Deer Tick Bite
 

I got one of these. :(

Had to tug a teensy tick off/out of my skin & saved him for analysis. By the next day when I went to a walk in clinic, the bite had swelled up & become hot & sore.

Got a prophylactic dose of doxycycline--best within 72 hours of a bite--and have to go back in two weeks to be tested for Lyme Disease. The doxy is not fun, makes me feel sick and itchy, which may last for a few days.

Anyone else had this oh so lovely experience?

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

That's a strange coincidence, I found a tick on my back last night, but I didn't think to keep it. The bite isn't inflamed in any way, but I will ask Mrs P to look at it more closely tonight. ..... Could it be carrying Lyme disease even if the bite isn't inflamed? :(

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

Yes it can Pulaski, as Lyme can take up to a month to manifest itself, however, the number of ticks carrying the disease is actually very small so the odds are greatly in your favour.

A mate of mine had a late diagnose of Lyme disease after some 4 months intense of flu like symptoms and the antibiotics sorted it out quickly - interestingly it was he (a competitive orienteer) who first mentioned Lyme to the doctor!

I only know a few orienteers who have had Lyme but know literally 100s who have had ticks (OH is a tick magnet and has never had Lyme disease despite loads of ticks being removed from her body over the years in several different countries).

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

Yes, the deer ticks are very bad this year. Each day I find several just wandering around on my body, it seems to take them a while to find a spot to dig in, fortunately. Both my wife and I have had four or five actually dug in, which I've had to pull out (wife's a bit squeamish about them). I nip them with my finger nails and pull them out, then observe them for a minute, walking around. That way you know they are alive, i.e. you didn't leave the head in. Then kill it. They are hard and take quite a bit of squashing.

The bites vary. Usually quite painful and swollen and red for several days, sometimes with a nasty looking black center. Supposedly risk of Lyme infection is low if dug in for less than 24 hours, and in theory we each check fairly thoroughly twice a day! I've never bothered to go to the doctor about them, but if I did have symptoms I would know to mention the possibility of Lyme to the doc.

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

We're over-run with the crawling little bastards - I seem to be pulling one off either me or the dog every five minutes.

My understanding is that the tick needs to be on for about 32 hours before it passes on the Lyme parasite so you may be in luck if you caught it quickly.

The odds of contracting the Lyme are, apparently, relatively small. The tick needs to be a particular type AND a female AND be infected AND be on you for 32 hours.

That said, I managed to get the disease within a month of moving to New England so I must be really, really lucky... Should have bought a lottery ticket.

Keep an eye on the bite site. It does swell up - that's your body reacting to the bite - but it should go down within a couple of days. Watch out for the classic 'bullseye' and then the rash. If they appear then, congratulations! You're part of the club.

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

Yes, it definitely can. Please do visit a physician at the earliest.

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

When I've had Lyme, I've usually found that I'm OK if I take the first dose of doxy of the day and then lie down for an hour. Then the nausea passes. Hope you soon feel better.

The tick has to be attached to you for 36 to 48 hours to transmit Lyme. Even if it is on you for only a short time, it can itch like mad, so if you have no itching at all, it is very feasible it hadn't been on for long. I found one last month that I knew had only been attached for an hour or so when I found it -- my neck was red and itchy for a week.

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

An American relative got Lyme a few years ago, and he never saw or felt any inflammation, or noticed any bite site--it was a mystery to him where exactly he'd been bitten.

His first and only symptom was what seemed to be a terrible case of flu. This was a big strong guy and he found he could barely get out of bed. His doctor gave him a course of antibiotics and he was better in a week.

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

Is it always necessary to visit a doctor after any deer tick bite?

I ignored mine for a day because it didn't seem to be doing anything at all, just a slight red bump. But the next morning it had swollen up into a big sore lump, and there was an odd and expanding bruise and a red line running above it. So I got scared and went to the clinic.

The doctor spent all of 3 minutes with me, pushed the doxycycline and left, but the nurse stayed to answer my questions. He (male nurse) looked at the tick and confirmed it was indeed a deer tick, told me where to send it for Lyme testing, and warned me that the doxy could mess me round for a few days. It makes you sun-sensitive, so need to cover up (or sunblock generously) in the sun. He also said no dairy products with it, as calcium renders it less effective, so no milk in my tea for a while.....

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

I've always just monitored the site and how I felt. As others have said, it's prone to be the bite you didn't know you had that gets you!

Ooops, I always took the doxy with my morning yogurt to soften the blow to my stomach. But I guess it still worked!

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

I'd say, not necessary. If everyone in the US northeast went to the doctor every time they were bitten by a deer tick, there'd be lines around the block trying to get into every doctors office. I get dozens of such bites a year, despite precautions. Just go by the indications mentioned, and go to the doctor if it seems indicated...

(Just my opinion though!)

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

And one with which I heartily concur.

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

Ticks are something the i do no miss about living in the north east.
Rather than running to the doctors for a bug bite people here generally call the poison control center as a precaution. People can react very differently to certain things like scorpion bites.
The will go over your symptoms and suggest a course of action if required. They will typically follow up with you throughout the day to see how you are doing.

I have my poison control center number in my phone contacts.

You can find your center here

http://www.safekids.org/guide/find-y...control-center

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

We were told by the doctor not to go every time we got bitten by a tick. Been OK so far, everyone has been bitten at some point but no one has got Lyme.

Re: Deer Tick Bite
 

Isn't there a vaccine here? There were ticks when we lived in Switzerland, not in our bit over by Lake Geneva, but over the other side, near Germany. Everyone on my expat forum there appears to have got vaccinated shortly after arrival as part of their 'moving over' checklist. Or is this a different variety of Lyme?