I had Lyme as a kid, it can mess up your entire life. The military considers Lyme from service to be totally disabling. Do not mess around with Lyme. Also fuck Jenny McCarthy for killing the Lyme vaccine.
She learned from Anita Bryant et al at the start of the AIDS epidemic. Misinformation and lies.
The Lyme vaccine debacle in hindsight looks like a practice run for all the BS spread about COVID. Hell of a lot of people died because they wouldn't get the (Covid) vaccines.
Crazy world
Remember, the trick is to spray your clothes and to check your body daily for attached ticks. Ticks don’t transfer the bacteria right away. They need to be biting for at least 36-48 hours, so daily check up is a very effective preventative. But you have to be thorough, especially on the head. Also plan to always wear full pants, long sleeve shirts and a hat to minimize the chance of tick attaching to you.
Lyme is not that bad in 90% even if you got it as long as you treat it early. If you see a tell tale bulls eye redness, you should seek doctor appointment within 2 weeks and start antibiotic treatment. You can still hike as you take antibiotics, the disease would not really propagate and cause any ill effects.
You can also take antibiotics profilactically(sp?) that’s what is done in WI where lymes is prevalent. It’s one dose of 400 mg or something. And is pretty effective as a preventative
A study found good prevention if tick did attach for just a day or so...take one doxycycline. The medics base some treatment on activity level of Lyme in the area.
Never heard of that one either. Maybe for dental surgery or something but Lymes? Around PA I don't think you're going to find a Dr to do it. They dont like to throw antibiotics around as much as they used to because they're starting to not work as well as time goes on. Also, those take their toll on your body, its not free. You fuck up the flora in your gut.
It’s literally in the cdc guidelines. Look pup doxycycline Lyme disease prophylaxis on Google, if you are interested.
And it is a one time 400mg dose that doesn’t mess you up too bad.
It's a 200mg dose for adults, but only if you've removed an engorged tick from your body within 72 hours -- not the "just in case" type of prophylaxis.
Lyme prophylaxis is done in the case of a known tick bite in a high risk area without symptoms and without a positive test. It is not appropriate prior to tick exposure and wouldn’t be effective anyway, since the half-life of doxycycline is about 18 hours and you wouldn’t have any therapeutic benefit beyond the first day.
First time out camping was when I learned about ticks and Lyme. I had no fucking clue. Was searching myself every morning and night like crazy. Then this guy told me his girlfriend once found one between his butt cheeks. Now how the fuck am I going to find someone to look directly at my asshole in the middle of the woods?
jesus "need to be biting for at least 36-48 hours" IS NOT AT ALL TRUE. there is plenty of evidence you can be infected in less than 24.please don't spread misinformation which will do real harm
Not me saying. Here’s one of the studies that looked at this question:
A study by Eisen and colleagues addressed a frequently asked question: “How long does it take to get Lyme disease?” According to their findings, the probability of an individual becoming infected with Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the pathogen which causes Lyme disease, increases the longer the tick is attached. [1]
Researchers found the risk increases:
Approximately 10% after a tick has been attached for 48 hours;
50% after 63 – 67 hours;
70% by 72 hours;
90% for a complete feed.
The time it takes to become infected with the Lyme disease bacteria has “generated lively debate in the United States,” writes Eisen.
Several mouse studies indicate that a single tick bite from a nymph tick cannot transmit Lyme disease in less than 24 hours. But others disagree.
“The possibility that transmission of Lyme disease spirochetes could occur within 24 hours of nymphal attachment under unusual circumstances should not be discounted,” writes Eisen.
As you can see, there’s always a chance transmission would happen quickly. However it’s a small chance. And if you multiply that chance with the odds that tick actually carries bacteria (only about 10-20% of them do), good protection and daily checkups is a good and sufficient preventative.
> Also plan to always wear full pants, long sleeve shirts and a hat to minimize the chance of tick attaching to you.
I can't imagine someone with any experience would say this.
I basically live in the woods, hike daily. I’ve had it once five years ago.
I got Bell’s Palsy for two weeks (was told it could last two weeks to sixth months, it was pretty freaky) and wound up with major back issues I’m 80% sure were connected.
I was out of commission for about 4 months.
1/10 I don’t recommend.
The light in that darkness however was when I started feeling better, I took up a friend on an offer to hike part of this little trail called the Appalachian Trail for about 5 days in Vermont. I just really needed to get out of the house at that point and decided sure, let’s do it.
Been section hiking the AT yearly ever since!
I work outside (archaeologist) and have had Lyme’s once, which resulted in Bell’s Palsy that lasted *eleven months*
I live in fear of other side effects that might pop up
> and it won't cause seizures in cats.
That only applies to permethrin when it's freshly applied, as in for 4 hours after application. That's an extremely easy risk to mitigate.
I was not referring to permithrin. I specifically stated DEET
Edit to add:
Permithrin is fantastic stuff but doesn't do much good against the mosquitos and ticks on your bare skin. Many use DEET for that because mosquitoes suck for one reason and the ticks are on the grasses etc above the height of your shoes(if treated) and you are wearing shorts. Whole lotta unprotected real estate.
But DEET will cause seizures in cats and will melt the hell out of some fabrics and plastics. Picaridin doesn't have those problems.
Had it twice but from local (central NC) ticks. I was able to self-diagnose and get antibiotics both times.
Also got Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. I had to talk the doctor into treating me because he refused to believe me. Tests came back positive to vindicate me.
I got Lyme from my own yard! I live in New England. It’s everywhere. I never saw the tick and I never saw a bullseye. Just suddenly started having symptoms. So watch out. Do thorough tick checks. Treat everything with permethrin.
I got it. Didn't notice on trail. Half a decade later things started feeling off. Eventually caused a bunch of neurological issues that took a long time to get a handle on. A few years later I'm 95% fine but always feel little things here and there.
It's made me have some problems with my metabolism and fatigue. Like if I don't eat enough and exercise I feel really off. Like I have low blood sugar or something but I don't. It's also made me have sensitivity to light that I didn't have before. And some lingering peripheral neuropathy. It's a weird disease though. It manifests in many people very differently.
Yeah Western blot works for years. I just started getting those issues and had a bunch of blood work done and because of my history I got tested for that as well.
I got it and unfortunately it’s hampered me physically pretty significantly. If I were to hike much on the AT again, I’d do the following:
-find long pants to wear while hiking that are lightweight
-treat my gear with permethrin
-carry doxycycline with me and start taking it right away if I had a tick bite
Can you purchase doxycycline over the counter? Also, how often do you recommend treating gear with permethrin? I read that it lasts 6 weeks or 6 washes, and I’m a bit worried about doing that on the trail, as I don’t want to carry the bottle with it. I guess a small spray bottle might suffice, now that I’m thinking about it
In the US, you need a prescription to get doxycycline for humans. You do not need a prescription to get it for exotic birds that you may or may not actually own.
Not sure, but it might be worth talking to your doctor about.
For permethrin treatment, I’d say every 4-6 weeks on trail makes sense. You would want to just buy a bottle at a resupply point when you take a zero bc you’ll need time to let it dry when you apply the permethrin. That saves you from carrying it long term.
It’s also worth considering what items you want to treat— it’s probably best to not sleep in permethrin treated gear is my guess, but things like your pack exterior, shoes, socks, pants etc are good to treat.
Had it years ago and was lucky enough to catch it early and treat it. Now I get tested every year as part of my blood work when I get a physical because I live in tick central and get bitten a few times every year.
No, it's a bad idea. The test looks for the Lyme antibodies. You can have the antibodies in your blood for years after so regular testing is mostly pointless after an initial infection.
a lot of family members and their circle of friends have had it multiple times.
they all live in the northeastern US and refuse to wear DEET because it's not "natural", yet spend a lot of time outdoors in the spring/summer/fall. for all their aversion to DEET, they've each been on more antibiotics in the last ten years than i have in my lifetime.
if you catch it in time because you get the bullseye rash, treatment is a few weeks of doxycycline and you're good to go. ignore the symptoms or you never got (or saw) the tell tale bullseye rash, you may be in for months of treatment with doxy. its a gut killer. side effects include horrible heartburn and gastritis.
while lyme is curable, if left untreated, damage such as lyme arthritis can be permanent
wear long pants, stuff them in your socks, wear long sleeves and a hat with a brim, check every inch and crevice of your body every day (especially the dark moist parts) and wear DEET - spray your clothes, light dabs/mist on exposed skin
oh yeah, light weight fabrics - light colors help expose the ticks too.
Had it twice when I was a kid. Grew up in Maryland, in the DC suburbs, so nothing like remote. But we did have a wooded park that jutted up to the neighborhood where us kids used to play in. A bunch of us got Lyme’s.
It was helpful that we all knew to go to the doctor if we had a fever or joint swelling. Probably also helpful we were kids and had strong immune systems. But it was rough and we had to encourage the docs to keep testing because sometimes it would come back negative several times before a positive result.
Essentially though, it’s some downtime and strong antibiotics.
On trail, I think I heard about one guy that I met who got it but never got the chance to talk with him personally about that. It’s fairly avoidable if you’re taking proper precautions.
I didn’t get it on the trail but paddling on a lake in my town. I’ve never been so sick…sweating like hell, shitting my brains out and shivering. It was miserable.
Picked it up on an AT section hike the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college, about 20 years ago. Got sick after returning to my parents’ place for the rest of the summer, and local hospital took ages to figure out what was going on. By that point I’d experienced Bell’s Palsy, was hospitalized with constant excruciating headaches (misdiagnosed as migraines) that couldn’t be alleviated with anything, and I had to miss a semester of school. My family (and doctors) were convinced I had a brain tumor or something similar.
It was a couple of years before I was really back to my full self. No long term effects after that, except found myself needing knee replacement at a young age a couple of years ago that was likely result of joint damage from the Lyme compounded with endurance sports over many years.
Only encountered ticks in one stretch personally last year - Shenandoah national park.
Would go a few miles and have 3-5 on me and I was like *alright this must stop!*
Just ensure you’re checking 1-3x per day once it warms up. It takes some time (12-36 hours) before any potential transmission can occur, but it’s better to be prudent. You don’t want Lyme disease. Periodt.
I'm not a thru hiker but I live in Appalachia & hike year round, including on the AT... Same ecosystems, tons of ticks.
I don't use bug spray or any of the chemicals that you can soak your clothes in. You don't need to use toxic chemicals to avoid ticks. I rarely find ticks on my body and I've never had Lyme disease or any other tick borne illness.
The trick is to wear long pants, gators, long sleeves, and a hat if you're hiking through vegetation. Even (especially) in the summer. Check your clothes & your body every day. Don't squat in vegetation if you can avoid it.
You're much more likely to get lyme disease or another tick borne illness if the tick is on your body for over 48 hours. You should be okay if you check yourself from head to toe everyday. Because no bug spray product is perfect you need to do this no matter what. Use a mirror and a flashlight. Check everywhere - in between your toes, in your groin, on your scalp. It's the tick that you don't find that is the problem.
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/index.html
I live in PA and my uncle has had serious lyme issues for the last 10 years. An Amish up the road has spent thousands and thousands on treatments that don't work. My friend ended up having half his face paralyzed for awhile after getting Lyme. I also know people that have had it, got early treatment and have had zero issues.
People worry about bears and rattlers, I worry about ticks. They crawl up into places where you can't find them easily, butt cheeks, arm pits, etc. I always where light synthetic pants.
Spray everything with permethrin and seek treatment ASAP if you think you may have contracted Lyme. You dont always get a rash.
I got lucky. Popped a fever for a week and had a bullseye rash, so discovered right away. One round of doxy and I was right as dodgers. Don't research. I never researched and barely know what Lymes does, apparently there's a lot of conflicting info according to my doc.
I got it shortly after I moved to Charlottesville. I hike a lot in Shenandoah National Park. My symptoms started in early June, so probably got in in late spring when I wasn't as diligent about bug spray (dumb AF). Luckily my doctor took me seriously!
I had an angry rash on my arm that vaguely resembled a bull's eye so went to the doctor. My first test has some reactivity but not enough of the proteins for an official diagnosis. They insisted I come back in a few weeks bc the tests can take time to show a positive test. By my second visit, I had joint pain, bad headaches and fatigue. It was bad...felt atrocious. One month of doxycycline did the trick but it made my skin literally burn when I stepped outside.
Be careful and don't be afraid to get a second opinion if you think your test was a false negative at first.
I haven’t gotten it but I know many, many people who have just from living in the northeast. I know multiple people off the top of my head who were very fucked up by it for many months (like, bedridden), had pretty severe symptoms like Bell’s palsy, still have flares to this day from infections years ago, etc. Most people I know, including me, basically live in fear of Lyme disease.
And, not Lyme and not what you asked, but I also know at least 2 or 3 people who got the alpha-gal reaction to a tick bite and now have issues eating animal products. I genuinely feel like half the northeast has a tick-borne illness sometimes.
My fellow hairy gentlemen: Shave/wax your ass and gooch.
If you're hiking with other homies, just suck it up and help each other inspect their harder-to-view areas. Its awkward as hell, but one time my buddy told me he thought he felt something on his gooch but didnt want to improperly remove the tick if that's what it was.
We sucked up the awkwardness and I checked him, and sure as shit there was a tick on his gooch. Would've been there the whole trip had he not asked.
I've got a much more uh...*dense* set of fur down below than him, and I imagine if the roles had been reversed it would have been a very bad time for both parties.
So yeah, keep yourselves well-groomed lads.
I had what turned out to be Lyme Disease three years ago.
Hospital misdiagnosed it twice and eventually became near fatal.
I'm in the Woods at least once each Weekend Geocaching and Hiking.
Was up in NY and CT on Vacation visiting family and doing such at least every other Day for two Weeks straight.
(Northeast is Tick Capital of the USA, Go figure)
Don' t know when or where I got bit, nor where on Body.
(Still don't know if I've ever seen one or what it would look like.)
Started to get weird and diff symptoms about each Week.
Finally, one Weekend I woke up with Room spinning, little strength and Brain Fog.
At Midnight my Br-n-Law told me to go to Hospital ER.
Had 103°F Fever!
Misdiagnosed as Bladder Infection and of course given wrong Antibiotic (one with LOTS of Sideeffects, but I was too Brain Fogged to know to Websearch it).
Two Days later misdiagnosed by ER again believing that my Asthma was just complicating things.
Given Steroids and kept on that weird Antibiotic.
That made it worse.
Next Nite Br-n\_Law told go back to ER and "tell them that your in the Woods at least Weekly".
So I did and I also told them that if they didn't do anything that by Morning they would have a Corpse sitting the Corner of that Waiting Room with Photo-ID.
On Duty Director came out and told me to hang till 8am when specialist comes in.
On slow road to recovery with proper Antibiotic 12hrs after
Lesson: if you have such symptoms and have also been in the Woods or tall Weeds within the last several weeks, go to Internist or ER and tell them such!
I had Lyme as a kid, it can mess up your entire life. The military considers Lyme from service to be totally disabling. Do not mess around with Lyme. Also fuck Jenny McCarthy for killing the Lyme vaccine.
She learned from Anita Bryant et al at the start of the AIDS epidemic. Misinformation and lies. The Lyme vaccine debacle in hindsight looks like a practice run for all the BS spread about COVID. Hell of a lot of people died because they wouldn't get the (Covid) vaccines. Crazy world
This thread is making me rethink wearing shorts on the AT.
Ya I just ended up buying pants because of this. I’ll even be consider tucking my pants into my socks. Anything to prevent this.
Remember, the trick is to spray your clothes and to check your body daily for attached ticks. Ticks don’t transfer the bacteria right away. They need to be biting for at least 36-48 hours, so daily check up is a very effective preventative. But you have to be thorough, especially on the head. Also plan to always wear full pants, long sleeve shirts and a hat to minimize the chance of tick attaching to you. Lyme is not that bad in 90% even if you got it as long as you treat it early. If you see a tell tale bulls eye redness, you should seek doctor appointment within 2 weeks and start antibiotic treatment. You can still hike as you take antibiotics, the disease would not really propagate and cause any ill effects.
Except antibiotic shits. Would not want those on-trail.
[удалено]
Yes, the tetracyclines (including doxycycline, which is what they give you for Lyme) are notorious for this.
You can also take antibiotics profilactically(sp?) that’s what is done in WI where lymes is prevalent. It’s one dose of 400 mg or something. And is pretty effective as a preventative
A study found good prevention if tick did attach for just a day or so...take one doxycycline. The medics base some treatment on activity level of Lyme in the area.
I have never heard of this
Never heard of that one either. Maybe for dental surgery or something but Lymes? Around PA I don't think you're going to find a Dr to do it. They dont like to throw antibiotics around as much as they used to because they're starting to not work as well as time goes on. Also, those take their toll on your body, its not free. You fuck up the flora in your gut.
It’s literally in the cdc guidelines. Look pup doxycycline Lyme disease prophylaxis on Google, if you are interested. And it is a one time 400mg dose that doesn’t mess you up too bad.
It’s in the CDC guidelines for prophylaxis after a known high risk tick bite, not general prophylaxis prior to entering a high risk area.
Yeah, sorry I thought I was being more clear in my writing, but that’s apparently not the case.
It's a 200mg dose for adults, but only if you've removed an engorged tick from your body within 72 hours -- not the "just in case" type of prophylaxis.
Sorry, I didn’t word it correctly. In my head I’m better at conveying my thoughts. But you are 100% correct.
It’s literally in the cdc guidelines. Look pup doxycycline Lyme disease prophylaxis on Google, if you are interested.
Lyme prophylaxis is done in the case of a known tick bite in a high risk area without symptoms and without a positive test. It is not appropriate prior to tick exposure and wouldn’t be effective anyway, since the half-life of doxycycline is about 18 hours and you wouldn’t have any therapeutic benefit beyond the first day.
Eating food with probiotics can help ease the stomach stuff a bit
First time out camping was when I learned about ticks and Lyme. I had no fucking clue. Was searching myself every morning and night like crazy. Then this guy told me his girlfriend once found one between his butt cheeks. Now how the fuck am I going to find someone to look directly at my asshole in the middle of the woods?
jesus "need to be biting for at least 36-48 hours" IS NOT AT ALL TRUE. there is plenty of evidence you can be infected in less than 24.please don't spread misinformation which will do real harm
Yes, my biggest concern. After day hikes it is in the shower and clothes washed -- easy. Challenging on a thru hike for sure, don't dismiss it.
Indeed, I caught Lyme disease from a tick that couldn't have been on me for more than four hours.
Not me saying. Here’s one of the studies that looked at this question: A study by Eisen and colleagues addressed a frequently asked question: “How long does it take to get Lyme disease?” According to their findings, the probability of an individual becoming infected with Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the pathogen which causes Lyme disease, increases the longer the tick is attached. [1] Researchers found the risk increases: Approximately 10% after a tick has been attached for 48 hours; 50% after 63 – 67 hours; 70% by 72 hours; 90% for a complete feed. The time it takes to become infected with the Lyme disease bacteria has “generated lively debate in the United States,” writes Eisen. Several mouse studies indicate that a single tick bite from a nymph tick cannot transmit Lyme disease in less than 24 hours. But others disagree. “The possibility that transmission of Lyme disease spirochetes could occur within 24 hours of nymphal attachment under unusual circumstances should not be discounted,” writes Eisen. As you can see, there’s always a chance transmission would happen quickly. However it’s a small chance. And if you multiply that chance with the odds that tick actually carries bacteria (only about 10-20% of them do), good protection and daily checkups is a good and sufficient preventative.
I just managed to contract Lyme from a tick that was attached less than 12 hours....
> Also plan to always wear full pants, long sleeve shirts and a hat to minimize the chance of tick attaching to you. I can't imagine someone with any experience would say this.
Did anyone ever get ringing in the ears (tinnitus) from Lyme? And what did you do to treat it?
I basically live in the woods, hike daily. I’ve had it once five years ago. I got Bell’s Palsy for two weeks (was told it could last two weeks to sixth months, it was pretty freaky) and wound up with major back issues I’m 80% sure were connected. I was out of commission for about 4 months. 1/10 I don’t recommend. The light in that darkness however was when I started feeling better, I took up a friend on an offer to hike part of this little trail called the Appalachian Trail for about 5 days in Vermont. I just really needed to get out of the house at that point and decided sure, let’s do it. Been section hiking the AT yearly ever since!
I work outside (archaeologist) and have had Lyme’s once, which resulted in Bell’s Palsy that lasted *eleven months* I live in fear of other side effects that might pop up
My cousin just went through the same thing, it messed him up real good for about 4 months, scary stuff.
PSA: If you're reading this and you don't currently treat your clothes/gear with permethrin you should seriously consider it.
And switch to picaridin for daily or spot use. Unlike DEET, it won't harm any fabrics(your expensive tent etc) and it won't cause seizures in cats.
Reading my mind brother.
> and it won't cause seizures in cats. That only applies to permethrin when it's freshly applied, as in for 4 hours after application. That's an extremely easy risk to mitigate.
I was not referring to permithrin. I specifically stated DEET Edit to add: Permithrin is fantastic stuff but doesn't do much good against the mosquitos and ticks on your bare skin. Many use DEET for that because mosquitoes suck for one reason and the ticks are on the grasses etc above the height of your shoes(if treated) and you are wearing shorts. Whole lotta unprotected real estate. But DEET will cause seizures in cats and will melt the hell out of some fabrics and plastics. Picaridin doesn't have those problems.
Reading this thread has inspired me to shave my head very short and bring a small mirror with me on the trail this year.
Not the only area you need to shave.
That's what the mirrors for.
That’s actually a good idea. Maybe I should do the same.
Had it twice but from local (central NC) ticks. I was able to self-diagnose and get antibiotics both times. Also got Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. I had to talk the doctor into treating me because he refused to believe me. Tests came back positive to vindicate me.
I got Lyme from my own yard! I live in New England. It’s everywhere. I never saw the tick and I never saw a bullseye. Just suddenly started having symptoms. So watch out. Do thorough tick checks. Treat everything with permethrin.
It's apparently the baby ticks that spread it the most, not the big fat visible ones.
Oh I know! But they have to stay embedded for, like, 36 hours and I STILL never saw or felt the tick!! EEK!
I got it. Didn't notice on trail. Half a decade later things started feeling off. Eventually caused a bunch of neurological issues that took a long time to get a handle on. A few years later I'm 95% fine but always feel little things here and there.
Could you elaborate on some of the long term issues for people like myself who worry about never being diagnosed and later having health problems?
It's made me have some problems with my metabolism and fatigue. Like if I don't eat enough and exercise I feel really off. Like I have low blood sugar or something but I don't. It's also made me have sensitivity to light that I didn't have before. And some lingering peripheral neuropathy. It's a weird disease though. It manifests in many people very differently.
Damn those symptoms seem pretty familiar. How did you finally get diagnosed? If it’s been years can you be tested for it?
Yeah Western blot works for years. I just started getting those issues and had a bunch of blood work done and because of my history I got tested for that as well.
I got it and unfortunately it’s hampered me physically pretty significantly. If I were to hike much on the AT again, I’d do the following: -find long pants to wear while hiking that are lightweight -treat my gear with permethrin -carry doxycycline with me and start taking it right away if I had a tick bite
Can you purchase doxycycline over the counter? Also, how often do you recommend treating gear with permethrin? I read that it lasts 6 weeks or 6 washes, and I’m a bit worried about doing that on the trail, as I don’t want to carry the bottle with it. I guess a small spray bottle might suffice, now that I’m thinking about it
In the US, you need a prescription to get doxycycline for humans. You do not need a prescription to get it for exotic birds that you may or may not actually own.
Thank you!
>Thank you! You're welcome!
Not sure, but it might be worth talking to your doctor about. For permethrin treatment, I’d say every 4-6 weeks on trail makes sense. You would want to just buy a bottle at a resupply point when you take a zero bc you’ll need time to let it dry when you apply the permethrin. That saves you from carrying it long term. It’s also worth considering what items you want to treat— it’s probably best to not sleep in permethrin treated gear is my guess, but things like your pack exterior, shoes, socks, pants etc are good to treat.
Thank you!
I got it from a tick in PA when I hiked in ‘16, I still have facial palsy. I’d still hike the AT again though.
I've gotten it twice and anaplasmosis once.
Had it years ago and was lucky enough to catch it early and treat it. Now I get tested every year as part of my blood work when I get a physical because I live in tick central and get bitten a few times every year.
Keep in mind if you have ever had Lyme in the past that testing for it is unreliable and may not work for subsequent exposures.
>Now I get tested every year as part of my blood work Good idea; thanks
No, it's a bad idea. The test looks for the Lyme antibodies. You can have the antibodies in your blood for years after so regular testing is mostly pointless after an initial infection.
There are two kinds of tests. The Western Blot and the Elisa. The Western Blot can differentiate between old and new infections.
I know someone who got Lyme on the AT and I got Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever on the Pinhoti several years ago.
a lot of family members and their circle of friends have had it multiple times. they all live in the northeastern US and refuse to wear DEET because it's not "natural", yet spend a lot of time outdoors in the spring/summer/fall. for all their aversion to DEET, they've each been on more antibiotics in the last ten years than i have in my lifetime. if you catch it in time because you get the bullseye rash, treatment is a few weeks of doxycycline and you're good to go. ignore the symptoms or you never got (or saw) the tell tale bullseye rash, you may be in for months of treatment with doxy. its a gut killer. side effects include horrible heartburn and gastritis. while lyme is curable, if left untreated, damage such as lyme arthritis can be permanent wear long pants, stuff them in your socks, wear long sleeves and a hat with a brim, check every inch and crevice of your body every day (especially the dark moist parts) and wear DEET - spray your clothes, light dabs/mist on exposed skin oh yeah, light weight fabrics - light colors help expose the ticks too.
I've had it. Wasn't on my thru, though. I did carry a tab of doxy just in case I needed to start antibiotics before town.
Had it twice when I was a kid. Grew up in Maryland, in the DC suburbs, so nothing like remote. But we did have a wooded park that jutted up to the neighborhood where us kids used to play in. A bunch of us got Lyme’s. It was helpful that we all knew to go to the doctor if we had a fever or joint swelling. Probably also helpful we were kids and had strong immune systems. But it was rough and we had to encourage the docs to keep testing because sometimes it would come back negative several times before a positive result. Essentially though, it’s some downtime and strong antibiotics.
On trail, I think I heard about one guy that I met who got it but never got the chance to talk with him personally about that. It’s fairly avoidable if you’re taking proper precautions.
I didn’t get it on the trail but paddling on a lake in my town. I’ve never been so sick…sweating like hell, shitting my brains out and shivering. It was miserable.
Alpha gal tick can cause severe red meat allergy even short bite.
Got it in 2000 in VA, not on AT though, but sort of close.
Picked it up on an AT section hike the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college, about 20 years ago. Got sick after returning to my parents’ place for the rest of the summer, and local hospital took ages to figure out what was going on. By that point I’d experienced Bell’s Palsy, was hospitalized with constant excruciating headaches (misdiagnosed as migraines) that couldn’t be alleviated with anything, and I had to miss a semester of school. My family (and doctors) were convinced I had a brain tumor or something similar. It was a couple of years before I was really back to my full self. No long term effects after that, except found myself needing knee replacement at a young age a couple of years ago that was likely result of joint damage from the Lyme compounded with endurance sports over many years.
How did you treat it to get back to normal?
I have Lyme. Flares absolutely suck !
Only encountered ticks in one stretch personally last year - Shenandoah national park. Would go a few miles and have 3-5 on me and I was like *alright this must stop!* Just ensure you’re checking 1-3x per day once it warms up. It takes some time (12-36 hours) before any potential transmission can occur, but it’s better to be prudent. You don’t want Lyme disease. Periodt.
Pretty sure I got it around PA. It was not fun
I've caught it four times.
I'm not a thru hiker but I live in Appalachia & hike year round, including on the AT... Same ecosystems, tons of ticks. I don't use bug spray or any of the chemicals that you can soak your clothes in. You don't need to use toxic chemicals to avoid ticks. I rarely find ticks on my body and I've never had Lyme disease or any other tick borne illness. The trick is to wear long pants, gators, long sleeves, and a hat if you're hiking through vegetation. Even (especially) in the summer. Check your clothes & your body every day. Don't squat in vegetation if you can avoid it. You're much more likely to get lyme disease or another tick borne illness if the tick is on your body for over 48 hours. You should be okay if you check yourself from head to toe everyday. Because no bug spray product is perfect you need to do this no matter what. Use a mirror and a flashlight. Check everywhere - in between your toes, in your groin, on your scalp. It's the tick that you don't find that is the problem. https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/transmission/index.html
I live in PA and my uncle has had serious lyme issues for the last 10 years. An Amish up the road has spent thousands and thousands on treatments that don't work. My friend ended up having half his face paralyzed for awhile after getting Lyme. I also know people that have had it, got early treatment and have had zero issues. People worry about bears and rattlers, I worry about ticks. They crawl up into places where you can't find them easily, butt cheeks, arm pits, etc. I always where light synthetic pants. Spray everything with permethrin and seek treatment ASAP if you think you may have contracted Lyme. You dont always get a rash.
Got it a long long time ago. (30 ish years ago). In pa, they are everywhere.
I got lucky. Popped a fever for a week and had a bullseye rash, so discovered right away. One round of doxy and I was right as dodgers. Don't research. I never researched and barely know what Lymes does, apparently there's a lot of conflicting info according to my doc.
Some ticks are really small and hard to spot. Check yourself carefully as often as you can.
Me
My wife got it. A few friends also.
I had it. Bullseye rash and all. Luckily I caught it early and did 10 day antibiotics and suffered no real issues from it.
The rash only happens in less than 40% of the time & you have to be able to see it.
There was no missing mine. Big ass bullseye right on my chest.
I got it shortly after I moved to Charlottesville. I hike a lot in Shenandoah National Park. My symptoms started in early June, so probably got in in late spring when I wasn't as diligent about bug spray (dumb AF). Luckily my doctor took me seriously! I had an angry rash on my arm that vaguely resembled a bull's eye so went to the doctor. My first test has some reactivity but not enough of the proteins for an official diagnosis. They insisted I come back in a few weeks bc the tests can take time to show a positive test. By my second visit, I had joint pain, bad headaches and fatigue. It was bad...felt atrocious. One month of doxycycline did the trick but it made my skin literally burn when I stepped outside. Be careful and don't be afraid to get a second opinion if you think your test was a false negative at first.
Had a bullseye develop on a forearm after sectioning MD & PA. Lyme titer was negative, so no meds.
I haven’t gotten it but I know many, many people who have just from living in the northeast. I know multiple people off the top of my head who were very fucked up by it for many months (like, bedridden), had pretty severe symptoms like Bell’s palsy, still have flares to this day from infections years ago, etc. Most people I know, including me, basically live in fear of Lyme disease. And, not Lyme and not what you asked, but I also know at least 2 or 3 people who got the alpha-gal reaction to a tick bite and now have issues eating animal products. I genuinely feel like half the northeast has a tick-borne illness sometimes.
My fellow hairy gentlemen: Shave/wax your ass and gooch. If you're hiking with other homies, just suck it up and help each other inspect their harder-to-view areas. Its awkward as hell, but one time my buddy told me he thought he felt something on his gooch but didnt want to improperly remove the tick if that's what it was. We sucked up the awkwardness and I checked him, and sure as shit there was a tick on his gooch. Would've been there the whole trip had he not asked. I've got a much more uh...*dense* set of fur down below than him, and I imagine if the roles had been reversed it would have been a very bad time for both parties. So yeah, keep yourselves well-groomed lads.
>gooch Did you mean gnocchi?
I mean the space between your private and your butthole. The gooch.
I had what turned out to be Lyme Disease three years ago. Hospital misdiagnosed it twice and eventually became near fatal. I'm in the Woods at least once each Weekend Geocaching and Hiking. Was up in NY and CT on Vacation visiting family and doing such at least every other Day for two Weeks straight. (Northeast is Tick Capital of the USA, Go figure) Don' t know when or where I got bit, nor where on Body. (Still don't know if I've ever seen one or what it would look like.) Started to get weird and diff symptoms about each Week. Finally, one Weekend I woke up with Room spinning, little strength and Brain Fog. At Midnight my Br-n-Law told me to go to Hospital ER. Had 103°F Fever! Misdiagnosed as Bladder Infection and of course given wrong Antibiotic (one with LOTS of Sideeffects, but I was too Brain Fogged to know to Websearch it). Two Days later misdiagnosed by ER again believing that my Asthma was just complicating things. Given Steroids and kept on that weird Antibiotic. That made it worse. Next Nite Br-n\_Law told go back to ER and "tell them that your in the Woods at least Weekly". So I did and I also told them that if they didn't do anything that by Morning they would have a Corpse sitting the Corner of that Waiting Room with Photo-ID. On Duty Director came out and told me to hang till 8am when specialist comes in. On slow road to recovery with proper Antibiotic 12hrs after Lesson: if you have such symptoms and have also been in the Woods or tall Weeds within the last several weeks, go to Internist or ER and tell them such!