Deer Tick Bites - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Jimbo · 07-14-2003, 01:40 PM

My doctor isn't calling back about my question so I thought I'd pose it to the other panel of experts I rely on. I had Lyme's Disease a couple years ago with the baseball size bullseye rash where the bite occured as well as a fever and chills. Treated with Amoxocillin and everything's fine. The other day I noticed a small, no bigger than an eraser head, mark on my leg, not the bullseye, but a dark red raised mark like a bite. I suspect another deer tick bite but without the symptoms and my guess is not infected with Lyme's. Anyone know if this is a correct summission?

Fishpart · 07-14-2003, 02:21 PM

I visited the Dr for tick bites a couple of times back when I was in the Green Machine. he tells me you're OK as long as you don't get the telltale bullseye mark. That was at Ft. Bragg, the land of many tick bites, so I think he had plenty of experience.

MakoMike · 07-14-2003, 02:34 PM

That bite could be from a dog tick rather than a deer tick, or it could have been from a zillion other insects. I wouldn't sweat it unless you start to feel icky.

Jimbo · 07-14-2003, 02:43 PM

You got a tick bite while you were at Fort Bragg and right this second I'm working on a project for Fort Bragg, and I have a tick bite. Irony? I would certainly think so!
Hey, thanks for the feedback. It's nice to know I can get the advice of people I've never met personally, while my own doctor doesn't care enough to even call back.

fishweewee · 07-14-2003, 03:33 PM

Mike,

Dog ticks carry the Lyme bacterium as well.

My next door neighbor got it from a dog TICK bite - got the disease and has suffered permanent brain damage.

Don't be messing around with this stuff...see the doc!

-WW

p.s. thanks for catching the unintentional typo Mike!

beachwalker · 07-14-2003, 03:41 PM

Jimbo,

I in THE land of the deer tick. Go to him again. If the test comes up negative that is good but you aren't out of the woods. If even the slightest symptoms arise be it even slight joint pain or tiredness GO GET ANOTHER TEST immediately.

The only reason why I stress this is that a very close friend of mine, who is a great athlete got a bite last summer. he went to the doctor for the test. Negative. A few weeks later he felt the symptoms so he went back for another test. Negative. A week later he woke up tired one morning but went on his way to the Gym. He woke up in a Ambulance on his way to the hospital. Seems he passed out on the stationary bike. Got to the hospital they did some tests, one being Lyme and presto. Positive.
He was so critical at this stage that the medivaced (sp) to Mass General and told him that if he didn't get here within 48 hrs he could been in REAL bad shape. Well, that night, he flatlined on the bed for 8 seconds. They had him on the IV drip and he pulled through but just barely.

They say the test is not very accurate and this guys case was living proof.

I am not trying to scare you. This guy was a close friend and we thought we had lost him during the first 24 hr. from the Gym to the Hospital and into that night. He just got there.
It wouldn't be a time to head offshore Tuna fishing for a couple of nights.
One might come back in the ice box.

This is a true story.

Jimbo · 07-14-2003, 04:09 PM

I'll probably adhere to that advice and see the sawbones since I have a couple other things going on inside I'm not sure about. (The aging process sure does suck).
When I had my first bout with Lyme's a couple of years ago I asked if I could be tested after I finished my medication to make sure it was gone and I was told it's like polio or hepatitis, you will always test positive (maybe they call it false positive or something) for it once you've had it. I had read that the disease reacts more severely with testosterone which is why more men get the big telltale bulls eye and high fever and chills reaction and unfortunately it can be missed in women and therefore not treated.
I did a little research today and found this which is pretty easy to read without the technical mumbo jumbo:
http://home.earthlink.net/~moran01/I.../DeerTick.html
Thanks again.

Mike P · 07-14-2003, 06:49 PM

a ben---go back and read your post VERY carefully. I think there's one letter there you wanna maybe edit

mikecc · 07-14-2003, 06:54 PM

Quote:

My next door neighbor got it from a dog #^&#^&#^&#^& bite

Scotch Bonnet · 07-14-2003, 07:29 PM

I never knew the lipstick had teeth! Ouch......

MakoMike · 07-15-2003, 06:33 AM

Ben,
You have some very weird neighbors

I've never geard of getting lymes from a dog tick or any part of a dog. Very possible in your area that he got bit by both a dog tick and a deer tick, what he bites is between him and his wife

beachwalker · 07-15-2003, 06:57 AM

And sometimes you don't even KNOW that you have been bit by the Deer Tick. They are some tiny buggers and can bite and then fall off without ever knowing. Combine that with finding a Dog Tick and we start to think that maybe...........

To many instances here. Over and Over and Over and Over again.

fishweewee · 07-15-2003, 08:40 AM

Dog TICK!

True story, though, my neighbor is in bad shape from the disease. Scary stuff.

Jimbo · 07-15-2003, 08:50 AM

In the thread I posted previously the author said that for some reason dog ticks are attracted to the scent of female deer ticks so it could be that the deer tick went undetected if a dog tick was found at the bite. Anyway, the good doctor finally called me at home last night and said what was previously suggested, that if the bite doesn't get any bigger (he said bigger than an inch across) and there's no symproms like I experienced in my first bout, let it ride and don't wait too long, but once it's healed come in for the test just to make sure. So I guess this weekend I'll be defoliating the DMZ between my yard and woods with Agent Orange followed by a liberal coating of DDT.

Jenn · 07-15-2003, 11:25 AM

Quote:

liberal coating of DDT

YES! save the cute little birdies so they can die from west nile instead!

ok...seriously......get it checked...better safe than sorry right?

Raven · 07-16-2003, 04:14 PM

after ten minutes it was just fine and still crawling around.
i hate those S.O.B.s. because they are so indestructable a pest.
Bugs wear their skeletons on the outside of their body rather than on the inside like mamals. So the secret to killing bugs is to somehow pierce their exoskeletons so that they dehydrate.
One way to do that (with a very benign product) is to use regular diatomaceous earth....that white powder used in swimming pool filters which is made up of tiny sea creatures actually, that died and floated to the bottom of the sea. Their vertabrae is made out of silicon spears that are not only good for filtering swimming pool algae and dirt but also great for puncturing insects.

beachwalker · 07-16-2003, 06:33 PM

And it also works great for a filler for fiberglass resin. Poly and epoxy.....

JohnR · 07-17-2003, 07:51 AM

Dr Sprinkles....

Paging Dr Sprinkles.....

bud8fan · 07-20-2003, 08:27 PM

A few years ago I had the Dr prescribe the 4 shot regimen of prevention. Its not a sure fire prevention but it cant hurt!!!!
My 9yr old niece was diagnosed with Lyme disease a few weeks ago. She went through the high fever and chills and with antibiotics she is fine now.

I dont know if they still do the shots? but for all of us who walk through high grass and bushes to get to our favorite spots its definitely worth it!!

Russ