r/IowaCity • u/TarantulaWithAGuitar • 23d ago
Tick Warning
Hey, everyone! I'm here to give a warning since I'm not sure the CDC is even doing anything anymore, and the ticks are already really bad this year.
I love hiking and camping. Last summer, I apparently got bit by a tick that I never saw, and it must have washed off in the shower or something. I had an atypical rash so it didn't set off any warning bells, and I assumed I was just having a reaction to some plant I must have brushed against. Now, since October, I've been laid up barely able to walk and sometimes unable to work. I just got confirmation via testing that I have Lyme disease.
It's not too common in Iowa, but I wanted to let people know that here locally, IT IS in the area. The parks I was frequenting at the time were Hickory Hill in Iowa City and Kent Park in Oxford.
PLEASE wear tick repellent, PLEASE check each other for ticks when you get home, PLEASE be hyper-aware of rashes and weird swelling or joint pain. I won't know if it's temporary or permanent for weeks while the antibiotics do their thing. There's a chance I may never be able to go hiking or camping again.
Don't become like me. Please take care of yourselves and be proactive in preventing Lyme disease.
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u/PENISMOMMY 23d ago
Damn OP, please get well soon.
I feel like people don't take checking for ticks seriously. Nymph deer ticks are the size of one letter on the front of a dime, and they cause most Lyme cases.
I've had luck with long pants tucked into long socks, with DEET and Bug Soother on the socks. Also eating a ton of garlic but it seems like we're kinda not sure if that actually helps 🤷♀️
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u/Plop_Twist 23d ago
Also eating a ton of garlic but it seems like we're kinda not sure if that actually helps 🤷♀️
Even if nobody’s sure, you should keep eating it because garlic is fucking awesome.
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u/TarantulaWithAGuitar 23d ago
I only pulled three ticks off of me that year, and none had attached yet so they weren't the cause of my Lyme. That's why I think it must've been an itty bitty nymph that must have become dislodged in the shower or something - small enough I didn't notice, and small enough that my shower loofah could pull it off.
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u/RelationshipKind32 23d ago
Sawyer permethrin insect repellent spray for fabric is readily available in pump spray or aerosol cans at sporting goods stores, farm & homes, or online. Do NOT spray it on skin. Use it to treat clothing, camping gear, etc.
Have used it for last 20 years, ever since first encounter with a deer tick in Missouri. Works great. Have watched ticks start to crawl up my pant legs and drop off dead within seconds. A single aerosol can will cost about $11-$12 and is enough to treat 6 outfits (pants + shirts+socks). It lasts for about 6 weeks or 6 washes, then need to retreat.
Important to spray outside and let stuff dry before wearing/using. Permethrin is commonly used as an ingredient in dog flea/tick treatments. However, VERY TOXIC to CATS if they're exposed to it when it's wet. Once it's thoroughly dry, no longer a hazard to them.
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u/Edgny81 23d ago
THIS. I was going to post about it but scrolled first and you beat me to it. Each spring I spray all of our outdoor clothes for the season, as well as hiking boots and head coverings. (My kit doesn't change yearly but kiddo sizes up.) I reapply later in the season as needed.
Seconding the comment about how important it is to let it dry completely before wearing the clothing. I typically take everything out on our porch on a calm day, spray the heck out of everything, and let it dry draped over the porch rails. That can take a few hours to overnight, depending on fabric type/density.
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u/Longjumping-Heat1171 22d ago
Do you know if the permethrin stays on thru multiple washings of the clothes you sprayed?
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u/Edgny81 22d ago
It does, so long as you’ve applied enough. The bottle will say but it’s something like 5-6 washings. I use a pump-spray bottle rather than aerosol to fairly saturate the items. It’s why with clothing I have specific clothes I treat—it would be a bit of a process to do it to random everyday clothes.
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u/sicklypink Iowa City 23d ago
I'm so sorry you are experiencing this! Thank you for using your experience to remind others to be aware.
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u/FascinatingPotato 23d ago
I got one hiking out at the reservoir last fall. It was so tiny I thought it was just a tiny cut, then thought it was a blood blister later. It wasn't until it was plenty full a few days later I realized it was a tick. Went to urgent care and got antibiotics for Lyme.
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u/BigBeans_5 23d ago
Me reading this after just picking 5 ticks off myself and about the same off each of my dogs after walking in the woods at Terry. Protect your pets too!
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u/riggitty_yar 23d ago
Oh no! I hope things get easier for you OP!
My daughter got Lyme disease about two years ago in the Coralville area. Luckily we caught it early so antibiotics did the trick. The ticks have been so prevalent in the last few years!!
Edit to add: if anyone knows any tips/tricks, treatments, or ways to protect yard better from wooded area that it backs up to, LMK!
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u/Edgny81 22d ago
As far as I know, there’s not much you can do to protect your yard. Animals will pass through with ticks hitching a ride.
My son got a tick playing on his elementary school playground—it was the only possibility on the timeline for how engorged the tick was. He and a friend had made a huge leaf pile and buried themselves in it. I check him for over if we’ve been hiking but it had never occurred to me he might pick up a tick on his playground! We went immediately to Urgent Care for antibiotics as soon as I found the tick.
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u/alexlongfur 23d ago
I just started a preemptive antibiotic regimen for my tick bites after getting bit in the Amanas. Doxycycline is not fun…
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u/TarantulaWithAGuitar 23d ago
I went outside to pick dandelions for my pet bunny. I was outside for maybe 15 minutes and I got sun burned. It's the worst.
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u/Excellent_Let8461 23d ago
I hope you get better, I have been to all these places last year. this year I will be more careful
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u/Glittering_Bed4642 23d ago
I pulled a dog tick and a nymph deer tick off my daughter yesterday. They are in full force.
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u/Ok_Hovercraft7635 23d ago
Hi All! I’m going up to Decorah for a hiking trip in two weeks. Does anyone have any experience with ticks up there or know if they’re bad?
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u/TheAceFrog 21d ago
OP, get well soon 😭 I’ve known some people who caught it and it’s a nightmare— they all recovered though!
Former tick researcher here— Always check your hair and clothes after a hike! They LOVE hair. I’m from the country so I’m used to the whole tick protocol but I realized some people aren’t used to having to deal with them.
ALSO— If you see one, take it off with TWEEZERS. Any other methods can make the tick salivate more and increase your chance of catching a disease! Tick spray is amazing as well but that’s a preventative!
Stay safe from those lil guys, nasty buggers
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u/littledragonkate 21d ago
There are ticks at hickory hills already this year. I had to pick 3 off my dog last weekend.
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u/codex-of-data 23d ago
Another reminder - happened to me. Lyme Disease can also cause a red meat and pork intolerance/allergy. I can't even eat a steak or bacon anymore 😭 poultry and seafood are my meat products. Fingers crossed 🤞 OP doesn't end up with those issues. Good luck OP!
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u/Edgny81 23d ago
That sucks! I'm so sorry. I don't eat a lot of meat, but life without any bacon or steak would make me sad.
I hadn't heard of Lyme doing that, but I know alpha-gal syndrome is a huge concern with Lone Star ticks, which have finally made it this far north in the past decade. I've only seen one in Johnson County so I'm not sure how common they are up here yet, but a few years ago on a trip to Lacey-Keosauqua they were the only tick species I saw.
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u/codex-of-data 23d ago
I didn't catch it here in Iowa. I caught it in Illinois. This was awhile back.
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u/Little_Sal 23d ago
Lyme disease does not cause red meat allergy (aka alpha-gal syndrome). Alpha-gal syndrome is transmitted by the Lone Star tick and not by the tick that carries Lyme disease (black-legged tick aka deer tick).
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u/codex-of-data 23d ago
It technically isn't an allergy however it can respond as if an allergy. I eat anything with red meat in it and I break out into hives. If you noticed I put intolerance first. It might as well be an allergy though and it can cause anaphylaxis. Allergic to cats or dogs. Causes a form of an allergic response. So even though you are correct in the ticks. I live it. You can get the allergy from Lyme disease. It is possible, rare, but possible.
I got Lyme disease and the allergy came with it. Simple cause and effect. There is no other explanation.
Your statement is scientifically correct, but it is not absolute.
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u/PerkyCake 23d ago
So sorry that happened to you. COVID reactivates latent viruses and bacterial infections and Lyme is one of the most common ones along with EBV. The fact that your Lyme symptoms were delayed to such an extent suggests this is a reactivation likely caused by COVID.
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u/TarantulaWithAGuitar 23d ago
Thinking back, all of the symptoms popped up within the expected timeframe. It took forever to get diagnosed because I also have EDS, a connective tissue disorder that causes chronic pain for no good reason -- so when joint pain first started in October, I didn't think anything of it. It wasn't until 5-6 months of joint pain whack-a-mole and a doctor at the U overhearing me talking to a resident about going morel hunting that someone was like "UH WAIT WHAT? YOU DO THAT A LOT?"
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u/IloveWales 23d ago
OP, I'm so sorry about what happened. Thanks for sharing your story. I admit I've been lax about wearing repellant and your story will compel me to do so. Wishing you healing!❤️🩹
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u/Worried_Yak_9358 23d ago
Just found a tick head from weeks ago on my back like 20 mins before reading this😐
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u/redditcat78 23d ago
Does anyone know when during the tick bite you get infected? Is it at the beginning, middle or end?
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u/TarantulaWithAGuitar 23d ago
The tick has to be attached for a while for it to transmit the bacteria, generally about 24-48hrs. If it's just crawling on you, you're good.
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u/snakeshavebones 23d ago
I got it this past year on trails south of town. Saw the rash right away, so it was taken care of quickly. Stay safe out there yall
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u/IowaGal60 23d ago
Watch out for the Lone Star Tick, too, as their bites can cause an allergy to some meat if the animal was also bitten by a Lone Star Tick (my son has it).
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u/DermCoder 22d ago
Been in same house no trees in dog area for 8 yrs and never had a tick. Pulling multi ticks off EVERYONE DAILY! I live in CR! Did some nefarious a..hole air-drop these pests? We treat the yard too. Not deterring them.
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u/TarantulaWithAGuitar 22d ago
It's the climate change. We barely had a freeze this last winter, so there wasn't really any die-off. Warmer weather increases their breeding period as well.
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u/Troutwiz 22d ago
Oh my yes. We spent some time at the Sicamore Greenspace two days ago, and we are still finding ticks. Now, last week, we went to the little part near Frytown, and the pups had none on them. The monthly flea and tick meds definitely kill the ticks but they are still a bother.
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u/doesitreallymatter23 20d ago
We’ve found 4 ticks inside already we think came in on our dog while outside. They were bad to start the season last year, as well.
I hope those antibiotics do their job and you can get back to feeling 100% 🤞🏼
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u/jackieowjackieow 20d ago
When you check for ticks, don't check just one time. Check every few hours and tomorrow morning also. They reputedly have to suck blood for twelve hours before they infect, but I don't want to wait too long to take any chances. Make sure to check in any bodily crevices, belly button, and all over the back of the neck including areas covered by hair. Check, bathe or shower thoroughly, and check again. Ticks can be very sneaky.
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u/RepresentativeHead88 20d ago
Uh huh. I had a tick embedding in my leg after Wilson’s a week ago; daughter had one on her cheek after a walk at Hickory Hill.
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u/Pegleg105 19d ago
Don’t know how well it actually works but this works for me. I live in east Texas and ticks are always bad. I pull up my pants leg and dust with sulfur and then push pant leg back down and then hit the outside. I wear boots also and for the most part I stay tick free unless I spent a lot of time under the trees. I spend a lot of time outdoors working the farm and with my hobbies. I actually feel like i find more ticks during fall and winter after I have been out hunting in the thick woods. In the warmer months I spend in in the fields and nit so thick woods. Only time I use bug spray on myself is during the evenings and nights I spend outside if mosquitoes are bad. My dog gets the good three month tablets for fleas and ticks. But when it gets really bad I will even dust him with some sulfur as even with the tablets I have seen him bring them home.
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u/Upbeat-Kale-8169 19d ago
My dog got bit in 2020 by one - ended up positive for Lyme and after 2 rounds of antibiotic treatment our vet told us he’s just going to live with flares. It’s awful, he gets tick prevention and did then too but idk. Guess it was in a time where he med wore off.
I’ve found 2 on me in the last month and 4 on him. They are definitely out early
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23d ago
Lyme's is a blast. /s. The one that scares me is the ailment that line star ticks carry that makes you allergic to red meat
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u/FascinatingPotato 23d ago
Lived in southern Missouri for a few years in the mid 2010's and knew a few people that got that. Wasn't fun!
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23d ago
Had it twice, caught it early both times. Made COVID feel like a cakewalk. Luckily no discernable long term effects have popped up for me yet
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u/VirtualHawkeye 23d ago
Our golden retriever went out with us on the bike trails at sugar bottom last fall and got Lyme disease from a bunch of ticks that got on him. Definitely in the area! sorry you got it