Tick bite help!

casualharbor72 said:I pulled a tick out of my ankle joint a few days ago... honestly, I have no idea how long it was attached...
It’s been eight days now, and the area is turning red and starting to itch like crazy.
Right now, it's just redness; there isn't a distinct ring yet.
I'm heading to the ER, but has anyone else dealt with something similar?

Get to the urgent care immediately. You need antibiotics. Some doctors prescribe Pfizer, which usually clears it up within a couple of days.

casualharbor72 said:I pulled a tick out of my ankle joint a few days ago... honestly, I have no idea how long it was attached there...
It’s been eight days now, and this redness has started showing up along with some itching...
It’s just a red patch for now, no target pattern yet...
I'm planning to head to the ER, though I've dealt with something similar before... anyone else had this happen?

You definitely need antibiotics—likely at least two weeks' worth—to rule out Lyme disease.

Especially if you start seeing those concentric rings...

casualharbor72 said:... people might end up heading to the ER, but I can't say I blame them if they've had a similar experience

In my own life, which hasn't been all that short, I’ve pulled more than 20 ticks off my body and never dealt with any lasting issues.

Just stay brave,
bold,
calm,
don't panic,
it's all going to be fine
🙂

My neighbors over in Canada actually implemented a rule a while back where they charge you for visiting the emergency room if your life isn't truly in danger.
I mean, you really can't just go bothering medical professionals over something so trivial; why not just make an appointment with your primary care doctor instead?

The way things are headed, we'll probably be rushing to the ER for mosquito bites next. 😁

brightviper29 said:In my experience—and I’ve lived long enough to pull over >20 ticks off myself—I never had any issues whatsoever.

Just stay brave,
bold,
chill,
don't panic
it'll all work out
🙂

My neighbors in Canada actually implemented a rule recently where they charge you for ER visits if it's not a true life-or-death emergency.
Basically, you can't just go bothering medical staff over trivial stuff—just see your own primary care doctor instead.

At this rate, we'll be rushing to the ER because of mosquito bites pretty soon. 😁

Here in the States, they don't charge you per visit, but the trauma you get from an ER trip is so bad you won't even want to go back unless it's absolutely critical.

Scott Collins2 said:In America, you don't get billed for the visit, but you walk away with enough trauma from the ER staff that you’ll think twice before going back unless it’s a true life-or-death emergency.

That's nothing compared to what I saw; about 25 years ago, back in the last century, I was working over in Canada when this happened. One of my workers had something fly into his eye, and he couldn't see a thing—just intense pain, watering eyes, everything turning bloodshot... it looked pretty bad.

I rushed him straight to the ER, but let me tell you, that place was a nightmare; it looked completely neglected and run-down, just filthy and disorganized in every possible way.

The moment that guy stepped inside and saw the state of things, he miraculously recovered within five minutes flat. 😁
It was wild, almost like some kind of supernatural healing power!

Now, just to be clear, this wasn't happening in Lourdes. 😁