Going insane with itching! Insect bite treatments?

[JustMeHello]

I always react really badly to insect bites, and currently have 3 bad bites from horseflies, 2 on my calf and one on my hand. I'm taking lots of antihistamine tablets which takes an edge off, and I have a small electric clicky thing which helps a little temporarily. A few years ago I got some amazing Benadryl gel in the States which was magic, but which isn't on sale here. I have some Savlon insect gel which takes a bit of the itch off for a short while, but which isn't great. I've got some Boots cooling spray which helps a little, but again, not for long. Antihistamine creams do absolutely nothing for me..

Does anyone have any magical solutions? I'm wondering about the electric heating things that come with USB chargers, but you apparently need to order online and they are £30+, so ideally I'd like something I can find in Tesco or Boots or Superdrug or somewhere. I am going to pop into a pharmacy tomorrow and see what they say, but they usually try to push anthistan cream which just does not work on me.

I must be missing something somewhere, I can't be the only one who wants to saw my own leg off?

Eurax is definitely one of my fails. Pharmacies try to sell it to me all the time, but I might as well use butter for all the good it does.

If none of the above to hand and you want immediate relief, try both cool alcohol - gin/vodka to rub on bites then rub a smear of ordinary soap in them - alkaline in soap does something to itchiness. Alcohol also numbs them - what old wives did before hydrocortisol was around. they both work, I’ve tried them 😁

You can buy a lotion containing citronella from health product shops. It’s a natural insect repellent.

Try fexofenidine as antihistamine.

I believe you can top up with loratidine at same time

Ibuprofen to help with swelling

I came to say this! I discovered Anbesol a few weeks ago and it’s really helped dull the ferocious itching of bites, especially at night

Mosquito plasters. They are lattice shaped plasters which you stick over the bites and the itching is gone. Not sure what kind of magic they contain but they work. You can find them on Amazon. The ones I’ve used are called Moskinto plasters and they are incredible.

Ice packs work for me when the itching is just insane.

I'm the same, sat here with cold compress with teatree oil in the water as its turned to cellulitus and trying to avoid antibiotics. An ice lolly in its wrapper has been known to be held over it before consuming........bliss😜and a tea tree and witch hazel cream by Lanes called Teanji helps.

The wretched things like me too. Another vote for hydrocortisone from me. Tesco’s own brand insect bite cream is 1% hydrocortisone.

I also dabbed some Germoloids (haemorrhoid relief ointment) on the bites I had last year. I think it helped relieve the itching and to shrink the worst bite on my arm.

I worked in Greece many years ago where there were loads of mosquitoes I learnt from the locals how to use a lighter, holding it close to, but not touching, the bite until it became too uncomfortable. Stopping, rubbing it to reduce any discomfort then repeating. This this got rid of the itch. I guess it’s an alternative to the teaspoon mentioned above

You can get the little heating things very cheap on amazon. And yes as people mentioned you can use a spoon or anything that is hot. It destroys the proteins in the bite which make it itch. I think you need to do it ASAP though.

Hydrocortisone cream. I buy it from Amazon, it definitely works.

Hot spoon/hairdryer. Nothing else works as well as that for me. Total revelation.

I get big hot lumps really quickly.

Hydrocortisone helps a bit, eurax helps a bit, I mix and match all kinds of antihistamines to get a big dose but it all just seems to help the bite resolve a little bit more quickly, it doesn't solve the insane itching.

Put a spoon in hot water then on the bites for as long as you can stand it. This usually takes the itch away for a few days for me!

I used to live in Hong Kong. I was eaten alive by mosquitos. The locals use Tiger Balm, you can get it over here. Or you can use Vicks Vaporub which will do the same thing. Soothe and cool and take away the itch.

Eurax (sp) cream the stuff they give you for chicken pox spots you get a good 4 hours of being mostly itch free.
I feel for you I'm just getting over a bunch with a really nasty 1 that needed antibiotics and draining, apparently horseflies can carry all sorts of nasty bacteria including lime disease so please keep an eye out for any infection

Because it can be taken as a top up dose with fexofenedin

The active ingredient in benadryl is diphenhydramine hydrochloride. If that's the stuff that helped you in the gel/ointment you used before then you should be able to get the generic version in the UK. Benadryl is just a brand name.

If you are suffering that badly then call 111 and ask them for help - they may be able to square you away with a faster GP appointment and/or a prescription for a stronger/more effective antihistamine. You may also be able to get a prescription from your local pharmacy - they are able to issue prescriptions for certain issues these days. Just be careful about combining medications please - and remember that using tablets and gels/creams can cause people to take too much of a medication. Antihistamines can cause drowsiness so please be careful about driving or any other similar activity.

Hairdryer blown onto the bite
Hot teaspoon on it
Antihistamine

Or just scratch the fuck out of it with a denman hairbrush and have done with it

Btw not sure how old you are but I think I'm bitten less now I'm 43 and have less osetrogen pumping around my body

I dab white vinegar on bites, is quite effective. Calamine lotion helps with itching too.

A hot teaspoon. Relieves the itch for hours. Heat up in hot water and press onto the bite for a few seconds. It's a low-tech heat pen.

Not sure if you can get it in uk but stingoes works very well

Sorry to hear that. It works for me so thought it might be worth a try.

A hot teaspoon or an icepack /icecube is the best. Imo beats any cream. Those Things that heat up are fab too.