Need some clarity on tick bite / lyme

[Liz CA]

Last night I found a small tick - halfway in the skin - next to my hip bone and pulled it out. No, I did not save it, I had it in a tissue, checked that I had the whole thing and threw it out in disgust.

It had not been "eating yet", was still very small and I got the head out as well. I put Triple Antibiotic ointment on the tick bite.

 

Then I googled the whole tick/lyme thing of course and now I am thoroughly confused. :glare:

One article said if the tick had not fed for several hours, it would not have been able to regurgitate the lyme bacteria into the skin.

Another article was not so clear and left me thinking that even after short attachment it can spread its nasty stuff.

This morning, the bite looks like a pinprick, reddish, not raised, no pain.

 

I do not want to go on antibiotics as a precautionary measure because I have been given mega doses about 15 years ago. I do have Oil of Oregano on hand and am contemplating starting a little regimen with that.

[kathkath]

I would just keep an eye on it and see if you have any other symptoms show up.

[MBM]

Dr. Weil recently posted an article about ticks and Lyme disease.

 

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03103/Lyme-Disease.html

 

HTH and good luck.

[Whereneverever]

I would watch the spot and check for symptoms in a few weeks.

[momzilla333]

Please take Lyme seriously. Watch for symptoms. My son was seriously ill with it last fall and we learned the hard way. Even when he had a classic bulls eye rash and got antibiotics, it came back a couple of months later in his central nervous system. Really scary! It seems a lot of times it isn't diagnosed or treated properly and the tests can be tricky. Doctors don't seem to be well informed. And ticks can carry other diseases too.

[Wildiris]

What skai says is true. One of the better things to do when bitten by a tick is to swab the area with alcohol. The alcohol kills the lyme bacteria. I've also heard it said that unless the tick has been in over 24 hours, the chances of contracting lyme's disease is less.

 

We live in tick country. I've just realized after so many years of tick bites that I'm now allergic to ticks. The last tick bit I had made my entire arm and hand to swell beyond just a localized swelling of the bite site.

 

Good news-If you got the head out it probably means the tick wasn't in you for very long. Take the watchful waiting approach.

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

If you don't live in an area endemic to the disease, I wouldn't worry as much. We ARE in a very endemic area, and have one kid trying to eradicate her LD, and another on prophylactic antibiotics for a suspicious looking bite & rash.

 

Be well!

[Mejane]

I agree with those who have said the tick must be embedded for 24 hours to transmit lyme. That said... I've had it, it's awful, be vigilant!

[CroppinIt]

I don't know much about this, but MerryAtHope does. If she doesn't respond to the thread, you might pm her.

[Remudamom]

After our bout with Lyme (still ongoing) if we find a tick on us we're on a month's worth of antibiotics. A lot cheaper and safer than getting lyme.

 

We take so many precautions we don't see many ticks.

[lllll]

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