Tick Borne diseases. What are the chances you do not have one, maybe from many years ago. The "tick must be there for 36-48 hours" is not 100% true and not at all true for many of the diseases. Being diagnosed with many of the tick diseases is unlikely at first. Most doctors are not well informed about them. IMO they have become a real problem not only for us but for anyone living in the country and most suburbs. The alarm is being sounded more often now. But is it too late for most of us and what do we do now? Most of us cannot afford the doctor visits, time off and testing that often does not diagnose a tick disease anyway. IMO a safe daily herbal regimine that builds your immune system and natural antibiotics with vitamin C is probably our best defense. It does not seem like it would hurt. Any herbalists have any suggestions? Also remember that herbs can affect you negatively if you are taking medications. Consult your doctor or do you own research for contraindications.

Here is a list with info of most tick diseases. It does not include at least one new one.
http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/resources/TickborneDiseases.pdf

Yep. Got one, going on 6 years now, feeling it this morning quite badly too. Feet hurt so bad, I don't want to walk. Got Lyme, doc misdiagnosed me In the beginning so now I'm a lifer because I was treated wrong. Actually starting a expensive UV Light treatment Monday as the antibiotics are losing there effect. $160 a week and insurance does not cover it. So $640 a Month that the fur check did not cover

Don't fool around if you think you got Lyme it is a mother to deal with, I was told by a neurologist 4 years ago I was one of 11 people documented int the country to have this effecting my body the way it is. It is effecting my muscles, joints, brain and possibly organs. It is a cruel sentence to have my friends


Lots of Norco for pain and Flexirol for muscles I've been on 4 antibiotics for months at a time. Usual 4 months straight then start again in 3-5 months. Weight swings from a high of 301 down to 255 I think the hardest thing is the effects on the brain, I have asked my wife to file for divorce twice, apathy can get real bad, depression. What keeps me going is my son who is now 14 I need to spend time with him, my wife has been a trooper putting up with the physical and mental issues it causes

Dang mt.

I hope things get better.

I'm gonna pay more attention for sure.

Yep, had one burried in my arse this past turkey season. I got flu like symptoms (my daughter had the flu and was throwing up so I didn't second guess it) arthritis in my knees, shoulders and waist line. I just turned fifty three weeks ago so I didn't second guess that either, I just thought, wow I'm fifty now and it sucks. Started putting two and two together and went straight to the doctors that afternoon for a 2 week dose of heavy anti biotics.

Smart move there

I went to doc told him about bulls eye rash that I had a month earlier and he said "no way could you get Lyme in Michigan" treated me with a five day Zpac and the rest is history, he screwed me. And it wasn't until 25 months later that I was informed I had it for life now so no legal recourse as tort reform in michigan said no go after 24 months.

Don't mess around with this stuff it will destroy your health I was healthy , could play a whole basketball game without taking a break and now I'm a fricken mess. Turn 50 this July, so at least I may only have to deal with this for maybe another 2o years lol

My wife has Alpha-gal. It causes life threatening allergic reactions to any mammalian meat. The reaction Is delayed for 6-10 hours so It Is hard.to figure out what Is going on. Eating in a restaurant is a gamble. They dont have mammal meat warning signs like they do for peanuts and other common allergens, so you have to ask and they look at you weird every time. It's strange that a tick borne illness can have no effect accept a delayed allergic reaction to an unrelated allergen but it does.

I bet the medication was 100 milligrams of Doxycycline Hyclate twice a day!!! I know cause I was in the ER Sunday night and was diagnosed with lymes disease. Until the meds kicked in I wanted to die I was so miserable. Waiting for official blood results to come back.

I've been on doxy for the past 10 weeks and it isn't working anymore DON'T TAKE THIS LIGHTLY. You do not want it to become resistant to it. The UV light treatment I'm starting has been the best but it cost so much and it won't cure me


EVERYBODY TAKE TICKS SERIOUSLY

they are now my most feared animal,moving ahead of the snapping turtle.get tested twice a year,when they are out,i am out.july and dec are the months i try to get bloodwork done but make sure you tell them what you do and what you want them too look for.i didn't go to a doctor for 45 yrs.except for stitches and after watching a few people go through it i changed my ways.

Just going to put this out there so you guys also pay attention to what they give you for antibiotics . I to have been tested for Lymes and I live in ak because all my systems looks like lymes . I was antibiotic poison 25 month ago . It has been a fun ride still has me fried , aches ,pains , joints , muscle problems , vision, allergic to the cold , in general screwd up but getting better . I was given a flox base antibiotic called cypro . What I am trying to say if they give you somthing read and under stand side affects before you take it. To learn more just type in cypro poisoning there are lots of other antibiotics that will do the same thing as the flox based ones with out the harmful side affects . My public safety notice for today Carry-on .

Had anaplasmosis a few years back. Got real weak and ended up in hospital a few days. They said my white blood cells were as low as a cancer patients. Nurses couldn't come in unless they wore masks and stuff. In order to make sure the ticks don't win, I now do make sure to spend twice as much time outdoors. Be careful with them boogers.

The newest one is Bourbons disease only two cases one in Kansas and one in Oklahoma. Named after the county it was diagnosed in. http://www.newson6.com/story/29168577/new-tick-borne-virus-confirmed-in-oklahoma

this might be a good thread to put up top for awhile for awareness.lotsa good info here.

I had Erlichiosis in 2008. Sickest I've ever been in my life. Initial Lymes test came back negative so they had put me on Amoxycillin or something along that line. Kept getting sicker and when I saw my real Doc he had just diagnosed his Dad with Erlichiosis and so put me on Doxy. Took a while, but cleared it up.

I was nearly comatose for 3 days. My wife had to wake me and prop me up in bed to take my meds.

Still not completely back from that bout. Have some digestive problems and even memory issues that were not there before Erlichiosis. Not quite as sharp as I was prior to it. I don't have the energy I used to have either.

These warnings pop up from time to time on outdoor websites. Please take heed.

Moosetrot

Those of you on Doxycycline please be careful. It almost caused me kidney failure after being on it for 4weeks. They then switched me over to daily IV antibiotic treatment for 28 days with blood work every 4 days. I have been to several specialists in multiple states and have had the best luck at WVU Ruby Hospital in Morgantown WV. They have me on a vitamin regimen which has helped the joint pain and other symptoms. I also get an injection once every 3 months but I cannot recall the name. I will find out and post in this thread later.
My Lymes adventure began with a 6 day stay in the hospital with severe high blood pressure and a atrial flutter which cause me to pass out while driving....thank god I was in town and barely going 25 when I passed out and drifted off the road and hit a telephone pole. Lymes had effected my heart which caused all these issues. All this started by me neglecting flu like symptoms and aches and pains for over a month. I had a cardiac ablation at 31 years old thanks to a tiny little tick. Fellow trappers please take this seriously.

Good point, I'll sticky it to the top. Paul can decide when it has been there long enough.

Friend of mine found a tick in his beard a few days after being out in the woods running hounds. Started feeling sick and went to the Doc, was put in the Hospital and died a few days later of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

I too got Lyme over 10 years ago. Yes It has affected me also. One point to make. Testing can show negative but you can still have it. I had the tick then the bulls eye. Very tired and so on, called my doctor and told the lady I wanted tested for Lyme and she said " You do not have Lime disease". Looking back it was a good thing I insested on seeing my doctor and he put me on Pox. right away. Was told by a animal Vet that taking a double does of antiboitics asap then another the next day can sometimes ward off Lyme. ??? You have nothing to lose IMO trying it. Try to avoid getting it so be safe.

I don't have one, but just to let you guys know, it is a big thing here in Europe now. Many undiagnosed cases and lack of knowledge among doctors.

They are talking about it more and more. My wife's cousin has been sickly for 6 years and just last week they finally did he tests and found it was Lyme disease. I consider myself Lucky to have hunted turkeys and coyotes so many years without having the "wrong" tick on my body.

Pete

Wow, I feel less alone now. So many people, including doctors, don't know or understand the effect of this illness. Even those closest to you have a hard time understanding how you feel. Like I have said and others on here

TAKE THIS SERIOUS!

Not something to fool around with is right. A guy I used to see almost every day at the health club I go to started not showing up for quite awhile. One day I'm reading the papers and about dropped my teeth when I ran across his obituary. Called a guy I knew who knew him. Found out he had Lyme Disease and that was what killed him. Sounds like they can't cure you, but can help with the symptoms and keep you alive if you doctor for it.

The doctor I had in the ER Sunday night immediately gave me a DOUBLE dose of DOXY and has put me on it for THREE weeks rather than the normal prescribed 2 weeks. He said the majority of doctors prescribe 2 weeks but in his opinion 2 weeks is not enough time to fully rid yourself of the disease. This is an Amercan dotor who has been practicing in Africa and is going back again. He really seems to understand these diseases and their potency.

Wife went to doctor today. Had one embedded. Taking antibiotic. No problems yet. Doc said NC was #2 state behind OK for tick disease.

Have two trapper friends with lyme.

Most people have no idea how serious Lyme Disease can be. Once you have had it for an extended period of time, and it becomes Chronic Lyme, it's just about impossible to get rid of entirely.
I also have Lyme, and have spent literally hundred of hours researching the disease. In addition to Lyme, there are many other tick related diseases that cause the same physical problems as Lyme. Many people aren't also aware that it is not just spread by ticks. Any blood sucking insect can also spread the disease. Mosquitos, mites, fleas, etc. It can also be spread sexually.
Any good Lyme literate Doctor knows that when you get bit by a tick, you should be on an antibiotic for a minimum of six weeks. Family Doctors generally diagnose two to three weeks of doxy, and that is not near long enough. A Doctor will put a teenager on doxy for years for acne, but wont't put a patient on doxy for more than three weeks if they have a tick bite. It's crazy. Watch the documentary called "under our skin". This is a true documentary on Lyme and other tick related diseases. My Doctor trained under one of the top docs in this documentary. I was on antibiotics for almost a year. I was a walking zombie, with over twenty different crazy symptoms. I decided after one year of antibiotics, and experimental drugs, I needed to find another way. I personally treat myself with the Bob Beck Protocol. It's a combination of colloidal silver, ozonated water, and a magnetic pulser worn daily. This protocol has helped many people I know, as well as greatly improving my health. I feel 90% better than I use too. Through the protocol, diet, and or antibiotics, Lyme can be controlled. Avoiding sugars and carbs helps tremendously too.

After getting RMSF last year I spent about 8 months feeling like dog squeeze. One minute I thought I was going to die and the next minute I was afraid I wasn't.
I'm still not 100% strength wise and I have memory issues and some speech problems too.
I learned that you can get RMSF and not have the rash and you can die from it.
I also learned that you can get Lyme's and be treated and cured and get it again and again.
An excellent source of info is the University of Rhode Island's website
tickencounter.org
Ticks and mosquitoes scare me more now outdoors than the cottonmouths and rattlesnakes.
If you think you are coming down with the flu, go get tested! It could save your life!

I wanted to add, I remember reading an article on Lyme disease a while back , when you first contract Lyme disease it doesn't always show up in the initial test. I think the article said this is because it has not had time to build up in your system yet. So you need to have a second test a few weeks later.
Is this what doctors say now ? or do they have a new test that is better at picking it up the first time ?

I use permanone on my clothes to keep ticks at bay. It keeps about 99 % off of me.

Guys I have to ask, I have two days left of a two week double daily dose of anti's. Not sure what they put me on I will have to look. I did not have the bullseye rash but my bite mark kept getting bigger when I went to the doctor. I did have flu like symptons and the arthritis pains. My bite mark is going down, should I seek longer or another opinion? This happened about 2 1/2 weeks ago.

It is my understanding that you will not test positive until you have had lymes a while. After getting bit by a deer tick, I went to the Doc. He said he couldn't give me any antibio's till I tested positive. Next stop veterinarians, They understand Lymes, Fixed me up.

When I went to my Dr. after a tick bite several years ago that became inflamed, he drew blood to be tested but did not wait for the test result. He went ahead and put me on Doxcy right away. Took several days to get the result of the test which was negative. The inflammation/itching might have cleared up without the drugs but I suspect it cleared up quicker with them.

Bottom line for me.....I think the risks of treating aggressively (before a positive test result) is far less than waiting. The treatment is going to be the same either way.

But I also believe an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I treat my outdoor clothing with Permethrin every spring before turkey season and it lasts through several washings. Since I have been doing this, I rarely have ever had a tick actually get attached to me.

For a new tick bite, you should have at least six weeks of antibiotics. The reason many people get a false negative test for Lyme is because the typical blood test looks for the antibodies
that your body produces to fight the bacteria from the tick. It takes several weeks to months for the antibodies to build up enough that the blood test will show a positive test. Even then, the old out dated test hospitals use today is very inaccurate. The best place to have your blood tested is Igenex out in California. They are the number one tick research facility in the world. Check out their web site. I believe they some how test for dna samples from the tick in your blood stream. You can order a test kit directly from them, although you have to have your doctor sign off on the testing forms. Your local hospital will take your blood samples and place the blood in the test tubes. After that you simply fedex your samples to Igenex.

I had Anaplasmosis in 2007 where I got very Sick flu symptoms, body pains, ect., I had tested positive for Lymes in 2005 and again in 2013. I go in ever year for an annual lymes test. I unlike most of you by the sounds of it had no symptoms no nothing either time. I took both tetracycline and doxycycline it went away both times and have had no issues since. Since 2013 my Doc. gave me an open prescription for doxycycline I get about 30 pills any time. When I pull a deer tick that has bite me for 12 Hours or more I take 2 pills if not sure how long it has been on I take 2 pills and 2 the next day. When or if I run out of pills I email doc thru MyChart saying I'm out of pills and would like to have them refilled for prevention. It has worked out great save me a trip to town ever week or two from pulling ticks off and then like said get an annual lymes test just to be save. I know about 20-25 more people that have had doxycycline prescribed for preventative purpose's. My grandfather has tested positive 3 times for it, he is 91 years old and have had no issues after he was on antibiotics. My father on the other hand tested positive 2 times once back in the mid 90's and 2008, in 2009 he was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, he now fights that battle with a very expensive IV Infusion every 6 months that insurance doesn't cover, the doc's fight back and fourth saying the he didn't or he did get it from ticks!! Who knows. I could probably list about 15-20 people that have had lymes in the past that never got symptoms. I could list about 30 people I know that have gotten a Bulls Eye and of them only about 1/2 got flu like symptoms and body pains. I also know 4 people that struggled and still are, been years and every day is a battle gets better then worse months on end.
Ticks effect everyone differently. Not all ticks carry disease. Not ever bite will give you lymes otherwise I would of had it 100's of times by now. I have never rushed to Doc. or ER for a tick bite never been sick enough. Prevention is a big part permethrin works great once I started to use it. Deet does work but all the time. Check for ticks.

Found out I have Lyme disease today. Woo-hoo for me! Lol

Yes absolutely. I got it bad. You don't want this

Yep igenex is who found it positive in me. After 3 negative results from Westernblot test (this is the normal test). My test was getting thee high doses of antibiotic injected in to me, then have the "herxy effect" which is as close to dieing as I think one can feel, then 3 days in a row pee in a cup and FedEx to lab. I think with this test they are looking for the dead bodies of the bacteria. They found them in one if my samples. The doctor who first tested me still refuses to believe I have Lyme but has no other ideas. I have been poked and prided and had brain MRI s and nothing else ever came up. Tested for everything imaginable. All negative except Igenex urine test.

Again I say. TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY IF YOU GET IT OR MAY HAVE IT. I'm an example of a chronic Lyme patient. A hate givnt assistance but actually today had to discuss the possibilities of social security disability. I hate that thought but losing my home is not a good option either.

Michigan Trapper-- I had Lyme's to a few years back. Doc took one look at me and said Lymes. Put me on drugs even before the test came back positive. I went back a year or two later with another nasty tick bite with no Lyme systems. A different doc had me take one horse pill of antibiotic. Thought it was infection not a illness. The doc said it wasn't necessary to take another Lyme test as once a person has had Lyme the tests will come back with a "false positive" Have you heard this?

thanks

I wonder if there will ever be vaccines developed for these tick borne diseases?

They are working on them. I believe they are close to one for dogs. Probably have to do animal testing before getting approved.

They were ready to start cutting on me! The neurologist was looking at neck and back surgery for the pain I was experiencing and the loss of feeling in both feet and left arm. Turns out my neck and back were fine, it was an infection from a tick. I never found a tick or had a bite site that I recall. He put me on 30 days of horse pills and the loss of feeling stopped getting worse but it never came back either.

Had Rocky Mtn. and Lyme…

Lyme made me sick as a dog and still have burning sensations on my left leg behind the knee area. Took follow up test after a round of Tetra and had positive/neg to RMSF which was still in my system but was non-reactive. I was told that I was most likely treated for something else like the flu which knocked out the virus I never knew I had.

Lyme disease was 'under diagnosed' and not taken as seriously enough by all dr's back in the 80's and 90's. They doubled the amount of antibiotics and length of time you need to take them back in about 2000. I saw one guy that had it that was paralyzed on one side, Bell's palsy... another guy I saw looked like he had electric shocks going through his body and had no control of his blinking either. He was a mess and spent about a week and a half in the hospital. It effects different people different ways and the bacteria can 'build up' and continue to cause problems later in life for sure.

I still have no idea how I don't have it.... almost doesn't make sense? Just luck I guess but I get tested every physical every year. All my dogs have it and we use front line like it's free, cause it is.

Bass
I had my symptoms for 8 months before I was diagnosed. My first round of Doxi still didn't feel any different so the Dr. put me on another cycle to be sure.
My titer was the highest they knew of so far on the Outer Banks.

The problem the medical field has found is that you don't just get Lymes or RMSF. The ticks can transmit as many as 3 other spirocete related diseases to you at the same time. Thats where the Erlicohiosis and babeosis and the other nasties come into play.
Joint pain, headaches, nausea, on again off again fever, fatigue, memory loss, Bell's Palsy, lack of strength, loss of coordination, lack of appetite are just some of the symptoms that come and go.
I know Greg Kole that works for NAFA has had Lymes 3 different times because your body does not build up antibodies against that bacteria, with RMSF your body tries to but can't.

I spoke with my doctor about ticks and the illnesses they carry. He prescribed me the doxycycline. He wrote me a script for 10 pills. Which is refillable 5 times. He instructed me to take two pills whenever I found a tick that I suspected was on me at least 12 hrs. That was last year. And he did the same thing for me this year.

I got bit by a tick 13 years ago and have a black spot where it bit me. I also got a very weak immune system not long after and have had it ever since. Does this mean anything?

I go to a wellness doctor. She says that many times a weak immune system is caused by a poor diet. When your immune system is weak you open yourself up to all kinds of diseases. Stay off sugar, carbs, gluten. Drink only water too. You'll be surprised how much better you feel.

I have been treated for lymes 4 times. The first was the worst about 12 years ago the doc didn't catch it right away. As said above it affects my joints mostly my wrists and ankles. Not a fun time, so heed the good advice from those in the know. I don't spend time in the woods without pemethrin, and if I do get tick bit the docs hit me hard with antibiotics.

I understand Lyme Disease can be transmitted sexually. If you have a bad case of it, might want to have your spouse tested also.

One of my dad's fishing buddies was so ate up with Lyme Disease he tied a cinder block around his waist and jumped off the dock outside his house.

Three brothers in a family at church have it. The youngest one (about 21 yrs. old now) is so bad he can barely read, needs a walker, and has extreme auditory sensitivity. Unless a miracle happens he will never be able to live on his own, drive a car, or have a job. Very sad.

It's something I never want to catch. That's for sure.

Please explain to me where all the ticks came from. I'm 65 years old and have spent most of my free time in the woods and fields here in Michigan. Never had a tick on me until four or five years ago. Now the area is full of them. This huge population explosion sounds like it is nation -wide or soon will be. Anyone ever hear a reasonable explanation? I haven't.

Rubee

What they are trying to sell now is Global Warming being the reason for the spread and density. At the risk of being called a Conspiracy Theorist for some folks to use to take sight off the subject. Government labs have been experimenting with tick diseases as biological weapons for many decades. Of course they are very secure and policies are in place to prevent escape of a disease. But just last week they sent 9 vials of live anthrax to different labs here and abroad. They were supposed to be inert. We are also not the only country that has investigated tick diseases for biological warfare.

I would say out of control mice maybe a possible step in tick production. I caught and roasted a field mouse with 10 ticks on it. I roasted it to kill the ticks.

I have lyme, babesia, and bartonella. I am young and they are probably never going away. Have been dealing with a bad flare up since Feb..... Sever fatigue and when I wake in the morning my legs feel like I just hiked 20 miles, along with many other problems. The natural path supplements (tinctures from roots and such) can work wonders especially when paired with antibiotics. Changing your diet has really helped me as well, even though I miss eating many foods. It is amazing what you are willing to do to get better when things get super rough.

Before this flare up I had felt good ever since initial treatment. These things come back.....

If you get on antibiotics but just for a little bit and they don't wipe it out then the lyme can form cysts and come back later. You need different stuff to treat it once it goes cystic.

Most tests can yeild a 50% false negative. If you are having weird symptoms go to a lyme literate Dr. immediately. Normal Dr. will not help. Need diagnosis based on symptoms as well. These diseases can be passed from mother to fetus too.

Got a question, can you have Lyme and not know it. I have never been checked and know I have had a couple of ticks on me none for awhile, but man some of the symptoms u all describe sound like me, terrible joint pain, zero energy, feal like I got the flu all the time. I'm 46 figured I'm over weight and smoke must be getting old, but reading this makes me wonder.

Sounds like you got it water trapper. Better get an igenex test.

I would say yes. Look for a Lyme-literate medical doctor close by to remove the doubt and get treatment. I take this stuff called Libido support made by Nutramedix. It helps keep my pain under control. I have babesia pretty bad.

I was one of the first people in WI to be diagnosed with Lymes way back when. Luckily, my doctor had JUST gotten back from a conference on this disease out east somewhere so he was able to diagnose me early and treat it properly. I still remember how painful even moving a LITTLE BIT was before I got treated. Still get occasional flare ups (fatigue, joint stiffness and such, but I know what is happening and the docs can get it under control right away) One of our game biologists up here died from complications of Lymes not too many years later. He was improperly diagnosed at first and by the time they had it figured out, complications had set in. Don't fool around with Lymes!!!!!!!

My wife would not get off me to go to the ER because I was so sick. Every joint in my body, shoulders, neck, wrists, legs, hips etc. ached so bad I could barely move. Had an upset stomach and fever and all I wanted to do was sleep. Couldn't eat at all. I finally relented and went it. The examining doctor who has been practicing in Africa guaranteed me I had Lymes disease. Took blood for a test and it came back negative so I went to my doctor and complained about the ER doctor. My doctor told me that the HIGHER percentage of blood tests come back negative as it takes a long time for the bacteria to get into your blood stream. I have now been assured 100% I have Lymes disease and am being treated with DOXYCYCLINE. I was told that I am one of the lucky ones who got treated before it entered my blood stream. If you have any of the above symptoms DO NOT BRUSH IT OFF. Go get tested and treated.

Will a ingenex cover all the he tick born diseases that were mentioned above or just lyme?

Please spell Igenex properly. I looked at the IGeneX website and they cover more than just Lyme disease. I-Gene-X is the trademark.

yep

]Thanks trappers for the timely reminder, can't forget to use Permthian

and regular tick spray as well as I'm headed for the timber and walking through heavy grass too, plus wherer--carefully check myself out and give short Lyme lectures to those that accompany me, over the years those lecture s have become horror stories to overcome laziness. It's Crucial . Thanks again

Remember where you leave your outdoor clothing. These ticks can climb off and can live for up to two years and multiple frost cycles. Check the seams of pants for hiding spots. It has been know the members of the family have been striken and never went into the woods.

Like all the others are saying you can get a whole host of things from ticks. Mine was on for no more that 3 hours on my back in bed. The next morning the bite area was turning purple and then the infected area started to die, looked more like frost bite than a tick bite after 12 hours. Dr. did not even draw blood. 6 weeks of anti's and spending the first week unable to move more than 10 feet from a bathroom and I was over it. Now I go every summer for blood tests. If you get bit get tested.

I haven't been bit in a couple of years at least. Those little deer ticks feel like a lit match when they dig in! And they leave a mark for a while too. I eat a clove of garlic as soon as I wake up every morning. Best natural antibiotic out there. My joints and tendons used to hurt real bad, so bad that it was hard to pull a ladder off the rack. I started the garlic thing and I feel great!

You take it like a pill or chew it up?

Chew it up and down the hatch! Don't do it on a completely empty stomach, and have some OJ or something close by to get the taste out of your mouth. Its pretty nasty stuff, but way worth it!

Wallace I have the same thing your wife has the symptoms started about 1999 but wasn't diagnosed until 2002. To say it sucks is a gross understatement it has affected my health both physically and mentally and unless you have it you won't understand.

There used to be a vaccine to prevent Lyme's Disease in Humans, but unbelievably they let the license run out. They cited "lack of interest" as the reason for discontinuing it. I can't for the life of me understand why somebody has not brought this back into production.

They have a Lyme vaccine for dogs and my vet told me it is the same thing as the human vaccine. I begged him to let me have a third dose to "take home" when he treated my dogs. My one Lab had Lyme's and was cleared of all symptoms within two days. That was five years ago and he's never had any lasting effects.
He told me flat out that he takes it himself, but won't give it to others outside his family.


"Vaccine Information

The vaccine for Lyme disease is no longer available. It was discontinued by the manufacturer in 2002, citing low demand. People who were vaccinated are no longer protected against Lyme disease, as protection was not long lasting. There are vaccines available for dogs but no vaccine available for cats."

Lyme's Vaccine:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/lyme/default.htm

The first and only licensed vaccine against Lyme disease was developed by SmithKline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline). Given in a three-dose series, the vaccine had an unusual method of action: it stimulated antibodies that attacked the Lyme bacteria in the tick’s gut as it fed on the human host, before the bacteria were able to enter the body. This was about 78% effective in protecting against Lyme infection after all three doses of the vaccine had been given.

The vaccine, called LYMERix, was licensed in 1998. By 2002 SmithKline Beecham had withdrawn it from the market, and Pasteur Mérieux Connaught decided not to apply for a license for its own Lyme vaccine candidate, despite having already demonstrated its efficacy in a Phase III clinical trial. Today there are no vaccines available to prevent Lyme disease, and it is unlikely that any will be licensed in the near future. The debut and subsequent withdrawal of the Lyme disease vaccine has lasting implications for future vaccine development and use.

My vet said the lyme vac for dogs is a crap shoot- may work may not- let's the owners make the call.

The reason there has not been more significant treatment options developed is because lyme affects a relatively small portion of the population. Therefore the R&D funds are not available to develop new treatments/ cures. Pharmaceutical companies develop and sell drugs to make money, if the clientele base is small they have no incentive.

Almost 20 years I have had lyme- most years not too bad. Several flare ups of notable proportion...

I know dozens of people with Lyme's Disease. I don't know anyone with AIDS.

When you have been in the " tick field of research" you know hundreds of people.

Problem is there are many other tick pathogens that are transmitted with in seconds of the bite.

Deer ticks have an unusual mouth piece with backward shaped barbs that are inplanted into the skin and in 3 hours are cemented, therefore the head pieces remain attached with improper removal.

I keep trying to catch something.

Look at the engorged female and all the males viening for her. She is on top of the trap area lid

Good point Fairchild- same here. Still my understanding has to due with the global population generally speaking- there are not enough people making enough noise securing the right interest for major research/ treatment development. I sincerely hope this changes- soon.

Hmmmmmm......makes you wonder if a pheromone trap would be effective at controlling the population?
Something similar to a Japanese Beetle trap would be so easy to set up in fields around your property.

Well, I'm off to be a millionaire......

Well, guess who's getting treated again. Felt really lousy the last couple days. Just about the same time period and have been hunting the same areas as before. I really feel lousy.

When I told the Doc my symptoms and prior history he put me right on Doxy. Hopefully I'll feel better soon.

Moosetrot

Every morning it's the same routine for me, take two 7.5 Norco Drink a cup of coffee and wait for them to take effect, and then start my day (these are the good days). Some days it's all day in bed. Did have my third uv light treatment yesterday for this round of treatment, so the simptoms should start to back off a little.

Haven't read this thread for a while as it is depressing for me, 6 years of this illness weights heavy on a person

The only problem with the uv treatment is that it doesn't get deep in your tissue or lymph nodes. Use the Beck Protocol at home. Very similar to uv. Same principal, but gets deeper. You can spend 1000. to buy it from SOTA instruments on line. Use it religiously every day and in 3-6 months you will be feeling way better than you could ever imagine. Worked for me and others I know.

I will look into that

Ok. I went to thier web site. Which product (s) do you use?

I use the silver pulsar, (which is basically the same as the uv treatment, plus you can use it to make colloidal silver), the magnetic pulser, and the ozonator. I use the silver pulser every night when I go to bed for two hours, drink a teaspoon of colloidal silver every morning and evening, and drink 16 ounces of ozonated water twice a day, 30 minutes before a meal. I also use the magnetic pulser 30 minutes a day. It works!! Google the Bob Beck Protocol and Lyme Disease. If your not going to do it faithfully every day, don't waste your money. t's a very big commitment. The people I know that tried it and it didn't work was because they were not faithful with it. I was so sick with Lyme, that I was willing to try anything. When my son first told me about it I told him he was crazy to think the protocol would work. I was dead wrong. Also, quit drinking sugary drinks, and watch the carbs, and the fats. I drink a gallon of pure water every day. Good luck!!

I hope you burned that box, and the ground.

Not sure if anyone mentioned it already, but I got a tick born illness called Powassan virus in 2010. I fought it for a few days, fighting constant fatigue and headaches, assuming I just had a touch of heat stroke. Finally I checked myself into the clinic for a checkup, passed out while there and spent a week in the hospital, followed by a week of recovery before returning to work.

While in the hospital, they couldn't figure out what the heck was wrong with me. I dropped about 20 pounds and the systems expressed themselves as bacterial or viral meningitis. The best they could do was keep me hooked up on fluids and morphine to dull the pain. It wasn't until a few weeks later that the CDC came out with the diagnosis. At the time, there had been only about 50 cases since the virus' discovery in the 60's. They claimed the mortality rate was fifty percent. My doctor happened to be a tick disease expert and he'd never heard of it.

I knew what tick gave it to me. It was a deer tick, that I got while working in the back country. The incubation period is a little longer than lymes so hold onto the ticks a little longer if you get one. Should I have held onto mine a week longer, it may have sped up the diagnosis. I've heard that the number of exposures with PV have increased since I had it. I'm just thankful The Good Lord was watching out for me on that one.

What medications did they use to treat you for the Powasson?

Moosetrot

Just morphine, the best they could do was ride it out and keep a person as comfortable as possible. Let me tell you, even with morphine, it didn't do much to dull the pain. Strangely only spinal taps really relieved the pain, which made sense because it would relieve the pressure in the head.

When I originally got the tick, my employer at the time was a stickler for documenting that sort of thing, so they made me get an appointment, at the clinic, to keep record. They gave me a cycle of doxy to treat potential Lymes but it doesn't touch the PV.

Just did some checking and it looks like there's quite a few cases of Powasson here in Wisconsin since 2010. I hope everyone is treating the tick-borne diseases seriously.

Moosetrot

so from what i gather by reading all this (and knowing nothing about all this): is if ever bitten you should just go in and force the doc to give you antibiotics for 3 weeks?

i feel for ya all and will go straight to doc if ever bitten!

6 weeks!!

So I had a tick bite 22 days ago, attached but not engorged. Removed the tick, appeared to get all of it. Not a deer tick. The site swelled up got red irritated and itchy. After six days went to the dr cause I've never had a tick bite do that. Dr said doesn't look like any lyme symptoms but treated it anyway ten days doxy. 22 days later I still have the red circle where I was bit, no longer itchy barely swollen. Don't know what to make of it.

Mudtracker, that is a typical family doctor response to a tick bite. Your Dr. doesn't understand anything about ticks, Lyme disease, or any of the other tick related diseases. If he did he would have given you six weeks. He simply went by his CDC journal in your treatment. Ugggh......

I had the similar situation. I ended up in the emergency room. Blood tests came back NEGATIVE for lymes disease. The attending physician diagnosed me with lymes disease. Went to my personal doctor and he informed me that I did indeed have lymes disease. It was explained to me that the bacteria does not immediately enter your blood stream and that is why many people end up having the terrible symptoms. You do NOT even have to have the traditional bulls eye or rash to have lymes disease. KEEP AFTER YOUR DOCTORS TO TREAT YOU FOR LYMES. There is not enough doctors who fully understand lymes disease.

Does it look something like these? I have probably 200 tick bites everywhere on my body. Some old scars, some todays. I live in a super infested tick area. There is absolutely no way to avoid them. That was the whole idea of this thread. First to put the fear of God into you of them. Mainly to find a way to live with the fact that almost everyone will get a tick bite or lots of them. Constantly running to the doctor for antibiotics is not even feasible. It seems that ticks are like brown recluse spiders when it comes to internet info. All you see is the examples of highly allergic people and their horror stories. When I first came here I addressed the tick bites to my doctor when ill. She tested, found evidence of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever from "some period" in my life. Tried Doxy and like most other chemical meds I was allergic. So I once again tried the immune killer Cipro***. Thank God I am not one of the many who's immune system is killed permanently by it for it is one of the few antibiotics I am not allergic to.

What I am getting at is "yes" you should see the doctor when bitten by a tick. But what can we do to prevent, through life style, the life threatening diseases caused by ticks. I do have a lot of bad days and very bad spells that may be due in part to ticks. But it seems I must be doing something right for so many bites not to kill me. What can you Homeopathic people on here suggest for a daily regimine that would help ward off tick disease? Someone mentioned daily garlic. That is where I am headed but not at the present time. I know this is going to get lost here. Is there a way for someone to start such a thread and have it posted at the top like this one?

Thanks for the remainder trappers, going into yard to pull weeds, innocent enough,but must prepare for those (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman),! I us Regular tick spray on bigger "fields" of clothing, but for entry points, permethian

I have never had tick borne,I stay scared thanks to TrapperMan ticks and poison ivy have no reason to live--Kill em all! permethian is a godsend, I have watched ticks crawling around on my cloths,then ticks encounter premethian,they immediately fold up a fall off,I usually follow up with a match or pliers--I love to kill em , must!

Thanks again

KEEP AFTER YOUR DOCTORS TO TREAT YOU FOR LYMES. There is not enough doctors who fully understand lymes disease.

This is what gets me! Not busting on you Maddog!, but I've heard this for more than a decade, that the Docs don't understand this! Is there a serious communication problem? It would seem in this amount of time there would be a somewhat generalization and or a pervasiveness to at least look further into a Lymes probability.

In 1988, a tick gave me blood poisoning. Apparently, when i pulled him off my leg, i squeezed it's stomach contents into my bloodstream. Ex-wife made me go to E.R. on a Friday night (you all know how that goes on Friday nights). I refused and told her i would go Monday to regular doc. She nagged me until i went. E.R. doctor said i would have been dead before Monday. He said it was the biggest /worst blood poisoning line he had ever seen.
I HATE TICKS!!!

Me Too!!!!!!!

Our friends daughter was just diagnosed today with Lyme's. Bitten, bullseye, and just like that.
She is just 3 years old and got it playing around the house.

Just type in; lymes disease and celebrity;and up comes; Avril Lavigne, she will be preforming for the Pan Am Games in Toronto next week but has been speaking about her health case and how it has effected her life.

I seem to get the same reaction to a tick bite Mtwildman. Sure been a boom year for them here too.

They are still out and hungry. I will be glad when its over for the year.

It does not get, over for the year over here. I picked 75 from one coyote and 50 from one fox, that is the record. Most have em.

Finally got my bigger tractor going and was hogging. I came through a known deer trail. Shortly after I felt the itch, looked down and jumpin crap there were bunches crawling on me.

You guys know how cattle men hang those rope/rags with bug juice on them to control spring fly and other bugs on cattle? I been thinking of hanging those over deer trails. I know deer are not the only carriers but it is getting ridiculous here.

Later I'll read through this whole post and see if I can learn some combative tic tactics.
I've searched the web. They just seem to want to sell you something that does not work.

I had my first encounter with "Turkey Mites", a stage a the tick's life while turkey hunting this spring in Arkansas. I had never heard of them before and originally thought it was just a bad case of chiggers. I had removed about 50 small ticks in one morning. Now, 2 1/2 months later some of the bites are still open and irritating. My bites look as bad or worse than the ones in your photo. Nasty beggars!

Wow this is all great info! be lying if I said it didn't scare me a bit. I get those things on my almost daily here in Tennessee! going to go get check ASAP!

Walker

I pulled 9 ticks bite on off on the evening of the 12th. 5 on the 13th and 4 the 14th. Only two on the 15th. One had a good grip on the 15th. I am about done with the big numbers of them for the year. I itch, and think I feel them on me full time.

Did you check your beard ?

So about 18 years ago one of those buggers hooked into my leg. I discovered it because my leg was itching near the intrusion. Once I pulled the little guy out the itching stopped. So the question is, and I ask this not just for myself but for everybody else who has had tick bites long ago and never had symptoms, is there a chance we could be at risk from a dormant disease that could rear it's ugly head sometime later?

Yes and trust me I have dug them out of it. I don't own much, I have not pulled at least one off of. Some are in worse locations then others. I am still itching, but it seems to slowing slowing some.

Wife had one in her navel the other day Mark. I had one in the same place last year. I guess whats good for the gander is good for the goose? They seem to be getting a little better but not much. I'm ready for August!

I dug one out of my navel about a week and a half ago. I still itch all over. I had one bit on between my fingers under my glove. That was an itching mess. Can't forget the one on the left nipple.

left nipple-------ouch!! In from keeping bees and only had a dozen or so ticks, no stickers. A good day!

Read a report in the news paper that confirmed a " conspiracy" theory that I had brought up a few years ago. Yep biological warfare testing off the coast of New York A tracking of the spread of Lyme pin points the spread from this lab via deer that swam from island to mainland.

Wish I had a electronic version to copy and paste but it was cut out if a newspaper and sent to me



Also many of you may not search the " trapping only" forum on here but I had a artical I wrote published in the August issue of Fur Fish Game magazine and it tells the only good thing to have come about in my life from this illness.

I contracted lyme about 15 years ago and was lucky enough to be treated right away with antibiotics, so everything is fine. I then got the lyme vaccination which at the time was 2 shots followed by a booster 1 year later. Now the vaccine is no longer available for people, but still is for dogs. Strange world we live in. Too many anti-vaccine fanatics and law suits by people claiming to get arthritis from the vaccine have stopped its production. Really too bad for those of us who spend time in the woods. I can't get another booster which was recommended after 10 years because NOBODY makes the vaccine anymore!! Check the following link for the facts on this sad situation.

http://www.wbur.org/2012/06/27/lyme-vaccine

Any of you guys know what percentage of accuracy the blood test for lymes is?

Last year after spring turkey hunting, I had to dig one out, that was embedded in my scrotum! I was REAL careful not to slip and cut something important. It itched like crazy!

(NO, it wasn't a crab)

TMI

Don't know percentage but the WESTERN BLOT TEST which is the normal test is not accurate

I had to have the one by GENX, or whoever, I can't remember the name, done. Bad bad herxy effect when I had it done

I am under going the exact same regimen right now. I sure hope it takes care of it.

Lyme literate Doctors prescribe at least six weeks minimum.

Here is an article with a lot of info that can apply to many of us.

https://www.yahoo.com/health/the-truth-about-chronic-lyme-disease-126509930222.html

Please jot this down. https://ag.umass.edu/tick-borne-disease-diagnostics/submit-tick. This is is a college that will DNA test a tic for you that you just pulled off of yourself. This is much more accurate than getting yourself tested (and cheaper) at just 50 bucks.
When you pull the tic off of yourself (wire method is best), Put the tick dead or alive inside a plastic tube (NO ALCOHOL OR ANY SOLVENTS). You can use a baggie but tape it completely closed so it cant get out. Take note of the date bitten and, where on the body the tic was removed. Follow the above website directions, within 2 weeks you will have the DNA results. They do test for more than lymes.
Even if your tic is infected, This is not a diagnosis that you will have got lymes from your tic. Lots of variables there. But your dr should be shown any positive results and if he is lyme literate he will put you on 6 weeks Doxy as a precaution. This is the fastest way to prevent a lifetime of horror of dealing with Lymes.
The problem is... say you had a tic, it was infected, you got infected, didn't know it, a month later you come down with what you think is the flu. dr gives you 10 days of antibiotics. you feel better after taking the antibiotics, then a month later you are sick again and it is worse. You would seriously have been better off not taking the 10 day antibiotic. Now You may end up taking bank busting antibiotics for 6 months to a year. Please spend 50 bucks to see it what you pulled from your body is infected or not.
Research now indicates a mother can pass lymes to her baby, a lot of couples have Lymes, there is current research to discover if Lymes can be passed thru sex. Most famous couple I know of who has lymes is Chuck Norris and his wife. I do know a lot about lymes as I researched it 5 years ago because a friend has it. God Bless

I got Ehrliciosis two years ago it starts out as bad joint aches them a feeling like your hungover then a god awful fever mine spiked at 102.9 while in the emergency room they had all kinds of tests going before they confirmed it was caused by a tick bite the center for disease control finally found out what the problem was .Three weeks on doxycycaline and I was good as new but ended up having a seizure shortly after being sent home they said it was from the high fever .I don't take ticks lightly anymore I don't go in the woods without permitherine now

I wish this past weeks deep freeze would kill ticks, but I doubt it will.