# LYme Disease Anti-Passion



## GPRider08 (Aug 22, 2008)

Hey all, I know this isn't necessarily Passion, but this is one of the better read forums in MTBR, and I just thought I'd share some news. I was listening to the news on the way in this morning, and they said medical professionals are expecting a worse year than normal for Lyme Disease cases. Apparently, there were a lot more acorns than normal, which is the main food of a certain type of mice. This caused a boom in the mice population. These mice carry Lyme disease, which the ticks we all know and love then pick up and pass along to us. So, there'll be more ticks than usual because of the increased food supply, meaning more chances to catch this stuff. The worst outbreak is supposed to be in the NE, but anywhere with wooded areas will be worse than normal.

Anyway, just warning everyone to be careful, do what you can to keep the ticks off, and make sure to look for them after any ride or activity that takes you into woods, thick grass or brush. Lyme Disease is bad stuff.


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## Lenny7 (Sep 1, 2008)

I contracted Lyme about 9 years ago. Took awhile to diagnose and longer to get rid of. I wouldn't suggest it. Wear OFF with as much deet as the government will allow and don't stop till you get to the car. :thumbsup:


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

stupid little nymphs are out right now (i live in NE, its awful) and they are tiny little sesame seeds. Not easy to see, and next thing you know they're on your couch. ugh.


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## Gabriel J (Oct 17, 2009)

I was considering making a thread and ended up seeing this one...I just got back from a doctor visit after my discovery this morning. Not taking any risks and started the full 21-day antibiotic treatment. I rode Monday and had showered 4 times before I discovered this behind my knee in the shower this morning. Sending the tick itself off to the lab to be tested. The first photo doesn't really show the swelling and redness too well, but it didn't look good..Second photo is for size reference. It was full engorged and still the size of a pen tip.

I have been raving about the awesome mild weather in New England this year and wanted to forget about the consequences..These bastards are going to be everwhere.

-Gabe


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## Lenny7 (Sep 1, 2008)

Send it to Welcome to IGeneX, Inc.


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## Kanik (Sep 28, 2011)

Thanks for the heads up. Riding last summer I didn't get any ticks, but I was also not checking for them, so I need to get better about that. 

I live in STL by the way.


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## likeaboss (Jan 1, 2012)

BTDT 20 years ago riding in PA. A lot less common then and it took 3 trips to the doctor before I was tested. Never did find a bite or tick.


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## Irongrave (Mar 16, 2012)

Lyme is nothing to mess around with. ticks will also move to warmer areas so check thoroughly after your rides this season.


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## Spinning Lizard (Nov 27, 2009)

Just removed one yesterday form a ride in VA.


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## EnduroT (May 17, 2011)

Spinning Lizard said:


> Just removed one yesterday form a ride in VA.


Where abouts?

I guess it's a good time to start avoiding those trouble parts of the trail if you know where they are with higher grasses, etc


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## MaynardSouthern (Jun 5, 2010)

Not sure if this link will work, and the show isn't the most exciting...but some excellent info about Lyme.

Audio Player | The Diane Rehm Show from WAMU and NPR

I started having joint problems years ago, then developed severe fatigue problems. Went to a rheumatologist, negative for rheumatoid arthritis...tested at the general doc for Lyme, came up negative. Tried a few rounds of antibiotics anyway, as testing isn't always conclusive. Much better now, no fatigue symptoms, still have joint ache at times.

After listening to this program, I'm thinking I need to go back and try some antibiotic "cocktails" they refer to.

The stuff is no joke, hard to diagnose, and utter shite to live with...use your OFF or whatever you like, and always check thoroughly after a ride!


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

^ i had some mysterious autoimmune symptoms for a while (i think it ended up being due to mold exposure) but they tested me for Lyme and it was negative, but for some unknown reason, antibiotics can be helpful in autoimmune problems (in the absence of infection) and doctors dont know why.


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## coachjon (Jun 13, 2007)

GOTTA have a tick buddy to check you out after a ride for the spots you can't easily see! God I hate those damn things!


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## Spinning Lizard (Nov 27, 2009)

EnduroT said:


> Where abouts?
> 
> I guess it's a good time to start avoiding those trouble parts of the trail if you know where they are with higher grasses, etc


Was in downtown Richmond on the Buttermilk trail. No grass anywhere.


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## d365 (Jun 13, 2006)

for the first time, that i can remember, we had ticks year round, here in GA. I've pulled 3 off me, and several off my dogs this winter. I can only imagine the tick bomb about to go off down here. It's a good thing Lyme disease is less prevalent down here. In the warmer months, I can hardly go one ride without finding a tick.


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## Stugotz (Dec 14, 2011)

This is one of those threads that should be 'Bumped' on a regular basis for some time especially considering the bumper crop of ticks expected this year and outbreaks so early in the northern states. This is really serious stuff as illistrated by a story of an eldery woman dying from a disease carried by ticks. This happened last year here in Minnesota:

Minnesota Woman Dies of Brain Infection After Tick Bite
Two cases of Powassan virus this year in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Health officials are stressing the importance of preventing tick bites after a woman in her 60s from northern Minnesota died of a brain infection caused by a tick-carried virus, marking the first death from the deadly disease in the state.

The woman's brain infection stemmed from Powassan (POW) virus, which is transmitted through the bite of an infected tick.

Only one other POW case has been identified this year in Minnesota. An Anoka County man in his 60s was hospitalized with a brain infection and is now recovering at home.

Both of the 2011 cases became ill in May after spending time outdoors and noticing tick bites. In the fatal case, the victim was likely exposed to ticks near her home. The man from Anoka County might have been exposed near his home or at a cabin in northern Minnesota.

Minnesota Department of Health officials say the woman's death serves as a reminder of the vital importance of preventing tick bites.

"Although Powassan cases are rarely identified, it is a severe disease which is fatal in about 10 percent of cases nationwide, and survivors may have long-term neurological problems" said Dr. Ruth Lynfield, state epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health. "Powassan disease is caused by a virus and is not treatable with antibiotics, so preventing tick bites is crucial."

In Minnesota, POW virus can be transmitted by the blacklegged tick (also called the deer tick), which can also carry Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis. The blacklegged tick is abundant during our warm weather months in hardwood and mixed-hardwood forests of Minnesota. When a tick infected with POW virus attaches to a person, it might take only minutes of tick attachment for the virus to be transmitted.

POW was first detected in Minnesota in 2008, in a Cass County child who was exposed near home. In 2009-2010, five additional POW cases were identified in Minnesota. These cases were likely exposed to infected ticks in north-central or east-central counties (Cass, Carlton, Hubbard, Itasca, or Kanabec). In addition to these human cases, MDH has found POW-infected ticks in northern counties (Cass, Clearwater, and Pine) and in southeastern Minnesota (Houston County).

POW virus was first described in 1958 in Powassan, Ontario. Since then, about 60 cases have been identified in North America. Most of these cases were from eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. until the last decade, when cases began to be reported from Michigan, Wisconsin, and now Minnesota.

POW virus is related to West Nile virus. Like West Nile, POW virus can cause severe disease of the central nervous system, involving inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). People with POW may have fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, speech difficulties, and memory loss. Signs and symptoms occur within one to five weeks of an infectious tick bite.

To prevent tick-borne diseases, always use tick repellents containing DEET (up to 30 percent concentration) or permethrin when spending time in tick habitat. Products with DEET can be used on the skin or clothing. Permethrin-based products, which are only applied to clothing, are highly effective and can last through several washings and wearings. Also, wear long pants and light-colored clothing to help detect and remove ticks before they've had time to bite. People with homes or cabins near the woods can also use landscape management and targeted pesticide applications to reduce exposure to disease-carrying ticks.

After returning from outdoors, check your body carefully for ticks and promptly remove any you find. The process of bathing or showering shortly after returning indoors can help remove ticks before they bite or before they've been attached for long.

Read more: Minnesota Woman Dies of Brain Infection After Tick Bite Minnesota Woman Dies of Brain Infection After Tick Bite


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## EnduroT (May 17, 2011)

Sorta makes me want to shave my legs.


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## mtn.skratch (Oct 19, 2008)

The trails just cleared out on the Co. front range, and I already found a tick on me! This thread pretty much explains why. Thanks for posting as i was shocked to find the bugger this early in the season. I'm sure it is best to be proactive and get on the cocktail, as Gabriel J did, but does anyone know how likely it is to contract Lyme from a tick bite. My health insurance is a joke.


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## 73h 8r!110 (Jan 25, 2008)

I live in North Jersey, ticks are everywhere....it's disgusting.

I've not really had any luck with DEET keeping ticks away. Instead, during hunting season this past winter, I started using a spray that contains Permethrin. Permethrin is not a bug/tick repellant, instead it kills them on contact. It seemed to work very well, i would still get a few ticks on my clothing, but they seemed to be practically dead when i would brush them off.

The permethrin spray is applied to clothing while it is not being worn. Once the spray dries, the clothing can be worn. It supposedly lasts for a few washings, too.

I highly recommend looking into it, i have nothing bad to say about it.

on a similar note. Some companies actually make 'permethrin tubes'. Basically, cardboard tubes stuffed with cotton balls that are soaked in permethrin. The concept is the tubes are scattered around your yard. Mice enter the tubes and take the cotton to make a nest. The permethrin kills any ticks that are on the mice.

Happy tick hunting!


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## 73h 8r!110 (Jan 25, 2008)

mtn. skratch....

I'm not an expert by any measure. but, I went to the Dr's office last year for a deer tick bite and the Dr. mentioned there is a 3% chance of getting Lymes Disease.

3% sounds very low, i know way too many people that have gotten Lymes disease for it to be that low....but who knows? Again, i'm just repeating what someone told me.


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## GPRider08 (Aug 22, 2008)

73h, maybe the doctor was able to gauge how long the deer tick was on you? I don't know the whole story, but my understanding is deer ticks need to stay attached for about 36 hours before the chance for infection becomes real.

I've had a few encounters with ticks in the past, but I seem to manage to find them before they bite me. Until last year, that is. I found what I think was a lone star tick, fully engorged and crawling it's way off of me one day in the shower. I have no idea where it had been! I hadn't really been out in the woods for awhile before I found it. It scared the crap out of me, and I've been paranoid since.

I also have an inlaw who contracted severe Lyme Disease, in that it went years undetected. I was told he still has post-Lyme Disease Syndrome, basically because it did lasting damage. Of course, the guy is also a raging alcoholic who has killed a good part of his brain, so I have my doubts Lyme Disease is the sole source of his issues. Though, he seems to lack any ability to move his face to show expressions, and face numbness/nerve damage is a problem when you have it for years.


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## K2Stew (Dec 17, 2004)

Mtn Skratch --

If you live in Colorado, the chances of contracting Lyme Disease from a tick bite are almost zero. The first step in understanding Lyme is that you need to know if you live in an endemic area or not. Colorado (and the west in general) is not an endemic area for Lyme. Other tick-borne illnesses are more prevalent in the Rockies (although, ironically, NOT Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) so ticks are still something you want to avoid. According to the CDC, only 3 cases of Lyme were reported in Colorado from 2000-2009. CDC - Cases by State - Lyme Disease

For up-to-date and accurate information on Lyme, the CDC is your best bet. They have great web pages for the lay-person and health professional.

CDC - Lyme Disease Home Page


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## NicoleB (Jul 21, 2011)

i try to love and respect all creatures. i dont kill spiders anymore, as much as i'm grossed out.

but i just cant love and respect blood-sucking parasites!!!!


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## likeaboss (Jan 1, 2012)

73h 8r!110 said:


> mtn. skratch....
> 
> I'm not an expert by any measure. but, I went to the Dr's office last year for a deer tick bite and the Dr. mentioned there is a 3% chance of getting Lymes Disease.
> 
> 3% sounds very low, i know way too many people that have gotten Lymes disease for it to be that low....but who knows? Again, i'm just repeating what someone told me.


3% of the population rides mountain bikes

Be careful with DEET. It kills many synthetic fabrics and plastics.


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## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*Actually.....*



GPRider08 said:


> ...my understanding is deer ticks need to stay attached for about 36 hours before the chance for infection becomes real.


The CDC says _generally_ it takes 24 hours but there have been cases where people have been infected with the tick in them for less than 24 hours.


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## mtn.skratch (Oct 19, 2008)

73h and K2stew thanks for the info and thanks again everyone for the thread, it has been quite useful!!
happy trails!


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## RidinLou (Sep 5, 2011)

Heard of one of the first of this years tick borne diseases today at lunch. One of my co-workers relatives. Lyme disease is bad, but this but is one of many that can raise havoc with ones health/life.

Had a coworker die from undiagnosed/untreated (at least til it was too late) Rocky Mtn Spotted fever he contracted in metro Nashville (he was NOT an outdoors kinda guy). He thought it was the flu til it put him in the hospital and two days later he was dead.


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## ghettocop (Jul 26, 2011)

Great thread. Good advice all around.


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## Lenny7 (Sep 1, 2008)

Ken in KC said:


> The CDC says _generally_ it takes 24 hours but there have been cases where people have been infected with the tick in them for less than 24 hours.


The tick that gave me lyme was on for about 8 hours max. 
Had several docs tell me "we don't have lyme in Texas." or "only 1% percent of ticks carry lyme." Well, the tick that bit me was in Texas and 100% infected with lyme so that 1% Texas thing doesn't really mean that much to me.

I have a weird reaction to all tick bites. I got 3 last year on a gravel ride. The bites took about 9 months to heal. Went to the doc and got about 4 weeks of doxy to be safe.


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## GPRider08 (Aug 22, 2008)

Ken in KC said:


> The CDC says _generally_ it takes 24 hours but there have been cases where people have been infected with the tick in them for less than 24 hours.


Thanks for clarifying, Ken. Unfortunately, that makes me even more paranoid! Though, Rock Mountain Spotted Fever is a bigger issue around here. At least according to that CDC website.


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## 92gli (Sep 28, 2006)

Got it 2 years ago. Chester county, PA. The "eye of the beast" so to speak (check out that cdc map). 

It was a beautiful Saturday at french creek. Lost control and ended up in the brush trailside. Didn't check myself when I got back to the car. Chills and sweating started early monday morning - worst flu ever? Who turned the a/c down to 40 and dumped a bucket of water on the bed ? 

Ended up in the hospital the next day with severe dehydration (thought I had a brain aneurysm - was crying and puking from the migraine). Had a 10 hour stay - lots of IV fluids, spinal tap (fun fun fun. Dr. wanted to rule out menengitis). They couldn't find the tick or a bite site but felt 99% it was lyme given the circumstances. Took antibiotic pills the size of my thumb for 6 weeks (or was it 4 ?, can't remember. It was a long time with no beer, thats for sure). Found the bullseye in my armpit a few days later. Tick was MIA, must have eaten and run. I'm fine now, no lingering effects.

Athletes in good shape usually come down with very obvious, acute symptoms within 72 hours. Get treated quickly and you'll be fine. Inactive people may just mistake the initial symptoms for a flu and never get treated - then you can have long term issues.


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## VTSession (Aug 18, 2005)

F#ck Lyme Disease. When I was 18 my legs went numb slowly over the course of about a month. I ended up in the hospital and the doctors were baffled as to what was wrong with me. They said it was everything from a slipped disc to Lou Gehrig's Disease. My mother suggested it might be Lyme Disease - turns out it was. I spend 2 weeks in the hospital getting daily IV drips of antibiotics. The doctors couldn't guarantee my legs would recover or if I could walk again. 

I hobbled out of the hospital 2 weeks later and 30 pounds lighter- the doctors were shocked I could even do that. I made a full recovery. The neurologist who worked with me told me later he was confident I would never walk again. I spend the next 6 months putting the weight back and training to get stronger. I was back on skis that winter and today at age 30 I don't have any residual effects.

I was lucky. I've heard of Lyme disease having serious long term affects on people. Check yourself for ticks. I just found one on me yesterday.


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## Maday (Aug 21, 2008)

Have a friend who got Lyme in the North Cascades near Seattle, WA. He wasn't diagnosed because there is a near zero chance of getting it here. Antibiotics weren't effective. Really took a lot out of him. He treated it with high concentrations of salt and vitamin C.


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## newking (Nov 6, 2007)

*keep them off...*

It's always good to treat your riding clothes every season. I have had good success with using Sawyers' Permethrin. I will spray down my MTB shorts and shirts for the spring season. It only takes a couple of minutes and I guess one treatment will last through several wash cycles!

It's been exceptionally warm in New England so that may bode for a bad tick season. We did not have many prolonged hard freezes to kill the suckers off.

After spraying your clothes you also need to treat your exposed skin and pretty much any of the repellant products sold at EMS or REI should keep you safe.

Also get in shower as soon as possible after riding. If you have one on you it may not have "settled in" yet and usually you can feel them while soaping down in the shower.


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## HelloMyNameIsSean (Sep 14, 2011)

Have a second cousin who went mis-diagnosed for something like 10 years. She now has a an IV in her arm and has to give herself daily medication through it, along with a handful of pills. I feel for her and anyone else suffering from it.


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

Insect-borne diseases -- yeech. I knew someone who got Rocky Mountain Spotted Tick Fever in northern Montana and someone else who was the first person in New Mexico in that particular year to be diagnosed with bubonic plague. Fortunately both illnesses were diagnosed correctly and speedily and were easily cured with antibiotics. We'll see how tick season plays out in central Texas this year. The viral illnesses are indeed the scary ones. West Nile virus has been with us for a few years now and a relatively warm, moist winter means a bumper crop of mosquitoes for this spring and summer. Dengue fever has crossed the border and is slowly working its way north. 
Thanks for the tips on Permethrins.


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## miatagal96 (Jul 5, 2005)

It's good to change right after riding in a tick-infested area and treat your bike clothes as if they have ticks on them (i.e. don't wear them again or co-mingle with clean clothes). A friend had a tick transfer to her car seat when she was driving home, then it got back onto her several days later.


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## SJKevin (Nov 30, 2011)

My wife dealt with Lyme for 15 years. She was diagnosed in her teens and treated but the symptoms came back repeatedly over the years and several doctors wanted to treat her for depression. About five years ago she started going to a specialist who treated her with high doses of antibiotics for long periods of time. She's healthy for the first time today since she was a teenager. The commonly administered test is not always effective in getting a diagnosis and the bulls-eye rash doesn't always present itself. There is actually some research going on that may produce a more accurate test by taking a blood culture. Hopefully the medical community in time will do a better job diagnosing because there are too many stories of people going undiagnosed for years.


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## Gabriel J (Oct 17, 2009)

A little update from last week...I sent the Tick in to the lab the day that I took it off leg. This came in the mail today.

I have heard/read the different opinions/percentages of infection, estimated times it takes for Lyme to be passed etc, and none are definitive. I don't regret one bit starting the antibiotic treatment the day I discovered the tick. So far I have no symptoms and I hope it stays that way. If it's because I wasn't infected, or the medicine is working I don't care, as long as I avoided the potential effects of Lyme.

-Gabe


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## Francine (May 26, 2004)

I have had Lyme three times already. The last time was this fall after riding at Frenchcreek. Went home took a shower and the next morning there was the tick stuck into my side. Had a red area all around the tick at this point. Definitely less than 24 hours later. Waited a month or so before going to Dr because I thought it had to be attached for at least 24 hours. Felt kind of weird, tired and just not a lot of energy. Went to the Dr and showed him the picture of the area I pulled to tick from. He said if there is any sign of redness you may be affected. Took the meds and felt much better in a few weeks. I am worried about this year, supposed to to really bad.


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## adamsundbergdc (Mar 18, 2012)

Check after every ride. If bit, you only have 1/100 chance of contracting Lyme but get checked by your MD. If you get any achiness at all after being bit get on strong anti-biotics ASAP.


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## RidinLou (Sep 5, 2011)

*Expanded info*

I shoot with a guy that is a medical doctor.
Ended up with a tick bite that was the classic "bullseye", we just happen to run into each other at the range and he told me he would call in a prescription. At that time the test was so inaccurate (false positives and even worse false negatives) he said forget te test, take the antibiotic.

Apparently if one stops it early it is no big deal, but if it develops there are some long term effects.

One thing to consider, being bitten inside of a metropolitan area is no saving grace. Lost a coworker to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever that he contracted in the greater Nashville area. He was not an outdoors person so likely got the tick at home . . .

Just happened to be one carrying the causative organism.


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## Sh4wn (Dec 3, 2011)

73h 8r!110 said:


> Some companies actually make 'permethrin tubes'. Basically, cardboard tubes stuffed with cotton balls that are soaked in permethrin. The concept is the tubes are scattered around your yard. Mice enter the tubes and take the cotton to make a nest. The permethrin kills any ticks that are on the mice.
> 
> Happy tick hunting!


Damminix Tick Tubes

Amazon.com: Damminix Lyme Control: Sports & Outdoors

I may be picking some up for my yard this week.


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## Axe (Jan 12, 2004)

adamsundbergdc said:


> Check after every ride. If bit, you only have 1/100 chance of contracting Lyme but get checked by your MD. If you get any achiness at all after being bit get on strong anti-biotics ASAP.


I have heard a single doze of Doxycycline withing 72 hours of bite is 95% effective in preventing Lyme, even if tick was positive and transmitted it. I would take one, not wait for resutls to come back of for redness to show up.

I got swelling once after a bite. Took doxy for a week and it seems all was fine after that.

My wife got bit by a tick that was tested positive while she was pregnant. One can not take doxy when pregnant, so she was on something else for a month; our doctor decided it is better to be on the safe side.


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

I guess different people react differently. 

I'm in the midwest and we have a lot of ticks. I get several bites every year no matter what kind of bug spray I use and find a lot more that haven't attached yet. If they have attached I always find them pretty quick because the bites itch like hell; so that alerts me where to look if it's in a somewhat hidden area. On the back is the hardest. Also some of them are pretty tiny and hard to spot. I can't believe one being on anyone long enough to start to swell up with blood. I guess those people have no reactions to the saliva. There is always a red spot but not large in diameter. 

Fortunately in my part of the country there aren't many cases. But I'd hate to be one of the less than 1 percenters. 1 percent isn't 0 percent.


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## Jersey_Pete (Dec 6, 2010)

73h 8r!110 said:


> I live in North Jersey, ticks are everywhere....it's disgusting.
> 
> Happy tick hunting!


73H, last week in Hackettstown I pulled a small one off my leg and the guy I was with also pulled one off too. They are out in force this year.


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## 92gli (Sep 28, 2006)

Francine said:


> I have had Lyme three times already. The last time was this fall after riding at Frenchcreek.


Thats where I got my bite in 2010. Hey - We're french creek lyme club buddies ! Wanna get shirts made ? :thumbsup:


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## goforbroke (Nov 11, 2008)

92gli said:


> Got it 2 years ago. Chester county, PA. The "eye of the beast" so to speak (check out that cdc map).
> 
> It was a beautiful Saturday at french creek. Lost control and ended up in the brush trailside. Didn't check myself when I got back to the car. Chills and sweating started early monday morning - worst flu ever? Who turned the a/c down to 40 and dumped a bucket of water on the bed ?
> 
> ...


I ride FC also and have pulled a few ticks off me after my ride but they weren't attached yet. It's annoying now because I'm always checking my self after I go through deep brush. They get stuck between my shoes and socks or they jump onto my laces. I've had a few rides where I pulled at least 10 ticks off me during my rides. I usually just catch them crawling around on me looking for a happy home. 
The only thing I use is OFF DEEP WOODS, but it's obviously not very effective.


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## PretendGentleman (May 24, 2011)

I've been lucky so far, but coming out of D.C. on a 40 day bicycle tour, I ate lunch in some tall grass. A few hours later I discovered several hundred tiny ticks all over my legs. Being on tour and camping on some remote private property, I didn't have a whole lot of options. After experimenting with ways to remove the ticks, I settled on taking a knife and shaving them off. While this was not the best way to prevent infection, sometimes you just gotta get the parasite off you asap. Fortunatley other than some red pimple looking dots for a month, no consequences occured that I am aware of. started my phd shortly after, so doesn't seemed to have any cognitive effects, not negatively at least...


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## cmg (Mar 13, 2012)

Im in Europe,
last Autumn I was in the shower after riding to work, pulled a tick off, 2 weeks later I left work early cause "Im getting the flu", after suffering 2 days of the worst flu in history, sweats, cold shivers (I went to the toilet one night, and due to my shivering p!ssed all over the place), I went to the Docs, he asked about a tick bite, I explained, the meds started working in a day but I had to take 3 weeks of meds, Im thinking about getting immunised......

*
if you are bitten, get to Doc, its not worth the risk*

Lyme Disease will f%&k your sh!t up!!!!!!!


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## Axe (Jan 12, 2004)

PretendGentleman said:


> I started my phd shortly after, so doesn't seemed to have any cognitive effects, not negatively at least...


 Wait until you finish it. You will understand then.

-- Dr. Axe.


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## 440fish (Apr 10, 2011)

Great post and i agree with others this looks like it will be a banner yr for ticks due to the mild winter. Someone said they live in the epicenter of the Lyme disease map, well...In the Summer I live in the town next to Lyme Ct, (where the name came from)

I usually ride in areas that have a high incidence of Lyme bearing ticks. So far ive been lucky. Two years ago my dad wasnt. Ended up with permanent damage after a long horrible bout with Lyme.

Be very proactive if you think you have a bite or symptoms!
.


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## Tybol (Mar 27, 2012)

I spend a lot of time in the field with the Army. While living in tall grass for a week at a time in North Carolina I become a tick magenet... I've found two ticks in a very very bad place for ticks to be (bathing suit area) and on a backpacking trip in Sequoia NP as a civillian I woke up one morning with a deer tick burried as deep into my belly button as he could get. He later had to be dug out by a dear friend of mine. 
Ticks are one creature I could do without (even though I've never had lyme disease)


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## Jeepnut22 (Jul 16, 2008)

I picked up Lyme's two Summers ago. Caught it quickly and went on antibiotics for 5 1/2 weeks (long story) within 6 days. Worst I ever felt in my life... Bug spray is generously applied before each ride...

Not messing around at all anymore...


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

Interesting article on the spread of Lyme carrying ticks and also Chagas disease. 
Dr. Sheba Meymandi, a Chagas expert in Los Angeles, has seen two 17-year-old patients in the last year and a half with infections identified by blood donation screenings. One boy caught Chagas during a round of golf;* the other while mountain biking*.


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## JasonCz (Mar 29, 2011)

This is the most up-to-date map concerning lyme disease based on data from 2004-2007. I thought this would be usefull in this thread.


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## Axe (Jan 12, 2004)

JasonCz said:


> This is the most up-to-date map concerning lyme disease based on data from 2004-2007. I thought this would be usefull in this thread.


There is Lyme on the West coast.


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## RidinLou (Sep 5, 2011)

I would like the source of that map if you have it, I think it may well be very misleading.


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## Axe (Jan 12, 2004)

RidinLou said:


> I would like the source of that map if you have it, I think it may well be very misleading.


This is the first study where they collected actual tick samples - not just tabulated registered Lyme cases.


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## H0WL (Jan 17, 2007)

RidinLou said:


> I would like the source of that map if you have it, I think it may well be very misleading.


Article and map are here


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## trmn8er (Jun 9, 2011)

Had a tick in me today on my waist area. Discovered it before shower. I rode a short 8 mile Single-track ride, probably picked him up there in the Mountains. Just a little red in the area he was attached.


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## Axe (Jan 12, 2004)

NicoleB28 said:


> Stupid little nymphs are out right now ... and next thing you know they're on your couch.


This is a family site. No jailbait talk, please.


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## xenon (Apr 16, 2007)

trmn8er said:


> Had a tick in me today on my waist area. Discovered it before shower. I rode a short 8 mile Single-track ride, probably picked him up there in the Mountains. Just a little red in the area he was attached.


Make sure you have removed its head, not just tore off the belly. A few years ago my wife had a tick. It didn't seem to have sucked in deep, so I pulled it out and thought that was it (my excuse is I have a poor eyesight and I hadn't dealt with ticks for decades). 
The head remained in, in couple of weeks the area got swollen. So she had to go to a doc, got checked for different diseases, all negative, fortunately. The Russian folk cure to get a tick out is rubbing kerosene into the skin, leaving the tick alive and making it withdraw.


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## Axe (Jan 12, 2004)

xenon said:


> The Russian folk cure to get a tick out is rubbing kerosene into the skin, leaving the tick alive and making it withdraw.


That is a bad advice. Doing anything but just pulling the tick straight out can make it regurgitate the bacteria that lives in its gut. So not burning, covering in oil etc. That is also the reason that transmission is much less likely until tick was feeding for a while.

There are some convenient small plastic wedge/fork contraptions one can buy to pull ticks out. I carry one in my toolkit along with other first aid.

Lyme does not show up on tests until much later. Best thing is to keep the tick and send it to a laboratory - that is cheap. Many first aid kits have small glass bottles useful for that purpose. Minority of ticks are infected, depending on the area.


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## POAH (Apr 29, 2009)

love that - medical attention is recommended lol

in the last few years we have seen ticks carrying the spirochete in the last 5-10 years in scotland



Gabriel J said:


> A little update from last week...I sent the Tick in to the lab the day that I took it off leg. This came in the mail today.


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## xenon (Apr 16, 2007)

I think, it is a good advice (the fork/wedge thing, not kerosene). In my youth I spent a summer in Central Siberia forests, full of ticks. We used kerosene on ticks that had at least part of head still out. To get out a head when it was deep in, we had to use needles - which was just as unpleasant, as it sounds. Actually, the best way was to be aware of the danger and check on ourselves and one another regularly, removing ticks before they had a chance to attach. 
One of my coworkers back then contracted encephalitis, and, as we were told, stayed alive only thanks to the mandatory vaccination.


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## Axe (Jan 12, 2004)

xenon said:


> In my youth I spent a summer in Central Siberia forests, full of ticks. We used kerosene on ticks that had at least part of head still out.


Been there. But I have been there with tick-borne encephalitis vaccination done. I do not think there was Lyme there.


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

Axe said:


> That is a bad advice. Doing anything but just pulling the tick straight out can make it regurgitate the bacteria that lives in its gut. So not burning, covering in oil etc. That is also the reason that transmission is much less likely until tick was feeding for a while.
> 
> There are some convenient small plastic wedge/fork contraptions one can buy to pull ticks out. I carry one in my toolkit along with other first aid.
> 
> Lyme does not show up on tests until much later. Best thing is to keep the tick and send it to a laboratory - that is cheap. Many first aid kits have small glass bottles useful for that purpose. Minority of ticks are infected, depending on the area.


Yes. All the old wives tails to get them out are just that. I gently pull on them until they release. You need to be careful not to squeeze them too hard either, but if you have smashed them after removing them you know they are pretty tough little fkers.


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

>>It is well-known in the Lyme community that [[[fleas, spiders, and mosquitoes and many bloodsucking insects]]] can carry the Lyme bacteria. Even if she had a tick at one time, she would not have necessarily known it. They are very small and like to hid in obscure areas of the body where they are not generally noticed. The target rash for Lyme is only present in less than 50% of people that contract Lyme. Also, the tests for Lyme are notorious for yielding false negatives. A Lyme specialist will treat regardless of test results and will also test for co-infections that often occur with Lyme.<<


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## HMFIC (Oct 22, 2005)

Interesting documentary....until this thread, and watching this movie, I had no idea that Lyme could be so damaging....

Hulu - Under Our Skin - Watch the full movie now.


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## modifier (May 11, 2007)

That is a really good film. One thing that it brings out which is really important to everyone is how insurance companies can pull strings to have doctors who won't play along persecuted with the result of halting research and treatment ending with people suffering and dieing, perhaps unnecessarily, all in the pursuit of more profit. 

This is the biggest problem with the modern world. Profitability takes precedence over everything.


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## eastcoastdeave (Jun 30, 2011)

wow after reading all these post i am scratching myself everywhere. Man do i hate ticks!


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

I've heard the ticks have been bad this year and bumping this as a reminder. Do watch that documentary "Under our Skin" posted above, it's good for awareness. For those that hate hulu it is also on youtube: Under Our Skin - YouTube


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## Neurotic OCD (May 8, 2013)

My local riding spot is getting very bad (Richland, WA in the Chamna Preserve).
I rode for only about 30 minutes yesterday, most of it single track in a river delta area with lots of tall grass and other vegetation that would brush over your legs constantly. I hopped off the bike a handful of times to get ticks off my socks and legs.
None of them actually bit, but two were on their way and a bit harder to remove than just brush them off. I think I probably had 8-10 on me total. The last one was crawling up my leg from my shoes when I got home.


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## nOOky (May 13, 2008)

Finished up a course of antibiotics just over 2 weeks ago for Lymes. Noticed my tan got a lot deeper and darker during that period from the doxycycline. I have tested positive for Lymes 3 times, caught it early every time. You don't always get the rash or bullseye, but I have had the bullseye once around the tick bite. Ticks are really common here in Wisconsin, you have to check yourself after every outdoor adventure, and even then they may have already latched onto you.


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## JKA (Jul 26, 2006)

You guys are giving me the heebie jeebies with all this tick talk. I'm glad I live in the desert. Scorpions don't carry Lyme. Bad news is that we just had our first West Nile virus death here this week. Watch out for the mosquitoes too. West Nile can be worse than Lyme.


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## Redmon (Jan 12, 2004)

Weintraub: Be afraid of Lyme disease
http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/12/opinion/weintraub-lyme-disease/index.html

Shawn Young


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