To see a GP for this?

I agree with you. My mosquito bites nearly always look like that, whereas DH's stay small and contained, and soon vanish.

I did once go to see a doctor about them, because I had several on my arm that had gone green and were obviously infected. He said some people just do react in a major way to the bites, causing redness, swelling and excessive itchiness, but these ones had got infected (probably from me scratching them).

Not helpful now, but next trip the beurer mosquito bite device is brilliant. I usually react really horribly to bites and if you use it straight away it stops them developing. Hydrocortisone cream can be helpful too. Deet spray even in Europe to prevent them. Re seeing a dr, we had Post Office travel insurance last year in Italy and they offer an online service where can just book a consultation with a local dr if health issue while you're away. We were in middle of nowhere so chose a video consultation, she sent prescription to my phone and were able to use that to pick up antibiotics couple of hours later. Very impressed with the service.

You're wrong. Just because yours was easily fixed it doesn't mean the same for anyone else. I've just had a bite that was massively infected, to the extent I had to have three different antibiotics over three weeks to get it under control. It's exactly what the NHS is for - you are not the gatekeeper! I was also going to suggest Pharmacy first but see the OP has already been.

OP: AIBU to see a GP when I’m home?
Everyone: Yes
OP: No I'm not! *stamps infected foot

My daughter has skeeter syndrome and we have needed up in a&e twice for bad bites, once with cellulitis. These things can spread quick. I think people confuse bad bug bites with dangerous bug bites.

@RosesAndHellebores is it ok that we used the NHS for this?

Glad you went to a pharmacy and didn’t waste your GP’s time - they can prescribe antibiotics.

PSA - pharmacies can now prescribe antibiotics for a range of conditions and this takes pressure off GPs: https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/pharmacy-services/pharmacy-first/

I get bitten a lot and this is a fairly standard reaction for me. They are sore and uncomfortable.

Oral antihistamine helps - you might need a stronger one than you've tried before - a pharmacist can advise.
Anti histamine cream and hydrocortisone cream are also helpful.
I also have one of those little clicker things which helps a lot. And the afterbite pen helps too.

I once had one swell up like a dinner plate on my leg - walking was painful so I consulted a French GP who laughed at the suggestion it might be infected but then prescribed super strength oral antihistamine, plus oral steroids (I mentioned this to my GP when I got home as they really helped another issue and she was horrified!) steroids cream and antihistamine cream, again all high strength. The French are never knowingly under medicated - continental approaches are very different to the UK!

I woukd fill in the patient form on your gp website now. Its usually called Anima or Econsult. You can attach the photo and let them know when you will be back. Dont ignore it, it could be badly infected. A couple of years ago I had an infected mosquito bite and had to have a couple of courses of strong antibiotics.

Yes, I was going to say may be Skeeter syndrome. And if the bites are infected you should most definitely see a GP.

If it's an illness that only happens to you when you're in another country then it's not really the NHS GPs responsibility to advise about prevention. A pharmacist can though. As well as offering medicine. But you may as well just see the pharmacist now in Italy if you're worried again. Once you finish the cream.

But I've seen hundreds of bites looking much worse than that. Don't take that as minimizing your pain but it's just to put it in perspective. It's a very common thing abroad especially for people with pale skin.

Google Skeeter syndrome. Im pretty sure this is what I have. Everytime a mozzie bites me I get cellulitis that spreads within a matter of hours. It’s so painful.

Yes, I would see my GP.

I dont trust pharmacists to give good advice, I'm afraid. A few months ago, one of my eyelids swelled right up to the point I could barely open my eye- it was also very painful. I went into my local pharmacy and he brushed off all my concerns and said it was just an "allergic reaction" and gave me loratadine. I asked him why because I had never had an allergic reaction to anything before but he told me it was fine. I started taking it but my eye just got worse and worse, more swollen and more painful. I ended up at my local eye A&E hospital in agony and it was peri orbital cellulitis and I had to have an immediate strong course of oral anti biotics.

If I hadn't got antibiotics when I did, I dread to think what could have happened because if peri orbital cellulitis turns into orbital cellulitis it can render you blind.

Hi OP, not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but it sounds like you have Skeeter Syndrome. It means you have a crazy reaction to mosquito bites which - unless you have it - others don't quite understand. I have it, and my blisters - the actual blister, not the swollen red skin around - can be 3-4cm across, and incredibly painful. The bite reaction itself can be 10cm+ across.

They do always eventually burst on their own, and then weep for around 7-10 days (this may be the orange liquid you mentioned). They can then also get infected (this sounds like what happened to you).

Antihistamines do nothing for me. The only thing that helps is prescription-strength steroid cream on the bite as soon as I'm bitten, and ice directly applied to the bite for 10-15 minutes, again as soon as I'm bitten. This seems to interrupt my immune response enough that the reaction to the bite isn't as bad. But - it's not that practical!!

Antibiotics won't help with the syndrome, i.e. won't stop the reaction, but if the blisters burst can help with any infection. I have also found that the longer I'm on holiday / the more bites I get, the smaller the reactions eventually get. But if you're only away for a few weeks that's little help.

I'd go to your GP when you get home, show them photos of your bites, ask if it's Skeeter Syndrome, and they'll be able to prescribe steroid cream or similar to use next holiday. You do need to show them photos, though, as otherwise they won't be able to diagnose the syndrome.

Good luck. It's horrible, so I sympathise.

The same thing happened to me - an insect bite became infected, my arm was starting to swell, and at that point I went to my GP. I was prescribed a week long course of oral antibiotics and a (kind!) lecture to not leave it as long if it happened again, as it's dangerous.

OP none of us can diagnose over the internet, but it is worth seeing a pharmacist in Italy, at least, who should be able to signpost you to the correct place.

people all react differently, dh ended up in hospital for a wasp sting, was there a week with blood poisoning, I think people should always go with their gut- avoiding a doctor/ pharmacy or a and e can be detrimental to some not to others.

For a lot of us (me!) this is how mozzie bites always come up. I deal with it by preventing the bites in the first place (deet, plug-ins, mosquito nets etc) and I take antihistamines in the run up to a holiday (it’s a bit late taking them after you’ve been bitten, but you know for next time). I doubt you’ve got anything to worry about but if you want to contact a GP for some reassurance then do so.

God I remember when I went to Majorca, twice, and each time was covered in bites that went like that with the orange shit then scabby/oozing. Nice.

I just rode it out even though I was miserable but was alert for cellulitis, I developed that after a spider bite that I left for ages but it had ballooned and my arm was really hot tbf.

If skin not swelling up and warm Id leave it and see how it goes. They can take a while to calm down. Thats why even though Id love to go back to Majorca Id rather eat shit than risk the mozzies there again. Never had it happen anywhere else.

Are you still in Italy? If so I would speak to travel insurers to arrange an appointment

Agreed. I get much larger reactions. Piriton usually sorts them out but if the redness spreads outside a drawn line or tracks then is the time to get antibiotics.

The why is kind of irrelevant. Some people have more severe reactions to bites than others. There are several reasons you may be allergic to the proteins of that particular breed of mozzie, it may be a bite from a breed of insect that has never bitten you before and so the first bites react more strongly in my experience or it may be an insect that triggers a stronger reaction eg harvest mites tend to make me react more than mosquitos.
The things you can to are to take anti histamines before you go away and every day on holiday (rather than just after the bite), the heat device I recommended earlier, and diligent application of steroid cream immediately and continuously.

If you put a steroid cream on the bite when you get bitten, it will usually go away really quickly. You can buy the cream at the pharmacist. It is the same stuff that you can use on eczema but sometimes branded differently.

If your bite is infected and gets worse go to the gp. If it gets better before you go back, then don't.

Sometimes different antihistamines work better, there's a few types on the market. A neighbour reacts really badly and was bitten on the foot - she couldn't drive as foot swelled up so I volunteered to find a late night chemist for her. She swore blind only one type worked and it wasn't the type I already had in my cupboard! It's worth trying something different.

But yes, if getting infected then a trip to the GP's not going to hurt imo if persists. Keep them clean, maybe a little bit of cooled boiled salt water too on the worst ones before your cream is applied. Ouch, sorry suffering.

I get this every summer. It's annoying, ugly, and results in sleepless nights but it does go away by itself eventually. It's not something you need a GP for. For future trips look I to getting some heavy duty Deet.

The bites can become infected and mine have before now. Take a pen and draw a line around the swelling. I went to pharmacy and was sent to GP because mine were infected and needed antibiotics (flucloxicillin or something ). So yes, if redness spread and you feel unwell I would go

I’m unsure why OP posted this given every suggestion to her has elicited a rather tetchy response! Better go to the GP if you’re so convinced it’s serious, why post on a public non-medical forum?