Ticks like me. A lot.
If I am not careful I'll have 30 on each limb; if I take all the precautions I usually have just a handful after a run.
But it looks like I have found something that keeps them off:
http://www.boots.com/boots-natural-insect-repellent-lotion-100ml-10115215
It is a moisturiser base with an "all natural" [1] insect repellant. I put it on my ankles, lower legs, arms and neck before I get dressed and I haven't had a tick since. It smells nicer than DEET and doesn't destroy everything it touches.
No link to Boots [2].
[1] which just means that the aggressive chemicals came from a tree (lemon eucalyptus) rather than a lab - don't let it fool you, it hurts on grazes and mucous membranes
[2] but if you are reading this and want to give me a lifetime supply please do
Tick repellant
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15 posts
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- Rosine
- red
- Posts: 182
- Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:46 pm
- Location: Not mainland UK according to most couriers...
Re: Tick repellant
Thanks Rosine - I will definitely try it.
There has been a lot of publicity in the press lately about Lyme Disease what with Matt Dawson and all.
For many years I have wondered whether a proportion of ME cases have actually been undiagnosed Lyme's. I think it could be quite high.
There has been a lot of publicity in the press lately about Lyme Disease what with Matt Dawson and all.
For many years I have wondered whether a proportion of ME cases have actually been undiagnosed Lyme's. I think it could be quite high.
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Mrs H - god
- Posts: 2971
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 3:30 pm
Re: Tick repellant
I am absolutely sure that many ME cases and similar illnesses originated as undiagnosed borellia (Lymes). It is only relatively recently with the Caudwell family and many letters/articles in the press etc that UK medics have started to realise the possibility of borellia but knowledge is still patchy. Both Monika and I had it when living in Sweden and, although diagnosed quickly, it knocked us back for at least 3 months. Monika's mother was hospitalised for a while with it. Always check for ticks and a tick remover costs little.
- ianandmonika
- red
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 10:03 pm
Re: Tick repellant
Ian,
Do you reckon that once you've had Lymes, you thereafter have some sort of resistance to it? Or possibly just become unattractive to ticks?
I had ME type symptoms back in 1995 with recurrences for a number of years. It was never diagnosed but I suspect it was a result of a bite from an infected tick. Now I seem almost immune to ticks. Even when others have a multitude of ticks I rarely seem to have any. Is it possible that I am very unattractive to ticks or am I just lucky?
Do you reckon that once you've had Lymes, you thereafter have some sort of resistance to it? Or possibly just become unattractive to ticks?
I had ME type symptoms back in 1995 with recurrences for a number of years. It was never diagnosed but I suspect it was a result of a bite from an infected tick. Now I seem almost immune to ticks. Even when others have a multitude of ticks I rarely seem to have any. Is it possible that I am very unattractive to ticks or am I just lucky?
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Homer - diehard
- Posts: 969
- Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2005 12:10 pm
- Location: Springfield
Re: Tick repellant
Homer - you're probably just unattractive...
- Big Jon
- guru
- Posts: 1895
- Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2006 11:59 am
- Location: Dess
Re: Tick repellant
Homer - Monika and I do not seem to now attract ticks, but I think it is hard to say that is a result of having had borellia. But it's been a really long time since I had a tick, whereas I did used to get them going back 10 years+. We still get our regular TBE (tick bite encephalitis) injections - much cheaper at the ORingen - because of orienteering in Sweden and also Europe.
- ianandmonika
- red
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 10:03 pm
Re: Tick repellant
ianandmonika wrote: Monika and I do not seem to now attract ticks
Interesting. Same as my experience. Anyone else found the same?
Big Jon wrote:Homer - you're probably just unattractive...
No comment.
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Homer - diehard
- Posts: 969
- Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2005 12:10 pm
- Location: Springfield
Re: Tick repellant
Big Jon wrote:Homer - you're probably just unattractive...
Presumably Marge doesn't think so
To oblivion and beyond....
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buzz - addict
- Posts: 1199
- Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:45 pm
- Location: Sheffield
Re: Tick repellant
Mrs H wrote:For many years I have wondered whether a proportion of ME cases have actually been undiagnosed Lyme's. I think it could be quite high.
I used to wonder that, when UK GPs had no idea what it was, but nowadays I suspect the opposite.
I have had many hundreds of tick bites, even once in Lyme (which is a place, not a person btw). But afaik, touchwood, no Lyme disease: I wasn't ever tested for borrelia. Yet I read about all these celebrities bitten once and debilitated. I rather suspect that if I got ME now, GP's would attribute it to Lyme. So I went off to https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-diseas ... checklist/ and guess what: it turns out I probably do have Lyme disease.
What's going on?
WOC2024 Edinburgh
Test races at SprintScotland (Alloa/Falkirk) and Euromeeting (near Stirling).
Test races at SprintScotland (Alloa/Falkirk) and Euromeeting (near Stirling).
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graeme - god
- Posts: 4728
- Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2004 6:04 pm
- Location: struggling with an pɹɐɔ ʇıɯǝ
Re: Tick repellant
I'm a tick and midge magnet so it was all out war at the S6Days for me. Having read that neither creature likes peppermint or citrus, I scoured the supermarket shelves and armed myself with peppermint essence, and a bottle each of lime/mint, and lemon antibacterial bathroom sprays. I made up a diluted peppermint spray for my skin, and used the bathroom sprays on my clothes and shoes. I also used some Boots citrus midge spray.
I can report no problems with midges, and the tick tally was 2, which is 2 more than I would have liked but pretty good compared to some other multi day events I've attended. Totally unscientific of course - I may have got the same without all the chemicals. Interestingly, both ticks were on places I hadn't sprayed - armpit, and, well I'm not divulging where the other one was
I can report no problems with midges, and the tick tally was 2, which is 2 more than I would have liked but pretty good compared to some other multi day events I've attended. Totally unscientific of course - I may have got the same without all the chemicals. Interestingly, both ticks were on places I hadn't sprayed - armpit, and, well I'm not divulging where the other one was
- usuallylast
- red
- Posts: 158
- Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:17 pm
- Location: North Cumbria
Re: Tick repellant
I think it is skin characteristics that determine whether you are attractive to ticks rather than anything to do with blood such as antibodies. (An infected tick likely got so by feeding on a small animal with the infection.) Which is why a repellant can work, and I too thank Rosine for the suggestion. And yes, different people do seem to have different levels of attractiveness to ticks.
Some years ago, I gradually developed some symptoms that I thought were to do with ageing. But after visits to my GP and some research, I had a course of the cheap antibiotic such as would be prescribed for neuroborreliosis. Many of the symptoms got better, and it seems quite likely taking antibiotics was the cause of this, but I can't be sure.
Diagnosis can be pretty difficult. My splendid GP's view was the NHS test is not very good (false negatives), which is also what a lot of what seems to be reasonable quality analysis on the internet suggests. In any case the blood testing people declined to do it as "several hundred bites over more than twenty years" wasn't specific enough.
I recommend the information on the website of the LDA charity
http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/
I suggest.
1. The symptoms list is very long, and it seems to me looking down the whole list is not so helpful - particularly if you are old you will find some regardless of whether there is an infection. And if you only have a few and you are ill it may well be something else.
2. Not all infections produce the bulls-eye rash. The rash is sufficient to indicate infection.
3. Most tick bites are not infected.
4. Infection rates vary across the UK. There are thought to be no parts free of it now. There are parts where rates do seem very low and GPs may know little about it, and at the other extreme are places like Aberfeldy, where GPs seem to know a lot.
5. It is evident from case histories of Lyme patients that not all respond the same way to infection, nor do they respond equally to treatment. Some unlucky people seem to get very ill very quickly, but the likelihood is most people don't.
6. If you are suspicious,
a) keeping a symptom diary is a good thing to do
b) tend your immune system.
Some years ago, I gradually developed some symptoms that I thought were to do with ageing. But after visits to my GP and some research, I had a course of the cheap antibiotic such as would be prescribed for neuroborreliosis. Many of the symptoms got better, and it seems quite likely taking antibiotics was the cause of this, but I can't be sure.
Diagnosis can be pretty difficult. My splendid GP's view was the NHS test is not very good (false negatives), which is also what a lot of what seems to be reasonable quality analysis on the internet suggests. In any case the blood testing people declined to do it as "several hundred bites over more than twenty years" wasn't specific enough.
I recommend the information on the website of the LDA charity
http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/
I suggest.
1. The symptoms list is very long, and it seems to me looking down the whole list is not so helpful - particularly if you are old you will find some regardless of whether there is an infection. And if you only have a few and you are ill it may well be something else.
2. Not all infections produce the bulls-eye rash. The rash is sufficient to indicate infection.
3. Most tick bites are not infected.
4. Infection rates vary across the UK. There are thought to be no parts free of it now. There are parts where rates do seem very low and GPs may know little about it, and at the other extreme are places like Aberfeldy, where GPs seem to know a lot.
5. It is evident from case histories of Lyme patients that not all respond the same way to infection, nor do they respond equally to treatment. Some unlucky people seem to get very ill very quickly, but the likelihood is most people don't.
6. If you are suspicious,
a) keeping a symptom diary is a good thing to do
b) tend your immune system.
- afterthought
- green
- Posts: 324
- Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:40 pm
Re: Tick repellant
When working at a travel clinic a few years ago, a newly retired couple came to consult about tick borne encephalitis immunisations for their forthcoming hiking trip to Eastern Europe. We always explained other methods of reducing risks. Their eyes lit up at the prospect of inspecting each other's bodies for ticks! Almost like I'd suggested a new sexual practice!
- Copepod
- green
- Posts: 304
- Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 7:36 pm
- Location: Leeds, England, UK
Re: Tick repellant
If having been infected by Lyme disease made you less attractive to ticks, how then would the disease spread ?
If you could run forever ......
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Kitch - god
- Posts: 2434
- Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2004 2:09 pm
- Location: embada
Re: Tick repellant
Just for info; there is a NICE Consultation on Lyme running at the moment.
(NICE= (UK) National Institute for Health Care and Excellence.)
Only stakeholder organisations can comment, and there are 15 documents; one may be of general interest to some readers.
Draft Guidelines:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/GID-NG10007/documents/short-version-of-draft-guideline
(NICE= (UK) National Institute for Health Care and Excellence.)
Only stakeholder organisations can comment, and there are 15 documents; one may be of general interest to some readers.
Draft Guidelines:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/GID-NG10007/documents/short-version-of-draft-guideline
- afterthought
- green
- Posts: 324
- Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:40 pm
Re: Tick repellant
And next year may be a bumper year for Lyme's, if today's Times article is correct ...
- DJM
- diehard
- Posts: 981
- Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:19 pm
- Location: Wye Valley
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