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Original poster

Tics/Lyme disease in Wales

23 replies

fairyjay · 11/06/2006 23:01

Dd has just returned from a camping trip to Bala, and removed a tic when she was showering.

Does anyone know if there is Lyme Disease in the Bala area? I'll obviously keep an eye on the small wound, but just wondered if I should be panicking or not!!

OP posts:

chapsmum · 11/06/2006 23:25

tic borne encephalitis or lyme disease is almost unheard of in our ticks!
This website may help \link{http://www.nathnac.org/pro/factsheets/tick_borne.htm\here}

brimfull · 11/06/2006 23:26

My next door neighbour contracted lyme disease last year from a tick in the New fOREST

brimfull · 11/06/2006 23:28

She wasn't seriously ill,was treated propmtly with antibiotics.If the spot gets hugely inflamed see a dr.

chapsmum · 11/06/2006 23:30

it must have been imported by some of those "new trees"

Original poster

fairyjay · 12/06/2006 09:01

Are you in the Bala area chapsmum? I haven't been able to find a map of which areas in the UK are affected.

I'm keeping my eye on her ggirl, because if it's not caught early, it can be pretty nasty I think!

Thanks both for your help

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ernest · 12/06/2006 13:10

just keep an eye on it (we were advised to draw round wound with biro, so can see clearly if grows). also look for 'target' type rash. If she gets flu like symptoms or stiff neck go to doc. keep note of date of bite. Easily treatable in early stages with anti biotics

Original poster

fairyjay · 12/06/2006 15:35

Thanks earnest. The nurse at the surgery was pretty dismissive about it when I telephoned. Dd has since phoned from school saying she feels dreadful, and whilst logic tells me that it's not enough sleep over the weekend and probably silly food causing her to feel so bad, I'm just wondering........

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Pruni · 12/06/2006 15:42

I know someone who got it from the West Coast of Scotland. He was quite ill iirc but largely because of the antibiotics rather than the disease. He got a circular weal around the bite, size of a saucer.

tortoiseshell · 12/06/2006 15:55

I think I had this - although the doctor never said that - I had a bite, which got HUGE - it inflamed until it was covering my arm. Was breastfeeding ds1 at the time, so saw the doctor then who prescribed a cream. It then subsided, only to return as a very well defined 'target'. Went back to doctor (having scared myself silly on internet), whose comment was 'how totally fascinating, I wish I had a camera' - and she prescribed a longish dose of the antibiotics that would have been appropriate for Lyme Disease. So though it was never spoken, I'm sure that's what it was (or could have been!). Had no ill effects at all, but if untreated it is very nasty. Would probably be worth seeing the doctor anyway.

I'll post a picture in Member Profiles of the 'target' if you like.

Mercy · 12/06/2006 16:17

ggirl, my dd had a tick embedded in her face 2 years ago - in the New Forest !! Apparently it's quite well known there.

ruty · 12/06/2006 16:23

i had about three ticks in my leg when i went walking in Scotland a few years ago. I would be more worried about removing them properly [getting the head out] than Lymes, though itis on the increase. Look out for a red weal, but if she doesn't get one [i didn't] she should be fine.

Original poster

fairyjay · 12/06/2006 16:34

I think she got it out - I've checked and so has the school nurse. She just wandered downstairs and casually said 'I've just pulled this like small beetle out, and it was go into me with spikey legs'. I think I'm actually glad she didn't call me to deal with it!!!

OP posts:

Original poster

fairyjay · 12/06/2006 16:34

OP posts:

AttilaTheMeerkat · 12/06/2006 17:00

www.bada-uk.org/facts.html

Please tell me that she managed to pull it all out in one go with tweezers; if she left the head in then this can cause problems. She may need a course of antibiotics.

The above is another website about ticks.

FeelingOld · 12/06/2006 17:22

I had Lymes disaese in 2004 (here in the uk after walking in high grass). I thought I had just been bitten by something when I went to the doctors with a bite on my leg which looked like a bullseye (red bite in middle, then around bite it was normal coloured skin then a large hard red circle around it and it was about 5 inches in diameter in total).
I was very ill for about 4 weeks, I was sick, dizzy and very tired and passed out twice and my blood pressure went sky high and this also had to be treated with medication. It finally took me about 10 months to fully recover (you can have relapses cos can be in your system for some time).
I was treated with anitbiotics but my blood was tested on 3 sepatate occasions before lymes was a definite diagnosis cos it can some weeks before it shows up in your blood (or so my doctor said).
Can't help you with whether its about in Bala but hope your dd is ok soon.

ernest · 12/06/2006 17:23

was advised if rash appears take photo of it to show doc, as it can disappear quickly

Original poster

fairyjay · 12/06/2006 19:03

Attila - she did it without tweezers, but both the school nurse and I have really looked hard, and can't see anything left behind. She's having another soak in the bath at the moment, but I don't think any rash would appear for a couple of days anyway, would it? I'll look at the site now - thanks for that

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Original poster

fairyjay · 12/06/2006 19:05

FeelingOld (me too!!!) - how long was it before you rash showed up - glad you're OK now by the way!!

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FeelingOld · 12/06/2006 19:14

I do have quite bad reactions sometimes to bites so it wasn't unusual that the bite was irritating me for a couple of days (I usually take anti-hists and they start to go down), but this one then got worse and went from being a very red and angry bite (like I have had lots of times) to getting the 'bullseye' appearrance and that's when I went to the doctors as I also felt very unwell by this time.

Original poster

fairyjay · 12/06/2006 22:33

She's gone to bed absolutely shattered tonight - but I think (hope) it's lack of sleep rather than anything horrible developing! I'll keep a close eye on the bite for the next few days, and take it from there. Thanks for all the info.

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ernest · 13/06/2006 11:43

sorry, forgot to say was advised to clean with antiseptic. And for next time, hopefully won't be one, tweezers are advisable. Dh removed one from ds, didn't realise it was a tick, so just scratched& scraped it away. yikes

Original poster

fairyjay · 13/06/2006 16:28

Dd moved it herself before telling us ernest (I actually thought that was pretty brave!). She isn't at school today, but has felt well enough to look up ticks on the internet, and is now convinced she's got Lyme Disease!! Hope your ds is okay now

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ernest · 13/06/2006 17:25

was pretty brave of her, def. Hope she's feeling fine soon

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