Tick Test Kit for Lyme Disease

[earthdragon64]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

Anyone tried these test kits yet?

Having had 4 tick bites within the last month, 3 within the last week, despite being very careful about covering up, wearing gaiters, checking over my clothes carefully, I think I'll give it a try. I've got all 4 ticks in a pot, so can do them all at one go.

Two local friends have had tick bites turn nasty within the last fortnight too - they had to get the heavy duty antibiotic treatment for them. It seems to be a bad year for ticks here in the North York Moors area. Maybe the month or so of rain we've had and resultant very lush vegetation is providing ideal conditions for them.

So I'm now off to check the local outdoor shops for the test kit. If not available there, the cheapest I've seen online is £8.99 with free delivery from the Travel Health Store.

If anyone knows how to look at fungi or plants (and try to id them) without coming into contact with vegetation, please let me know . I'm not sure how effective insect repellant is - I had it on my hands and wrists yesterday, but still a tick managed to get up the sleeve of my jacket and into my jumper, and then onto me.

There are now clothes that are supposed to have insect repellant in them ... anyone tried them? And is it wise to have these clothes next to the skin on a frequent basis?

I think you're right about the weather, ticks seem to thrive in warm, damp conditions which pretty much sums up this summer.

I don't think insect repellant is much use for ticks to be honest. I was wearing "Stop Bite" repellent a couple of weeks ago, keeps away midgies and clegs, but I found a tick wandering across the back of my hand, wich was an area I'd drenched in repellant as it's an area I often get bitten by clegs.

I've never been convinced by the repellant in clothes, in fact hubby was wearing some last year when he got bitten by a tick and got Lyme disease.

I've heard of tick patches, one type is a way of removal when a tick has already embedded, I think they are called "Rid-a-tick". The other type is a preventative patch, which I've heard of from a couple of people, but all I can find out is ones being tested in the US contain 2 carcinogenic chemicals.

Regards, Audrey.

[nightshade]

I have no feedback from the test kits as yet.
One of the green crew brush cutters wears a one piece paper overall and takes Garlic capsules.

[larachmor]

The only winners here are the people who are selling this - £9 a go??
Here in The Highlands, tics are a daily hazard. If you happen to pick one up - just pull it out, get rid of it and forget it! All this talk of going to your GP - a load of baloney! IF and only IF you develop an area of irritation, then fine, go and put your mind at rest. If you detect a lightish circle developing, then this could be the early symptoms of Lyme's disease, and yes, you must see your GP. If our local GP was consulted for every tic bite, the surgery would be over-run, by gamekeepers, ghyllies, dog-walkers and every Tom Dick and Harry who ventures out into the woods and fields - We wouldn't even get into the car-park! Let's not be so over-alarmist.
£9 a go for a single test?? They're laughing all the way to the bank! I could never afford it.

[DorsetDunk]

yeah i was in hospital recently and had already arranged with my GP prior to going to have the bloods done for Lyme's disease
I get huge amounts of ticks on me when bug hunting in long grass sometimes my hands are black with them but those are to tiny to penetrate the skin mostly but I often pick 10 to 20 or more larger ones off me after a day in the field I heard from the doc that a friend of his got Lyme's disease when visiting green island in Poole harbour and as I do my studies around the harbour fringes it is a worry, my legs and arms are often marked by gorse and bramble prickles despite thick shirts and trousers so could well have missed the early signs
but touch wood that i may not be susceptible to it after being bitten by some many 100s of ticks in the past