Bitten by tic -- need advice asap

Need advice -- my leg has been itching and I found a tic that was just detatching from my leg. It is very small but bloated so it has been eating me for some time. I caught him and have him in a glass, he is walking around slowly and I have a red spot and a dimple/hole where I found him.

What should I do? sorry I'm panicking a bit right now after hearing about lyme disease and all..

try to look up what type of tick it is. if its just a dog tick, it is usually harmless...its only deer ticks that carry lyme disease

I would see my internist tomorrow, bring the tic. If it is Lyme, as long as you get antibiotics within the first month you should be ok.

I did, it is definitely a deer tick and deer tend to be very common in my front yard, where I have been spending plenty of time recently

jmitw said:
try to look up what type of tick it is. if its just a dog tick, it is usually harmless...its only deer ticks that carry lyme disease

Can they test the tick to see if it is infected?

Jasmo said:
I would see my internist tomorrow, bring the tic. As long as you get antibiotics within the first month you should be ok.

Not sure. One doctor I went to studied the insect I brought, but I don't know if she performed formal tests.

seaweed said:
Can they test the tick to see if it is infected?

Jasmo said:
I would see my internist tomorrow, bring the tic. As long as you get antibiotics within the first month you should be ok.

You've got the tick, which is good. It can be tested for Lyme. (Not all labs are able to check for Lyme and it does take a while - some Health Departments offer this service, but I don't know if ours in M/SO do). For yourself, take a deep breath. You have a decent window to start treatment without developing serious issues, even if the tick is carrying Lyme. Even if it is the type of tick that carries Lyme, not every tick is a carrier.

In the meantime, wash the area well, put some disinfectant on it - I've also read that you should make a circle around the area where the tick was so that you can look for the bull's-eye rash, which may or may not develop. Sharpie markers work well, just don't cover up where the tick was attached.

Here's some info from a website on Lyme Disease:

• Only ticks that are attached and have finished feeding or are near the end of their meal can transmit Lyme disease. After arriving on the skin, the tick that spreads Lyme disease usually takes 24 hours before feeding begins.
• Even if a tick is attached, it must have taken a blood meal to transmit Lyme disease. At least 36 to 48 hours of feeding is required for a tick to have fed and then transmit the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. After this amount of time, the tick will be engorged (full of blood). An engorged tick has a globular shape and is larger than an unengorged one.

It goes on to say that antibiotics can be given up to 72 hours of a tick being removed. If yours detached this morning, you easily have until Monday or Tuesday to get to a doctor. Good luck!

Thank you... i looked and compared to photos online, it is definitely an engorged deer tick nymph... I'm going to get to a dr tomorrow...

I went through a course of antibiotics when a tick bite was suspected. They didn't do any testing. I just got the meds. Feel fine 20 years later.

here is a pic of the tick i found on me and below it is a pic i found online of an engorged nymph

Definitely go to the doctor. It's good you caught it early; I'm sure you'll be fine, though it's scary....This is a reminder for everyone to do tick checks after you've been out!! I always forget to check myself but I always give my kids a good check in the tub.

Good luck!! Keep us updated.

I am not underplaying your concerns, but some perspective: I have been bitten by dozens and dozens of deer ticks in my life. I figured I had to have Lymes since it's so prevalent so I got tested. Nothing.

Maybe you caught an unlucky silver bullet, so to speak, but by no means are you likely or probably infected. And caught early it's a bottle of cipro or whatever and that's the end of it.

Enjoy your weekend and don't let stress over this wreck it! You're fine.

I found out I had Lyme titers because my doctor ran a battery of tests because of symptoms I was complaining about. I have no idea when I was bitten. She did send me to an infectious disease doc. He gave me two long rounds (6 weeks?) each of antibiotics. The second round was "just to be sure". The symptoms seemed to have subsided and nothing more has happened. T

See the doctor right away. How clever of you to keep the tick for testing! I'm sure you'll be fine... you know when you were bitten and can go on antibiotics right away if the doctor deems it necessary. But I like the idea of circling the area where it was feeding so you can watch it closely for developments.

Deep breaths. It will be fine.

Thank you everyone for the reassurance and advice, it really helps! So last night I already placed an order with University of MA to test the tick, which they do for $50 and takes appx 3-5 days. I will fedex the tick today.

As for the dr, what type of dr do I look for? My general dr is in Long Island ... any dr near here I can visit?

seaweed said:
Thank you everyone for the reassurance and advice, it really helps! So last night I already placed an order with University of MA to test the tick, which they do for $50 and takes appx 3-5 days. I will fedex the tick today.
As for the dr, what type of dr do I look for? My general dr is in Long Island ... any dr near here I can visit?

Your doc can refer you out if need be, but you probably won't need the referral. Many people clear Lymes on their own, no problem....in which case you don't really HAVE Lymes, you have a bacterial infection that your body clears.

Early in the game a bottle of antibiotics will do the job. The horror stories (PICC lines etc) are for infections that have smoldered and festered for a long time. I had a friend go through it- never saw a tick, somehow got it.....PICC line and antibiotics for months..... BUT.... Here's the thing: the Lymes test is bad at recognizing active infections and often gives false positives. So it is possible, perhaps even probable, that all that was for naught.....there never was an infection, just a positive test.

So eating a bottle of antibiotics will be the end of it, and likely your GP can handle it.

You can probably go to a walk-in clinic or place like the Summit Emergent Care group (I forget the exact name of that group -- sorry). Any doctor can put you on antibiotics while you await the results of the tick test. I'm not ordinarily a proponent of prophylactic antibiotics, but in this case it might be wise, since early treatment is the best approach to avoid future problems.

Do you see any change in the spot where it bit you?

Jackson_Fusion, two things:

(a) her GP is on Long Island. Are you suggesting s/he would phone in a prescription for antibiotics based on a phone call from Seaweed?? Some will, others won't.

(b) it is really unwise to leave a tick bite untreated. Unfortunately, I happen to know a woman to whom the worst happened, and her life is literally ruined. It's fine to say that in this case, Seaweed knows where the bite is and can watch for changes, but why on earth wait if you already know you have been bitten???

The worst-case scenario is NOT "antibiotics for months." The woman I know has seizures, constant tremors, cannot walk normally or hold her head upright. She can't work or have an active social life or take care of her own home.

Seaweed, this will NOT be you. This happened because of a bite the woman never knew about, and never treated. Get it treated.

Juan Carlos Baez MD. He's an infectious disease doctor and told me everything Cody said above. Caught early-ish - 3 weeks of antibiotics. 525 Central Ave # C, Westfield, NJ 07090 (908) 233-0895

from Robert Roe, Maplewood Health Dept. One additional thought. While testing the tick can be helpful, consider that there may have been other ticks on your body that you did not find. Lyme Disease is prevalent in NJ, NY and much of the country.The tall grassy areas in the South Mountain Reservation often have ticks, adults and nymph stages. As advised above, seek medical advice and treatment as needed.

PeggyC said:
Jackson_Fusion, two things:
(a) her GP is on Long Island. Are you suggesting s/he would phone in a prescription for antibiotics based on a phone call from Seaweed?? Some will, others won't.
(b) it is really unwise to leave a tick bite untreated. Unfortunately, I happen to know a woman to whom the worst happened, and her life is literally ruined. It's fine to say that in this case, Seaweed knows where the bite is and can watch for changes, but why on earth wait if you already know you have been bitten???
The worst-case scenario is NOT "antibiotics for months." The woman I know has seizures, constant tremors, cannot walk normally or hold her head upright. She can't work or have an active social life or take care of her own home.
Seaweed, this will NOT be you. This happened because of a bite the woman never knew about, and never treated. Get it treated.

Peggy , you are talking about someone who was infected for likely years. She got bit this week. I had an immediate family member in that situation who had all sorts of odd symptoms. Long course of oral antibiotics and now all good. The other, the aforementioned PICC line- which I actually administered, day in, day out, till it was over. So trust me, plenty of first hand experience on this one!

I said she can go to her, or any, GP to avoid her feeling like she had to go into a big mess of finding a specialist. The specialists come in when there is an untreated, long term, symptomatic case that has not been cleared by the patient's immune system. PICC lines don't go in at the GP. It becomes more complicated when it's had a chance to work over years.

I'm suggesting she relax, ratchet down any anxiety, and be aware that she is going to be ok- she found the tick in her which is huge! Now she can get antibiotics prophylactically and not worry even a little bit.... She'll be fine!

There is no cause for immediate medical care. You sent, or are sending the tick for analysis. If it tests positive, you get meds. You can also look for the "bullseye" rash on the site of the bite.

Can a blood test disclose infection?

There is no cause for immediate medical care. You sent, or are sending the tick for analysis. If it tests positive, you get meds. You can also look for the "bullseye" rash on the site of the bite.

Can a blood test disclose infection?

There is no cause for immediate medical care. You sent, or are sending the tick for analysis. If it tests positive, you get meds. You can also look for the "bullseye" rash on the site of the bite.

Can a blood test disclose infection?

There is no cause for immediate medical care. You sent, or are sending the tick for analysis. If it tests positive, you get meds. You can also look for the "bullseye" rash on the site of the bite.

Can a blood test disclose infection?

Just went through this with my daughter, doctor said only if you show a bull's eye would action be taken. I called some Lyme disease hotline and they confirmed this information.

Jackson-Fusion, thanks for clarifying.

Latest update -- at the advice most of you have given me, I ended up going to my GP today as he was the only dr I could get to see me on a short notice and I trust him so the long drive was well worth it.

He took my blood to get a baseline test for lyme to make sure I was not already infected in the past and will take another blood test in three months to confirm no changes.

He put me on doxocycline 100mg for 10 days as a precautionary measure and he did confirm that the tick was a black legged / deer tick and a nymph and was indeed fully engorged.

I sent the tick overnight to University of MA to get it tested.

One of my glands in my neck swelled up quite a bit earlier today, which made me worry a bit, but hopefully the antibiotics do their job...

Thank you all again for the reassurance and the advice!

ps- I'm a boy, not a girl

You're a man! :grin

seaweed said:
Latest update -- at the advice most of you have given me, I ended up going to my GP today as he was the only dr I could get to see me on a short notice and I trust him so the long drive was well worth it.
He took my blood to get a baseline test for lyme to make sure I was not already infected in the past and will take another blood test in three months to confirm no changes.
He put me on doxocycline 100mg for 10 days as a precautionary measure and he did confirm that the tick was a black legged / deer tick and a nymph and was indeed fully engorged.
I sent the tick overnight to University of MA to get it tested.
One of my glands in my neck swelled up quite a bit earlier today, which made me worry a bit, but hopefully the antibiotics do their job...
Thank you all again for the reassurance and the advice!
ps- I'm a boy, not a girl