At this point, I'm sure you're thinking that this is another reason why I'm a spoiled brat. And I have to say that 7 days of sun, turquoise water, and no cooking is about as good as it gets. But there was a drawback. We got ravaged by bugs that we never even saw. Since our return on Saturday, itchy bites have popped up like chicken pox all over my body. I've tried aloe cream, benedryl, cortizone, calamine, and even dabs of vodka directly on the bites, all with very little success. My scratching is definitely cutting into my knitting time. I welcome any suggestions for relief!
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11 comments:
I hate to say this, bed bugs?
Yeah...I'm wondering about bed bugs as well.
I'm also thinking it wouldn't be a bad thing to go see a doctor. They might have a higher cortisone cream or something that could help. Keep in mind lots of scratching can result in infection and scarring. Whatever you do, don't use knitting needles to scratch!
Aveeno baths?
If nobody else in your family is getting bites, then it probably isn't bedbugs.
Also, try ice, applied directly to the bites. That usually works on my bites. It might take an hour or two, but it helps. My usual for bug bites is a course of ice for an hour or two (alternating between bites) followed by benadryl spray. Just make sure you don't mix benadryl spray with internal benadryl, as you can accidentally overdose that way.
Also, Florasone cream (you can get it at Whole Foods) or any of the other creams by the company who makes Florasone is/are a godsend. http://www.amazon.com/Boericke-Tafel-Florasone-Cream-cream/dp/B00016QU3O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301504619&sr=8-1
I second the trip to the doctor.
My first thought was bedbugs, too. If that's the case, check out your home thoroughly! I hope, for your sake, that bedbugs is not the reason for the bites.
I don't have an answer for the itch, though. Sorry! Hope you are feeling less itchy real soon.
Sand fleas. They ravaged me unseen on the beaches of Belize. I lived with a bottle of benadryl spray and nothing soothed it. Drink the vodka instead?
Maybe try crushed aspirin tablets mixed with just enough water to make a paste? That's my usual go-to for any sort of bite. Cortisone makes me swell up and itch (really), so I can't have an opinion on that. Drink enough of the vodka and you won't care about the itching... ;-)
bathe in baking soda. and/or make a paste with baking soda and some water, and apply it directly to the bites. i used to get hives ALL THE TIME as a kid and this was the only thing that really worked.
Could it have been 'no-see-ums'? Silly name, but a real bug that bites!
If you had been in contact with lots of Spanish Moss and they appeared around your midsection and crotch (it's an awful place to have been attacked!!!) I'd say Chiggers. However, the ubiquitous Sand Gnats, Sand Fleas, No-See-Ums of Southern climes is probably the culprit. You never see them, but they do tremendous damage; I've itched for days!!! They are probably gone by the time I am writing this!!?? I hope!! I don't know what to tell you to do if they aren't gone.
Take some antihistamines - Benadryl - which will cut into your knitting time too, as you will be sleepy. If you take the other allergic products, like Claritin, it will take a few days, as they work by stopping your immune system from reacting in the
first place.
I've had some luck with baking soda and water made into a paste and used over bites. It helps to draw out the bug bite salvia (or whatever) too.
However, it's going to itch until the histamine is out of the bite and whatever component of the bug bite is causing you to produce histamine is gone.
I feel for you....
You could try making a paste out of meat tenderizer. It helps break down the proteins that cause skin to react.
It works on bee stings. Hopefully, it'll work on these.
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