Ticks are not my favorite topic. Ewwwww! But some things simply must be told.
On April 29th I noticed a funny little thing clinging to my arm, about the size and color of a grain of wild rice.
Once the mysterious bug was removed, I still didn’t think much of it, except the bite area immediately began to itch and swell! “Hmmm,” I thought, “Probably nothing to worry about. It’s in a tender spot.”
Lyme Disease has been increasing around Virginia. My own niece has been suffering from its devastating effects now for four long years, so I suppose this has made me acutely “bug aware.”
And even though the bug that bit me didn’t look much like a tick, I saved it on a damp white napkin in an airless plastic bag, in a hidden part of the refrigerator. I also labeled it with the date and took a picture of the bite.
A bit of antihistamine gel happily stopped the itch, and the swelling went away.
Phew! Gone and literally forgotten.
But guess what? In about a week the swelling and itch returned in the same spot!
Then in another week or so, it happened again.
And the same ugly spot and itch returned 4 or 5 times between April 29th and June 18th.
“What’s going on here anyway?”
I was due for my yearly dermatology check-up on June 18th. “I’ll just ask the doctor what she thinks about this recurring bug bite.”
After hearing my story and viewing the evidence, the good doctor said,
“I would like to treat you for Lyme Disease with a course of antibiotics! It may not be Lyme, but this could definitely be a tick, and because the bite is returning so often, it would be better to be safe than sorry.”
So, even though it is questionable whether the tick was a carrier of the Lyme Disease infection, I am now on antibiotics as a preventative measure and I am grateful to my dermatologist for being cautious.
I have also learned a few things:
- Don’t count on finding the “Bull’s Eye” rash everybody talks about. It doesn’t always appear and if it does, it could be weeks after the bite. Mine was not a Bull’s Eye rash.
- Don’t wait. Get a medical opinion if you think something is odd.
- Don’t count on a blood test for Lyme either. According to my dermatologist, “blood tests are notoriously unreliable.”
- All ticks are not alike, and a tick does not always look like you expect it to. I have learned the tiny little deer tick (the size of a poppy seed) elongates and enlarges somewhat when it has had a full meal (me).
- Not every tick carries Lyme Disease. Deer ticks are not the same as dog ticks. Dog ticks ordinarily do not carry the disease. Deer ticks can and sometimes do.
- Ticks live in the grass. If you plan to be gardening or walking, wear long pants tucked into boots and spray around that area of your lower legs with a bug repellant.
- If you are bitten like I was, don’t be embarrassed to record the date, save the bug, or take a picture. The dermatologist thanked me for keeping those records because it helped her decide on a course of action.
And, Moral of the Story: Don’t ignore strange bug bites. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Related articles
- 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Lyme Disease (petcarerx.com)
It can be scary stuff–the long term effects. In addition to what you are doing, I would have a bug person look at it to identify it.
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The dermatologist squished the bug, so ’tis gone. But she thought it was a tick. Thanks for the advice though Lilly. 🙂
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Yikes!! That is scary stuff, and I’m really glad that your doctor is taking precautions just in case. Don’t forget to take your medication :).
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🙂 Thanks for the reminder. I actually forgot the one this morning! Eeeek!
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Yep. I’m here in Virginia too.
We have plenty of deer (that’s how I got the close up photos).
The grass in my yard is always cut short…but there are still ticks.
Last summer, I got bitten 6 times by deer ticks and went on antibiotics each time. This year, only once.
I took the tick into the clinic — because last year, they would send the ticks in to be tested.
Well now….the doctor (military clinic) told me that they don’t do that anymore.
AND now they won’t prescribe antibiotics either unless they see the bulls eye rash. Doctor said I could do a blood test after 6 to 8 weeks. Which, as you say, is extremely unreliable. It was smarter when they were testing the tick. The one that got me this year was so small, it was no bigger than a sesame seed. I got a magnifying glass to double check and sure enough, that sesame seed had legs.
Seems to me that doing nothing and waiting until someone has lyme disease is needlessly expensive and not smart.
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Thanks for the heads-up and take care of yourself.
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We have pulled so many out of us this April THEY SUCK no really they do I hate them as well. With all the rain and heat they has lessened or it is because I have been mowing the tall stuff down and staying IN
Were they blue pills?
I took them once but never thought to tell doctor about then as I get them out within a day and never got a bulls-eye either I see my skin doc in Aug. I will mention it
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Reblogged this on Living and Lovin and commented:
TICKS!
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WOW! Good for you Dor and good info for everyone. So hope your niece gets well soon. I have three friends with Lymes. Very tough!
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Very wise advice! We have to be careful in our part of the world too.
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Wow – thanks for the reminder. I often go out and work in the yard wearing flip-flops. I’ll definitely start spraying with repellant before I do that!
Take care!
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This is great advice! I had Lyme or should I say have since it never really leaves. My “bullseye” was mistreated and I wasn’t diagnosed for 3 months. The recurring bite is something else that you really don’t hear about, not to mention the insane itching. This is really, really great advice!!!!!
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We have a lot of ticks around here. My cats gets them and brings them into the house although he has the drops that supposedly kill them. The good news is that they are mostly dog ticks — big and brown. Easily identifiable. However, we also have deer so I am always cautious. I wish they would get better tests for identification.
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I definitely agree Kate – they should have better tests – both for identifying the critters and accurate blood tests to detect the disease in humans. And my big question is, how come they can have immunization for dogs but not people?
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Oh, I am so sorry you had/have Lyme! I have an inkling of how that can go since it is in my family now.
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Yikes! They come up from the grass Dianna! But maybe there aren’t too many of the critters there where you live.
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Thanks for stopping by my blog Cathy! 🙂
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Thanks for reblogging Time for Ticks Eunice. I hope it helps someone somewhere. 🙂
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Yep – they are blue pills. I have to take them for 3 weeks and it’s getting old. But I suppose caution is called for here.
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Thanks for visiting my blog Dorothy! Congratulations on your wedding and BTW, I love your horse!
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Thanks for this great reply Mary! I had no idea you can be given antibiotics 6 times in a tick season! This will make me every so much more careful about going out in the grass. As it is, I’m on doxycyclene for 3 weeks!
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Yes. I was given doxycyclene many times last year.
This year, the same military (government) clinic has taken a ‘wait and see what happens’ approach this year. Might be because there is apparently a shortage of doxyclyclene and the cost of the drug has gone up dramatically as a result.
It seems to me though, if they wait and see if someone gets a full blown case of lyme disease…the the long-term cost would be much more.
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I forgot to paste the link (about the current drug shortage of doxycycline) onto my reply above. Here it is:
http://emergency.cdc.gov/HAN/han00349.asp
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This is so true! The wait and see approach sounds pretty darned scary with the upswing in Lyme victims. I didn’t know there was a shortage of doxycyclene. This is troubling.
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Yes I took one and they spotted at Walmart after one pill I should not have taken the precaution as I was on a med that would cause Brain Swelling I told doc I had enough in my head already! 🙂
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Thanks so much for the link Mary! I’m sure some of our followers will want to check that out. I found it interesting that there is no real conviction that the alternatives to doxycyclene will work for Lyme. Again – Yikes!
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I am sure it will!
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Sage advice about keeping the insect and any other evidence. Glad you had an appointment at a convenient time.
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Scary disease from those little bugs – I hope you continue respond to the treatment and that you fully recover. I learned a lot from your post.
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Yeah, ticks make me a bit paranoid. We seem to have an abundance of the deer ticks that carry Lyme here in PA too. Of course, we have a huge population of deer as well. Way too many people in our area are suffering from the effects of Lyme disease, some are living with permanent debilitation from it. Serious stuff, so I’m glad you and your doctor took good precautions.
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I never remember such devastating disease from ticks in “the good old days.” Now it’s like an epidemic. I just learned that a friend’s husband contracted Rocky Mountain “Un-spotted” Fever from a regular dog tick bite. Imagine? When I started blogging I vowed to only post happy funny things. Uh Oh. I’m off track with this subject. Apologies. ~Dor
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God bless you Dorothy for sharing you experience with us. You certainly have hit a nerve from the number of responses you have received. I was unaware that so many people have had like experiences and worse. Also sounds like the insurance companies are playing a role in what treatment, medication and/or identification protocols are allowed.
Vivienne
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Lyme is definitely a worry here in Virginia and I’m glad if my story “hit a nerve” if it is of any help. Thanks Viv.
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