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Tick removal panic

3 replies

Nnn43 · 18/06/2023 18:06

Hi.
This is gross. Sorry in advance...
I found an engorged tick on my 'lady bits' (😮) two days ago. I didn't realise what it was at first. But had felt something during the night and touched it a few times to try and figure out what it was. I was half asleep and didn't do anything til the morning. I still couldn't really see it but felt it again in the shower and I thought it may be a skin tag or something. Then I pulled at it and it came out and I saw the wriggling legs etc... I was horrified. It was a deer tick and by the size of it had been on at least 4 days. I actually now have a course of precautionary antibiotics to try and prevent Lyme disease (which feel a bit weird about because they are powerful antibiotics with bad side effects). But I am totally freaking out about the tick bite. Everything I read says never touch them with bare hands, never agitate them or squeeze then or pull them out with your fingers. Says it can regurgitate all the disease back inside you and it's really really dangerous.
Rationally, I hope the antibiotics will help stave anything bad off but I cannot stop thinking about how I got it off all wrong and touched it etc and it's driving me insane.
Anyone know just how bad it is to squeeze/touch them?? It was still alive when it came out.

OP posts:
LucyLongbody · 18/06/2023 18:09

I've pulled ticks out of myself, one on my cheek and one in my eyelashes, yuk.
I never went to the Drs or even thought about it again. This was a couple of years ago.
I've also pulled them out of my animals.

Iwantcakeeveryday · 18/06/2023 18:21

I totally understand as everything health wise freaks me out! But I think this is exactly why you get put on the antibiotics, to eliminate any small risk. Many people never actually see them and they fall off and they've been on there much longer, with no antibiotics too. I think you'll be absolutely fine now, try not to worry

PimpMyFridge · 18/06/2023 18:26

You'll be fine as you've acted quickly and got your antibiotics going in the window needed to prevent Lyme's getting a hold in your system (even if the tick did react to bring pulled out but I'm not convinced that's a given/likely).
I have a friend who suffers with chronic Lyme caught from a tick she never knew she had so missed the window, that's not you.

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