Was still moving. Found on my leg in the shower, without realising rubbed my hand over it and it came off. Looks intact (arms at front were moving) but anyone confirm? (Appreciate crap picture)

Looks intact. No bite mark to check? Usually they are buried in and don’t fall off like that. Maybe it was full?

If it was biting, you would probably not have been able to rub it off. looks to me like it had been feeding on something, if not you, before you found it!
No bite mark. No worry!
Also, they do not “Bury themselves in.” The attach with remarkably strong mouth parts. These are the bits that sometimes break and remain when they are pulled off and can cause infection if not cleaned properly. If you find a bite mark, inspect it closely with a magnifier and seek medical help if it looks at all out of sorts.

Got a sore /bite mark so need to chexk it out. I squashed it and it was full of blood so very paranoid now!

Looks pretty full doesn’t it. Are blood tests any use at this point?

Are blood tests any use at this point?

No, takes a litle while to convert

… but antibiotics might well be

you do know how few people actually suffer any ill effects, don’t you?

So long as it hasn’t spewed its guts while you removed it then should be okay, and even then only some have the nasty disease stuff.

As for ill effects, problem is some may not connect them as they can occur much later, even years later.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Lyme-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx#symptoms

See your GP?

how to you know youve got these instead of bloody legs from a normal ride?

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andybrad – Member

how to you know youve got these instead of bloody legs from a normal ride?

Plus they are so small I worry I’d never notice even though i do tend to give myself a quick check over after a ride.

Horible things.

See your GP?

For a tick?

IANAD but personally I wouldn’t bother unless the bite site looked nasty or had a Lyme’s bullseye.

Last time I had tick I found it stuck to my leg whilst I was sat on the bog at work. I (stupidly) just pinged the little git off with my finger and it exploded on the toilet door like a crimson paintball. Satisfying but possibly not medically sound. I did pick the remaining bits out with a paper clip though so all good 😀

I had possible Lyme’s a few yrs ago – fever and bull’s eye mark. Saw GP , who is a keen hillwalker, and got 3 weeks of strong antibiotics, no lasting effects.

I now make sure I am well covered in Smidge for all rides and so far not had many – maybe a couple a year. Last night’s ride had loads of bracken, long grass etc so pretty high risk for ticks latching. Some repellants are pretty good at stopping them latching on, Smidge being one.

GrahamS – Member

See your GP?

For a tick?

IANAD but personally I wouldn’t bother unless the bite site looked nasty or had a Lyme’s bullseye.

I agree, keep an eye on it make sure there is no rash I’ve pulled loads out and never given it a second thought certainly no need to go visit your doctor or get a course of antibiotics at this stage.

Never mind GP, straight to hospital for amputation I reckon.

Rash is not 100% of the time, nor is it necessarily at site of bite. It moves too!

Any achey fluey symptoms in the next week or so get to the quacks sharpish for antibiotics, but no rash and no symptoms you’re likely OK – they aren’t all carriers. I’ve had plenty and been fine, the boy had 1 and got Lyme .. Bullseye. Literally.

Hmmm, it looks pretty full and they do tend to detach themselves once they’ve fed. When was the last time you inspected your leg as it may have been there for a few days? Speaking as someone who’s had Lyme disease you really want to keep an eye on it. When I found a tick on my leg after Bristol Bikefest 2 years ago it was on the Tuesday after and I’d had 2 showers before I even noticed it.

You can have a blood test but they aren’t that reliable until the antibody has formed as it’s that they test for. The sooner you catch it the more effective the antibiotics are so personally I would visit your doctor for advise. I had to go twice before they would test me. The first time he said it can’t be Lyme disease as there was no bull’s eye rash, which I found later to be not true. Two or three weeks later I started to feel like crap (a bit like having the flu) which lasted longer than it should have. The doctor then agreed to test me and it came back positive.

The first 3 week course of antibiotics eased the symptoms for a few weeks but I then needed a much stronger 3 week course as the symptoms returned.

Not everyone gets flu-like symptoms nor a rash.

Read the link that slowoldgit posted.