Tick fever

So...who's had it? Showering for church on Sunday and guess what I had in the ol' navel? T'wern't no jewel, let me tell you. I spray Deep Woods Off religiously and often, but the tiny little bastard latched on with me none the wiser. I've been sitting on my butt in the grass, shooting hogs, but I always check. 'Wear gloves (rubber) just loading 'em up and dumping them.

This past week has been no fun, aching everywhere and feeling every injury I've had in my life. Sleeping maybe 3 hours max. Never a measurable fever, but plenty of hot flashes and clammy sweats and then, when I'm finally really asleep, a serious chill/shakes kind of spasm.

Got on doxycycline today and they're doing blood work and urinalysis to rule out Lyme or anything else.

Let me know your experiences, if any. Be careful out there. They're hanging on every cedar, just waiting for you to brush by.

Never had it and don't want to. My hunting partner came down with it in RSA on the completion of a safari from the little pepper ticks they have. Thought he was gonna die, had the wife call the front desk and they had a physician come right up. Knew right away what to do, massive antibody shot in butt, Doxy scrip and followed up when he got home.

My son's girlfriend right now is suffering from Lyme disease, and they figure it has been in her for 8-10 years. She is from South Georgia and a devout turkey hunter. Has always been having weak immune system problems. Now they are aggressively trying to treat, but making slow headway.

Prayers for you to come out clean. Do everything they tell you, and if your not getting better immediately, then change doctors and get one who is more concerned about YOU!!

I had got a tick bite on the back of my neck at the bottom of my hairline on a Friday or Saturday last year in late August. I was walking around looking for a couple of bulls at the time and did not feel it bite right away. After about 15 minutes of walking I did feel the tick biting me and removed the tick . I then kept on walking for about another 1.5 hrs. Within a day the bite area was a swollen. Then the lymph node closest to it was swollen and beginning to hurt. I put on antibiotics on it but it was not getting any better by Tuesday, so I called my Dr. to schedule an appointment. He told me it was an infected tick bite. What he told me is the tick was not on me long enough for it to give me Lyme, so he said infected only. He gave me 10 days of Doxycycline also and said since I caught it fast enough the Doxy would take care of it even if it had been Lyme. He said I did not need any tests but take the Doxy as prescribe and let him know what the bite area looked/felt like at the end of 10 days. The lymph nodes were still a bit swollen at the end of 10 days and he gave me another 10 days of Doxy just to be on the safe. He told me that a swollen lymph node was a sign of infection. After 20 days on Doxy all was back to normal.
I did not have any of the symptoms you are having though. My sleep pattern was normal through the whole ordeal also. I was worried about Lyme even though my Dr. said I would not get it. In a life time of getting bitten by ticks, this is the first time that I have had a problem. I have a friend that lived in Comfort got Lyme back in the early 90's. He did not find out what it was for over a year. His rode to recovery was long and tough on him.

My brother contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted fever from a tick bite. Started as a low grade fever and just kept getting worse. Be sure they test you for all the tick borne illnesses. I think some of them respond to different antibiotics. Good luck.

At our place in Houston county my wife and I have both been bit by ticks where it formed a hard knot that itched for a couple of weeks. We started spraying down with Repel and have had no more tick issues the last several times there. But I keep getting chigger bites on my ankles and having to soak them in bleach to kill them. No one else gets the chiggers except me. Repel has a specific spray for ticks.

Chiggers used to not really bother me much till the last 2 or 3 yrs. I do not get them bad but when I get a few they itch and stay red for days unless I do something right away. For me, Zyrtec helps with the itching for some reason. Tea Tree oil helps to kill the chiggers quickly. Tea Tree oil also works on fire ant bites really well if I apply it quickly after the fire ant gets me. No little whelp or swollen red area if I apply quickly. Tea Tree oil has a smell like cedar oil to me but it sure works well.

In all my time in the field, both hunting and Army, I've only pulled a couple off but never had a problem. Prayers for a speedy recovery, sir.

And glad to hear you mended quickly, stx. Y'all be safe.

Dang, good luck on the treatment. Only pulled one off me in past few years from turkey hunting but felt it moving on my arm and stopped at gas station to get it off. No issues. They usually say they need to be on 24 hours before you can catch something. We are going piggy hunting tomorrow so will spray down and shower well at camp.

I had full blown Lymes for years. Considered suicide often, the pain was bad, all my joints hurt, it would run through my body and hit each joint in spasms. By the time I got to the jobsite in the morning I was worn out from fighting the pain. I took doxy, but it did little to help. I was taking 10 ibuprofen's a day and 2 arthritis medicines for about 3 years just to do life. I would go through cycles of deep depression every 3-4 weeks, it was messing me over pretty bad. I also found a powdered drink and it helped alot called Bios Life II...good stuff.
Then in February of 2006 the market crashed and I lost everything, including my home, business etc....I gave my life to Jesus....was born again... and one of the things that died with the old man was that stinkin' Lymes...never had another symptom. I was completely healed by the good Lord!
Since then have prayed over many people and seen them healed, He is greater than anything that can come against us. He died for our healing also.

I wish you quick healing CR.

Picked up a couple this spring but found them on me before 24 hrs. One of the bites swole up for a few days but that was it luckily for me.

To make things worse, we now have a new tick species to worry about. "‘Clone tick’ swarms, new to U.S., are killing cattle by draining their blood, chasing after humans"

Aggessive Clone Tick

praise the Lord.....

I have had it as well as all of my boys. I know that I had it because so many folks around here have and I knew the symptoms. Usually develop symptoms a week or two after the bite. Start out the day feeling pretty good and as the day wears on, have no energy and a low grade fever. The area around the bit looks somewhat like a bullseye, red circle...you will see this before having symptoms.
Get on antibiotics and after a couple of days, you will begin to feel better. Seems like they will give you about two weeks of antibiotics and then you should be okay. If you let it go uncheck, you can develop other problems.
I cannot tell you the number of times a tick bites me annually, I would estimate around 100 but not all the ticks are carrying lymes or other illnesses. I think one of the secrets to avoiding illness after the bite is not to let the tick stay on you very long. It is a good idea to check all over after walking around in the brush.
Good luck and Adios,
Gary

I go to TSC and buy concentrated Pyrethrin. I mix it to a 15% concentrate and spray all my clothes.

Can't stress this enough. Permethrin spray is they way to stay safe from ticks. Treat your cloths and it is good for weeks.
Nothing I know works as well.

-Z

x2!!!

Awesome testimony, Dan!

What an awesome God we have. Great testimony.

Never been sick, but have pulled a few off over the last couple of years. My wife always goes to the lease with me, so after a day and in the field of working/hunting I tell her that she has to closely inspect me for ticks.

Hope you have a speedy recovery.

Just reading this thread makes my skin start crawling! Prayers for all who have been bitten by them demon bugs!

I started keeping a little hand held mirror in the bathroom of our place in the Piney Woods just to inspect those hard to see areas of skin after being out and about.

Yep, just today I thought of searching for "mechanic's mirror" for those "hard to reach" places. I'll buy a couple, one for home, one for out there. 'Makes me think of that scene in "This is 40" where he's got the mirror and inspecting his own poot shoot.

Praise the Lord!

My Bother in Law got it when we were in RSA last. He was down for damn near a month including a trip to the hospital.

I have a buddy that got bit by a Lone Star Tick and now he's allergic to red meat. They say it can take up to 5 years for the allergy to go away. That would be a tough pill for me to swallow.

I never though about it much before this happened to him. Now spray my cloths, backpack, and sleeping bag several times a year with Permethrin and always have Deet spray available.

I wish you a speedy recovery

What a story Dan, the world is a better place with you in it, and without even knowing you, I know the God which you speak of. He is a great God!

Amen

I just might fear that illness more than cancer.

Thank you all for the prayers, well wishes, and Testimony!

I'm slowly getting better. The doxycycline has it's own set of challenges and side effects. I've taken it before as a Malaria preventative, but I do not like the stuff one bit. I got my blood drawn again today, since the first draw showed low white cell count, but "no evidence of tick-born disease". I know I'm crazy, but I didn't imagine this crap.

I know I'm really sick 'cause I have no desire whatsoever for my evening Martini. Made it out today and ran some errands, but getting pretty dang stir-crazy. You can only watch so much news.

Tomorrow we return to the scene of the crime - the ranch - to check on contractors' progress on the little house. Repel Tick Defense is in the truck. She bought 3 other cans too for every vehicle and location. I will be showering and checking everywhere thoroughly when we return. I need to stay out there and turn on the windmill for the tank so the wildlife doesn't run out, but it's hotter'n blue blazes, and I don't think you're supposed to be out in the sun too long on antibiotics.

Be careful out there Creek...the sun is really cooking right now.
A quick prayer if you don't mind.
Lord Jesus we give you thanks for the healing in our brother, we cast out that which doesn't belong in his body and proclaim him well in your precious name Lord. You died for us and for our healing, we just need to accept it. Amen. God bless you Creek Runner!