Just pulled a tick off me. Anything I can do to ward off tick diseases?

We were out walking in the woods today, and I just noticed (and removed) a tick.

Any advice on anything to help nip any possible ickiness in the bud?

(I live in NW PA with a lot of deer!)

Take this very seriously. I know 2 people who suffer terribly, years after being bitten. There are drugs that can prevent Lyme. This is not the time for hippie dippy folk treatment. Call your doctor.

According to my doctor, region matters on this. We are swimming with ticks every summer, and I get dozens of bites every year. My doctor says disease from tick bites in this area is so rare it's not worth doing anything unless you develop symptoms. That doesn't match my independent research, but I've never come to harm from any of my bites.

But like I say, region matters. Tick-borne disease is apparently more prevalent elsewhere.

Tick related. Illnesses are one of those things where politics dictate policy.

I live somewhere where only two percent of ticks have Lyme, in the entire Provence, therefore policy decided that only two percent of humans catch Lyme each year - even if you caught it somewhere else.

There is a great deal of miss information on both sides of the debate that it is almost impossible to know what to do.

Early antibiotics have been shown to work for most tick illnesses. If you get the bullseye rash, I highly recommend antibiotics.

The rest is my thoughts based on reading and almost 20 years fighting an infection I caught from a tick.

Diet that avoids high inflammation foods and is high in omega 3 is your next best defence.

Avoiding foods that can disrupt natural hormones is good defence against Lyme disease. Especially modern processed soy can act as a false estrogen which is exactly what Lyme bugs love - this love of estrogen is perhaps why lyme effects women more than men.

Teasil root tea can do wonders. It's traditional European remidy and prevention for tick born illnesses.

Thanks so much for everyone's assistance...

Unfortunately, we live in Pennsylvania, which (according to Google) has reported the most Lyme disease cases nationwide for the past five years. I already have health issues and I just want to be super-careful. I will probably be calling my regular Dr. later on today even if I don't see the classic "bull's eye" rash.

What I'm looking for are any immune-boosters, etc that I could take to help out.

In Virginia, we have ticks year round. The deer tick (reddish brown with black legs, teardrop shape) which carries Lyme's gets bigger in number every year it seems.
I am not sure what a doctor can give you at this point. I don't know how long it takes to give you a bullseye rash or be detectable in your blood. I do think you should at least call the doctor's office or even the local pharmacist. I was recently tested for Lyme's, ehrlichia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. All was neg. but the doctor said her husband had gotten Lyme's and it got into his brain. He had to have antibiotics by IV for 3 years. Don't wait. Act now. I have heard that a tick has to have been attached for at least 24 hrs to transmit disease but I wouldn't chance it.
What did it look like? Did you keep it?

Karen Layne wrote: I have heard that a tick has to have been attached for at least 24 hrs to transmit disease but I wouldn't chance it.

I have heard the same. I don't think it's an exact number, but personal experience bears it out. My parents get bitten by deer ticks many, many times a year, and neither has gotten Lyme disease. My dogs on the other hand, have all had it.

Karen Layne wrote: ...I don't know how long it takes to give you a bullseye rash or be detectable in your blood. ...

The bullseye rash does not always appear. You can get the infection without getting the rash, but if you get the rash, it's almost guaranteed you have the infection.

There is not yet a reliable blood test for lyme. The false negative rate (in humans) at the moment is almost fifty percent. Necropsy is very accurate however. I'm hoping the politics of tick born illnesses has settled down enough, that we can actually start getting accurate research. But without a good way to test for the illness, it's difficult to separate the Lyme sufferers from simular illnesses of unknown origins.

Sorry, I'm bordering on political. I know it dosen't look like it if you don't know the history, but trust me, it can get there really quickly. This topic is too close to home for me. I personally shouldn't be talking about it outside the Cider Press. So, instead I'll tone it down and focus on curing.

Diet, diet and diet are your three best defences. I don't know what your current diet is like, and of course there are lots of opinions on the 'proper' diet for this sort of thing. Generally speaking, avoiding (unfermented) soy is highly successful because of the estrogen thing. Eating lots of live culture foods, a large variety of them, will boost your immune system and defences. Avoiding processed foods as much as possible. You know, usual advice on healthy eating.

Because Lyme reacts differently to each individual, your individual diet is going to be well, what works best for you. I've noticed - this is just my personal observation - that the diet of your heritage is often the most healthy diet for fighting tick born illnesses. So if you are from Asia, eat traditional asian foods. European descent, avoid new world foods like potatoes and tomatoes. And so on. Once you feel the chance of infection has passed, then slowly return to your normal diet.

All of my dogs have had it at some point. Several have been "clinical" and seemed like they were dying. Others had a high positive blood tests with no symptoms. Vet said only 10% or so become "clinical". There's nothing we can put on them that seems to keep ticks off. I hate using Front line on them but nothing else works. And I'm not saying Front line works well enough. What do you use, if I may ask?

The tick had to have gotten me around 3pm and I didn't notice it until around 10pm.

I did think to take a picture for comparison around 11pm.

I am aware that not everyone gets a bullseye rash. I should have been clearer. You (R Ranson) are quite knowledgeable about this. I hope you haven't had it.
When I was resently tested the doctor said that a change made in testing back in the 70's
made it more difficult for doctors to get an accurate test result. Of the 10 IgG "markers" for Lyme's I had 1. She said I may have been exposed to Lyme's at some time. And of the 3 IgM "markers" I had 0. She did offer a prescription for antibiotics but I am not going to take 21 days of a drug for a slight, slight chance of a maybe. No thank you. But it is some scary stuff.

Karen Layne wrote:All of my dogs have had it at some point. Several have been "clinical" and seemed like they were dying. Others had a high positive blood tests with no symptoms. Vet said only 10% or so become "clinical". There's nothing we can put on them that seems to keep ticks off. I hate using Front line on them but nothing else works. And I'm not saying Front line works well enough. What do you use, if I may ask?

I don't use anything on mine. I just try to look them over well and pick the ticks off as soon as possible. One of my dogs has had several recurrences of the disease though, and when she does, I get her on antibiotics as soon as possible. They are amazing effective on dogs; a dog that can barely walk will be as good as new in just a day or two. I do give them the complete course of antibiotics though.

Robyn Holmes wrote:I did think to take a picture for comparison around 11pm.

That was smart.

Here is a picture from around 11pm last night, and 11am today.

Todd,
The ticks in Wisconsin must not be as plentiful as in Virginia. My English setter / Britney spaniel has such thick fur I can find them very well. And I look daily, even in winter.

R Ranson,
20 years is a long time... was that Lyme's or can you say?

Karen Layne wrote:Todd,
The ticks in Wisconsin must not be as plentiful as in Virginia. My English setter / Britney spaniel has such thick fur I can find them very well. And I look daily, even in winter.

We don't have them in the dead of winter, and maybe not as many in the summer. My parents live only 20 miles from me, and they have MANY more ticks than I have. In the worst part of tick season, I pick around 8-12 a day off each dog I guess. My parents pick them off their dog all day long basically. Also, I have pitbulls, so their hair is short and it's easy to find ticks.

I have tried lots of essential oils, natural substances, etc., and none of them work very well, so I would probably just use the Frontline if I were you.

Robyn Holmes wrote:Here is a picture from around 11pm last night, and 11am today.

The last time I had a deer tick on me, it looked much like that and was sore and itchy for several days, but it healed up fine. I have seen the same on my mother many times.

Robyn Holmes wrote:Here is a picture from around 11pm last night, and 11am today.

I've pulled many a tick off me over the years and I've never seen anything like that. FWIW, I agree with those who suggest consulting a medical professional.

R Ranson wrote:Diet, diet and diet are your three best defences. I don't know what your current diet is like, and of course there are lots of opinions on the 'proper' diet for this sort of thing. Generally speaking, avoiding (unfermented) soy is highly successful because of the estrogen thing. Eating lots of live culture foods, a large variety of them, will boost your immune system and defences. Avoiding processed foods as much as possible. You know, usual advice on healthy eating.

Lately I've discovered that a very low carb diet works the best for me. Part of my problems stem from the fact that I (foolishly) got a gastric bypass almost 20 years ago. This means that I am in an constant state of one type of deficiency or another that I'm trying to figure out. (Anemia, Vit D, B12, etc.) I don't do processed foods or soy, but I get the vast majority of my protein from eggs, and I just read that soy chicken feed can cause problems. (Who knows if this is true!?!)

R Ranson wrote:Sorry, I'm bordering on political. I know it dosen't look like it if you don't know the history, but trust me, it can get there really quickly. This topic is too close to home for me. I personally shouldn't be talking about it outside the Cider Press. So, instead I'll tone it down and focus on curing.

HaHaHa. I'm sorry, but I have to first of all laugh at this because my husband is Chadwick. Not a big deal to most, but you personally, R Ranson can appreciate how I have seen things get crazy. Anyhoo, please purple mooseage me with any advice you may feel might cause too much uproar. I'm old enough to take what I like and leave the rest behind with no hurt feelings. I really am interested in what you have learned thru personal experience.

R Ranson wrote:Lyme reacts differently to each individual, your individual diet is going to be well, what works best for you. I've noticed - this is just my personal observation - that the diet of your heritage is often the most healthy diet for fighting tick born illnesses. So if you are from Asia, eat traditional asian foods. European descent, avoid new world foods like potatoes and tomatoes. And so on. Once you feel the chance of infection has passed, then slowly return to your normal diet.

I'm of German & Irish descent (mainly German), so I'm not sure what my ancestral diet would be. I would have said potatoes for the Irish side until I read the above.

As soon as my husband gets home I'll be calling the doctor. I'm not sure what she will say, but I'm thinking the crazy antibiotic regimen may be worth it. (If she deems it "necessary".) It will be a pain dealing with the negatives of antibiotics, but what to do?!?!

Of course, the stupid booger managed to attach itself to my upper abdomen area where there is no sub-q fat, and on the edge of my ribs. It's pretty tender around the bite.

chip sanft wrote:

Robyn Holmes wrote:Here is a picture from around 11pm last night, and 11am today.

I've pulled many a tick off me over the years and I've never seen anything like that. FWIW, I agree with those who suggest consulting a medical professional.

Regular ticks don't leave that red painful area, at least that I have ever seen, but I've seen it on everyone that ever got bitten by a deer tick. I'm not saying whether anyone should or shouldn't see a doctor about it, but I can tell you from personal experience and observation that this is very common, if not mandatory, from deer tick bites.

I did notice that it was a deer tick before I pulled it off (and I did keep it).

I took tick bites lightly, as a summer annoyance for most of forty years....then just a couple years ago I had a bulls eye rash and had blood work done. It showed that I had Rocky mt. tick fever. My dr. prescribed a 10 day round of antibiotics and a friend loaned us Stephen Buhner's 'Healing Lyme' book....I continued with a teasel/japenese knotweed tincture and started taking astragalus. I plan to take astragalus for a long time as an immune system booster. For information that might balance out conventional treatments check out Buhner's web site http://buhnerhealinglyme.com/

My understanding is that there are usually two tick diseases present at one time even though the blood tests don't always show that. I found out that conventional doctor's don't take it too seriously unless you have full blown symptoms and some insist that 'you couldn't have Lymes' because it isn't here yet. When I got my blood work results it did show that I had lymes, just not the 'serious' level that the drs want to see before they treat.

Check out the 'similar topics' at the bottom of this page for links to more tick disease discussion.....

Edit to add....the blood work showed that I had tick fever antibodies present at that time and showed that I had had it in the past also by reading antibodies....apparently, not surprisingly, I had had it at least once before. I think I've got that straight...someone else could probably explain much more clearly

Important to note- the bullseye does not always appear near where the bite was. It is also not always a complete circle.

Also! Lyme is not the only tick borne disease to consider. I have had Lyme a few times and it doesn't compare to the misery and long term effects I have had from Erlichiosis.

Keep an eye out for fevers, even low ones. I get tested if a tick gets engorged but not if it's only a few hours. I think I have so many antibodies in me that I am sensitized to tick bites, I can feel them the moment they start sucking my blood. I have found a tiny nymph biting in a thicket of my hair from feeling it. I live in the very thick of Lyme tick country. After years of this and every kid getting lyme eventually we have learned some precautions.

As for diet, I have read that eliminating blood sugar spikes is helpful. The standard high fiber moderately high fat and protein, low carb, no refined carb diet. Also, 500-1000 mg vitamin c every four hours for a couple of days makes it inhospitable for spirochetes. Just a few days!

I also drink astragalus root tea.

A vet once told me that only female ticks swell up. It's not blood, it's baby ticks. If that's true, then no wonder we have such a huge population because the majority of the ones I see are swollen.

As much vitamin C as you can get down, 10,000+ mg a day.

Thanks again for all the great replies. I was finally able to call the doctor's office and I barely got the word tick out of my mouth before they asked me to come in.

Great. Good luck.

There are many tick-borne infections out there and it's possible to pick up more than one in an individual bite. The notion that if it hasn't bit you for very long only holds true for some of the diseases. Erlichiosis can transmit as soon as the bite takes place, so even if you get the tick off in a couple of minutes it's possible to get this disease - I know this from personal experience. Fortunately I work for a Lyme-literate M.D. and caught this as soon as the fever and other symptoms presented. Blood test showed white blood count bottoming out like leukemia. Six weeks of doxycycline along with Japanese knotweed (which is synergistic with the doxy), and probiotics inbetween doses of the doxy and no lasting effects (I felt much better after only a couple of days on the meds). Tests for most of the tick-borne diseases are tricky (inaccurate) and should be confirmed with a clinical diagnosis. The rash only shows up some of the time and may be in a place other than the bite. I've seen a patient that had the bull's eyes all over their body, although it was hard to see them as they had medium-dark skin pigment. The redness that you currently have looks typical for a reaction to the tick's saliva, the body's reaction that is similar to getting welts from mosquito bites. It seems that a precautionary treatment with the doxy is to go for at least 3 weeks to make sure that you've really knocked it out completely. Otherwise it can rear it's ugly head again and become persistent and chronic, which is what you hear about when the nightmare stories are shared. As for diet, the M.D. I work for advises patients to go gluten-free, vegan, low-glycenic, and ditch the additives, etc., preferably eating organic. It's amazing what this approach alone will do for most of the chronic-disease patients she sees.

First of all, thanks to all of the kind and caring people who have been so kind as to help me out while I'm freaking out!

I went to see the Dr. yesterday and he put me on doxycycline 100mg 2x a day for 2 weeks. He also had me do the blood test for lyme disease, which he said we'll repeat in 2 months. Any advice?

Probiotics.

For anybody else that reads this, if you get a tick bite, just keep the tick and send it in for testing. There's multiple labs that test. Quick google search shows its $50 at one place. I've heard it's a more accurate way to tell than a Lyme test for humans. The Lyme is elusive and will give false negatives a lot. Also the red ring isn't sure fire way to go since there isn't always a bulls eye. This is just advice I wish I heard years ago. Would have saved us a lot of trouble

I take ticks off every day! Turmeric is a wonderful anitinflamatory, antibiotic and antidepressant...... I drink turmeric tea almost every day or grate it in food or smoothie. (I take it for the anitinflamatory aspect but gain the other benefits) If you can get fresh roots is best, but powdered is good too. The powdered is 2000x's more powerful if taken with black pepper.
I have a friend who suffered from limes disease (evidently it's a lifelong thing) and she takes turmeric every day now.
I'd suggest that you keep turmeric handy & enjoy your walks in the woods!!!

The best thing to do if bitten by a tick is to keep the tick and send it in to a Lyme testing center you can find by searching google. My wife's got Lyme. Wish we knew to test the tick. Lyme infected ticks  don't always have a ring around the bite area and the tests in people are a little sketchy unless you really have chronic Lyme. That's why it's best to test the tick.

I am not selling this, I just sharing it because Spooky2 has helped me and my cat so much.


There is Rife Technology, specifically Spooky2.com A worldwide VOLUNTEER group of researchers, who have a marvelous/affordable
way to help deal with Lyme, cancer, morgellons and more.

who have Frequencies of all the herbs
used in Stephen B's herbal protocol.

THey have the frequencies for many herbs on their Sppooky2 database.
Cannabis, etc.

Spooky2 also has Herxheimer and detox frequencies.

Foot detox bath is GREAT,
it makes colloidal silver

there are protocols specifically for folks dealing with Lyme and co-infections, cancers morgellons.
and a forum of 6ooo folks who are ready to share and listen. they also might recommend things
which helped them on their Lyme adventures


you could just go to spooky2.com and will find much information on dealing with lyme.

there are also frequencies which kill mold, and for stimulating immune etc.

Hi, hope you are feeling better and that the bite site is less red. I'm in PA too, and ticks are a real menace here. I have a large supply of permethrin spray just because of them. Don't worry about the doxy they put you on. I took that every day for over a year (Army's order-fight malaria), and really didn't suffer any ill-effects. Maybe a weakened immune system, but I don't know that 2 weeks would do any significant harm. I second probiotics after the 2 weeks as a just in case. They do warn you to stay out of the sun with doxy, but again, I think that is blown out of proportion. I was located in a very sunny, very warm climate when taking it and did not have any sunburns. Wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery!

I would practice awareness with being in the sun whilst consuming Doxycycline.

I was taking it in April of last year, LOVING to be outside in the springish weather in short sleeves,
and it would start my sking burning within a few minutes,
so into the house for wide brimmed hat, long sleeves and gloves! and sunglasses.

Everyone's bodies are different.

Rife Technology works very well for chronic illness and pain, including Chronic Lyme.  It helps the body heal itself and can improve the immune system.  This is a wonderful tool for recovering from chronic conditions.  If a person is very ill, I suggest finding an allopathic trained physician to give the treatment - and yes, there are some mainstream doctors who use this, as it can actually have a strong effect if the setting isn't adapted to the individual.  Using Rife can also mean the body uses the prescription medicines differently/better, so if one can't get an allopathic doctor to apply the treatment, then please, at least work with your GP to monitor your condition during treatment.

Now, when it comes to treating the initial infection from a tick bite, I don't know if Rife would do much good.  It wouldn't do much harm, and it may improve the immune system... but from my experience, it would take a while and that would allow the lyme bacteria to establish a foothold in the body.  However, I wouldn't rely on it alone.  We know that antibiotics will knock out the initial infection in almost all cases, so I suggest bite the bullet and take the pills (the alternative is not nice) then use stuff like Rife and good diet, to help the body heal.

Turmeric is the #1 natural remedy for lymes disease. It is anitinflamatory, antibiotic & releases depression as well. turmericforhealth.com has a wealth of information on the many things this amazing herb can heal.