I'm "Ticked" Off

[BaitDropper]

Just a wee warning for those out there that have know that they have Ticks on there property.....

I've plucked off maybe 4 or 5 over the last 2 years, after working in our gardens, a real pain, but nothing more. So I usually spray up with that bushmen stuff, its expensive but really works, I failed to do this Sunday, after lathering up with sun screen, didn't tick spray.

So Sunday, I did an all dayer, finished off an area of the lawn, spraying, then continued with my re do of a raised garden out back. Came in about 5.30, filthy, was ordered to shower.

I found a dam tick on my for arm, managed to pull it out still intact, called the wife in to check over my back, yep, another wee sucker at the back of my neck. So, on with the trusty kiwi Tee tree oil, same as usual. It got a bit itchy like a bee sting, but nothing unusual.

Next morning, woke up to a throbbing arm, with a golf ball sized lump on my for arm. I ignored it, didn't show the wife and eventually headed out side to continue in the garden ( sprayed bushman spray), until I realized it wasn't right, showed wife, she wasn't impressed, so I headed to the local chemist who gave me an anti histamine, and told to take Panadol and Nuerifin, and to come back next day. Well, the anti histomine did the trick, the golf ball like swelling had shrunk 3/4 of its size, BUT, I had a red welt, from my wrist to my elbow and it wasn't pleasant to touch.

To cut a long story short, I ended up at an emergency doctor, who said it is indeed infected and he issued me 2 different type anti biotics, drew a line around the welting and said if the redness goes past the line I've drawn, or it hasn't reduced within 48 hours, immediately head to emergency, he gave me a letter to present.  I asked him about why I've reacted in this way, it's never happened before, he said he's seen 4-5 patients in the last week, with exactly the same issue, highly infected tick bites exactly like yours....

So, whether its the warm humid weather that has bought these little bugga's out, or a new type of tick, Dunno, but it has sure taught me a lesson about spraying and covering up when getting into serious gardening. I didn't think to take a photo, while it was swollen, it was pretty ugly !!  😁

So be aware that there out in force, well, my area on the south coast, cover up and/or spray with some repellent.

I'm crossing fingers that these drugs do the trick, emergency Dept's aren't my favorite place  

  

[noelm]

There does seem to be a lot around this year, I know a couple of people that had had Ticks recently, no idea why.

[Steve0]

Ticks may not kill directly but they are spreaders of many severe inconveniences. Yours sounds a bad 'un.

Everyone who lives on the East Coast should be mindful of ticks. I suffered a bite about 20 years ago that took all red meat out of my diet (and consider myself lucky symptoms are not severe). My daughter also suffers MMA. 

I suggest everyone who get into the outdoors (including your own garden) read this.

Any brand of spray that contains DEET or Picaridin should keep the ticks away (but apparently not the leeches).

Tick removal methods changed since the days of tweezers. Anything that irritates the tick will make it vomit. This is current best practice for tick removal.

 

 

Edited January 30 by Steve0

[Little_Flatty]

@BaitDropper sorry to hear about your ordeal and hope you recover with the prescribed treatments. It certainly sounds like a harrowing affair.

@Steve0 thanks for the advice re tick removal and sorry to hear of your experiences too.

[mrsswordfisherman]

@BaitDropper thank you for this post. I am pinning it. 
@Steve0 thank you for your very important information. Your links are excellent and should be watched/read by all. 
Sorry to hear you and your daughter have MMA (mammalian meat allergy)

mrsswordie

[BaitDropper]

Yes. it's opened my eyes up a bit, I've never had any sort of reaction like this until now. 

Heard of a lot of animals/pets being seriously effected by tick bites, But. I have Learn'd my lesson for sure regarding protecting one self

No real change this morning, hasn't got worse, it's as itchy as hell, maybe red ness has dulled somewhat, I think the anti biotics are starting to kick in.

Neighbour said to me, the wet, humid type weather, seems to bring them out ? ....  Dunno.

[Steve0]

1 hour ago, BaitDropper said:

Yes. it's opened my eyes up a bit, I've never had any sort of reaction like this until now. 

Heard of a lot of animals/pets being seriously effected by tick bites, But. I have Learn'd my lesson for sure regarding protecting one self

No real change this morning, hasn't got worse, it's as itchy as hell, maybe red ness has dulled somewhat, I think the anti biotics are starting to kick in.

Neighbour said to me, the wet, humid type weather, seems to bring them out ? ....  Dunno.

There are four stages of tick life cycle. They happen at different times of the year. 

My introduction to ticks was 19 bites from larvae. I scratched at them. A lot. The itching became worse. Not being able to see the larvae, I visited the doctor. "scrub mites", he said and gave me a prescription for a steroidal cream. About 12 months later the itching stopped - well after giving up on a cure from the doctor.  So, DO NOT SCRATCH. Keep up the antihistamines to counter any itching.  

[Restyle]

well, quite the eye opener this is. Ive had a few ticks before but never knew about MMA. I couldn't survive without beef, lamb, etc

[Steve0]

It gets worse:

Quote

If you have been diagnosed with MMA, you will need to avoid eating beef, ox, lamb, pork, bacon, ham, venison, deer, veal, goat, buffalo, rabbit and kangaroo and some other meats..

Also off the menu are all sausages – even chicken ones (because the casings are made from beef products) and deli meats, such as salami and offal (e.g. tripe, kidneys and liver).

If you are one of the 10 per cent of people with MMA who are also allergic to gelatine, other meat products, or dairy, you will also need to avoid stock cubes, liquid stocks, Bovril, some confectionery (e.g. marshmallows and Jubes), jelly, jam, potato chips, mammalian milks, yoghurt, cheese and ice cream among other things.

You will also need to avoid some medicines, vitamins and medical products, which have been made with animal products. It is best to consult an allergy specialist and a dietitian experienced in MMA regarding what is safe to eat or use.

You may not suffer every time you eat meat (or the other things mentioned). Slow and incomplete cooking is more likely to cause a reaction that fast-cooked and overdone (which does not mean the opposite will not occur). One type of meat may cause you a problem, some types or all types. For example, I thought I was OK with pork and ate pork chops without problem for quite a few years. Every time I cook them the same way, which is into a very hot pan to seal, cook fast and cook thoroughly. The last time I cooked pork chops, I had a dose of hives. 

Meanwhile in another tick mystery, I have a very old  bite site that occasionally raises into a welt and itches. Doing nothing, it settles in hours. 

Yes, I have been bitten quite a few times! We live on the edge of a national park with lots of small mammals that act as tick hosts. You'd be crazy to spray yourself with DEET every time you walk outside. We also get leeches that hitch rides, I suspect on a possum that lives under our verandah and/or a neighbour's cat that uses our place as a dunny.  

 

[noelm]

Back in the “old days” Ticks were common for us,  because of all the bush around, my father would just tip some kero/turps/petrol/diesel or whatever he had lying around on the Tick and it would just “back out” and fall off, I can never remember having any sort of “issue” though? We did lose a couple of dogs to Ticks over the years.

[Blackfish]

Sorry to hear that but thanks for sending a warning about the danger.

Im a bit like @noelm we got plenty of ticks because we lived opposite bush and kids being kids would romp around and getting tick was pretty common. I remember I had so many on me once of what my parents would call grass ticks. They had to use the same method as Noelms folks did and cover me with some chemical they had, metho, turps… I can’t remember it was that long ago.

But fortunately I never had a reaction to a tick like yourself BaitDropper, thank goodness because my folks weren’t big on doctors.

All the best and keep us updated mate.

 

[BaitDropper]

Happy to say, that the anti biotics are doing there job, redness has reduced markedly already today.

It's a first for me, I usually never react to anything, a bit of tee tree oil or meths on any sting or bite usually does the trick. Been stung a few times here and bitten by god knows what on occasion, but never had any reaction like this before.

I'll be being a tad more careful in future, I can tell you that for sure.

[Burger]

1 hour ago, Blackfish said:

Im a bit like @noelm we got plenty of ticks because we lived opposite bush and kids being kids would romp around and getting tick was pretty common

Yep. same over my way too . . . small bit of bush beside us and a big gully down the back meant regular tick checks.

We too lost a dog to a tick as well.

I seem to recall different types of ticks . . . .  small ones that got called grass ticks and you got more than one of them at a time, then the bigger ones that you usually only got one of.

That's a while ago now 😆

[Blackfish]

Yes my memory was the smallest were Grass Ticks, then Bush Tick, then a Shell Back which were those really big ones. We saw very few of those.

[Burger]

Bush Tick, that was the other one! Thanks Blackfish!

[Fried Rice]

I use both freeze spray and scabies cream. Both work well. If I am somewhere without them a knife with a really sharp point works. Gently push it into its face and they generally back out. I have heard that a dab of Vaseline (or similar) also works as they can't breathe. I've personally never tried it.

I have been bitten on the thigh a couple of times by decent sized ticks and had symptoms similar to the OP's. Couldn't get jeans on the next day due to swelling. Even an open wound attempting to ulcer. ASAP after a bite I wack down a couple of antihistamines & then 1 a day for the next few days. Antiseptic cream for the wound.

I've had literally hundreds over the years and seem to be mildly allergic. Luckily no MMA, forced veganism would kill me.

[Ryder]

Thanks Baitdropper,

I’ve worked in the landscape industry on the north shore of Sydney for decades and I’ve had my share of ticks, leaches, bull ants and wasps. While working for a large landscape company at Bayview my apprentice got a tick on his back, a nurse removed it, but half an hour later he said he didn’t feel well, he didn’t look well either, lips swollen, eyes puffed up. We had to call an ambulance. Luckily not anaphylaxis this time, but we were advised next time it could be.

I did a lot of research and came up with this synthetic pyrethrum wash called Debugger that you treat your clothes with, I reckon it’s good for 3 months or so.

About 10 years ago I worked for a very well known garden designer who used to write for the SMH. He got a tick somewhere on the nth shore and went into a slow decline. Doctors here couldn’t do much for him because we don’t have Lyme disease in Australia ( same as we don’t have Rabies, hello bat lyssavirus ). His bloods got sent to the States and came back positive. He went overseas for treatment and made a little progress, he developed problems with his speech, movement and digestion. He ended up confined to a wheelchair in a nursing home in his mid 50s. Sadly he passed away in 2021. In lieu of flowers his family asked for donations to Multiple Systems Atrophy Research Fund NSW.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjxkIW6p5CEAxUzoGMGHQhTBXUQFnoECCkQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aph.gov.au%2FDocumentStore.ashx%3Fid%3D826e58c8-3b2c-4b4a-ba46-e1679966f5ab%26subId%3D411543&usg=AOvVaw0ZcT96G-M-NVBwTd-nQlXY&opi=89978449

 

[BaitDropper]

Thanks Ryder, I may well look for that product.

They've been out in force of late down here, few neighbors have passed comments when I showed them my arm.

I've got a couple of days left of the anti biotics, which seem to be doing the job, I've just got the hard lump around the bite center left, the red lines have pretty well disappeared, so I'm nearly back to normal. As I mentioned, I've never reacted to anything like I reacted this Tick bite, so it's unusual for me to have any type of reaction. It takes a fair bit for me to even go to a doctor, yet alone taking pills for a week, but I new I was in a bit of bother, especially when it swelled up over night like a golf ball growth on my forearm, but the red lines creeping up my arm were what made me pull finger and get it looked at. I've certainly learned a big lesson, especially with a heap of re doing the gardens here still left to do, I don't fancy going through this again.  After reading above, all the possible ramifications, I am happy to say, I've had 2 meat Barbecues over the last few days and my red meat appetite is still there and going strong 😁.. Thank God....

 

[Steve0]

Thanks for the information @Ryder When you live on the edge of national park and get into the garden almost every day, spraying with DEET spray becomes too much of a chore when you only plan to be outside for a couple of minutes. Treating clothing seems worth a try. Ticks are said to be on grass, close to the ground and climb up until they find a place they like. If that's right, treating socks may be enough. 

Ticks host a lot of diseases. So far, I remain with scientists on Lyme disease. DSCATT seems to be the problem here. I did hear (indirectly) of someone who returned from USA, came down with symptoms, and took an age to be tested due to unfamiliarity of local doctors (an elite female swimmer???) In early days, unfamiliarity was a problem for MMA. The association with ticks was only made in 2007.         

@BaitDropper. Ticks spread a variety of diseases. While I know many who suffered tick bites, nowhere near all suffer MMA (my wife had even more bites than me, for example but still has red meat on the diet). MMA won't necessarily happen straight away and it won't happen every time a suffer eats meat. When it does happen, it is normally many hours after a meat meal.

I suspect statistics are on you side, but it is better to be aware of MMA than not.

Edited February 4 by Steve0