Mosquito bites allergy - what to do?

[Chasingthesun18]

I am very allergic to mosquito bites and have had a handful of times where I have been bitten on the face and have had to go to the hospital abroad for an injection, my face has swollen up to the point that I cannot see out of my eyes for example. This is obviously costly and not ideal but nothing else works other than the injection. Is there anything I could get in advance from UK GP, or would it be too far to ask for an EpiPen to be prescribed for this sort of thing? I already have fexofenadine hydrochloride from docs as tried to be prepared but it did nothing to help. Not sure what to do other than not leave the country!

do you use a really good mosquito repellent? something with DEET in should stop them biting in the first place.

Take the fexo every day for a few weeks before you go if you don't already. I have horrendous reactions to bites, and it helps.

Go somewhere non bitey! I've never been bitten in Ibiza for example. Eat indoors in the evening, don't sit out near a water course at night. Particularly non moving water.

Long loose cotton clothing arms and legs.

Don't open the doors if no fly screen.

I also have skeeter syndrome , nothing I’ve had from the doctors has helped

It sounds like they likely did give you an adrenaline injection at these various hospitals- which is what an epipen is! I would absolutely be asking for one from the GP. It might need to be prescribed by an allergy specialist, I'm not sure, but certainly worth asking about.

I would also be asking if there is any other antihistamine you could take which is stronger.

I'm sure you already do, but I'd be wearing the strongest repellent you can get, including long sleeves/trousers and avoiding going out at dusk and dawn.

Definitely ask for an epipen before you go abroad. Also research places with less mossies. Away from stagnant water. I take Benadryl, use steroid cream and wear deet and still sometimes need a steroid injections. Thinking of asking for a epipen. I once had Bell's palsy from a bite!

Yeah I do, I take all the precautions and have had times that I've went to the same destination and not been bitten once but then other times attacked by them! The latest place I have been, I've been here 4 times and never really been bitten but got bitten on the face the first night in my room. No other bites to speak of!

It's just kind of inevitable that I may get bitten at times and trying to figure out what else I can do. I have been taking the fexofenadine for 1 week before too and does nothing.

What about a mosquito net for your bed?

DH and I wore nets like the pic when abroad, but that was for flies.

It's unlikely you will be given an epipen. They are expensive so therefore kept for life saving treatment. Obviously a bite on the face is risky, so may be a different treatment to a bite on the leg for example. The GP will likely advise to do your best to avoid bites where possible.

Lots of people get a strong inflammatory reaction from bites that often resides after 48/36 hours. I do, I'll have several bites and one will blow up quite large. After this happening multiple times the nurse at our practice asked me to wait, use ice, antihistamines, steroid cream and rest/elevate the location of the bite before starting antibiotics. My last reaction cleared with no antibiotics needed and the inflammation covered most of my calf. As long as there is no tracking, it's generally safe to wait it out with bites.

Request a referral to an allergy specialist - if you can afford it you can also pay for a private one, they will access the need for an EpiPen. When I first approached our NHS consultant I had to push really hard for Epipens and the prick tests were not actuate for my Son. I finally got him blood tested and he was severely allergic to a number of allergens. EpiPens have saved his life twice in the last 15 years, we are really careful but he has reacted. You should carry two EpiPens plus antihistamine, if your face is reacting to that level your throat / breathing could be impacted too.

Epipen's cost around £60 each, but a private prescription / consult will cost too. Your GP will normally accept a private consultant's diagnosis and then you can request them via your GP. You need a letter from your GP / Consultant to take them on aircraft and have to put them in plastic see through bags in security (I put the letter in same bag).

I'd consider until you get a better understanding of your allergy maybe research resorts that spray to kill off mosquitos.

What exactly did they inject you with at foreign hospital, OP?

There are mosquitos in UK. Are you saying you never get bit by mozzies in UK?

Do you take fexofenadine every day or just when you have a bite?Every day is worth trying if you are going somewhere high risk.

I would guess they gave you a steroid injection abroad.

You wouldn't be given an Epipen as they are for the sort of reaction where your throat closes up and you can't breathe.

You need a letter from your GP / Consultant to take them on aircraft and have to put them in plastic see through bags in security (I put the letter in same bag).

Ive never needed a letter for my epipens when I travel. I always just put them with my other liquids in a see through bag and have never had any issues.

I never EVER get bitten by mosquitoes in the UK. And I rarely get bitten abroad and travel a lot. This holiday (new destination) I have been eaten alive and have had to get steroid cream.

so not sure what your point is @lljkk

I have Skeeter syndrome too. Fexofenadine works if I take it every day for a few weeks. It doesn't fully prevent the reaction, but it's much less severe. Immediate cooling, antihistamine cream, and ibuprofen also help.
I have oral steroids that I can take for up to 3 days if I get a really bad reaction.

You can get a hayfever injection in the uk that also works on mosquito bites/other sureties. It's just advertised as for hayfever. I suffer horrifically with mosquito bites and everytime go to Corfu I get the injection the day I arrive as it's a hotspot. Works an absolute treat. My bites go from golf ball size to invisible within 24-48 goes and I don't have any further reactions to new bites.

It's called kenalog and I've seen it for £20-50 in the uk and it's often available in places that do lip fillers/Botox.

Thanks for all the responses, much appreciated. I do understand that EpiPen might not be reasonable for this was just trying to understand if it is a bad enough reaction to be thinking about getting one as it is really worrying when your face swells up that badly?

They injected me twice in one day with an antihistamine, anti inflammatory and antibiotic as it was so bad a reaction then told me to continue with the fexofenadine. It still took 3 days to go down. I take fexofenadine a week before I go on holiday and everyday while there I'm also somewhere with a very low risk of mosquito bites this time vs my last holiday was high risk and I was ok. I do get severe bites on legs etc that would be very swollen but my concern is just the last few years when it has been my face and it feels very severe/ worrying!

See above reply for the injection. I live in north of England and never had any mosquito bites in UK!

I had the same reaction to a mosquito bite in Mallorca, the doctor there gave me an injection and some cream, and it took 3 days for the face swelling to go down.
I asked the GP to prescribe something for my next holiday and he just gave me some Piriton and said you'll be fine with that!
Luckily I haven't been bitten / stung since.
I am paranoid about mosquitos now!

The only thing you'll be able to get from here to take with you are steroid tablets.
It's unlikely that you'll need an Epi-pen, but you may need an antihistamine or steroid injection which cannot be prescribed because they can't be self-injected.
So get a prescription for steroid tablets and take immediately at time of bite, start Fexo 2 days before, and attend the local clinic if you do get bitten.

I’ve just been to Corfu and had a nightmare with bites. This is interesting. Why is it so bad in Corfu I wonder?

It's hit and miss with different countries / different security personal we've been challenged 4 times, USA, France, Hawaii (technically USA) and once boarding a cruise. As a safeguard we always have one - The Epipen website has a downloadable letter for the GP to sign. newTravelDocumentcertificationv3.pdf (epipen.co.uk)
We also have his action plan with it too, looks like this.
https://remedy.bnssg.icb.nhs.uk/media/5934/anaphylaxis-action-plan-with-adrenaline-epipen-2022nt.pdf

It's also useful as can help get replacement Epipens in other countries - if liquid deteriorates (because of heat, etc).

I have had some success using scar plasters, I can't recall the proper name for them - keloid or something? I don't know why, but I have found putting them over a bite helps. And like others here I get terrible reactions, one bite on my ankle recently turned half my calf dark purple for over a week.

Luckily for some reason face ones don't seem to come up too badly on my, legs are worst, followed by arms. I've never really found anything fully effective though.

I get bitten in the UK too but I do have those plug in things at home which work fine. I've recently bought one of those click things that's supposed to minimise a bite. And I've found insect repellent gel better than spray, I think you get better coverage.

@Dressinggowntime

I have no idea! We went one year and my daughter went sleep walking and opened the front door and left it open. She was thankfully ok and went back to bed but my son's bedroom door was open most of the night. When he woke up he was in a terrible state, we stopped counting at 127 bites and he was really ill with it. Shaking constantly, very swollen and sure, vomiting etc. he had the injection twice ( 2-3 days apart) and was great after that. It really does work a treat and now I get it the first day we arrive. If you have a zero excess policy it's free.

Sounds like OP doesn't know what she got injected with.... it's possible an OTC product could be milder dose of same thing, but would be helpful to know what it was. I thought pharmacists could sell some steroids OTC.

I get mild allergic reactions to many things, esp. fleas & midges, but for some reason mozzie bites don't particularly affect me (thank goodness). I have certainly had mozzies bite me in UK; painful but not swelling like the others cause.

@WitchyBits god that’s awful. Mosquito bites are just horrible. Can’t imagine having that many. I had about thirty when we were away and they were driving me mad