I know theres been a lot of scare-mongering about Lymes this recently which might compound why im posting this.

Was out yesterday (not on bike). I managed to get bitten by a tick and I’m not 100% sure if I managed to get the head out.

Currently swollen, itchy and oddly warm, with a rash but not a bullseye (I am sunburnt in that area as of this morning).

Wothwhile getting it checked in the morning? or am I worrying over nothing?

Why can’t you decide what to do?

no no and thrice no you are not worrying over nothing.
go to you docs and get three weeks of doxy sharpish.
honestly you want nothing to do with this rubbish and it’s not scare mongering.
best of luck.

If you are worried make an appointment to see your GP or go the an NHS drop in centre next week. The most it will cost you is your time and depending where you live the odd prescription charge.

Doubt that any of your body parts will fall off during the rest of the weekend. If they do see the doctor a little quicker.

got biten a few years back on both legs and started to track to the groin area, quick trip to A&E, down side resulted in several weeks on medication, on the up side did have a rather good looking nurse asking me to remove my trousers 😀

get it checked sooner or later not worth the risk

I’m worried about ticks now.. can you get bitten without knowing about it?

yes.

go see the doc, but understand what you are asking about, as they are often not the best informed on this :

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tick-bites-and-lymes-disease

Why can’t you decide what to do?

Because I dont know how much of an issue it will be and don’t want to waste NHS’s time any more than I do for my long term illnesses/injuries.

Anyway, just to update. It’s now akin to this (not my pic):

Except theres a white swollen lump in the middle. I’ll try and get it looked at this evening. I also think the heads still in there, but I’ll be damned if I can find it. Pah.

If it’s anything like the pic you’ve posted get down to A&E or your GP as soon as!

The bike mark I have from a recent one is only about 2/3mm in diameter.

Looks like you’ve had a bad reaction to it. Wear longer socks next time too 🙂

When I stop on a ride I always give my legs the once over. Also arms and head – especially if I thrashed through lots of greenery. Check behind your knees also, they like to crawl into tbe warm sweaty bits.

The nasty thing about lymes is the potential time between being “got” and the first symptoms – can be a year or more. I’d rather get the drugs and know where I’m at.

If your leg looks like that you have got a local infection at the bite site and/or you are developing the classic lymes bulls-eye.

Either way, get some medical help.

lots of good info here:

http://www.tickbitepreventionweek.org/bada-uk.html

Don’t take tick bites lightly – I’ve had a friend collapse with blood poisoniing after a tick bite got infected, another had lymes undetected for 10 years and ended up in a wheelchair and on oxygen (now greatly improved after serious meds) I’ve known quite a few others who have long-term health problems associated with it.

better safe than sorry really

I’ve never had one or seen one in the flesh (so to speak), but these things really do give me the fear. Are they pretty noticeable (ie, can you generally feel it when you get bitten)?

Had 4 on my back. I noticed the first one 72hrs later when I was itching it, thought it was an itchy mole (from what I could see in the mirror) so got my wife to look at it who freaked out! It was only then we gave each other a thorough inspection ( 🙂 ) and found another 3 on me and 2 on her – tiny little ones.

A friend got one under his bollocks once having a dump in some ferns. Right underneath, so very awkward to remove on his own but there are limits as to what I’d do for mates and removing that for him would have crossed the line!

Go get it sorted immeidate pronto stylee. The effects can be irreversible if left.

Looks like you’ve had a bad reaction to it.

That’s what I thought but a google search suggests not :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythema_chronicum_migrans

Erythema chronicum migrans refers to the rash often (though not always) seen in the early stage of Lyme disease. It can appear anywhere from one day to one month after a tick bite. This rash does not represent an allergic reaction to the bite, but rather an actual skin infection with the Lyme bacteria

Can appear “from one day” ………… **** 😯

You wouldn’t want to upset your GP by wasting their time…they much prefer it when you have a more advanced disease that presents a challenge to cure.

You should wait a few months so that more severe symptoms are experienced, such as paralysis.

If you leave it long enough it’ll start attacking your brain and ‘could account for deficits in attention, memory, visuospatial ability, complex cognition, and emotional status’.

If you go now they’ll just give you some pills and you’ll be on your way…where’s the fun in that?

Just asked my freind who’s a nurse she said if you’ve a temperature, its swollen or joint pain near the area go get some antibiotics from your local walk in she said go get some anyway as the earlier you catch it the easier it dissapears.

Was riding a few weeks ago, got home and noticed a teeny spot of blood on my calf under some mud, wasn’t out long and didn’t notice any biting. Got bit of redness (not round like the bullseye stuff it was all to one side of the spot) and was slightly swollen for about a week. it happened 2 weeks and no sign of anything there now.

So apart from my hyperchondria/paranoia any reason for visiting docs?

They can be hard to spot, especially if you’ve got dust and grit on your legs. I’ve sat there before looking for them only to see what looks like dust moving…

Sharki was the first to show me what they look like on his legs 8)

Have found a tick before and after readng up on them since the lady who treated me must have known bugger all about them.

Like I said there wasn’t a tick there when I looked, I had written it off as nowt but this thread has reignited my paranoia 🙁

Pulled this evil wee bugger off my dog’s face last year – it made him really lethargic, he was off his food and generally very unwell, poor chap. It was hiding under his fur, quite near his eye!

I’ve had hundreds of ticks over the years – it’s par for the course if you spend a lot of time walking / riding in bracken / near sheep. Never really worried about it, even when my Uncle got Lymes Disease – they caught it after a few months and he made a full recovery.

there is also a risk of TBE (tick-borne encephilitis) from, yes, you guessed, tick bites!

My wife and I went to stay on an Island off the west of Scotland and in a week got 72 between us.

To couger you don’t notice them on you or feel them bite you just discover their bum sticking out of your flesh, as a little hard lump.

The way to do it is a compleate inspection of your body after being in an at risk area , long bracken heather etc anywehere were sheep and deer go. Remove the tics by covering them with toothpaste wiat 5 mins then wipe off and or pull out with tweezers all ways then crush them till they crack as they are hardy little critters . never leave the head in . i’ve dug the head out with a knife tip or pin.

so far no I’ll effects but my wife is now super paranoid about ticks.

long socks just give them something to cling to.

Crankboy – I thought the current thinking was not to suffocate them with vaseline / toothpast / whatever or burn them with matches / cigarettes. The tic will regurgitate the contents of its guts back into you and give you all its nasty diseases. The last tic thread saw a huge rush on tic removing tweezers – definitely the best method!

Remove the tics by covering them with toothpaste

Not heard that one before. Sounds doubtful to me.

You’d be better off with this, I reckon.

Is it obvious when you have one? You feel a lump, right? I think I had one years ago, I was able to squeeze it out like a zit (without knowing what it was).

Will get some tick tweezers into my trail kit.

UPDATE:

Went to GP this morning. Got some antibiotics (almost no questions asked).

Great its sorted, not so great that apparently the pills make me sensitive to sunlight, which will upset my 11days off as I wanted to ride every day. :/