To carry on the tick conversation ...

[Finaddict]

Found a deer tick on my daughter's shoulder this evening when i was getting her ready for bed ... her class just had a doctor in to educate the kids on lymes disease ...

... so I was getting her ready for bed, spot it, thought it was dirt and bring her into the bathroom ... notice the legs, try to pull it off, wasn't working so I pour some oil on it ... then grab tweezers and the tick was pulling its head out as I was grabbing it, I put it into a zip loc bag ...

... my daughter freaked, shreeked at the top of her lungs for over an hour ... the tick is still alive trapped in the bag ...

Now i don't think she had it all that long, do I need to take her to the doctor's or wait and see if the symptoms occur? I can drop the tick off at the doctor's ...

Any thoughts?

Thanks for the feedback.

[bloocrab]

I'm a paranoid father, I'd take her and the tick to the doctor. I've always understood it that the tick injects its' nasties before it starts playing vampire.

With as many cases as I've heard of people being diagnosed LATE for Lyme disease, I wouldn't wait another day. Especially if you KNOW the head was buried.



signed: Paranoid Parent

[Finaddict]

Yeah ... I was thinking the same thing, but was hoping that as she probably picked it up at the beach before her mother dropped her off with me, that it wasn't there too long, she is still too afraid to go to sleep, three hours beyond her bed time

Thanks

[BuzardsBayBruin]

Tons of ticks around... Just picked off 2 from a walk through my back yard.

[Raven]

because if if your daughter did contract lyme disease
it wouldn't show up in her blood via a blood scan for two weeks.

the sore if fresh would just be a red spot and if taken out soon enough it should reduce size from a dime to a eraser size red spot. and then fade away.

we take a tick off one another almost twice a week and my wife had one on her belly embedded just this week so i have personally watched many many bites and have seen the pattern repeatedly.

I had been bitten so many times that i finally got paranoid and decided
i must have Lyme disease by now... got blood work done and was told "NOPE" no lyme disease and i was shocked.

you need to tell your daughter that they are like flat ants that withdraw blood like a mosquito does and minimize her hysteria.
as far as her medical treatment a bandaid with some neosporin
on it is a good idea or cleaning the red spot with peroxide before applying the bandaid - round ones are cool and tend to stay on.

then just watch it.... good hygene as far as de ticking your self
imediately after being outside is the only safe way to deal with it.
that means a quick change of clothes, a shower and a skin check on the persons back side too. then you feel tick free, clean, and refreshed. if you don't do this you'll be sitting there with one crawling out from your sleaves onto your hand or worse.
..... diggin in.

[Finaddict]

Thanks Craig ... what a pain ... there is a fishing spot I like to go to, but you have to walk a couple of hundred yards through long grass to get to the spot ... you can go another route, but it's more than three times as long ... but considering how things are going this year ... will probably take the longer route, as don't want to deal with it ...

[Nebe]

Watch her temp. If she spikes a fever in the next day or 2, go to the doc. Also keep an eye on the bite for a rash or the trademark bullseye.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[JohnnyD]

My smarter half is a Physician's Assistant. When I pulled a deer tick out of my thigh earlier this year, she gave me crap for going to the doctor for a prophylactic dose of doxycyclene. I neglected to tell her because I knew she'd tell me not to go.

She says (and most medical websites when I researched) that you aren't at risk for lyme unless the tick is in you for at least 48 hours. Me being the paranoid nut that's completely freaked out by ticks said "screw waiting" and went to the doctor for the antibiotics. My doc gave me a script for one 200mg dose of the antibiotic and after paying a couple bucks then taking the pills, I didn't have to worry about it.

Only bad part about doxycyclene is that you have to take it on an empty stomach and it can give you a wicked stomach ache... made me feel like crap for a few hours.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by Finaddict

Thanks Craig ... what a pain ... there is a fishing spot I like to go to, but you have to walk a couple of hundred yards through long grass to get to the spot ... you can go another route, but it's more than three times as long ... but considering how things are going this year ... will probably take the longer route, as don't want to deal with it ...

In this situation you need to use the Buddy system
and you bring a little brush to de tick one another

i had a fishing spot like that..... and that was the only way
other than going the long way.

[The Dad Fisherman]

I'd flush the thing down the Toilet and go buy her an Ice Cream to get her mind off of it....

Way to paranoid.....Mosquitos can carry Triple-E....do you take her to the doctor every time she gets a Mosquito bite.

Just keep an eye on her....more than likely she'll be fine

[bloocrab]

Way to paranoid.....Mosquitos can carry Triple-E....do you take her to the doctor every time she gets a Mosquito bite.

.....I modified my shopvac down to a 1/2 suction hose, every mosquito bite gets the venom sucked out within 20 minutes.....yeah, so we all look like we got a bad case of the measles, or better yet...mini-hickies everywhere.....but we're less paranoid now.

[Sea of Atlas]

What to do after a tick bite to prevent Lyme disease

Found a deer tick this year, was not sure how long it was attached. For peace of mind its not a bad treatment to take the doxycyclene. Especially if you know that tick has been feeding. 2 weeks later you can get a lyme disease test. After speaking with a cousin who found it "late" its worth it to prevent it early.

[Raven]

you can soak a string in pennyroyal oil

and tie it around your knees ...it's wicked
strong smelling and a member of the mint family

not that easy to find but here's a list of scents not plugs



http://http://www.ottercreeklures.com/cart/makeyo.html

TICKS CANT STAND IT

[bucko]

Does anyone know or have experience with ticks especially deer ticks in the marsh grass near saltwater estuary's?

Thanks, helpful thread.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by bucko

Does anyone know or have experience with ticks especially deer ticks in the marsh grass near saltwater estuary's?

Thanks, helpful thread.

Yeah, most places like that have ticks.

[ThrowingTimber]

Docs ASAP. Even if too early to show they can educate you on exactly what to look for and when in terms of signs. And you'll already have this in the doctors ear etc. So a follow up etc won't be from square one beginning with... Well I asked online and random person said to wait... Better to go ASAP. And have a professional give their opinion.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[JFigliuolo]

You wanna play w/fire? fine. Stop by my house sometime. you will NEVER look at ticks the same way...

[spinncognito]

Check This Out..

Under our Skin | An Infectious New Film

Synopsis-
A gripping tale of microbes, medicine & money, UNDER OUR SKIN exposes the hidden story of Lyme disease, one of the most serious and controversial epidemics of our time. Each year, thousands go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, often told that their symptoms are all in their head. Following the stories of patients and physicians fighting for their lives and livelihoods, the film brings into focus a haunting picture of the health care system and a medical establishment all too willing to put profits ahead of patients.

[Saltheart]

My biggest issue with them now is I can't really see them well. I always end up with the creepy crawly feeling after mowing the lawn now. I look where I can and also use a mirror but I really worry I just will miss some.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Way to paranoid.....Mosquitos can carry Triple-E....do you take her to the doctor every time she gets a Mosquito bite.

When doing my own paranoid research after being bit by what was definitely a deer tick I came across an interesting CDC survey of feeding ticks that were taken off a human:
In 2009, up to 37% were carrying lyme disease. This doesn't include the other pathogens ticks can give humans.

New CDC Study: Percentage of Ticks with Lyme

For $2 in antibiotics, I preferred not to roll the dice on a 1 out of 3 shot. Especially since the lyme risk map I posted a while back has MA in the "hottest" zone.

[JFigliuolo]

including babesosis, erlichia, bartonella... None of them are anything I'd like to have to deal with (and yeah, my spelling sucks)