Another bug bite.....
#332981 - 07/22/08 09:53 AM
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Nugget
Reged: 02/10/03
Posts: 2167
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Well....I've got ANOTHER bug bite! It's on my ankle this time. I think it's from when I stepped into one of our flower beds the other day to adjust a soaker hose. it itches like crazy. Nothing I have tried stops this itch. I hate to go to the doc. It cost me $100 for the last bug bite a couple weeks ago. And all they told me to do was take Alieve and Zyrtec. The Zyrtec makes me soooo sleepy. Does anyone know of any good anti-itch stuff for bug bites?
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I take benedryl and it helps.You can also get a tube of benedryl to apply directly to the itch.We all seem to be covered in bites right now too.My one son gets them so bad he swells up .Benedryl is the only thing that seems to work.
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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I use Cortizone cream. I get really bad reactions to bug bites as well- swelling and major itching. When even Coritzone isn't working I mix water and baking soda and coat the entire bite with that. That usually helps at least temporarily. I've tried Benadryl as well but that also makes you sleepy. Good luck, I hate itching!
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I am training for a Sprint Triathlon- Check out my Blog!
http://redsoxcap.blogspot.com/
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Wow, Nugget. You poor girl! Sounds like you may be allergic to whatever is biting you!!
Try cortizone cream. See if that helps. Read labels, some of them are stronger than others. Get the strongest one you can find!!
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FancyMom
IBS-A,Constipation predominant, GERD
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Thanks Kteach....I forgot about the baking soda trick. My mom used to do that when my brother and I were kids. I had a bug bite in this same exact area a few weeks ago...now another one! 
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I may have to try the benedryl cream....I don't want to take the pills because I don't want to be sleepy. I've had enough of the sleepies with the Zyrtec.
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Probably an allergy to bugs in general! Ha! I hate "creepy crawlies"! I wish I knew what is biting me. The one I had behind my ear that I went to the doc for a couple weeks ago is still there, but not nearly as big. It never itched, though. It just hurt bad. I'll have to see what I can find at the store on my lunch hour here pretty soon. 
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Could it be black flies?
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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I don't know. This one is on my ankle and it started out as two smaller bites. I had jeans and socks on so I think a spider may have crawled up far enough to bite me on my ankle when I was standing in the overgrown flower bed adjusting the soaker hose. It gives me the willies to think about something crawling up my pants leg and biting me! 
I went to Walmart on my lunch and got some Maximum Strength Lanacane that is suppose to numb and stop the itch on contact. I put some on and it's barely doing anything! They were out of Benedryl. Guess I'll have to try something else after work! The Lanacane said it would last for hours and only to apply 1-3 times a day! Right after I applied it, the itching moved to my foot and when I'd scratch my foot it was like there wasn't an itch there. Ya know what I mean. It's only been about 20 minutes since I applied the cream and the bite is itching just as bad as before I applied the cream!!
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I bought lanacane too.I was told it was good for sunburn and itch and vag itch too.WRONG!!!I put it on the kids sunburn and they freaked it burned.I thought they were being babies lol but had to wipe it off them and then soothe them with wet clothes.Then I was having itching problems myself and tried it.AHHHH!!! burn I had to jump back in the shower to wash it off!.
It doesn't work!
Vinegar is supposed to work to take tghe itch away too.Try apple cider vinegar or even a used tea bag.Aloe plant and tea tree oil.Apply directly to the bite.Tea tree oil also acts as a repellent
It probably won't help with the swelling but these should help with the itching
Good luck!I know scratching is contagious and once you start you just can't STOP!!!
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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Thanks Dragonfly....
I came down with an extremely bad headache on my way home from work. I had to lay down and take a short nap when I walked in the door. I took an Excedrin Tension headache pill and it's much better than it was. Right now I'm trying a baking soda paste I mixed up and have my ankle wrapped with plastic wrap to hold the paste on. The bite is getting a bit bigger than it was this morning. It itches like crazy!!! I hate to go to the doc, spend another $100 like last time only to have them tell me to get some over the counter stuff. Ya know?  I'll give the apple cider vinegar a try, too. Maybe I'll make a baking soda, apple cider vinegar paste and try that. Hubby isn't here and won't be for a few days. So I'm alone in this again. I hate bugs!!!
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My bug bite on my ankle is spreading a bit. Seems to be getting bigger...it still itches, but not quite as bad as yesterday and it's real red. I did make a paste last night out of Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda. I put it on thick over the bite and wrapped my ankle in plastic wrap. It seemed to help. I could tell a big difference between just using water with the baking soda and using Apple Cider Vinegar. The vinegar mixture helped more! When I poured the vinegar in the cup with the baking soda, it foamed a lot! Pretty cool for a science experiment. Not sure if this bite warrants going to the doc. I'm affraid they'd just tell me to buy over the counter stuff and keep doing what I am doing...then they'd charge me out the nose to tell me that. Ya know? Not sure what to do.
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You should also take a med to help with the swelling.Try to take it at night if you need to stay awake.That way it'll help and put you to sleep!
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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OK...thanks Dr. Dragonfly. They told me that last time I went in a couple weeks ago for the bug bite behind my ear. They suggested Alieve...so I will do that. Thanks 
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Well, the itching and the spreading of the bite got to be too much, so I went to Urgent Care this evening. They think it's got a little infection in it, so now I am on antibiotics. Good thing I've been on probiotics for around a month now. The doc even told me to take probiotics with these antibiotics. I told her that I already take them and she said good. I have to take four of the antibiotic pills a day. Keeping my fingers crossed that my IBS-D plays fair through all this. I have to be on the antibiotics for a week! There goes another $100! 
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My girlfriend taught me a couple of remedies that work at least for me. Try putting liquid dish soap on the bite or put bleach on a cotton ball and dab the bite with it. Give 'em a try, they both work for me. Hope it helps!
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I'm so sorry. You must be terribly allergic to something - some bug - guess you're just "simply irrestible" to these critters. I was just on antibiotics for 10 days - so keep up the probiotics and the SF.... Prayers & Hugs! - Dorothy
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"I Will Survive! :-)... I shall live and not die and declare the works of The Lord..."
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Thanks a bunch Dorothy. {{{hugs}}}
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Thanks for the suggestions, Pcrider. {{{hugs}}}
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no problem...sometimes the simple things and old home remedies work better than a RX and you don't have to worry about side effects and such. Hope you have an itch-free day.
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a gal I work with just told me to try meat tenderizer. She said to make a paste out of meat tenderizer and water and apply it to the bite area and cover with gauze. Keep it on there for a few hours or over night and it breaks down the venom proteins into the size that our bodies can digest. So I'm going to give it a try tonight and I'll let you know how it goes.
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We use tiger balm which is extremely strong menthol stuff, it doesn't do anything for your reaction just makes it so you can't feel the itch. Also ice helps and witch hazel too, can reduce the swelling and help the itch. I can't take zyrtec for the same reason as you - I take claritin, the generic actually - its OTC and it helps my allergies without knocking me out. You might try that. Good luck...
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Ladies & gentlemen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.
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Thanks Hawkeye, for the suggestions. I've switched to Claratin. The Zyrtec just wiped me out. I tried the meat tenderizer suggestion last night. I slept with it on and wrapped my ankle in gauze. I think it may have helped somewhat with the itch...although I can't see much positive change in the bite. It's still spreading slightly. I'm going to do it again tonight and see if it helps more. My dogs sure loved the smell of my ankle with that meat tenderizer on it. Ha!
The antibiotics I am on is giving me lots of "wind". Thankfully it is agreeing with my IBS-D. I think the probiotics I have been taking has helped tremendously.
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Around the office I've heard various home remedies when I had dermatitis on my chest. Itched like crazy. Bug bites and bee stings : rubbing orange peel on it or hold a penny on it for a while. I used Calamine Lotion, the clear kind, not pink. That worked wonders. If you have Preperation-H, try that too. I use sometimes for little itches here and there.
HTH
Good luck with it..
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I've heard that, too about the Prep-H.
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I got bit the other night when i was ouside watering my garden it itch like crazy then it got little blister on it. That went away and now its really red and kinda spreading and it kinda burns any ideas what this could be? thanks
emmasmom
ibs-c gas
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Wow! Sorry to hear that Emmasmom. Mine is the size of a silver dollar now and still itches like crazy. I'm on antibiotics for it for the next week. Mine hasn't blistered or opened up yet, but it's still growing and real red. If yours feels hotter than the rest of the surrounding area, you need to go to the doctor...it may be getting infected. That's what the doctor told me was happening to mine. Also take Alieve for the pain and swelling and an over the counter allergy med for your body's reaction to it. I'm trying the meat tenderizer paste suggestion again tonight to try and take the itch away, but I'm not sure I would suggest that for you since yours blistered. You should probably see a doctor. {{{hugs}}} Darn bugs!! Is your bite on your leg? Where?
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Ya its on my leg were you bend your knee. it don't burn or itch all the time just some of the time. The blister has pop it was very little. I went and got some cream. I hope it works. It just looks wierd! Nastey bugs!!! Hope your home remedy works. I haste when things itch drives ya crazy! Have a good weekend! take care! (((Hugs)))
emmasmom (sheila)
ibs-c gas
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You have a great weekend, too, Sheila. Hope all goes well with you bite. I tried a lot of creams and nothing stopped the itch. I hope it stops growing soon Guess I will see how things are after being on the antibiotics over the weekend before I contact the doc again. The meat tenderizer paste does knock the itch down for longer than the over the counter creams. Take care of yourself. Stay in touch over the weekend. Let me know how you and your bite are doing. Ok?
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Yup! That's right! I have another bug bite! Third bad one this summer.....actually it's the third bad one in a month!
I was on my mother-in-law's deck yesterday evening after we got back to town from the all day event we went to about an hour out of town. I felt something stinging my leg...the inside of my thigh just above my knee....I couldn't feel a bug through my pants, but it kept stinging me...so I went into the bathroom, took my leg out of my pants...shook the pant leg and out came this little flying ant!! I picked it up off the floor with a kleenex so I could take it outside to show my husband and mother-in-law that something actually was biting me...ya know.
Today I have 4 bright red spots on my leg and the biggest one itches like crazy!!!
I am soooo sick of bugs right now!!! I can't wait for colder weather to kill them all!!!
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Did your bug bite ever go away?
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I've tried everything on this new bug bite and nothing helps the itch!!! ARRRGGGHHHH!!! It's driving me crazy!!!
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boy the bugs sure LOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEE you!
I have a son who gets bit when everyone else is fine.It's tough huh!
Do you where any bug spray?Did you know that bats eat flying bugs?Maybe you could put up a bat house.And toads and frogs too add a toad abode to your garden.Do you have a water feature at all?
Look around in your gardens and see if you can find any signs of ants and then take appropiate action.(I mean put down poison!)
I'm sorry to hear you are having a rough time with the bugs this season,doesn't make you want to go outside either.
Have a good day and hoping you get rid of your itches!!!
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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yes...bugs really love me I guess. I wonder why? They don't bother my husband and other people. I've been real tired, too, whenever I have had a bad bug bite this summer. Just like today, I could hardly stay awake at work so on my lunch I went home and took a nap. I had read on the Internet that applying heat to bites helps the itch go away...so while I was applying heat to my bite, I fell asleep. I didn't want to come back to work, but had to.
I wear "Off!" bug repelant when I'm outside, but the last two bites have happened when bugs crawl up my pants leg.
I can't put poison out because the possibility of our dogs and chickens getting into it.
{{hugs}}
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if you can find the spot where the ants are sprinkle baking soda on and around the hill or log and the ants will eat it and it kills them.Safe for cats and dogs!Or pour boiling water on the hill.That works but take sa while and a lot of trips to the kitchen
The weather here has been really weird. humid but not really warm.I find it a bit cool at times but everything is damp and sticky.I get really tired when it's humid.How have you been feeling other than the bug bites?
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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I took my daughter to the doc last week cause she had so many and I was afraid they might be infected they weren't thank god! But there bad this year! I went from the houst to the truck and got bit. Did you try that stuff I told you about? Hope the itch stops soon. Glad you surived the weekend! 
emmasmom ( Sheila)
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Dragonfly....the only thing is...this didn't happen at my house. The ant either crawled up my pants leg while we were at the event out of town, or it crawled up my pants leg at my mother-in-laws house. I don't know....but it started biting me at my mother-in-law's house when we were on her deck after we got back into town Saturday from the event we went to.
I've been feeling pretty good for the most part, but I have these days where I feel really sleepy...like I can hardly stay awake at work mainly in the mornings. Other days are fine. I felt sleepy like this in the past and every time it happens, I either eventually end up with a bladder infection or kidney stones or something. I sure hope I'm not about to get either of those things...but I feel like my body is fighting something...it's that kind of "sleepy". ya know. But it's not every day. I go to my regular doctor on August 29 for my yearly physical...minus the OB/GYN stuff....so I'll ask him about it then unless it gets really bad before then. I go for my OB/GYN physical in October. Since I had a hysterectomy...if this year's PAP is negative, I won't have to do another one for 2 years instead of every year!
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Bummer...do you sleep well at night?I know I don't sleep well and by mid afternoon I really need a nap.Even if it's only a ten minute rest.It helps.I wish I could make it all day without feeling so tired.Sometimes an hour after I wake up I feel like a nap.I usually get my energy late afternoon or early evening which is weird because I like going to bed early.i have a small window of time when I feel good.
I also find when I am not having a good tummy day,I am really tired too.Maybe your body is just fighting off so many problems it has no energy to stay awake.
Think of it this way...if you could go back in time say 100 years,the bugs wouldn't really bug you because they wouldn't recognize you as food,since as we evolve so do bugs along with us.Oh and they probably didn't have IBS then either so when do you want to start the plans to that time machine?
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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Yes...I sleep fairly well. I slept really hard when hubby was away, because I'm a light sleeper and I was the only one in bed....nobody snoring or tossing and turning. Ya know. But now that he is back, I wake more easily in the night if he is snoring, etc. But, I felt this sleepy even when he wasn't here and I slept through the night. I just hope my body isn't fighting something. It's a different sleepy than if I just didn't sleep good, ya know?
Hey...get me a ticket on that time machine ASAP!
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Sheila...I don't remember the name of that stuff you told me about. Sorry.....I totally forgot about it
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its called chiggerex white bottle red cap! At wal-mart. Hope it works!
emmasmom(Sheila)
gas
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thanks! I'll look for it. We don't have Chiggers here...so am not sure the stores here will carry it.
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I went to Walmart on my lunch and bought some Chiggerex. I went home and applied it to these new bites...and...I have to be honest....the itch is still there. Thanks for the suggestion, though.
The Chiggerex looks and smells exactly like this face cream my mom used to use....she used it on our sunburns, too. It was called Noxema.
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Sorry! I put some on my daughter to she said the same thing. But it cleared mine up... Who knows it may be noxema. I think your just to sweet thats why the bugs like you!
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awwwww....thanks for the compliment. I wish the bugs didn't think I was so sweet.
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