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Original poster

Any Tips for mosquito bites?

50 replies

Unocard · 30/03/2022 18:41

I’m really allergic to mosquitos - seems to be getting worse in recent years. They love me and then the bites swell up to as much as 10cm, go hot, red and take weeks to go! I always end up having to see a dr abroad which costs a small fortune.

I’m wondering if anyone else experiences this but also if anyone has any tips on how I can prevent this ruining my holidays? Sad

Thank you

OP posts:
Biffatcrafts · 31/03/2022 14:29

I live in Spain in an area where we get tiger mosquitoes (very vicious buggers) and I use the hot teaspoon trick and it does really work for me. You need to do it as soon as possible after being bitten though for it to be really effective. As a PP said it has something to do with heat breaking down the chemical bonds of the histamine your body produces in response to a bite or sting.

In an emergency if I am out and don't have hot water nearby, I keep a lemon in my bag and as soon as bitten rub lemon juice over it and it keeps the swelling at bay and stops the itch.

Also, the ammonia pens (cheap from most chemists) are fairly effective but for me at least the effect is only temporary.

Indoors always use a plug in mosquito repellent and if you must have windows open, try burning citronella candles and having fans on to circulate the air (mosquitoes are not good flyers in moving air and it is harder for them to land and bite).

Outdoors prevention is the key, use a good, tropical quality, bug repellent and re-apply frequently as you will sweat it off.

Trulyweird1 · 31/03/2022 14:30

@5zeds

Eat a lot of garlic
This. Or garlic capsules - they say there’s no odour but there is. I am very susceptible to swelling around insect bites. Took garlic capsules for 2 weeks before holiday in Greece, and no bites. It’s now a standard part of holiday prep.
KeepAgnusSafe · 31/03/2022 14:42

After a bite get some antihistamine in you asap - if I’m in an area known for mozzies I’ll take them everyday. I use a product with ir3535 also known as picardicin in it rather than deet - much more pleasant to use and works just as well on me.

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Curlygirl06 · 31/03/2022 15:54

@CaptainMyCaptain

The hot teaspoon works, at least temporarily. You can just leave it in a cup of tea for a bit.
Just be aware not to use it straight from boiling water! Wave it about a bit to cool down first, I made that mistake once and was hopping about like a mad woman, bugger it hurt. Mind you, it did stop it itching!
rbe78 · 31/03/2022 16:53

Never mind all the 'garlic, hot spoon, fingernail cross' stuff - that might help an individual, slightly itchy bite, but doesn't help if you have 50 massive swollen red bites all over your body!

Antihistamines are what you need - take a one-a-day non-drowsy pill every day you're away (even before you're bitten), have some antihistamine cream to hand for particularly bad ones, and I like to have a mega-strong antihistamine like phenergan to hand as well for really bad flare ups (but they are pretty drowsy, so only take in the evening).

FooFighter99 · 31/03/2022 16:56

Apparently Avon's Skin So Soft oil spray is a great repellant

Thedogisdrivingmemad · 31/03/2022 16:59

Antihistamine cream and anti-itching cream (E45 do one).

Schiehallion · 31/03/2022 17:02

Take one antihistamine tablet (containing cetirizine) every day, starting the week before your holiday and continue until you get home. Also agree with others who have suggested Avon SkinSoSoft body oil.

SmugOldBag · 01/04/2022 09:53

@FooFighter99

Apparently Avon's Skin So Soft oil spray is a great repellant
Sorry it's not. Pretty sure some Avon MLM seller got this going viral among their minions somehow but believe me it really really really doesn't work. Deet is the only thing there's ever worked.
chirpychirpycheap · 02/04/2022 00:47

I think all you can say is that Avon skin d so o soft has not worked for you - you cannot say it doesn’t work for anyone. I don’t use it - I use ir3535 because it’s more pleasant than Deet and I swell up something chronic from a bite. Deet works but it’s horrible - other stuff works for other people and I’d try anything to avoid using deet whilst getting the same benefits.

SiobhanSharpe · 02/04/2022 01:08

If you're in the UK you could try a product called Deep Relief. It's an
over-the-counter ibuprofen gel (purple tube) combined with levomenthol.
Thr ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory which takes the swelling down while the levomenthol gives cooling relief from the itch, and lasts well.
(It's actually for muscle strain or sprains and works for those too.)
You only need a smallish blob on your fingertip, and spread it gently over the bite, don't rub it in. I wouldn't use it on your face or anywhere sensitive but it's fine for arms and legs, shoulders, feet etc.

You might need -a couple of applications onto the bite but it works quite quickly for me, two applications an hour or so apart is generally all I need, perrhaps one more the next day.

User478 · 02/04/2022 01:16

Take antihistamines anyway then when you're bitten take a benadryl. (It might knock you out for a bit too, but you won't be scratching.) Apply a tonne of antihistamine cream.
Try not to scratch them (I know, it's impossible)

Never, Ever go to Islands on the west coast of Scotland.

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 02/04/2022 01:30

PRESCRIPTION antihistamine

Belledan1 · 02/04/2022 05:20

They love me too. As aprevious poster said Avon skin so soft worked for me last year.

Longdistance · 02/04/2022 05:26

I get like this randomly with mosquito bites. Some summers I can suffer badly and the patches are huge. I take antihistamines after I’ve been bitten. Cold cloth on the bite helps me. I do have a device that emits a mosquito high pitched noise, if I use that, it repels them I seem to find.
Other times, the bites are small and don’t effect me. But boy do they love my blood Angry

Fraaahnces · 02/04/2022 06:02

I have the same problem and I live in a sub-tropical part of Australia. (One that was recently flooded, too. They’re out in droves atm, and they’re ferocious!) The only thing that works for me is antihistamine tablets AND cortisone ointment on the bites. Obviously application of ice is also helpful to get swelling down. To get rid of the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation left behind, you need something with tranexamic acid. Some suggestions below… (also great for rosacea and facial pigmentation issues, so don’t just buy these things for bites!)

www.paulaschoice.com.au/clinical-niacinamide-20pct-treatment/803-8030.html?utm_medium=cpc_shopping_brand&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=PLAAUBFull&utm_adgroup=8030&utm_term=8030&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpbbolMz09gIVlzMrCh0o4AEAEAQYASABEgK0fPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

au.facetheory.com/products/exaglow-serum?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PerformanceMax_-AU-Test2-_Skincare&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpbbolMz09gIVlzMrCh0o4AEAEAQYAiABEgKKB_D_BwE

www.goodmolecules.com/products/discoloration-correcting-serum?variant=27369425600612

Fraaahnces · 02/04/2022 06:05

Oh, also… if you’re ever really stuck, the aluminium in anti-perspirant also helps take the itch out of mosquito bites. (It’s in a lot of anti-itch creams.) Obviously this will only work with the “un-natural ones.”

SiobhanSharpe · 02/04/2022 08:57

Sorry, i should make clear that this is not a preventative treatment but if you are bitten it helps to keep the pain, swelling and itching down very well - for me, anyway.

dollymuchymuchness · 02/04/2022 14:11

I suffer like you @Unocard. I use a Picaridin based repellent, which is much kinder to your skin than Deet. It's just as effective.

If I get bitten, I take an antihistamine, use antihistamine cream and a 1% steroid cream. The steroid cream has completely changed my experience with mozzie bites.

I've tried the marmite and the Skin so Soft and they don't do a thing for me.

Italiangreyhound · 02/04/2022 14:33

Germolene on insect bites works well.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germolene

Chilmark79 · 03/04/2022 00:03

Prevention- there’s a great product called Citrepel that I have found effective, and much pleasanter to use than DEET.
Cure- run the bitten skin under hot tap water- as hot as you can take for as long as you can take ( but PLEASE DO NOT SCALD YOURSELF). As I understand it this kills off the enzymes that the mosquito injected to make your blood flow. It’s the enzymes that create the itch. I’ve found this very effective and the bites fade away because you aren’t scratching and irritating them.

Phos · 03/04/2022 00:27

As a deterrent, vitamin b12 tablets. I don't know what it is about them they really don't like but when I lived in West Africa I was getting bitten to pieces but when my mum sent me some of those, it just stopped.

chirpychirpycheap · 03/04/2022 11:53

Lemon eucalyptus oil is supposed to be good as well.

Imtoooldforallthis · 03/04/2022 12:03

I was the same as you years ago, don't know if I'm getting more immune as I get older, but here's what I do. Firstly good repellant like jungle formula, also I always have a clicker I've got one from amazon which are brilliant. The repellant wipes from home bargains are good as you can cover all your skin. And finally Turkish cologne, I bought a huge bottle on line and I have a few small spray bottles that I carry around and I'm constantly spraying myself and it smells amazing. I always end up giving them to people. I'll see if I can find some links.

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