PSA- Don't get Lyme disease

A few years ago, I was walking along the river in Harrisburg at lunch time. In front of me were two women walking slowly. As I passed them, I noticed a tick attached to the one woman's neck. I stopped them and told them about it. She was surprised and more than a little upset.
 
Sharknado5 said:
Actually it’s pretty safe, it’s very poorly absorbed through the skin. It's FDA approved for scabies and head lice in children as young as 2 months. Kids get it in a lotion. Maybe the Sawyers spray has some propellant that's irritating to the skin..
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It is completely safe when applied to clothing and left to dry. As an insecticide It is a neuron disruptor designed to kill things. It’s also toxic to aquatic life. Spray away if you like but I will heed every warning from the manufacturer, EPA and the military and use it only as directed by every agency and governing body out there. A lot of medicines are harmful to the body so just because it has a limited medical approval does not mean it’s safe to regularly use outside of it’s approved use.
 
I recently read that ticks hate Lavender and Lavender essential oil was recommended as repellent. I have not tried it yet, but will in the future. I use Sawyers and cigars now and they work well! My wife had/has Lyme disease and she went the doxy route and then did not improve, swelled up knees, aches, joint issues. She saw a kinesiologist and takes various natural supplements and is doing mush better. She also eats a gluten free diet that has helped her also.
 
I had Lyme twice. Once in college the presented with extreme fatigue and unable to turn my head because of a stiff neck. No rash at all. The second time was three years ago and I woke up unable to bend my knees. I had a faint bruise on my thigh that I attributed to scratching. Thankfully my doctor was fine with prescribing doxycycline as I was leaving for an extended trip outside of the country within a few days.
 
lycoflyfisher said:
Our guidance at work is if you get a tick in you and theres any chance you got it at work, go to dr and document it in the event of any long term issues for workers comp. The workmans comp office dr both times I have went (different dr) denied prophylactic doses of doxy because the tick had been attached less than 48hours.
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100%!!!

I went to hop in the shower the other night at work and noticed what appeared to be a small smudge of grease on my ankle. I went to wipe it away and lo' and behold, it was a tick. It had started to bite, but wasn't burrowed in. I wrote up a "First Report of Injury" form and documented the incident, just in case. There was a guy with a previous department I was with who got wiped out by Lyme Disease for quite a while and I didn't want to go down that road. Fortunately, no side effects from the bite, but it's always better to document and protect oneself, just in case!
 
My mom was diagnosed with Babesiosis in late June. Complained of extreme fatigue and decided to go to hospital via ambulance (she’s 92 years old and lives in lower Bucks County). She had noticed a tick on her in shower that she wiped off and went down the drain before she could grab it. Finished abx over July 4th holiday.

She’s doing PT now and we are hoping she will bounce back, so far so good. Small improvements each day.
Another FN tick disease to worry about.
www.cdc.gov

About Babesiosis

Babesiosis is a disease caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells.
www.cdc.gov www.cdc.gov
 
td566 said:
My mom was diagnosed with Babesiosis in late June. Complained of extreme fatigue and decided to go to hospital via ambulance (she’s 92 years old and lives in lower Bucks County). She had noticed a tick on her in shower that she wiped off and went down the drain before she could grab it. Finished abx over July 4th holiday.

She’s doing PT now and we are hoping she will bounce back, so far so good. Small improvements each day.
Another FN tick disease to worry about.
www.cdc.gov

About Babesiosis

Babesiosis is a disease caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells.
www.cdc.gov www.cdc.gov
Click to expand...
Babesiosis killed a very good friend of mine in 2019. It is deadly to people who have no spleen!
 
Sharknado5 said:
Actually its pretty safe, its very poorly absorbed through the skin. It's FDA approved for scabies and head lice in children as young as 2 months. Kids get it in a lotion. Maybe the Sawyers spray has some propellant that's irritating to the skin..
Click to expand...
Some permethrine is in a solvent based solution. It's actually not recommended for home brew clothing treatment. Non solvent/petroleum permethrine formulas are supposedly a better choice for treating fabrics. I've gotten it in large quantities from amazon. I don't spend time in the woods without treated clothing. You can actually watch the ticks die, it really works.
 
Sharknado5 said:
Would this be Sawyers?
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You want to avoid products that contain petroleum distillates.

Sawyer products that are marketed for applying to clothing should be fine. I've used them with success in the past. The only drawback is their cost, hence the motivation for DIY mixtures.
 
lycoflyfisher said:
The hard part is getting a doc to prescribe you doxy without a positive test or evidence of a tick attached for greater than 48hrs.... unless you have medical connections
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You dont need medical connections just purchase what you want to keep on hand from overseas. Its cheap and easy
 
I write for a college (on alums, faculty research, etc) and one new approach I just learned last summer while writing about a biology professor’s tick research in the field is to use a lint roller once you’re out of the brush. I now keep one in my car. Cheap and easy, helps with the little bastards you might not see because man those nymphs are tiny. Another weapon in the arsenal, along with DEET, permethrin, rubber bands on my pants cuffs…
 
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