I HATE Ticks...

[Big_John]

It's becoming more of a problem around here. The deer over population being blamed for much of the issue. The next town over from us has been actively hunting deer in the parks at night, much to the dismay of some uninformed animal lovers, to try to bring down the number of deer.

We're surrounded by woodsy areas and farms where I live, but (knock on wood) we've not experienced any ticks.

 

[Big_John]

Worst of all the CDC does not acknowledge that long-term Lyme disease exists, as if all Lyme disease can be cured with 30 days of doxycycline. Now that the CDC acknowledges that over 300,000 people a year contract Lyme disease, the Lyme disease situation in the United States is beyond bizarre. The CDC acknowledges the problem, but won't acknowledge that cases last beyond 30 days. Anything over 30 days is called: post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). Again the result is no insurance coverage.

I personally have been turned away by a nurse practitioner and an MD Rhematologist, because I didn’t have all 5 bands positive for the Western Blot (despite having several tick bites and having band 41 positive, which is immune system reaction to something with a flagella, a tail for swimming. Human cells do not have flagella). People in our area share names of doctors and testing facilities, who will actually help with Lyme, like classified information, because of fears that our state medical board will take away their licenses to practice.

This seems to be a common issue in the medical community. It's all dictated by what the insurance will pay and even when you are willing to pay for treatment/meds yourself, they shy away like you have the plague. There doesn't seem to be any common sense applied anymore.

I've dealt with chronic pain for years and the hoops I have to jump through for treatment that works just confounds me. I can't even imagine what you guys are going through if Lyme disease is being ignored like it is.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

If you get a tick make sure to not squeeze when pulling them out. Pointed tweezers down close to the skin then just pull them back out without clamping down, no yanking. If you squeeze them it puts their poison in you/dog

 

[live4theking]

The easiest way that we have found to remove a tick id to put a dab of liquid hand soap on a q-tip and rub it counterclockwise over top the tick. They back themselves right out.

 

[tbm3fan]

The easiest way that we have found to remove a tick id to put a dab of liquid hand soap on a q-tip and rub it counterclockwise over top the tick. They back themselves right out.

The John's Hopkins site dealing with arthritis and Lyme Disease recommends the tweezer technique. It recommends against coating the tick with anything, we used to use vaseline to suffocate them, as they feel that would irritate them and possibly inject more contents into you before backing out. They seem to feel that the likely hood of getting infected from a bite that lasts less than 36 hours to be small. Of course ticks would stay longer before falling off full of blood so best to check immediately after being out in their environment. Usually you have to brush up against them as they wave their two front legs out when they detect CO2 near them.

 

[440sportfury]

Thank You for the info. I wish you the best Hope you find a quick fix to get rid of your symptoms. Ever since I had the rocky mountain spotted fever I have never been the same . I will feel ok for a while then get very tired and dizzy, Stonybrook hospital which is supposedly one of the best. Says it could take a couple of years. The positive lyme test they say has nothing to do with it. I hope your health improves quickly. Best of luck to you

 

[1970FuryConv]

If you are in the US, these are the good guys.
Unfortunately, in using these doctors, it's likely that all of your costs will be out of pocket
ILADS - End Lyme disease epidemic through education, awareness & physican training.

 

[1970FuryConv]

This is a lawsuit that I'm hoping will succeed:
The hard-heartedness of 25 physicians turning Dr. Kocurek away is a real indictment of our medical system
Suit aims at insurance companies