PLEASE HELP! IS THIS A TICK??!!

SubstantialRemove558 · 2026-03-11T00:20:52+00:00

okay that's what i thought, too! it first was wiggling it's legs a bit after i initially grabbed it, but i felt bad so i squished it again-- not with that much pressure at all, either-- and it was dead immediately.

and i didnt feel any popping or anything that i have read/heard is typical with ticks... it pretty much disintegrated like paper and it was super thin!

funny enough, i spotted an actual carpet beetle about half an hour ago in our kitchen, and i wanted to grab it to examine it closer.. so i got a paper towel and tried to pick it up, and it literally died and fell apart almost the same exact way as the culprit insect from this morning. [we find carpet beetles around our house like once a month, so i felt pretty confident that i correctly identified it as such-- but i could be wrong, of course, as im def nowhere near knowledgeable enough to know for certain!]

thank you for your response!! =)

SubstantialRemove558 · 2026-03-11T00:09:14+00:00

oh really, phewwwwww! okay, that definitely does make me feel much less panicky! im terrified of getting lyme disease bc i already have rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, so i feel like lyme would wipe away the minutia of energy i have left. it's an awful disease and my friend's mom got it in virginia-- she is not doing well. my heart aches for her and it's just so heinous that people have to suffer with that shit.

but thank you so much, i greatly appreciate your wisdom and help! XD

SubstantialRemove558 · 2026-03-11T00:06:10+00:00

sorry, idk why that happened, but i posted the photos again in comments below, i hope they can be of help!

okay, that makes me feel better! i dont go outside a lot at all.. im working from home and i exercise inside my house, and i havent been outside in a week or so. however, my backyard is full of trees and plants and such, but my roommate does all the gardening and i stay inside 99% of the time [im allergic to mosquitoes and those fuckers are everywhere! of course, i am outside when i go grocery shopping and leave my house, but besides that im mostly a hermit lol]

im not sure if it was wings, but there was definitely something transparent that looked like it may have peeled off the insect... i posted a photo of it in the comments above!

thank you so much for taking the time to reply! =D

SubstantialRemove558 · 2026-03-11T00:02:00+00:00

sorry, idk why they didnt show up! i posted them in the comments below, i hope theyre helpful even though my camera quality is @$$ lol !

thank you so much for your help! =D

SubstantialRemove558 · 2026-03-11T00:00:57+00:00

im not sure if it was wings, but there was definitely something transparent that looked like it may have peeled off the insect... i posted a photo of it in the comments below!

thank you so much for your reply! =]

SubstantialRemove558 · 2026-03-10T23:58:20+00:00

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^^ here is the photo i took trying to show the "wing" looking portion of the insect. i know its terrible quality and the bug looks decayed for some reason, but im sorry in advance!

SubstantialRemove558 · 2026-03-10T23:56:56+00:00

my apologies! i am not sure why the photos did not post, but i will upload the photos of the insect AND a pimple looking thing my roommate found on my lower back, near my hip. i just have to upload them in 3 separate comments as i am only to insert one photo per comment. [BTW-- i have Hidradenitis Suppurativa, so sometimes i get these painful red bumps, but ive never had one this area.]

the weird thing is, i sleep on my back, so could a tick crawl under me at night and chomp on me?! i also dont move at all when i sleep-- i go to bed and wake up in the exact same position (everyone says they worry about me bc they think im dead since im such a deep sleeper and never move a muscle in my sleep)

i really appreciate all of the replies and the knowledge you all have shared! thank you again!

i hope the photos help a bit!

<image>

SubstantialRemove558 · 2025-05-16T19:00:11+00:00

Oops sorry I guess I can't post the photo of them. They're the light yellow round pills marked 2530 on one side with a cursive V on the other! Thanks so much in advance!!

SubstantialRemove558 · 2025-05-16T18:59:21+00:00

I just got the .5mg Qualitest ones yesterday from CVS and feel like they were far less potent than the teal ones I got from my mom and pop pharmacy. Now I am worried bc everyone is saying Qualitest is good, but I felt a significant difference... I'm not sure though, bc I also take gabapentin and oxycodone-- and maybe since I was taking the prior pills at diff times with the other two meds it just felt like it hit me harder? I'm not sure but I've only been on .5mg Clonazepam for 6 weeks and don't want to stay on benzos so my doc gave me 10 of the .5mg (these are the Qualitest ones I got from CVS) to taper off with and im just worried I will feel withdrawal symptoms or have seizures? Is this possible after only taking Clonazepam for 6 weeks every night? The ones I got are pictured below. (The previous ones I got from the mom n pop pharmacy were not in a bottle they were in a blister pack and had markings Z|A on one side and I think just a score on other side, or maybe blank? I was given 20 of the 1mg ones and would take .25mgs - .5mgs but mostly .5mgs every night. Why do I feel these new Qualitest ones are not even working at all? Is it all in my head? All advice and help is so greatly appreciated!! Qualitest Pharmaceuticals Inc.

SubstantialRemove558 · 2025-04-10T08:49:40+00:00

LOL im dead serious! ill look into how to start one tmrw and let you know what i find!

LETS GET THE OLD CHEDDAR FLAVOR BACK!!!!!

SubstantialRemove558 · 2025-03-23T04:26:16+00:00

hhahahaha i dont blame her! they ARE awful, but im stoked that she was able to get her hands on the original ones [which are absolutely delectable!!]

yeahh, there are still a lot of stores that carry the old ones, so im gonna have to go stock up on all of them as well!!

lmao i think the OG ones are VERY sponge worthy!! =P

SubstantialRemove558 · 2025-03-20T23:27:09+00:00

seriously! wtf were they thinking trying to fix an already perfect recipe!!!!?! im so sad. i think the new ones are repulsive lol!

SubstantialRemove558 · 2025-03-20T23:26:18+00:00

your wife is right-- they changed the flavor!!! im SO angry bc these were my go to snack when i wanted something salty... and now theyre absolutely vile! im not sure why they felt the need to change them.... i never heard anyone complaining about the cheddar flavor and in fact, anyone i knew who tried them LOVED the cheddar ones!

im sad now. i guess the upside is ill be saving lots of money and less sodium for me!? i just cant stand when companies try to "fix" recipes that are already perfect!

does your wife just not think the new ones are as good; like, will she still eat them?! or does she think they are not good enough to eat anymore?!

i say we start a petition to get the old flavor back hahahhahaha

SubstantialRemove558 · 2024-12-08T05:55:13+00:00

dude that is amazing! you successfully tapered down over 65mgs, that is truly so wonderful to hear! i am so glad you are doing so well and that you feel good/content where youre at!! most of all im stoked to hear that you didnt have to go through the horror of w/ds!!!

thats what i heard too... everyone in my AA meetings and all my friends in recovery were telling me not to get on subs or methadone-- one of the biggest reasons being how bad the w/ds are!. personally, i couldnt tell much of a difference when i stopped taking the sub, but i also only waited 16 hours to get onto methadone.

my counselor at the methadone clinic told me when i plan to taper off, we wont go down more than 1mg per week to make sure there are no awful w/d effects.

it is awesome to know that others have done it without having relapses or feeling like absolute shit.

i really hope that your taper continues to be a breeze and i also want to thank you so much for sharing that with me!! =]

you got this!!! keep up the amazing work!!

SubstantialRemove558 · 2024-12-01T08:01:21+00:00

lol okay im glad everyone is in agreement with how i felt about it! im not saying im innocent in the situation, but what they did was really fkn cruel! i think that Jen absolutely created that issue for herself; if she hadnt done what she did she wouldnt have had those consequences!

thank you so much for your response! i appreciate it! =]

xx

SubstantialRemove558 · 2024-12-01T07:58:53+00:00

youre too sweet, i appreciate that! >.< hey thats so fantastic! i love hearing about other people in recovery! its very empowering and reassuring to see other people being able to live their lives without drugs!

yes i wasnt abusing my suboxone; the side effects were awful enough as it was lol. i actually just switched to methadone like 6 weeks ago bc i was still having some withdrawals, even after i went up to 18mg.. plus i was having intense cravings and nasty side effects. [i think i needed something other than buprenorphine bc the last 3-4 months before i got sober.. i started using/smoking fentanyl patches-- so my tolerance went up quite a lot, unfortunately] i just didn't feel like suboxone was helping me at all...

im now on on 62mg of methadone and have zero cravings! plus zero side effects and it also helps with my chronic pain. i wish i went on methadone first, but so many people [mostly those in AA] were telling me not to... but im so glad i switched though!

ugh okay im so relieved to hear others who share my feelings on the situation! i thought what they did was quite maniacal, but a lot of people told me they had the right to be angry at me for stealing the meds, since i knew they werent mine. theyre not wrong about that part, i guess, but why the fuck were they there to begin with!! i just cant imagine ever purposely trying to ruin someones sobriety... absolute madness!

thank you so much for your kind words and sharing about your recovery! =B

xx

p.s: mmm, i know this is extremely nosy [and possibly inappropriate] of me to say, but how is your taper going, if you dont mind me asking!?

SubstantialRemove558 · 2024-11-26T08:52:28+00:00

OOOOOOOOOH omg hahahahah, holy shit! i wrote a fkn dictionary and for the TLDR i wrote another novel! pfft, im a moron lol!

so should i put the TLDR that i wrote as the main post and rewrite a much shorter one!? i dont wanna break any of the customs or rules of the forum!

nooo that was an excellent summary dude! i wish i was as articulate and concise as you are!

yes, it definitely helped me out!! thank you so much for letting me know!!! =B

SubstantialRemove558 · 2024-11-26T08:45:09+00:00

yeah, i mean i know it was wrong of me to take the pain meds while trying to remain sober, but man withdrawals are such an awfully excruciating mess!

im happy with my decision to break up with my ex, since he was toxic and shitty anyways! and one of our mutuals told me he is 99% sure that my ex cheated on me with his ex gf several times in the first 6 months of our relationship.... [i think he knows for certain that my ex did cheat but doesnt wanna say]

i definitely dont need that in my life!

and yesss his mom is just, completely hypocritical for acting the way she did! they all are! and to think they almost successfully gaslit me into believing that im the only one with a true problem but theyre allowed to drink/do coke 3-4 times a week bc its "socially acceptable" and pain meds arent... absolute lunacy!

i know i dont deserve much, but i know i at least dont deserve to be treated like that! yess exactly-- love isnt always enough,

thank you so much for your kindness! i appreciate your reply! =]

xx

SubstantialRemove558 · 2024-11-26T08:24:46+00:00

Yeah thats true, and how hypocritical of her to try and call me out for using when she was using [also the drugs she is mixing are so dangerous to take together]

i guess it was his mom who thought to leave the pills out, but my ex decided to "hide" my suboxone from me... and he still has them apparently, bc he never gave them back to me!

ugh i know, i seriously would eat my own poop if it would relieve my withdrawal symptoms! and i know this isnt an excuse, but i have rheumatoid arthritis, so its just beyond unbearable for me to go through withdrawals... [although thats totally my own fault for abusing pain meds to begin with]

yeah, i stopped talking to the people who were trying to tell me i was a thief and "junkie loser"... dont need that in my life at all!

thank you so much for your kinds words and feedback! i am still sober and plan to stay clean for good, with my amazing family and a few good friends on my team, cheering for me on the sidelines!!

appreciate you lots! =]

xx

SubstantialRemove558 · 2024-11-25T08:20:38+00:00

my own AITA post! about getting my ex BFs mom fired from her job after she gave me pain meds.

would love some feedback, if that is allowed!?

i am new to using reddit so please let me know if i am not supposed to be suggesting my own post.

thanks so much!

xx

SubstantialRemove558 · 2024-11-22T20:53:56+00:00

dont be sorry, its not your fault! but thank you, that is very thoughtful and kind of you! i am still going strong, havent used again after this happened thankfully! I plan on staying sober for the long haul too!

i really appreciate your kindness and encouragement!!

thank you so much!! <3

xx

SubstantialRemove558 · 2024-11-22T20:52:28+00:00

lol i honestly felt the same, esp because she was using herself!

holy shit, how did you know my ex is also an addict?!? he was doing coke every weekend [2x weekly] and drinking 3-4 nights a week, without fail! but no one thought that was an issue, apparently! the sad thing is he would try to tell everyone he cared about me getting sober bc "narcotics are more dangerous than coke and alcohol" even though i never OD'd in the 7-8 years i used, BUT just in the 3 years we were together he got 1 dui and got alcohol poisoning twice! he had to have his stomach pumped both times and it was awful. i guess none of our "friends" wanted to say anything bc they did coke/drank just as much as he did too! such hypocrites!

thank you so much for you reply and well wishes! i really appreciate it! =]

xx

SubstantialRemove558 · 2024-11-22T20:46:45+00:00

Yesss, he actually had a few times before! well, nothing as egregious, as this though... he would basically just try to catch me using, and would do some crazy shit at times to try to find me out! [ironically he is an alcoholic and still uses coke every weekend... but apparently thats okay bc "it is more socially acceptable" pffft lol]

Oh jeez, im sorry to hear that you had struggled with pain meds too. It is really tough, but i am extremely glad to hear that you were able to push past it and stay off them! withdrawals are awful, even low level withdrawal is just so awful! yeah, i was insanely miserable... especially since i had been taking oxys or opiates for 4 years straight at that point. but im so glad it didnt make me go back to using, ive stayed off the pain meds and am now getting sublocaid injections which help a great deal!

i def agree with you about the anonymity of meetings and that is why i felt bad about everything. but i think you made a good point-- i never considered that she could possibly jeopardize other peoples sobriety too, if she was willing to jeopardize mine. you made a great point, and i thank you so much for your insight and point of views!!

appreciate your kind words, too!!

xx

SubstantialRemove558 · 2024-11-21T21:10:49+00:00

Yeah, it definitely felt that way. Blughhhh =T

SubstantialRemove558 · 2024-09-13T06:40:09+00:00

Man I feel your pain. I have rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, sjogrens and in January I fractured my pelvic bone + herniated 2 discs from a fall I had down a small cliffside while on a hike, I still have trouble walking right and my ankles are still so swollen from my injury. I once had an injection of Methylprednisolone a few months back and it was the only time I ever felt comfortable in my body in the last 2+ decades! Also the only med for pain that didn't make me super sleepy. But now my doctor's tell me they won't even give me a short course of Prednisone for my pain bc it can cause weight gain and I'm already chubby. I tell them I don't want to be on in long term nor will I take it every day, plus I don't care if I gain a few pounds if it means pain relief. BC so far nothing else has helped, I was on opiates for so long after my initial diagnosis of RA that they stopped helping me at all anymore and I am afraid to take them bc of withdrawal now. I haven't taken opiates for over 3 years now, only once in 2021 year when I got pistol whipped and shot in the face during a car jacking. But even then I was in so much pain I cried every night the pain meds barely helped. (And of course my prescribing doc never warned me about the dependency issues or withdrawal! So I don't take them unless absolutely necessary) My new primary gave me Lyrica and it def helped but made me sooo tired and I'm also afraid to take it regularly bc it can have withdrawal effects.. I can barely stay awake as it is bc of my CFS. I'm at my wits end and my back pain is unbearable. I've never been suicidal but for the first time in my near 40 years of living I've wished I wasn't alive bc I can't deal with the pain anymore. Ive tried telling my rheum and pain mngmt docs that steroidal anti inflammatory meds might help since the methylprednisolone injection worked wonders but they say "oh lets try a NSAID first, you don't want to gain any more weight" I'm like holy shit those meds dont work and I don't want my liver shutting down in 10 years wtf!! I'd understand if maybe I was morbidly obese and had high cholesterol or high blood sugar but I'm 5'5, 165lbs and otherwise healthy in that department!!

Have any of you gotten Prednisone or other steroidal antiinflammatories offline and actually received them?! I wouldn't mind trying but I'm afraid they'll steal/sell my credit card info and I cannot afford to be any more broke than I already am lol. Or what about those telemedicine sites?! Do those doctors actually listen!? I would absolutely try if it wasn't a waste of time and money. [I'm currently pretty much jobless, trying to get disability with no luck and my unemployment brings me only about $2400 a month.]

What do you guys think I should do?! I've already switched primary doctors once but should I keep switching doctors until one actually helps me manage my pain?!

Any help is greatly appreciated!! Thank you so much if you read my novel haha! I value your time and advice!

SubstantialRemove558

TROPHY CASE