Horsefly Bite...... any advice please?????

[Mummysurfer]

Sat afternoon I was bitten by a horsefly. It's very itchy, very sore and very swollen and isn't getting any better.

Does anyone have any ideas to help relieve it, please?

It's driving me mad.

Thanks

[Tinker]

Vinegar? Seem to remember being told to put that on wasp stings by the dinner ladies at school.

[Mummysurfer]

Thanks Tinker. I will it try NOW.
Malt, wine?
I'll let you know how I get on.

[janh]

Sounds horrible! When I was shopping last month with DD1 for her trip to America (camp counselor, upstate New York, lots of trees and bugs we thought) we found a little thing in Asda that delivers a tiny electrical charge (I think) to bites, stings etc - it sounded as if it would work well but I don't know...

Also we have a tube of stuff you dab on, hang on, I'll find it and give you the brand name, it does work...Autan Bite-Ease "soothing and long-lasting relief from the effects of insect bites and stings". DD2 had what looked like a big mozzie bite on her lip at the weekend and it knocked that on the head straight away. Don't know where or when I got it though.

Otherwise, for the moment, do you have any bicarb, if you mix that with water and put the paste on the bite it can work. Spit can be good too! TCP? Calamine lotion? Toothpaste? Good luck, anyway, I know it would drive me mad too.

[suedonim]

One of those cool-pad things might help and an ice-cube wrapped a piece of kitchen towel has relieved the intense itching from bites that I had on the soles of my feet. Anthisan Cream is very good or you can take Piriton tablets which has the advantage of inducing a good night's sleep! But if you are pg or bfing, best to check it out with the pharmacist first. HTH.

[Mummysurfer]

Thanks janh. I think I'll buy some of that cream - we have Boots own stuff & it's rubbish.

The vinegar has worked a treat. I really thought it would sting like mad but it didn't. It brought instant relief which has almost lasted 2 hours. I'm going to put some more on. Hope no one calls round - the place stinks!

[anais]

Ooooh, horsefly bites hurt like hell - can't remember how we used to trat them, so no help there! Was just going to say that my parents have just got back from Greece and they bought one of those electrical charge thingies that Jan mentioned. My mum swears by it and thinks it's fab, my dad's undecided, I think it's one of those things that work for some people and not for others. HTH someone, though I doubt it...

[Mummysurfer]

the vinegar hasn't worked so well this time

[lalaa]

anti-histamine tablets if you can get any here (bought mine in Greece where you can get over the counter at pharmacy). won't be much help until shops open, however.....
huge sympathy - not nice.

[Queenie]

My GP prescribed Piriton - it is available over the counter though.

[WedgiesMum]

Aloe Vera - but you need an aloe vera plant or proper juice extract. If you get the plant you break off one of the leaves about an inch down and rub the sap stuff that comes out of the broken end over the bite (you can then carry on down the leaf as you need more relief). Health food shops sell the proper juice extract stuff, and tend to do it as a gel/lotion/cream. Got the tip from some Aussie mates, and they know loads about bites and how to make them less bad!!!!

[Rhubarb]

I got bitten by a horsefly on Sunday, on my finger. It hurt like hell but I feel quite lucky now that I don't seem to have suffered any allergic reaction to it!

[Mummysurfer]

Thanks for all the advice. The vinegar did help, I found some witch hazel gel which helped and bought some aloe vera gel.The pain has now gone, the swelling almost gone and the itch is only there when I touch it.

[Jaybay]

Gosh I really dislike horse flies. I never knew that they existed until recently. Where I am living at the mo (the Puy de Dome, France) I have suffered the most unbelievable swelling and itching from these insects. I believe I am being attacked by a lone female hiding in the grass near the washing line. When I was first bitten (three times near the elbow) I ended up at the hospital where they put me on antibiotics and alcohol and water compresses. It took a week to get some normality back in the arm. Then I was bitten on the hand and that blew up. I just treated myself at home with the compresses. Since then I have had four or five other bites on the legs and ankles. The same thing happened, but I have to just ride out the course of this allergy. This evening I am hobbling around as my ankle looks three times bigger than it should. I have tried vinegar and hydrocortisol cream, no effect what so ever. I now know that to hang out the washing I am going to have to dress up in overalls, wellies, gloves, hat and face guard!!! Ridiculous. I wonder if there is a spray I could put on to keep them away from me.

[3littlefrogs]

Vinegar plus icepack can help.

[PollyM4]

If you sprinkle good old fashioned washing soda onto a damp pad - which should be large enough to cover the bite & anticipated swollen area - attach this to the bitten area with tubigrip (arms / legs) or tape (other areas). Must do within half an hour of being bitten to have maximum effect. Then just stick it under a tap when then itching gets too bad. Replace the Pad & soda daily until it's bearable.

[aDad]

LOL Polly, I would hope mummysurfer is ok by now! But good advice for future reference.

I hate those things.

Like Jaybay I have been attacked many times in France. And when travelling in Mexico with DP there was one place we would get attacked literally every time we got out of the sea, it completely spoiled our time there. Nasty little things. Seems impossible to kill them as well.

[PollyM4]

Hi aDad - can only speak as I find and having been hospitalised by the little blighters in past years can only speak from long and painful experience - laugh after you've tried it - usually gets the swelling down within 24 hours.

[DumbledoresGirl]

You can buy a cream in the chemist called Anthisan. It is good for stinging nettle stings, insects stings and bites. Though tbh it works better if you put it on asap after the sting/bite.

[Browny]

I was bitten by some kind of insect on Sunday afternoon and by Monday morning my whole ankle had swelled up and I couldn't walk, it was bright red and so hot you could have cooked an egg on it. I was told by my g.p. to go to hospital to be put on an anti-biotic drip, but because I had the same reaction 6 weeks ago and anti-biotics in tablet form worked, I insisted she tried that first. Well, I'm on two types of anti-biotic for two weeks and the swelling and redness has gone down, I've been told to buy an insect repellant with DEET in it in future. HTH

[Browny]

Oh, by the way, I'm not in some lovely, hot foreign country but Merseyside!

[aDad]

Polly - forgive my laugh, it wasn't AT you, just that I noticed the OP was asking for help about relieving a horsefly bite in June 2003!

[PollyM4]

Oh Browny - I feel for you as I've been there too. My latest bite went within 24 hours with the washing soda - can't guarantee it'll work for you, but please give it a try if you're unfortunate to suffer again! b.t.w. watch out for the DEET - it melted the back of my watch ! and didn't stop me being bitten . .

[Browny]

PollyM4, thanks for the tip, will definately be careful with the DEET, think I'll do a test first. My gp wanted me to go to hospital because she was frightened that the infection would spread to my ankle bone causing a lot of damage, but the anti-biotics are working, although I've still got another week of them. I didn't even realise that I had been bitten at the time, sneaky little beggers!

[B666]

soak a tea towel in boiling hot salty water and place on bite, try your hardest to leave it on for as long as poss, really does work and it's free......

[dunandusted]

Hi. This is my story and advice.

I have always reacted badly to horsefly bites, two weeks ago I was bitten on my hand. The next morning my hand was swollen like a balloon and itching like mad.

It was at this time that I noticed a red line shooting up my forearm to my elbow. Unable to work with my hand in such a state I went to the local hospital to see if they had something to take the swelling down. In the two hours I waited at the hospital the red line had reached half way between my elbow and shoulder.

I was immediately admitted with blood poisoning. The doctor's placed me on a penicillin drip, and informed me that if the poisoning continued during the penicillin they may have to remove my arm. Luckily for me the penicillin worked. I was in hospital for 5 days, during this time I had nearly one gallon of penicillin pumped into me, and had to take another course of penicillin tablets for the next 5 days on my release.

If you have an allergy against horsefly bites do not take it lightly. It could quite easily have cost me my life! I now have an ointment in my fridge to draw out any bite. If you are in any doubt the see a doctor straight away.