Tick-borne diseases


I just stopped by a stand operated by BADA-UK, explaining the dangers of tick-borne diseases in the UK. The fact that one of the ladies was in a wheelchair was evidence that the problem is non-trivial. You can find out more about defensive measures here.

My skin is now crawling – horrible.

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Comments & Responses

3 Responses so far.

  1. Catherine in Athens says:

    You are right to shudder, Steve. Make sure you instigate “tick checks” after time in the country with your godchildren. A tick in a Belgrade garden in 1998 latched onto me without my seeing it, and I received the right treatment in time only because the nurse practitioner at the US Embassy recognised the classic bull’s-eye rash. I dread to think what might have happened if she hadn’t… Thank you so much, Karen Robertson!

  2. Thank you so much for making the time to call by this exhibition.
    I do hope that it has encouraged you to learn much more of the problems over lack of early diagnosis and lack of adequate treatment especially when it develops into a chronic late stage illness.
    I was fortunate that my GP diagnosed me but only after 5 doctors and 3 consultants had taken 4 years to make that correct diagnosis.
    I had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, Arthritis, Muscle Weakness, Musculo skeletal Disease Polymyalgia Rheumatica as my symptoms deteriorated and it was in fact a chance course of antibiotics that significantly improved my symptoms which led my GP to suspect Lyme Disease.
    I had attended surgery at times of bites, bulls eye rashes , summer flu’ and migrating arthralgias all red flags for lyme Disease.
    After many months of antibiotics I have recovered to nearly 100% with no pain. or disability and can garden and cycle again although I had been Retired early from the civil Service on Ill Health grounds and at my worst had difficulty standing from a chair and walking across a room. For 3 1/2 years I was not able to walk up or downstairs properly.

    Sadly my experience is not disimilar to so many hundreds of other patients here in the UK and no doubt many hundreds more who may never get diagnosed or properly treated.

    I do hope you are able to do so much more towards helping raise the awareness of this dreadful disease especially because children are the most vulnerable and parents in general not aware of the dangers. There is not one single Paediatrician in the UK who has a real handle on the complexities of Tickborne illness most doctors and consultants do not fully appreciate what a complex and diverse illness Borrelia can be despite the thousands of research papers published on the subject.

  3. Elizabeth Aughton says:

    I am so pleased to see an MP getting involved in raising awareness of this horrible didease. I was diagnosed 15 years after being infected with the Lyme parasite and endured 15 years of awful NHS treatment which did more harm than good. Only after having a complete mental and physical breakdown did I see a wonderful private Neuro-immunologist who saved my life. All my treatment is private and I am a retired 34 yr old College teacher, so I just about survive with help from others. However, I believe that the inadequate and ignorant stance taken by our medical profession creates more of a battle than finding money for treatment. Even now, my GP is sceptical despite my improvement on private treatment. I am amazed at the lack of willingness to broaden our medical horizons in this country which leaves us miles behind the good ole US of A where alot of my treatment originates from. Therefore, I am grateful every time tick borne diseases are brought to our attention as I agree with many consultants that there are many thousands more out there wrongly diagnosed. Please spread the word so others don’t have to endure this quality of life that so many of us face every day.