Antibiotics are different for different people. I handle doxy very well. Give me Ammoxil, Bactrim, or Erythromycin and weird things happen.
the one time i had to take erythromycin was a bad scene. i think i had at least a mild amount of every side effect listed on the label.Originally Posted by jpolk84
also suddenly became allergic to penicillin one day even though i never had been. that was weird. otherwise ive never had one bother me.
Yea but now they are seeing people that do not go hiking, only gardening, park walks and such. I think I agree with the person who said hikers know the risk and take precautions. Will I do a tick after a weekend in the woods? You bet. Will I do a tick check after going out to my garden to pick tomatoes, or walk the dog in the park? Probably not. Should I? probably yes.
Seeing the number of posts I would say that Lyme is a big issue to hikers.
i would truly like to see stats, if any exist, about who gets it where.
the trouble with the idea that hikers are more cautious is this- they arent. the woods arent full of people hiking in head to toe clothing. they may be using repellant, i dont know. ive also never seen a hiker doing a tick check at the end of the day.
at the risk of causing an uproar again, i cant help but speculate that there are things about suburban wooded environments that make lyme more likely there than in the actual woods. i mean, after all, it is called lyme disease for a reason. as opposed to green mountain national forest disease.
i think its entirely possible the things that keep the tick population down in the "wild" are negated in suburban areas where deer take up residence. it really is too bad that "study" someone osted a link about ticks on the AT didnt actually test the ticks they found for lyme.
Here's a map from the CDC that show frequency of lyme occurrence in 2013.
http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/maps/interactiveMaps.html
by where i mean "in their backyard" or "at the town park" or "out hiking" etc.
50% is quite high. I wonder how many treated their clothes vs. those who didn't.
For what its worth. I went for a walk/run through the woods 15 yrs. ago in CT. When I got home, I found a deer tick embedded under my shirt sleeve at my wrist and freaked out. My Dr. and friend, saw me immediately, sent the tick out for testing and started me on Doxy for 3 weeks. Now I get 2-4 ticks embedded per year, I do tick checks each evening after being outdoors working or hiking which is almost every day. I don't sweat the details anymore. I remove them with a Otom tick twister and never have had one break apart. Knock on wood, I have not had lyme. Here is what I learned.
Ticks are active year round even in sub freezing temps especially where the sun melts the snow and warms the ground. On one hike in Feb, I picked 5 ticks off my pants after a 15 min rest stop.
Ticks are very active in W. MA April-June, Aug-Nov.
I avoid vegetation that overhangs the trail, moving it out of the way with hiking poles.
Deer ticks are small but not pin heads, most are clearly visible IF you look for them and know what you're looking for.
I will not use tweezers, spoons or such to remove a tick as the risk of not getting the whole tick out is highly likely.
The wound left by a tick will take 2-3 weeks to heal. The first 2-5 days they itch like hell. The bite will leave a scar.
Am I afraid of ticks? no, I try to vigilant about doing tick checks everyday. Those days when I am lax are when I find a tick embedded.
Every thu hiker should read that-- slowly.
If you MD won't give you a small script before you hit the trail, politely tell him to **** off and find a new physician.
i seriously have to wonder, do people just not believe in the concept of antibiotic resistance or do they just not care?
The point of it is not to use it on a regular basis, but in a situation (like long distance hiking) where one may not be able to get to medical within 72 hours (as they recommend) to have a dose that you carry along so that IF the need arises you can use it immediately.
that assumes that a hiker is qualified to judge "need."
not even going to argue the CDC's recommendation, but even accepting it as it is it is very conditional. i'm sorry, but the continued efficacy of antibiotics is more important that making sure some hiker who MAY have been bitten by an infected tick doesnt get lyme disease.
Tdoczi's comments are informative-- but only insofar as the serve as a reminder that one may encounter a physician who subscribes to a similar theory that the "greater good" trumps your individual health care needs.
In areas where there is a high incidence of Lyme Disease, you are far less likely to encounter this-- a physician who has seen the effect and knows the prevailence of it will balance the needs of his patient differently than one who does not.
As an informed hiker about to hit the AT just know that you have the capacity to know more on this issue than a family physician in a non-affected area (or any area if you are appropriately motivated)
If your MD refuses to issue you a small script, it actually might make more sense to educate him first-- but do be prepared to find a new physician if he is unwilling to learn.
dangerous attitude, sorry. i am informed hiker. i will not take an antibiotic because ive been bitten by a tick and therefore may have contracted an entirely non fatal disease.
The author of the study stated in a followup comment that 33% of the deer ticks collected carried B. burgorferi.
More walking, less talking.
didnt see that, thanks. i wonder how it compares to the tick populations in more developed areas.
I have had several MDs over the years, none of them would consider issuing an Rx without seeing me first. Symptoms of Lyme disease can be very similar to other ailments and easily misdiagnosed. If one believes they have contracted Lyme disease or have been exposed to it, they should bring the tick somewhere it can be tested and identified. Putting oneself onto an antibiotic regimen with an Rx an MD guessed would be suitable months before makes little sense, and raises more than a few eyebrows in the profession I'm sure.
I would imagine few people drive around in their cars with a spare battery, alternator, fuel pump, brakes, or other myriad parts, filters, and pieces that make an engine work "just in case" something breaks.
As a general rule, I am sure your experience is the norm.
Thru hiking presents a special set of circumstances, however. If you and your doctor accept and understand the CDC recommendations for a prophylactic dose (single pill) of antibiotics in certain circumstances, then you will know the window for it to be effective is very specific.
If the engorged tick has been on a sort time (the link said 36 hours but do you own research) you should not take it-- science says an infected tick needs more time to transmit Lyme.
If the engorged tick has been on a relatively long time (the link said 72 hours, but do your own research) you should not take it-- you are either screwed by then or not.
As such, logistics would make it nearly impossible for a thru hiker to excersize this option if he does not already have a pill in his first aid kit. Remember, we are not talking about diagnosing and treating the disease-- we are talking about pr venting it.
If after speaking with your physician, she refuses to issue you a small script ask yourself why that could be.
Is it because they practice outside of an area where Lyme is common and have not had the need to stay up on things-- and have not seen its impact first hand? Or perhaps they just think they know better than the CDC and other resources you will find on this? Or perhaps they just don't trust that you will take that single pill properly when you are out in the woods and far from medical resources.
Then work with to resolve-- or find another doctor.
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