What evil bastard bit me?

[Muuuuuuuum]

Last Friday evening was spent at drinks in friend's garden (8pm-2am ish).

Woke up Saturday morning with bites on both legs, in gap between trainers and bottom of cropped jeans.

I do tend to react badly but this is something new for UK - intensely itchy red splodges are now huge purple welts with blisters in the middle.

Also, although itching is now dying down, my left foot and ankle is all puffy.

What evil grass dwelling critter does this? And should I worry about the balloon foot?

Have you taken some anti-histamine? I would pop along to the local pharmacy and ask them to have a look as it sounds like a bad reaction. You have my sympathies - I react badly too! Make sure it doesn't look like a bulls eye rash (have a look online for examples) as you don’t want lymes from a tick but it doesn’t sound like that is what you have got.

I had this, I went to the chemist and got antihistamines. I think mine was a spider bite, I actually felt the bite in bed, it was really painful

Thanks both. Have been taking antihistamines (cetrizine?) to try to stop itching at night. It does help but not with the puffiness apparently 😁

And now I am stuck in a heatwave wearing jeans to try to cover my fat, splotchy leg .

I do think I felt the bites at the time. That'll teach me for staying for one more

Go to the chemist and get them to take a look. I had a huge bite that lasted for about 6 weeks, got slightly better than flared up again. The chemist recommended some cream, hydrocortisone I think. Cured it in about 4-5 days.

Could be a horsefly? They're utter bastards. The bites tend to get infected too because horseflies spend lots of time on Very Unpleasant Rotting Things. If there is a spreading red patch around them, you need to draw around the outer edge, and watch for further spread. If the patch does get bigger you probably need antibiotics, and the sooner the better.

I had a horsefly bite about 25 years ago and I still have the scar and a tender patch.

I had a horsefly bite last year-absolute agony! It was on the outside of my ankle and I couldn't put my foot to the floor for several days. It took ages to clear up and no ointments or antihistamines worked. I was just at the point of going to the doctor thinking it might be infected when it finally started to feel better. Took about 3 weeks though-and I've still got the scar!!