Tick bite help!

Look, guys, I can't really help you out with stuff like this on a forum. Go see a doctor. You shouldn't mess around when you've had swelling or itching at a tick bite site for days.

Worst-case scenario? You just end up on antibiotics tomorrow... seriously, just go see a doctor without overthinking it.

I’m heading out tomorrow... I just really hope everything goes according to plan 😢🤷

The head is still stuck in there and it’s causing irritation...
Don't go pulling ticks out yourself, I guess. It's way too hard to get the whole thing out, and if you leave the head behind, you haven't really fixed anything...

There’s absolutely nothing black left... I honestly think there isn't anything left inside at all. In fact, even right in the center, it looks more like some sort of pus-filled pimple or something similar.
Even though the redness seemed to fade a little bit today, the itching just won't let up.

Just use those tweezers from the drugstore specifically designed for that purpose.
It’s not going to work by just slathering on some oil or moisturizer.

Sophia Garcia12 said:The black part is totally gone... I honestly think there's nothing left inside. Now, right in the center, it just looks like some gross, pus-filled pimple or something.
The redness actually went down a bit today, but the itching? It’s still driving me crazy.

Look, if there were an actual infection or something serious going on, you'd be seeing other symptoms by now.

I just stepped out of my doctor’s appointment... they prescribed a topical cream for the itching and sent me off for some blood work, just to be safe—you know how these things go. I am really hoping for some good news once everything comes back. Honestly, I can't thank you all enough for the advice and support you've shared! 🙂

I was out hiking in the woods this past Monday. By Tuesday afternoon, I spotted two ticks on me—one on my stomach and another on my leg behind the knee. I soaked them in alcohol first. I managed to pull the one from my stomach out easily, but the one on my leg left a bit of a piece behind. I had to dig it out with a needle.
Last night, I noticed the bite site on my leg looks slightly, though very minimally, swollen and still red. I’m feeling a bit anxious about it, so I wanted to ask if this is typical? There's also a small red spot on my stomach, but no swelling there.
There's no pain, just a slight itch, which I suspect might just be dry skin.
Thanks.

I'm attaching a photo... it's just a phone picture, but you can see enough.
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/684/img144ie.jpg
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/713/img145n.jpg

Just sent you a PM... I just spotted a tiny tick about 10 cm right of my belly button.
So, back on Sunday, I was hanging out at the cabin around 2:00 PM.
And Saturday too...
It’s Tuesday now... so we’re looking at 48+ hours since that little sucker finished sucking blood from my stomach.
I’ve been hiking through the woods for 20 years and never once had an issue... and now this happens.
Of course, if I Google it, I’ll probably convince myself my brain is rotting from meningitis.😢>
I pulled it off myself using my fingernails—mostly because I forgot to trim them yesterday and they’re basically acting like tweezers right now.
I did a full body check... nothing else found.
I did a fair amount of brush clearing on Saturday, wearing some old clothes I keep in the shed... and I didn't even change on Sunday.
So, there's a good chance this one actually hitched a ride on Saturday.
The thing is, it was tiny, and it didn't look like it had gorged itself on blood much.
Life is weird.

Hey everyone, so I got bitten by a tick on my lower leg, and the head actually stayed lodged in my skin after I tried to pull it out. It’s been two days now, and the area is pretty swollen, red, and honestly, it itches like crazy. I haven't noticed that specific red ring that usually points toward Lyme disease yet, though. I'm kind of torn—should I just go ahead and start on some Zithromax?

Bryan Murphy3 said:Hey, got bit by a tick on my shin. The head stayed stuck in my leg when I pulled it out, and now two days later, the whole spot is swollen, red, and itching like crazy. No bullseye rash yet—you know, the classic sign of Lyme disease. Not sure if I should just start popping some Zithromax already.

Man, I’ve been through this exact same thing a hundred times. It always itches, and there's always some redness, whether it's big or small. Honestly, I never really did anything about it, and nothing bad ever happened to me.

I mean, just wear long sleeves and pants whenever you’re heading out into nature. It’s honestly better to just prevent a tick bite in the first place than to deal with potentially lifelong issues later on—especially if doctors just brush it off as nothing, particularly if you end up pulling the tick out yourself.

Yeah, I'll just hang tight until that red circle shows up.

And honestly, regarding that other comment... I really should probably just let it go, but I just can't help myself.
So, what? I'm supposed to wear long sleeves and pants when it's 90 degrees out?
I love being outdoors, and frankly, I need the sunshine—you have to show at least a little skin if you want to get your Vitamin D.
Besides, those things cling to long clothing even easier than they do to your skin. Then they start looking for a spot to settle, and if I'm outside from sunrise to sunset, they might just decide my sweatshirt is a great place to land on my head.
Anyway, if people are too scared to go out, they can just stay inside. This world is going to get you eventually, regardless.

Bryan Murphy3 said:Yeah, I guess I'll just sit around waiting until a red circle shows up on my skin.

And honestly, I really should just ignore that other comment, but I can't help myself. I'm itching to say something.
So what? You want me to wear long sleeves and pants when it's 90 degrees out?
I love being outdoors, and let's be real—if you want any decent Vitamin D, you actually have to show some skin.
Plus, those ticks love long clothes even more than they love skin; they just latch onto the fabric and start making themselves at home. If I'm out from sunrise to sunset, they’ll probably end up hitching a ride right onto my head under a sweatshirt.
Look, if you're too terrified to leave the house, just stay inside. This world is gonna get you eventually anyway.

Speaking as someone who used to be a hardcore hiker for years—though unfortunately, I had to quit for health reasons—we always used to slather ourselves in something before hitting the trails. I think it was Autan or some similar repellent. Then you wear long sleeves, sweat your soul out, and end up with something like pneumonia because you didn't change clothes immediately.

It’s usually recommended to wear long sleeves whenever you're walking through areas where ticks might be hanging around. Maybe bring something easy to throw on too, like a light jacket. Or even just an extra T-shirt to change into if you need to.

Bryan Murphy3 said:Yeah, I guess I'll just wait until that red ring actually shows up.

As for that other comment... honestly, it’s probably best to just ignore it, but I can't seem to help myself.

So, what—I'm supposed to wear long sleeves and pants when it's 90 degrees out?

I enjoy being outdoors, and since we need the sun for Vitamin D, you pretty much have to show some skin.

And besides, those things cling to long clothing even easier than they do to skin. Then they start looking for a spot, and if I'm outside from dawn till dusk, they might just decide to settle in my hair while I'm wearing a sweatshirt.

Anyway, if people are that terrified, they should just stay indoors—because, let's face it, this world will get you eventually, sooner or later.

If it's just redness, maybe try an antibiotic ointment. Like Betrion.
For me, that red ring didn't even show up until day 10. If it appears immediately, you should head to infectious disease or the nearest ER—especially if you're in Washington, D.C. or somewhere nearby.
Otherwise, you should always be using sprays that repel ticks.
And whenever you get home, you really ought to strip off everything you were wearing and throw it straight in the wash, then hop right in the shower.
If you spend a lot of time in the woods, it's probably a good idea to get vaccinated against meningitis.

Mirobact ointment is actually quite effective, though you'll need a prescription for it. I've also used Byvacin ointment myself, which works well too. Unfortunately, the Byvacin spray hasn't been available for a while now. There's also Trosure gel, which does contain an antibiotic, but I guess it's a bit weaker than those other two ointments. Then there's the Trosure extra gel, but that one doesn't have any antibiotic in it at all.

Honestly, I completely forgot to spray myself down—it wasn't even an issue until a few weeks ago, but now I make sure to do it every single time. I've been using that Zona Vital Natura Kids spray; it’s all-natural and smells really nice. There is just no way I'm letting myself get bitten without spraying up first 62 miles.

As for antibiotic ointments, they aren't exactly a silver bullet. If the bacteria has already made its way into your system, a topical cream isn't going to do much, and besides, the bite itself isn't usually some massive wound. I still apply something externally, though—I use lavender Pranar essential oil. It’s actually fantastic; you can dab it right on the puncture sites as an antiseptic, and it helps with skin recovery. Just, you know, make sure to do a patch test on healthy skin on your forearm first to ensure you don't have an allergic reaction.

Removed a tick from my ankle joint a few days ago... honestly, I have no idea how long it was lodged there...
It’s been 8 days now, and redness has started appearing at the site along with some itching...
It is just pure redness for now; no ring has formed yet...
I suppose I will head to the ER, though I've had similar experiences before that weren't too bad... if anyone else has dealt with this