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[Hurdity]

I thought I would start a new thread on this as jasper mentioned she suffered from Lyme disease so I am copying what's been said so far for the benefit of anyone else who might be interested.

I had a tick bite 3 weeks ago which still hasn't healed (although another one i had the following day healed within a couple of days) and was worried about this but nurse I saw yesterday says just keep an eye out for symptoms as they only give ABs for the Erythema rash and only test if I get flu-like symptoms over the next few weeks. I would be interested to hear about yours and how soon after the tick bite you noticed symptoms.

Hurdity x

[Hurdity]

Hurdity -

Sorry to hear about the bite - I would be really careful about waiting as the NHS are terrible with lyme disease.  <50% get a rash so whilst it is diagnostic, the lack of it does not mean you are ok.  Having been there and having ignored an engorged tick that I found, I would be pushing for prophylactic treatment anyway (doxycycline).  I have been very ill for 4 yrs now as a result of all this.  You might find this website interesting https://caudwelllyme.com/

Thanks for posting this (in the other thread!) and the website. I found the tick the day after it bit me so it wasn't engorged and I gather that means I am at low risk...... however my husband took it out for me and must have left a bit of the jaw in which is why it didn't heal and was very itchy - as I have a sensitive skin (the one I removed the next day was fine).

I don't know how you can go about getting the ABs but nurse did say they would test if I get flu-like symptoms so I can always say that I  did - I did get swollen painful glands for a couple of days so could argue that is flu-like!

How awful to have been ill for four years - and can you cure it now or is it there for ever?

Hurdity x

[Dancinggirl]

A friend in our village had a tick on his leg and was given ABs straight away.  I hope you are all right Hurdity.  DG x

[dahliagirl]

I found a tick on my foot earlier in the summer and panicked and whipped it out.  I must have squeezed it a bit, because the bite was very itchy and took some time to heal.

A few years back, I found one in my groin.  It was after walking on an RSPB site where there are a lot of deer.  I did freak out a bit  but removed that one properly.  A previous one that I found down my welly, years ago was one that I had absent-mindedly picked off, thinking it was a scab.    That was quite big and I think I got it when sitting in the grass in a sheep field.

I read that you need to get them out without squashing them, otherwise you push their stomach contents into the wound.  To do this, you need to have a pair of pointy tweezers that will fit round the mouthparts.  The vets around here can supply you with a device that will slip under them to remove them.

There was a defunct website about lyme disease which was useful. It will not up to date but had some useful info about keeping your garden safe and other things like that.  http://www.bada-uk.org/

[Snowball]

I knocked a tick off my leg this summer with the towel after a shower - it must have been there since the day before. The evening before I had felt the gland under one arm was painful and I had pain in the centre of my chest and across the top towards the armpit (not breast pain).  I ignored the remaining tick head thinking it would work its way out but went to see the emergency practitioner when the odd underarm/central chest pains continued off and on. The nurse said the tick head should have been removed immediately and I had put myself at risk of Lyme by not doing this. She also said that not everyone gets the bullseye mark and so I got 2 weeks of doxycycline just in case. Armpit discomfort continued for over a week but then went away.

I would recommend that you ask for a course of doxycycline. Better safe than sorry and treatment is more effective if started sooner rather than later.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Lyme-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx#symptoms

Interestingly I was told that my odd symptoms could not be related to the tick bite because they started too soon after the bite, but I heard someone with Lyme disease on TV who said her symptoms started straight away too.

[Maryjane]

I no someone who was given anyone for a month as a percussion, are you sure the info the nurse told you is correct?

[Maryjane]

Given antibiotics

[cubagirl]

My brother suffered from symptoms for about 7/8 years. He eventually got 4 weeks of intravenous ABs & is so much better.

[CLKD]

Not many health professionals are au fait with the possibility of Lyme Disease!!!

Current thinking is ABs immediately.  Some people can suffer for years B4 diagnosis.  Have a look at : 

http://lymediseaseuk.com

I got to recognise ticks as they scurried through my dog's coat, she never had them except when we visited the Lake District.  If they fed I would leave them until huge then spray with Nuvantop or use a cotton bud with alcohol, held onto the mouth parts until it dropped off.

Mary - have your ear your first response   

[CLKD]

They weren't always found until grooming by which time they had eaten well    ……  she had a full one on her eye which the Vet removed.  The 1st 1 I ever found I thought was a 'lump'    .  It was easy enough to kill them as below. 

[Hurdity]

Oo-er - the nurse most definitely said they do not give ABs even though I have read a lot about Lyme and said I knew the rash was not apparent in all cases especially I gather in UK. She also didn't seem at all bothered that I had had swollen painful glands even if I didn't have a temperature. I think perhaps it's a bad year for them - we always go collecting fungi from September onwards and it does involve fighting through bracken which is taller than me, in some of the places we go, which are also full of deer (which also like the fungi!).  We've also had sheep get in our orchard at the top of the garden - and left them in there to keep the grass down so maybe a few ticks have come in that way.

Alcohol is no longer recommended as a means of removal - which is what we used for both my bites (well I did the second one - which healed!). Nurse did say get one of those removal tools - but this is the first time for over 6 years I've had a bite and we've been visiting the same woodlands for years.

Our cat regularly gets them from time to time - but it doesn't really matter with pets - I mean they are easy to deal with. I don't fancy Lyme Disease though. I had a look at the NICE Guidelines which do not recommend giving ABs prophylactically so not sure what to do really. I could just make an appointment with the doctor and see what she says.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

Have a read of the appropriate web-site that I posted [seems not many medics in the UK believe that it is/can be a problem  ] ……… GPs are reluctant to prescribe anything these days  but Lyme should not be ignored.

Alcohol or meths. held onto the mouth parts will continue to be my method of choice!  One needs to be patient though until the critter stops wriggling  and kicking his little legs …….. apparently when squashed they regurgitate their gut contents into the blood stream which can poison pets which could matter. 

Maybe visit a local Vet. or ring a Pharmacist for advice?

[Tinkerbell]

My son had a tick in his leg for, we think, 36 hours this summer. Five days after being bitten he got flu like symptoms although he didn't have the rash the doctor prescribed him Doxycycline for 14 days.

[Maryjane]

I would want a course of doxycycline personally, especially at your age.

As you no the need for the bulls eye rash is a myth.

[CLKD]

How R U today and what have you decided?