Tick Question(s)

[T-Dubs]

Since then, she has had to search to find doctors that understand lyme, and there are major disagreements as to how to treat it.

Undiagnosed lyme is a nasty bitch.

Recently, on a completely unrelated search, I came across this:http://www.lymephotos.com/

Any thoughts on the efficacy of treatment protocols like this one? I don't know enough to have an opinion much less pass judgment.

[Snowleopard]

Recently, on a completely unrelated search, I came across this:http://www.lymephotos.com/

Any thoughts on the efficacy of treatment protocols like this one? I don't know enough to have an opinion much less pass judgment.

This treatment is crazy and is based on 'facts' that are false.

"our theory is that Lyme is not just a bacterial disease, but also an infestation of microfilarial worms." This is simply wrong. You can get parasitic infections in addition to Lyme but they are two separate infections and need two different kinds of treatment.

There are reasons for the methodology of medical clinical trials. Do you really want to go back to medical treatments that were available when life expectancy was 20 years?

[88BlueGT]

Just went out and bought some 100% deet in a mini-spray bottle. Love the idea of having it but can't stand the thought of hiking for a week and having your body soaked in the stuff, just sounds horrible. Will use as last resort.

[LDog]

Recently, on a completely unrelated search, I came across this:http://www.lymephotos.com/

Any thoughts on the efficacy of treatment protocols like this one? I don't know enough to have an opinion much less pass judgment.

Boy! I read that and thought I oughta do that just to flush 55 years of crap outta my system!

My sister, who has dedicated the last several years to looking for a cure to her lyme, and who has never shied away from alternative therapies, says this one has been ruled out and appears to be a dangerous myth.

http://lymeblog.com/modules.php?name...ticle&sid=1242
http://www.lymeneteurope.org/forum/v....php?f=12&t=56

[T-Dubs]

Do you really want to go back to medical treatments that were available when life expectancy was 20 years?

"I don't know enough to have an opinion much less pass judgment."

[The Solemates]

My sister had a tick a couple of years ago. Got the bullseye rash. Didn't think anything of it. Few did back then. Since then its been one unexplained symptom after another. Pain, nausea, loss of mental acuity, blackouts. Finally, a doctor had her tested for Lyme, and she was positive. Since then, she has had to search to find doctors that understand lyme, and there are major disagreements as to how to treat it.

Undiagnosed lyme is a nasty bitch. She is now sporting a port so that she can get IV antibiotics daily. Still has not recovered her full mental faculties, still has days when she cannot get out of bed due to pain and nausea ...

wow...sorry to hear that. if it is caught early is it less of an issue? did her delay in going to the doc make it worse? here's to wishing for her full recovery!

[LDog]

wow...sorry to hear that. if it is caught early is it less of an issue? did her delay in going to the doc make it worse?

Absolutely. Recognizing the symptoms early, and getting a doc to prescribe a full four weeks of something like Doxycycline will normally kill any infection. When the infection goes untreated for months and years, is when it becomes debilitating, damned difficult to kill, and the degradation of mental acuity may be irreversible.

http://www.northcoastjournal.com/new.../28/repellant/

here's to wishing for her full recovery!

Thanks!

[Forest Ape]

I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease approximately 3 weeks ago after suffering unexplained exhaustion for a couple weeks & then brief periods of confusion. I'm on Doxycycline until the 13th - they had wanted me on an IV for 28 days.

I explained that I'm an active hiker with frequent exposure to deer ticks... All of my dogs have had Lyme & I'm forever picking off nymphs in the spring. If I recall correctly, the NP recommended that I should take short runs of Doxycycline on extended hikes in my First Aid Kit, to be used after removing deer ticks as a preventative measure - whether I experience symptoms or not.

Take it for what its worth, this was the NP & not my General Practioner.... and I was a little foggy that day. Maybe someone with medical expertise could chime in on this?

[The Solemates]

I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease approximately 3 weeks ago after suffering unexplained exhaustion for a couple weeks & then brief periods of confusion. I'm on Doxycycline until the 13th - they had wanted me on an IV for 28 days.

I explained that I'm an active hiker with frequent exposure to deer ticks... All of my dogs have had Lyme & I'm forever picking off nymphs in the spring. If I recall correctly, the NP recommended that I should take short runs of Doxycycline on extended hikes in my First Aid Kit, to be used after removing deer ticks as a preventative measure - whether I experience symptoms or not.

Take it for what its worth, this was the NP & not my General Practioner.... and I was a little foggy that day. Maybe someone with medical expertise could chime in on this?

wow. im outside with them every other day just in my back yard (heavily wooded, lots of acreage and fields). i'd be hopped up on drugs my whole life.

[ShelterLeopard]

INstead of spraying deet straight in your hair, I'd spray it on a baseball cap or something of that sort. I have a feeling that deet is really, really bad for your body.

[Forest Ape]

wow. im outside with them every other day just in my back yard (heavily wooded, lots of acreage and fields). i'd be hopped up on drugs my whole life.

That was my response, too! Hahahahaha!

[LDog]

wow. im outside with them every other day just in my back yard (heavily wooded, lots of acreage and fields). i'd be hopped up on drugs my whole life.

Better'n the alternative ...

'Course there's nothing better'n convincing my significant other that I need a really, really thorough tick inspection ...

[bobqzzi]

snip. I have a feeling that deet is really, really bad for your body.

What gives you this feeling?

[ShelterLeopard]

What gives you this feeling?

Many things. One of which is the fact that when I last sprayed deet (a really high concentration) on plastic, the plastic melted a little. That was the last time I ever thought about spraying it on my skin. UGH.

PS- Be super careful to clean tick bites well after you remove the tick. The thing that threw me off the trail last year was MRSA (an extremely painful form of staph) which I got from a tick bite (well, the puncture in my skin allowed the MRSA into my body). Cleaning it might not have helped, but who knows. You could avoid being stuck in Harpers Ferry with both staph and lyme. (And then a yeast infection of the throat, because of the millions of antibiotics I was taking).

[Sarcasm the elf]

What gives you this feeling?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deet#Effects_on_health

Fairly nasty stuff when overused, I still use it, but never apply it directly to my skin.

[EJC]

I wouldn't spray DEET or bugspray in my hair... that just makes a mess and isn't good for your health. Tick season has arrived... I just found one in my hair today. We have A LOT of ticks around here and I have 4 friends with Lyme. Their symptoms ranged from the bullseye rash to bell's palsy (facial paralysis) to one that wasn't treated and now has severe schizophrenia and is institutionalized. Lyme is nothing to mess with.

The safest thing to do is have someone remove the tick (if you find one) with tweezers near it's head and clean the area. Watch it for a few days and make sure there's no rash forming then go to the doctor if a bullseye shaped rash is present or you feel ill (nauseated, headache, fever, chills, achy, etc). They'll give you antibiotics to treat it.

To prevent wear long clothes and check for ticks often if outside. Wear DEET on places that you won't be inhaling it or having it close to your head. Keep your hair shaved or wear a hat. You'll know they're there, even with long hair, you can feel them, just check often if ouside. And remember, not all ticks carry lyme. No need to panic unless symtpoms start to show up!

[EJC]

I explained that I'm an active hiker with frequent exposure to deer ticks... All of my dogs have had Lyme & I'm forever picking off nymphs in the spring. If I recall correctly, the NP recommended that I should take short runs of Doxycycline on extended hikes in my First Aid Kit, to be used after removing deer ticks as a preventative measure - whether I experience symptoms or not.

Take it for what its worth, this was the NP & not my General Practioner.... and I was a little foggy that day. Maybe someone with medical expertise could chime in on this?

They'll put you on the antibiotics so that you can treat yourself more quickly than they can. The sooner you treat a possible lyme infection, the fewer symptoms and the quicker the recovery time. Some people don't see symptoms for weeks after their bite and since you've already been exposed they are just trying to keep you from being reinfected. They will normally do this if you didn't show any initial symptoms with the first infection of lyme.

[EJC]

Oh, and they used to have a lyme vaccine for humans that were frequently exposed, but because of the cost of producing it and the lack of demand the human lyme vaccine was discontinued.

[ShelterLeopard]

Fairly nasty stuff when overused, I still use it, but never apply it directly to my skin.

Yeah- same. Even though it messed with one piece of my gear, I still usually spray a little on my boots and the edges of my tent. It even helps to spray a bandana and just tie it on your pack straps- you don't have to tie it around your neck for it to help keep bugs from your head. Although, I guess since we're really talking ticks, that doesn't matter so much...

[simon]

I've had Lyme Disease and i'm bald. I live on a wooded lot in PA. Both puts me at high risk. I got the lyme's at Delaware Water Gap hiking. In my opinion if you want to hike you are at risk just be smart.