To see a GP for this?

[togoornottogoto]

I’m currently on holiday.

I have been absolutely ravaged by mosquitoes. I don’t know when or where but the little buggers have got me.

One bite went very infected, it’s still red and angry but calming down with an antibiotic lotion. It turned into a huge blister, weeping and redness spreading. I didn’t break the skin, it started weeping without any warning.

I now have at least three bites that have got tiny blisters on them. I’m desperate to treat them with the same antibiotics but this seems a really extreme reaction from my body!

I had one bite do the same last year, in the same area. So I don’t know if it’s an allergy or not. I’m keeping an eye on them for now, if they worsen I’ll obviously go to the pharmacy again but I’m hoping they don’t.

AIBU to see a GP when I’m home though? It’s concerning me that I’m either having some sort of strange allergic reaction, or I am apparently getting infections very easily!

How can you possibly know it's the same thing? It's really dangerous to diagnose online, especially when you have no medical training.

I don’t think so - I was on the verge of going to hospital last night but decided it wasn’t needed at that moment in time. It was definitely a full blown infection. Orange liquid running down my leg (not just a little! This was like a full blown cut, but with liquid) and redness spreading. Even now it looks horrible - bruised, and quite angry.

This would make sense if I didn’t also have other bites it wasn’t happening to!

You may have skeeter syndrome. Very painful.

OP - if you posted a picture of the bite it might show people you’re not over-reacting/ exaggerating….

This was the morning after. I shouldn’t actually have to do that though. The redness continued to spread and the gunk was dripping all down my leg, obviously I was cleaning it off and dressing it. I stopped taking photos after this as I went and saw the pharmacy!

This shows a minor and non infected bite currently. I would put a mild steroid on the areas where the skin isn’t slightly broken (so avoid the small central area), don’t itch it and keep it clean.

Funny. The pharmacist looked at it, said it was very bad, and infected! Funny how those with medical training know better hey?

It might be an allergic reaction leading to skin damage that got infected. Or something else like lymes disease The pharmacist would be a good starting point. Sounds nasty.
FWIW I was given antibiotics for bad eczema.

I have very bad reactions to bites and often they lead to cellulitis which is quite serious and needs treating with antibiotics. So I am glad you saw a pharmacist and hopefully they can prescribe some or go to GP.
In future please buy one of the small Beurer bite healer devices. This has a small heat plate which you apply to a bite and it kills the proteins that make it itch. Then you don't scratch in your sleep etc and the bite generally doesn't react as badly. It's far better than antihistamine I find. You can buy it on Amazon

I was expecting something much worse tbh. To answer the original question, given the pharmacist was able to provide advice, yes you would BU to go to the GP.
I hope you feel better soon.

Have you read what I said in the OP? I don’t want to go about this particular bite, but the fact I’ve not got four that have come up as horrible angry blisters

Who are you to police the use of the NHS?
You have no idea if the Op has the means to pay for a private gp or if there is even one in her area.
If the pharmacist can't help then she is absolutely within her rights to contact her gp.

It might not be an allergic reaction, could be a staph infection which would need antibiotics

call 111 and upload photos

I do have medical training. Registered pharmacist since 2006. That’s a very minor bite reaction.

I was ravaged by mosquitos in Italy a couple of years back and I discovered that Italy does have mosquito viruses I think dengue fever and a couple of others. Not malaria but there are a couple of nasty illnesses you can get so I would see a dr asap.

Surely if you are worried you would have paid to see a doctor whilst on holiday, why wait until you get home?

Yes I read it.
The pharmacist was able to treat the first one (you said the antibiotic cream worked) so in the first place either use the same treatment for the others or go back to the pharmacist.

My concern isn’t treating the bites. It’s the fact this keeps happening - and I want to know why.

Because I don’t have hundreds of pounds to pay up front!

Post proof please because you’re directly contradicting an actual pharmacist!

It’s horrid isn’t it @togoornottogotoI always get dodgy bites on holiday. So, what I now do is as soon as I get bitten I go to a local pharmacy and they take a look give me what I need to treat the bite and then whatever they recommend to attempt to stop them biting. Got bitten last month several times in Italy and all the bites managed not to get infected, even though they still leave bruise marks!
Hope you’re feeling better soon.

That bite isn't very bad at all, that minor compared to the reactions I get when bitten

You do seem rather argumentative OP. If you want to see a GP, do so. If you don’t, don’t. I honestly don’t understand the need for a debate on this.

It could well be your are allergic to the bites. So try using a sunscreen with mosquito repellent included, boots do one, their might be others.

But its not unreasonable to have a word with the GP.