Taking antibiotics abroad in case of insect bite infection?

[zzzz31]

Hello… anyone had experience of this? We’re going to southern Italy tomorrow and I’ve suddenly got paranoid about DD’s infected insect bites - in last two trips abroad she developed an infected bite (cellulitis) and we’ve had to chase round finding a doctor on the advice of a pharmacist to be prescribed antibiotics, oral and cream (and a steroid shot in Turkey which she reacted badly to!). I’ve found the whole thing scary both times (sepsis fear, obviously). She seems to react like this to every bite. I’m thinking of ringing the GP tomorrow before we go and seeing if they will give me a prescription to take with us as a precaution - do you think they will? Any GPS out there who could advise? Thank you.

I have to be honest and say I would hope there is no genuine doctor that would do this

Well, I am happy to hear that! I am sure i can find a doctor in Italy if I need to…

I guess I’m just thinking that maybe she is actually allergic to bites… but then I guess that’s a different story, and not infection. Each time, it’s definitely been infected.

So we’ve been prescribed antibiotics for DS in the past on two occasions when he hasn’t needed them yet, but we were going to be away by the time he would have needed them or it was Christmas / New Year so we would have struggled to get an appointment to get them.

However both times he was already unwell so the GP prescribed them in case he didn’t get better so would need them, which is different to having them as a just in case.

You can maybe speak to a private GP and obtain antibiotics privately, but I’m not sure how they would know which ones you would need.

Thank you, @TimesRwo, that makes sense in your case. I’ll think about a private GP… will probably leave it to chance and an urgent care centre in Puglia if we need it! Might get advice from the GP tomorrow if not a prescription (I seem to remember various people travelling with antibiotics ‘just in case’ in various far flung places in the world when I was young but that was the 90s!)

Have you tried insect repellent? I attract insect bites like crazy when I’m abroad (they usually target my face meaning I have a swelled up face on holiday), so have started to be super strict about insect repellent. It generally works quite well.

Thank you @TimesRwo. Good advice (and sorry about your experience of them!). Right, I’m going to go all out for it this time, and be super careful! Long sleeves, socks, trainers and leggings in the evening too for DD. Prevention better than cure! (Last few times though she has got then sneakily, like in a travel lodge style hotel in France with the window open a crack - and then walking on a beach in Turkey when it was still late afternoon)

I don't go away without two different types as a just incase . I have similarly bad reactions .

I have many doctor friends who I can liaise with to confirm my own judgements - but they are for me a consenting adult .

Bit riskier with kids but I'd probably do it

Insect repellent and antihistamines.

Why @WandaWonder

If the op dd is known to suffer from this , why wouidnt a doctor issue a prescription ?

Dd 6 earlier in the year had some awful earaches /infections. Always after swimming - and time off school /up all night sobbing (was horrible as I couldn't do anything to help her) and various antibs till found the one to stop it

I said to the doctors as going away on holiday and obv be in the pool every day , could I take a spare antibs with me to give Incase

They did do me extra

It wasn't thankfully needed

@zzzz31 we've had some luck with 1) daily antihistamines (obvs don't prevent bite, or infection, but massively help with itching/scratching which introduces infection), 2) fucidin cream (topical antibiotic) to put on 4 time daily as soon as bite occurs, as preventative, 3) hydrocortisone, also to apply immediately to bite, to help reaction not develop so much. GP happy to prescribe all prophylactically.

Good luck!

Also sleep in a duvet cover done up a bit at the top

Also worth reading about:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23289-skeeter-syndrome#:~:text=Skeeter%20syndrome%20is%20a%20large,that%20they%20have%20trouble%20moving.

Very unlucky to get cellulitis twice. I react terribly to mosquito bites but it’s an allergy to the saliva, not an infection.

You need to prevent the bites as it’s the break in the skin that allows bacteria to enter not the bite itself that causes cellulitis.

Repellent Spray, especially around feet.
Antihistamines one a day.
1% Hydrocortisone Cream if bitten.
Plug in Mosquito Repellent, use during evening & all night.
Windows closed.

Infected insect bites are actually very rare. Having one more than once even rarer.

What is much much more common is a very dramatic allergic reaction to the bite, which looks very much like cellulitis and health professionals either giving antibiotics to be on the safe side/genuinely thinking infected insect bites are a thing and handing out antibiotics as they think they are doing the right thing.

Pack a lot of antihistamines and insect repellant.

I react to bites too but find they are MUCh worse if I put cream on them - in the old days it was called Antisan I think ti stop the itching! Nowadays I rely on cold flannels and aloe Vera gel to soothe any bites.

your DD may be too young but my brother found taking vit b12 (I think- happy to be corrected if it’s one of the other B vits) stopped him getting bitten.

^ This 100%

Remember, there is an overuse of antibiotics, so you need to try and use them as little as possible.

Many Italian farmancies will give you antibiotics without a prescription if they see that you really need them. However, there's a good antihistamine cream for bites that you can get in all pharmacies, it's called ReactiFargan, I use it on my bites all the time as I also react badly to Mozzies. Use Autan or Jungle Formula daily, use Vape plug in's in a ventilated room. Keep all lights off in the house in the evening too.

We stayed on a farm in southern Italy and I was bitten to death and had a massive reaction. It was much better by the coast.
I would take a mosquito net if I went again. They bit my eyelids as it was the only place I didn’t put repellent (I’ve been bitten on the soles of my feet before).
interesting about the B12 though. I also take antihistamines before I go anywhere now too.

I had cellulitis from an insect bite before so I get the worry. I've been bitten again by the same thing every summer since and I've been fine. In my case I'm pretty sure it's scratching the itchy bite that gave me the infection the first time.

Now as soon as I see the break in my skin I spray disinfectant and cover it to make sure I won't scratch and get bacteria into it.

I still get swollen red hot bites but they go down after a day, rather than get worse.

So perhaps try that, be super vigilant if she gets bitten and put a plaster/covering on every bite straight away? (Depending how old she is)

Thank you, everyone! All your posts have been incredibly helpful. I’m now on my way home from our long weekend away. So much helpful info here! I’ve been storing it all away for future trips and for managing this one.

so she got bitten twice on day 1 in a restaurant at lunchtime. They both swelled up but not too big. One about 3 by 3 cm but I was religious. Cleaned it, put hydrocortisone on it, covered up with a plaster, then antihistamines (brought piriton which made her sleepy and cross, so got another one from an Italian pharmacy and some different cream) so I’ve kept the worry at bay this time! Literally no touching, she’s been told and it’s fine. It definitely makes me think it wasn't an infection last time (though prob was the first). Pretty sure it’s an allergic reaction.

you’ve all been incredibly helpful! Thank you so much!

Thank you to @Tulipvase and @SchoolFairNostalgia for the info about skeeter syndrome. Will do some more research! That sounds like it!

I will also try to get hold of fucidin before another trip.

Also, do you guys who have reactions also wear insect repellent in the day time? I only put it on DD in the evening, but too late for those first lunch time ones!!

Dh ends up at urgent care every year starts off at the pharmacy and they always tell him to go to the hospital immediately. Anything that bites loves him!

I don't get bitten and I wonder if it's because I spray myself with lavender.

I don't think you'll get antibiotics here OP but unless things have changed don't they still prescribe them at pharmacies in Italy? Take hydrocodone cream and Antishan and a plug in for the room. Good luck!

Thank you, @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor .

so this was the bite yesterday:

I guess it looks like a reaction, and not too severe this time? I guess I carry on with daily antihistamines at home until it goes down?