Lyme Disease

[Former Admin]

Lyme Disease - comments, concerns, issues, experiences

[Kerosene]

I know that Hammock Hanger will have a lot to say about this topic. I found a few deer ticks on my legs after an early June hike in New York State. I've dealt with the bigger ticks before, but I wouldn't have recognized the ticks on me if I hadn't just purchased tick removal tweezers with a lightweight magnifying glass. Man, those suckers are small! Frankly, I don't see any way to make sure that you've gotten rid of all the ticks on your body each night, especially if they have the opportunity to get up into your hair. I'm probably less concerned about catching the disease (although it certainly would put a crimp in my other activities) as I am not catching it in time.

[Former Admin]

Its seems there have been more cases of lymes reported this year than others. Hammock hanger mentioned in another thread, that she heard the figure 1 out of 6 hikers this year contracted Lymes. Its just not safe out there anymore, I guess i'll just stay locked in this little one bedroom apartment and do my hikes in late winter early spring. I live in the Chicago area and we now have the highest concentration of west nile virus in the surronding area. People are dropping like flys, there have been 22 deaths in this area. What's with these damn bugs?

[Hammock Hanger]

I did hear that the hikers got hit hard this year or it could be that more doctors are actually taking it seriously and checking more. As said above the big ticks are very easy to see, I can actually feel them crawl which alerts me that they are there. The little ticks are so minute. I have freckles and they just blended in. Even if I didn't some are almost invisable. We were all doing body checks. There are just some spots on yourself you can not see. Other hikers help out but... All I can say is do the best you can, beaware of them and check, check, check. Use your deet on exposed skin during those areas of high tick population. I have some nerve damage that causes me to want to rip the skin off my left shoulder. It feels like a thousand ants are feeding on me, little bits. The doctor feels it was caused by the Lyme.

Now West Nile Virus: I'm a hiker that likes to do things big, so I went and got BOTH Lyme & West Nile. The fact that I could have been dead in 48 - 72 hours had I stayed on the trail and not gotten antibiotics before the meningitis set in really does scare me. There is just no way to not get bite by mesquitoes when living out in the woods. You can use Deet, wear long sleeves & pants but hey let's get real. I had some symptoms for over a week before I got sick but just didn't know what they were. At night I would wake and my sleeping bag would be drenched, my legs were soaked. I thought (don't laugh) I was just having a night sweat, I am at that age in my life. What it really was, was cellulitus. As the days progressed I began to lose some of my strength and stamina. I was cold. This I figured was just the temps being different in the Whites. But I was colder then everyone else, chills. I began to get headaches, which I am not prone too. Finally the night before I left the trail I awake soaking wet, nauseated with a headache around 2 am. I thought it was the flu and decided I would go into North Woodstock and sleep it off. Hiking out that morning I was feeling a little better and at the road almost decided to hike on. (I am so thankful that I didn't). I got to North Woodstock got a bed and slept for the entire day. Got up went to dinner, couldn't eat much, no appetite, queasy. Got up the next day felt better. Set up a shuttle back to the trail for early the next morning. By 6 pm I was withering in pain upstairs. I was on fire, (later I would find my temp was 104) my head was exploding, I was not totally co-herent. An ambulance was called and I was carted off. My legs were puffed up and oozing. I had a pusy bite in the crease of my left knee (I had never seen it). Too make a long story short I got the antibiotics I needed before the meningitis could take hold and KILL me. That's no joke! -- If you are hiking and experience any of these symptoms get checked out, do not be strong or macho and just deal with it yourself. Honest, I really thought it was nothing and I did almost keep hiking.... Hammock Hanger

[Former Admin]

How has this affected you in the long run? I have heard that some people have problems for years, and others don't. I hope your one of the don'ts.

[highway]

Hammock Hanger:

That is a scary post. Everyone should read it very carefully, though. I had no idea about the symptoms and, as much as I hate to learn from your pain, thank you.

I hope that you quickly, and fully, recover

[Hammock Hanger]

According to the various doctors in NH and my personal physician there can be problems down the line but at this stage no one has a clue. My doctor told me that it is very important that I tell all doctors of my past history with both Lyme & West Nile. Something that seems totally unrelated may still be caused by damage done. Like I said this "ITCH" that I have on my shoulder that is not responding to any medication is thought to be steming from the Lyme.

But ya know, it won't keep me from hiking. Hell I could get hit by a bus crossing the street right? Hammock Hanger

[highway]

HH:
Decided to post it here, too, that your contracting the double whammy was mentioned as well as other info at:
http://www.thru-hiker.com/
under topic:"Bugs, the nasty problems they might cause you".

Maybe it should be reinforced in to all of us. I am beginning to think there is definitely another advantage to the Hennessey over my silshelter-its a heck of a lot more bugproof.

Anyway, do you really think we are looking at a 1 in 6 catching it? That means if you do the AT you have a 17% chance to suffer a dibilitating and perhaps life threatening illness. Those are horrible odds, if true, but somehow I suspect it is not quite that bad. At least I really hope so. If it were and all present members(87) on this forum do a thruhike next year, then 14.4(15) get the disease. That sucks!

[Hammock Hanger]

Those could be the stats but... Look how many hikers were out there that didn't seem to have any problems. Of course some could have Lyme's and not even know it. As our world pollutes and the critters migrate to greener pastures, as we travel to more and more countries carrying unknown parasites home, I can only forsee more and more new diseases cropping up. All we can do is be aware, try and take precautions and work toward the cleaning up of the mess. -- Remeber you can get bite by mesquitos and ticks at home as well. HH

[highway]

one of six what?
If that is the figure for thru-hikers, its bad enough.
Do you think it's correct?

[Hammock Hanger]

Those are the figures I got from another hiker who had Lymes. Not sure where those stats came from, medical report, doctor... So at this momment it is hearsay. Did anyone on this site know Squaw and Blackhawk?? She too was very very sick with Lyme. Hammock Hanger

[Dirtyoldman]

There is a vaccine for lyme disease but it only works for six months. Go see your doctor pre-hike and request it along with an update to tetenis (sp)

[jlb2012]

I thought they withdrew the vaccine for Lyme or is this a new vaccine? The old vaccine was three shots first two a month apart and the third a year later. Considered by some to be risky in that the vaccine itself might cause health problems but I don't know why it was withdrawn.
Link : http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/vaccine.htm

[highway]

I vaguely remember as well that it was withdrawn, but cannot for the life of me remember the source. The damn years are beginning to accumulate upon my few brain cells!

[Dirtyoldman]

It appears the manufacturer did withdraw it but the cdc is still recommending it for our catagory. Maybe a generic is still around. Only way to be sure is to see your doctor.

[DebW]

I asked my doctor about the vaccine last year. She recommended against it. Said the AT is not one of the "endemic" area for Lyme (coastal areas are). And the disease is treatable (though knowing that you have it might be the bigger problem). Apparently it got pulled off the market because so few people were using it. That and the risk of getting sick from it.

[spirit]

I have been sick since September 7th and it was finally discovered I had lymes on 10/14. I had been hospitalized and had numerous blood test but it wasn't until the total body rash and the final blood test that they were able to start the treatment. I am still undergoing the treatment. I was hiking in the shenandoahs when I got lymes. I'm not sure what the stats are but we all need to be careful. My doc is looking into the vaccine I will let you all know what he finds around 11/16 when I return. He thought there was a new vaccine out.

[DebW]

Had anybody used Permethrin? It's an insect and tick repellent that can be applied to clothing. It's supposed to be effective for 2 weeks or more after application. I tried it on socks and pant legs last year. This year I didn't get around to treating my clothing and picked up 2 deer ticks in Connecticut. Has anybody used this stuff extensively enough to know if it is really effective?

[Kerosene]

I did a Google search on Permethrin and found this site relevant to hiking bug repellents. Looks like you spray it on your clothing (not while you're wearing them!) before your hike and it lasts up to six weeks, even through repeated laundering. Also appears effective against mosquitoes and other insects.

There were a number of other sites that speak to the toxicity of Permethrin, although it seemed that most of them were related to concentrations used as direct pesticides, not the 0.5% level used for repellent. The website lists a number of commercial formulations.

Since it is applied to clothing and not the skin, you would still have an issue if you're wearing shorts or short sleeves.

[MOWGLI]

Many people who use permetherin spray it on their gators. I have never used it however.