The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: fiestyredhead331 on July 03, 2014, 11:14:41 am
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Anyone had it?
I have a bite mark on the outside of my knee which was really itchy a couple of days ago and now its developed a bruise around it and its tender to touch. Got an appointment with the GP today just to get it checked out.
I felt really strange last night when I went to bed, when I lay on my side I felt breathless but on my back was fine ???
I've had hundreds of ticks before but never had a reaction like this, if it was a tick, I never found one at the time.
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Someone recently posted some pics on Facebook of classic lyme disease bullseye lesions.
I'm sure they won't mind me reproducing one here:
Look here for the others. (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203081990125141&set=pcb.10203081991005163&type=1&theater)
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yep that looks like it except my bruise around it is darker, would take a pic but will spare you a pic of my milk bottle white leg at this time of day :innocent:
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AB course, and make sure you complete it, should do the trick otherwise you could have months of illness!
I know you know about the completing the course thing but it really does matter. Lyme disease is a very nasty complaint.
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Looks nasty. Glad you have GP appointment quickly.
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ah well I've answered my own original question....I HAVE IT.....
2 week course of antibiotics and then we'll see if I present any other symptoms :fc:
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:fc: the antibiotics do the trick
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Ticks - horrid :P
I'm glad your doc took it seriously and you're on the antiBs straight away :thumbsup:.
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thats a bonus of living in the country and having rural doctors I suppose, they take these things seriously but apparently the palpatations I had last night might not be connected to the Lyme disease so talking about doing a heart trace on me next...oh the joys!
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Fast identification and antibiotics. :thumbsup:
A good source of information can be found here; http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/ (http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/) and, if you've got a GP who won't acknowledge your concerns following a tick bite, it's worth shoving the website reference under their nose or, take yourself off to the nearest A & E department!
I urge everyone on this forum to take part in the HPA Tick Recording Scheme; http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/Ticks/TickRecordingScheme/ (http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/Ticks/TickRecordingScheme/)
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ah well I've answered my own original question....I HAVE IT.....
2 week course of antibiotics and then we'll see if I present any other symptoms :fc:
A course of antibiotics may be a wise precaution but a similar rash is not conclusive evidence of Lyme's disease.
see
http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/about-lyme/faq/ (http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/about-lyme/faq/)
There is a photo (Hopefully) of a rash I got below which was suspected of being Lymes disease (but was not). The whole complex story is on this very good forum about Lyme's disease
http://www.lymeneteurope.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5019 (http://www.lymeneteurope.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5019)
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fascinating info
but as they say, even with blood tests they can't definitively diagnosis Lyme etc ???
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It's clearly worth treating as Lyme Disease if it might be, rather than not treating it because there's no definitive diagnosis.
Well done for getting to the doc quickly, and well done Doc for take prompt appropriate action :thumbsup:
Fingers crossed it isn't, or that the a/b's do the trick :fc:
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I did read recently that some are recommending longer course of abs (1 month) .... Worth researching as lymes effects last years not months. Have a few friends with it.
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I still can't believe how many people are still using tweezers to get the tick out,
its the pressure on the ticks body that makes it vomit into your body, causing the lymes,
the tic-o-tool has got to be a, must have in the countryside medical bag surly
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I still can't believe how many people are still using tweezers to get the tick out,
its the pressure on the ticks body that makes it vomit into your body, causing the lymes,
the tic-o-tool has got to be a, must have in the countryside medical bag surly
Good reminder, thanks. My sons and grandchildren are off camping next week in the wilds so I'll lend them my tic remover. Never had to use it myself as we don't have tics here, but when we used to do the camping thing we picked them up frequently. Back then we used a glowing cigarette to make them let go and reverse out backwards - if we could find a smoker - but I don't know if that's any better than pulling them out with tweezers. I did get a horrible abscess once from a tic - no fun. Hence the removal tool.
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I still can't believe how many people are still using tweezers to get the tick out,
its the pressure on the ticks body that makes it vomit into your body, causing the lymes,
the tic-o-tool has got to be a, must have in the countryside medical bag surly
the tick itself has to be infected to get the disease, which is usually deer ticks of which we have loads up here. I didn't even notice I had the tick so either it dropped off or I scratched it off but that would have more than likely left the head in tact of which there was no trace.
I remove my ticks (if I find them) with my nails, gripping each side as close to the body as possible and gently pull and twist and this has never in itself caused the Lyme Disease. Using tweezers can cause the head to break off so would never recommend them.
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That's how the tick removal thingy works too, for those without enough finger nail to grasp the tic :thumbsup:
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As I understand it, it is essential to not squeeze the body at all and be very very quick. If the tick is pressed, or thinks you are about to pull it off, it regurgitates - and that's how the spirochaetes get into your bloodstream.
So to do it safely with fingernails you have to have non-fleshy fingers so that you don't squeeze the body as you 'unscrew' it!
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There's some great video on YouTube of how to remove a tick with your fingers by wiggling it round and round, kind of mesmerising it out! It works too - they come out whole. Then you squish them (rubber gloves on!).
Ooh - shudder. Horrible things.
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throw them in the fire, very satisfying 'pop' when they explode ;D
10 months of the year i have suitable nails apart from lambing/kidding time when i cut them down just incase i need to intervene
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;D the tool only costs a fiver and you get two..1 big 1 small
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee62/johningham/IMGP1006.jpg) (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/johningham/media/IMGP1006.jpg.html)
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee62/johningham/IMGP1000.jpg) (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/johningham/media/IMGP1000.jpg.html)
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thats a bonus of living in the country and having rural doctors I suppose, they take these things seriously but apparently the palpatations I had last night might not be connected to the Lyme disease so talking about doing a heart trace on me next...oh the joys!
If you have animals get them checked and treated for tic's as well they might be the vector / carriers.
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IF??????..............ha ha :roflanim: you'd be quicker asking me what animals I don't have
They all get treated for ticks etc as its the deer ticks up here which are the carriers. I get more ticks than the animals do but then I spend a lot of time just sitting in the grass with my herd :goat: :pig: :sheep: :chook: :cat: :dog: and until they license spot on for humans looks like I'm screwed.
anyway, since taking the AB's (doxycycline) my tongue has gone black :o but at least I have a bit more energy and the rash has gone down.
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Now there's a brilliant idea - Spot On for humans - I'd volunteer to test it ;) do you think we could get a grant for the research ?
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don't see why not, you can get grants for all kinds of useless stuff, we could save the NHS a fortune in AB's etc if we nailed this one :innocent:
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:idea: That's actually a good thought TnM
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Sign me up for the research ;D , I hate the ruddy things and I am always finding them on me :o . It's when you feel that creeping sensation...aagh! :P
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The $64,000 question is....would it stop midges biting too ? Now that would be something!
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I use neat tea tree to remove them works a treat, that's a bit like a spot on, they hate it and withdraw :)
Midges avon skin so soft the blue one ;)
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I seem to remember reading that ivermectin is used in the third wold on humans to treat for all manner of parasites. Not that I'll be self dosing, but that would knock off tick too right?!
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A word of caution about doxycycline, it can cause skin sun sensitivity with rashes, blisters and skin peeling off. My daughter was taking it when in a malarial area in Africa, and her hands were so bad she risked malaria rather than carrying in her prophylaxis. She, of course, only told me about this when she got back! And assured me the malaria risk was low where she was.
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the doctor warned about the skin sensitivity problems at the time but due to my pomphylx eczema kicking off with all the stress at the same time, I'm a physical wreck and should probably be either segregated or culled :roflanim:
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Don't go for the second option. We'd miss you.
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ach no danger of that MGofM too much to do but at least with this years kidding finally over that's one thing I can stop worrying about :relief:
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OH had it. The GP was ever so sceptical (why on earth I wonder...), but he had flu-like symptoms and definitely some kind of vertigo/loss of balance. He improved on the prescription drug. I hope all goes well for you as the aftermath can be quite nasty if not treated early. Don't let the GP fob you off with "it's so rare in our area...blablabla" :bouquet: :&>
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there was actually a mention of the recent increase in Lyme's disease in our local coucil's minutes this week!! probably helped by me knowing the chairperson quite well so hopefully there will be some more info etc spread about. They were talking about deer fencing around play parks etc, but as I doubt if my butt would fit in the swing these days I guess its not relevant to me ;D
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Deer fencing may keep the deer out, but I've never come across a fence which will halt ticks! :roflanim:
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well seeing as its the deer that are the carriers of the deer ticks which are infected with Lyme disease it makes sense to me ???
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What you're referring to as the deer tick (Ixodes ricinus) is commonly known as the 'sheep' or 'woodland tick', and yes, deer do carry ticks as can a range of other mammals including domestic animals.
The life cycle is such that it is most likely to be the tick in its nymph stage which will be the one in search of a host. From its development from larva to nymph stage, it'll move from the litter layer of undergrowth, to find vegetation of a suitable height and await a passing food source from which to attach itself and feed.
During such movement, the deer fence will provide no defence whatsoever especially if the undergrowth is allowed to grow unchecked on both sides of the fence!
Back in the late 90's I was involved in one of the first projects collecting ticks for laboratory investigation. A high proportion of the nymphs collected came from within fenced enclosures where deer were excluded.
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What you're referring to as the deer tick (Ixodes ricinus) is commonly known as the 'sheep' or 'woodland tick', and yes, deer do carry ticks as can a range of other mammals including domestic animals.
The life cycle is such that it is most likely to be the tick in its nymph stage which will be the one in search of a host. From its development from larva to nymph stage, it'll move from the litter layer of undergrowth, to find vegetation of a suitable height and await a passing food source from which to attach itself and feed.
During such movement, the deer fence will provide no defence whatsoever especially if the undergrowth is allowed to grow unchecked on both sides of the fence!
Back in the late 90's I was involved in one of the first projects collecting ticks for laboratory investigation. A high proportion of the nymphs collected came from within fenced enclosures where deer were excluded.
can I pass that info onto our council members? Shame if they are essentially going to wasted council money on something that won't actually help all that much?
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can I pass that info onto our council members? Shame if they are essentially going to wasted council money on something that won't actually help all that much?
Yes of course FRH. :thumbsup:
Please don't hesitate to ask if I can help further.