Taking antibiotics abroad in case of insect bite infection?

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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.

That just looks like a reaction and not particularly bad so don't worry, continue with liquid Piriton as you can have that multiple times a day plus hydrocortisone cream. Hopefully it'll go down.

I think I probably have Skeeter syndrome. I don't bother with repellent during the day, and air conditioned rooms at night are safe, but I find eating out in the evenings the worst so always spray copious amounts of repellent before dinner. Still get bitten sometimes though, and they swell, then redden, then blister, then bruise. The bruise can last a good couple of weeks! Never had an infection though. DH and the kids no repellent and untouched, not fair.

Like a pp, I can't use bite cream, makes them worse somehow, something in the cream I react to. So I just blob on Savlon, and take an anti-histamine, which seems the best for me.

Thank you for the reassurance, @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor. Yes, it’s not too bad at all this time. I’ll switch back to the Piriton once we’re home.

Thanks, @KnittedCardi. Sounds like my DD’s a bit. Glad we’re not alone! But sorry yours are a pain. I literally did not know this was a thing until DD reacted a few years ago!

I don’t actually bother with anything and then wonder why I didn’t! Smoke is a good way of keeping the mosquitoes away but not always practical! Glad she didn’t suffer as much this time.

My GP would do this for me for my ears. I have a 30+ year history of ear infections getting severe and nobody needs that in a foreign country. Whenever I've asked for precautionary antibiotics for this they've looked at my history and agreed without any fuss. I assume that this is all documented by your GP, no harm in asking.

Excatly why I asked go for my dd

I have reactions, actually just had a really bad one on the back of my leg, it swelled to around 10cm. Ice and bite cream help but anti histamines help the most. Avon skin so soft, anti bite spray and taking an anti histamine everyday for 10 days before we go help the most. Its weird as it isnt every bite that swells like this, its usually just one per holiday! Ive been told to try odorless garlic tablets to keep them away

In Italy I've bought antibiotics over the counter from the pharmacy - my mum had a chest infection so we bought her usual prescription with no problem. You wouldn't need a doctor to prescribe.

But what you might need a doctor for would be to be sure of what you actually needed and if it's not an infection then it's a waste of antibiotics anyway.