, 04:35:50 pm: I found a tick crawling on one of my socks today after I had done some light yardwork outside. One free water ride straight to our septic system for you! :)

ALWAYS PERFORM A TICK CHECK ON YOURSELF IF YOU HAVE DONE ANY OUTDOOR WORK! Be thorough because Lyme Disease is not a joke!

Take the time to avoid the Lyme!
Title: Re: So a tick got me...
Post by: Masked Man on May 07, 2025, 08:46:47 pm: yeah man.. I mowed grass today and collected some firewood.. I'm not a big fan of repellent sprays but knowing I was gonna be mowing in weeds I sprayed my exposed areas around with a little tick repellent around my collar and cuffs to be on the safe side

..there were deer tracks all around the wood I was fetching and deer carry ticks and leave them all over the place. Where there is one tick there are usually more of them. In the past They attach to me and I usually don't discover them until I take a shower.

I also used FrontLine product on my dog which is supposed to last a month to repel ticks and mosquitos... dogs get ticks on them while on their little walks.

Be extra careful! its not usually the big things that get us people..its the little things! We are easy target and food for ticks. They want to suck our blood.
Title: Re: So a tick got me...
Post by: Steve on May 07, 2025, 06:47:10 pm: I found another tick on me today. This one was crawling on my shirt and so it was easy to spot and dispose of (Enjoy the water ride into the septic system!). However, this incident just goes to prove that performing tick checks the moment you go indoors after working outside is critical. Also, I always wear an outer long-sleeve shirt outdoors whenever possible along with an inner T-shirt whenever I am performing outdoor chores.

The prior tick bite that I experienced appears to have not been consequential, to my great relief. You can never be too careful, though. Stay safe!
Title: Re: So a tick got me...
Post by: Data Report on April 01, 2025, 08:20:06 pm: I have had several occasions where I have had ticks on me over the years. Knock on wood, I have not had Lyme disease from my encounters with ticks. My dad however has had Lyme disease at least 1 time from a tick.
Title: Re: So a tick got me...
Post by: Steve on April 01, 2025, 04:26:22 pm: Well, it's been about 3 days since I pulled a tick off of me. The verdict? So far, the affected area has shrunk in redness down to a faded red dot which, for now, is a huge relief. You never want to hang a "Mission Accomplished" banner too soon but I'd rather take this result than a bull's eye rash or obvious physical ailments.
Title: Re: So a tick got me...
Post by: Masked Man on March 31, 2025, 08:52:24 pm: When we get bit by a tick should we try to get antibiotics?

I personally dont like going to a doctor i mask and I just hate maskless doctors and waiting rooms because of how many people risk getting sick from simply being there amongst the sick..my unprofessional suggestion is if you feel like me you might be able to call the nurse practitioner or maybe even just request some sort of phone call with your doctor or a doctor.. I don’t know but our doctor did do an impromptu tele health call and my loved one did get her doctor to prescribe antibiotics over the phone …

.. it’s a personal decision of your own of course but I hope what happen to us helps you in some way. It is frickin scary because on the one hand the experts say to take antibiotics right away and on the other hand they say symptoms might or might not show up later. Take care buddy I feel for ya .. i hate worrying … hope your okay.

This is horrible I feel like a fellow soldier has just been wounded by the enemy and I feel helpless comrade.

I hate how we aren’t sure if we’ve got Lyme disease or not for quite some time while it is suggested by experts to take antibiotics right away to reduce chances of Lyme disease… how do doctors determine whether we are at risk enough to treat a tick bite for antibiotics? .

Do we go ahead and treat a tick bite with antibiotics to be on the safe side?

That’s hard.

I’m now reading more trying to figure understand options for those bitten by ticks

I read about tests but I’m not sure how practical these tests are if you have to test every day for many weeks or not?…..

I read online that:
“A doctor will test your blood for antibodies that are trying to fight the bacteria in your blood. One of these tests is called the ELISA test, and you'll often have a second test called the Western blot test to confirm you have Lyme disease. To treat Lyme disease, you may need to take antibiotics for up to a month.”

Again, I don’t know if all doctors use these tests and at what rate and I’m not sure if they use the tests before or after the 72 hour window that antibiotics may be of use…

… it’s uncomfortable because like I said my loved one got bit and got a rash right away and our doctor is willing to treat some things online and he was willing to administer medicine over a teleconference rather than having my loved one come into the office, the doctor simply called in a prescription for antibiotics.

So when we get bit by a tick we have to struggle wondering “I feel fine for now but will I feel symptoms like in five days from now and should I have been administered antibiotics within the first 72 hours to be on the safe side?” .. to me that’s the toughest thing to wonder about. I hate that any of us are put in that position. That is no small matter and a super hard to go through wondering what to do. I really feel for and empathize with tick victims.

My own limited experience: deer, weeds animals trees all carry ticks and From time to time Ive pulled ticks off my dog(there’s monthly preventative solutions)for dogs and cats available .. Ive pulled them off myself mostly from my head in hair while showering I might find in shower and never gotten treatment but man this Lyme disease has serious ramifications my loved one got a rash when she got bit and we sought treatment for her.

I don’t like tick repellent but I use it when I mow the yard and doing outside stuff. I tend to spray some exposed skin area but also I spray my cuffs and collar .. I wash off the bug spray when I get inside the house because I’m afraid of cancer from prolonged use of the bug repellent .. topical spray on dog might be wise ..brushing dog upon entering house might be helpful .. ticks probably ride in on clothes it’s pretty scary because my loved one probably got bit by a tick that was carried in by my dog.

I had no idea how serious tick bites were or it never really hit home for me until my loved one got bit and until having read more about it. Getting bit by a tick is as serious as being exposed to a disease by a very sick person. It’s a serious issue that is probably overlooked by a lot of people. I didn’t respect or fear these ticks as much as I should have until fairly recent years.

.
Title: Re: So a tick got me...
Post by: Masked Man on March 31, 2025, 05:52:09 pm: speaking from personal experience not professional,

Ugh… I hate ticks... just checking for ticks might not be enough they bite me and loved ones and we don't even feel it and really once they dig into ya you might be infected..in other words I always find the tick after he's burrowed his head under skin. Sometimes I find stray tick on my clothes and I am able to shake it off my clothes before it bites me but not always.

My significant other got bit by a tick. She got an itchy rash right away.

We talked to the doctor via online through her tele health and he prescribed antibiotics.

I rode my bicycle to Walgreens with my mask on and picked up antibiotics through the pharmacy window.

(Nothing to be ashamed of we’ve got deer in back yard.. ticks are in yard and ride in on hair and clothing and pets such as dogs…)

. we used tele health took a picture of the rash .. or just showed it through webcam.

In the past Ive underestimated the dangers of ticks and disease.. Ive plucked a tick or two out of my hair or off my neck and didn’t break out into an itchy rash so personally I didn’t feel obliged to request antibiotics for that… that’s not to say I didn’t come down with Lyme disease… in the past I never get very concerned because It didn’t break out in rash and didn’t feel sick shortly after the bite.. I used to be comfortable risking that for myself but that was the past and I don't feel that way anymore...
As they say “If your provider thinks you are at risk for Lyme disease, a single dose of antibiotics given within 72 hours of tick removal can help prevent infection”.

…not sure how my provider can determine that if we s wait to see for symptoms days or week later?

If you don’t want to take chances you can opt for a round of antibiotics from your doctor.. maybe you should try to get that round of antibiotics the sooner the better to reduce that Lyme disease threat….
https://www.endeavorhealth.org/articles/know-the-symptoms-of-lyme-disease

… personally speaking, I can see where a person might try to opt for the antibiotics right away to be on the safe side.

I feel your fears Steve! I hate not knowing and not feeling safe. I hate ticks! It’s scary.

With our recent tick incident she got a rash right away and felt sick and even then we can never be sure we got the antibiotics soon enough for my significant other so we aren’t certain she hasn’t suffered from Lyme disease and how much and I feel guilty because maybe a day or two lapsed(but we probably got the antibiotic within 72 hours) before we got the antibiotics because at first we were waiting to receive the antibiotics in the mail until I raced over to the pharmacy window in my mask.

… all that said however when you see one tick there’s gonna be more so it’s prevention time: topical tick/mosquito repellent is probably wise to use this gardening season. One might alsobe able to spray clothes such as cuffs and collars and socks to ward off ticks(mosquitos aren't a bad thing to ward off while you are at it).. I don't know but having some outdoor clothes such as boots and hat with some tick spray in it might help.

… damn after having said all that now I’m studying more about tick bites and fearing more

“Symptoms usually start about 2 to 14 days after the tick bite”

And then they say “If your provider thinks you are at risk for Lyme disease, a single dose of antibiotics given within 72 hours of tick removal can help prevent infection”.

… that’s what stinks … trying to take antibiotics within 72 hours of tick removal yet waiting to see for symptoms days or week later.. damn.

If there is no rash, symptoms like fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes may show up.

I would imagine a doctor might prescribe antibiotic treatment to a person that just got bit by a tick that felt they were having bad headaches and felt super tired right after a tick bite then a doctor would probably treat that person for Lyme disease with antibiotics

In other words i would assume one theoretically wouldn’t have to have the rash or all the symptoms to request antibiotics for the tick bite… they could simply have some of the symptoms to qualify for antibiotics.

.
Title: So a tick got me...
Post by: Steve on March 29, 2025, 10:30:16 am: I know that I shouldn't be ashamed or embarrassed.

Yet I feel ashamed and embarrassed.

I discovered a tick on me today (March 29, 2025) and I'm pretty sure that it probably got there yesterday while doing outdoor work. It wasn't crawling; It was stuck on me.

I now have to deal with the possibility of getting Lyme Disease.

Normally, I'm careful about checking myself after working outside. I wasn't careful yesterday.

Therefore, consider this a warning: Always check for ticks. Even if you're outside for a little while... Check for ticks. Even if you only did "a little" gardening or "a little" outdoor work or went for "a brief" walk... Check for ticks.

Don't be me and regret not checking yourself.

If you want, share your own "a tick got me" stories here. I'll put updates here on my own situation. Hopefully, the story turns out to be good and it's just a false alarm. However...