Tick Diseases

[glennmac]

Anyone else have the dubious pleasure of getting one of these?

I got a case of Ehrlichiosis this summer. Like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, it comes from a tick bite. What a sneaky sucker. You don't even know you have anything until you feel like dying. This particular disease usually doesn't come with any bite mark or swelling pattern. The first symptom I noticed was that I was getting more and more tired and sluggish, until I literally did not have the energy to get out of bed or move from here to there. Finally, I realized I had a high fever. Didn't realize it at first because there were no cold or flu-like symptoms that I have always associated with a fever in my past experience.

Crawled to the doctor under great protest. (I hate going to doctors and rarely do. Nothing personal. Ah, you know.) They have a hard time diagnosing these tick-borne diseases, and discriminating one from the other, and they can never be sure it is really gone. But the basic treatment was simple and effective enough--21 days of antibiotic. The severe symptoms went away after about 2 days, but I still have never felt "myself" again. That is, although I no longer feel super crappy, I feel extra crappy instead of normally crappy.

I pay more attention to ticks now when I'm out tractoring. I used to not care. Dogs had ticks all the time. Shoot, I sleep with my dogs. I always figured bugs were part of the outdoors and have always just tried to ignore them. Now, I make sure I scrub myself after every journey into the field and segregate my clothes.

How tedious.

 

[RonL]

glennmac

Several years ago I was the armorer and firearms instructor for my department. I spent a lot of my time at the outdoor range running training programs and doing maintenance. The range is outside of the city in a rural setting that borders on wetlands. One night I noticed a bullseye on my left arm near my armpit. I mentioned it to my wife and then forgot about it. I became sicker and sicker. I felt weaker and weaker and my joints ached more and more. It got to the point where i could hardly get out of bed. I remembered the bullseye and went to my doctor. He put me on an antibiotic regimen and tested me for Lyme disease. The tests came back negative for Lyme. I was tested two more times for Lyme disease with negative results. I still don't feel like I have the energy that I used to. Although they don't hurt as bad, my joints still ache. My doctor prescribed Vioxx for arthritis but I stopped taking because it made me sick to my stomach. I seemed to have the classic symptoms of Lyme disease but the tests came back negative three times.

RonL

 

[Anonymous Poster]

glennmac, an old friend who grew up in East Texas where there are trees gave me some good advice about ticks. He said that everytime he went into the woods, he dusted around his ankles with sulfur enclosed in an old sock. He said that this would keep them from climbing on board as he tramped through the woods. He said that you still had to be alert and shower and check for ticks even after the above precautions because he swore that some are in the trees and will drop down on you as you walk below! I'm not sure about the latter but I believe in the former. Good luck.

 

[Phred]

glennmac,

Sorry to hear you have had a hard time.

I have ticks in spades. Came home one day and found one on the door knob to the house! Take about lying in wait.

Therfeore I take them very serioiusly and use DET religiously. Just trun up the pant cuffs and spray the shoe sock and pants. Works great.

I still find a few now and then but it is getting rare. Keeping the grass cut also helps a lot.

Fred

 

[gordon]

Dang Glenn sorry to hear about your battle with the ticks. Not a good thing for any of us being outdoors. Even worse this summer with it being very dry. There were a ton of ticks on our property this summer. I HATE TICKS

Next to needles ticks are my most favorite of things---NOT

Hope both you and Ron start feeling better.
Gordon

 

[MossRoad]

You better believe that ticks will come off the branches if you rub up on them. We make our kids wear hats, long pants, long sleeves and long socks when we walk in the woods. Even if it is hot. And we spray them head to toe with 'deep woods off' paying special attention to the pants cuffs, shirt cuffs and collars and the hats. So far, so good.

 

[glennmac]

Phred, what's DET? Do you mean the stuff that is in mosquito repellant or something else? Farmhouse, there sure are ticks on branches of trees and bushes. I v'e gotten lots on me that way when brush cutting. Ron, I have heard of cases like yours. All the symptoms but the tests come back negative. I think you just have to find a doctor who will give you the antibiotic anyway if you insist. Gordon, thanks and good to hear from you. I guess neither of us is around as much as we used to be.

 

[cowboydoc]

I'm really sorry to hear that Glenn. Unfortunately alot of the symptoms you have may stay with you. It usually takes about a year to fully recover. The amount of damage all depends on how long you had it before you got the ab. It's so important to get in asap with that target rash. The more symptoms the more permanent effects you are going to have for life.

 

[RAllen]

Glenmac

I understand how you feel. Back in the early 80s, I taught diving and spent much time in and around the fresh water springs in N. Florida.

I contracted a strange disease complete with low grade fever, severe fatigue, rash on one lower leg and joint pain that moved from joint to joint. My doctor gave me antibiotics for the rash [celluitis sp?] and gradually, after several months, I got better. Even a stay in the hospital did nothing to help with diagnosis. I now test positive for the first test for Lyme's Disease but I do not test positive for a second follow up test used to confirm the disease. I really do not know what I had.

It took a year to my feel old self again. Anti inflamitories- Motrin was taken for about 8 months until the joint pain compelety disappeard. Keep the faith and I will remember you in my prayers.

BTW. I have been told it takes several hours of contact for the tick to give you most diseases. If you catch them before they swell you are probably OK.

Rick

 

[bobnewjersey]

Glenn..........we're here in western NJ and my dad was just diagnosed with Lyme. The doctor prescribed a 21 day dose of antibotics. Several friends and relatives who also had Lyme questioned the 21 days as they had all gone for 30 day treatments. Sure enough the doctor agreed that the extra 9 days was a good idea, and prescibed the extra meds. Good luck!!

 

[Phred]

Glennmac,

Diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET)
I missed an E.

You can buy this at wallmart in the sporting good section. I forget what the brand name is but it comes in a green spray can. ~20-30% DEET.
Works great.

Fred

 

[dmccarty]

Glennmac,

I'm real sorry to hear about your Tick Adventures.

If you search through the Rural section there is a good
conversation on Permethrin. I think I spelled this correctly.
Actually I think there are a couple of discussions. One was
back in 2001 or there abouts. Patrick put me on to using this
stuff and it works.

What you do is mix it with water and soak your clothes. Then
air dry the treated clothes. The treatment supposedly lasts
a year. The military treats fatigues with this stuff. You can
wash the clothes as normal and it still is effective. I have
seen chiggers, hundreds of them, and ticks climbing my legs.
But after about 18 inches of travel they slow down and start
to die. This stuff works and you don't have to reapply every
time you walk outside.

I wear two socks and tuck the pants legs into the socks.
When its really bad chigger season, July and August, I might
spray the socks with DEET.

It helps to keep the grass cut since 12-24 inch tall plants
is where the ticks and chigger like to hang out. During
the tick/chigger season I just try to stay out of the woods
and weeds. I stick to cut trails as much as possible.

I walked a lot line with a new neighbor early this spring. I
had on my treated clothes even though it was a bit warm. My
neighbor did not listen to my warnings and walked into the
woods wearing sneakers, short socks, and shorts. We
stopped twice going out and twice returning from a 1500
foot long walk so he could swat ticks..... He was lucky the
chiggers did not get him. I did not have near the number
of ticks even though I went in ahead of him to collect the
most ticks. They just jump or fall off the treated pants.

Good Luck and hope this helps.
Dan McCarty