# Itching From Mosquito Bites, Keeping Me Up at Night



## SeaBreeze (Aug 10, 2018)

A few days ago I sat in the back yard and played fetch with my dog, there wasn't much of a breeze and the mosquitoes were out...and they love me, don't bother my husband as much.  I don't like to use bug dope, especially the ones with Deet, which are pretty much the ones that actually work.

So I sat there shooing them off my arms and smacking as many as I could, but usually they already bit me before I noticed them.  Years ago I was bit on my left arm, and I think it was a spider when I was in the woods camping.  My arm itched like crazy afterwards, was a bit red and the skin became hard.  I never treated it, just put up with it, and eventually it was back to normal.  But now, when I get a bug bite on that arm, it _really _triggers an itch response and I can't stop scratching.  

A couple of nights ago, I laid in bed scratching, couldn't sleep.  I got up and put some Aloe Vera gel on my arms, because that's all I had, and it helped but not enough.  I also took a Benedryl, did not do a thing for the itching.

Soooo, I went to Walgreens and bought two creams, one was for pain and itch and contained 4% Lidocaine and one that contained 1% Hydrocortisone anti-itch.  So far I've just used the Lidocaine one, Walgreen's brand....and it's helped a lot with a couple of applications for a couple of days.  

The mosquitoes have also come into my house, so I was getting bit at night too.   The mosquitoes haven't been really bad this year, but they can really make you miserable if you react to their bites.

Anyone here have problems with mosquitoes or other bug bites this year?


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## Ruth n Jersey (Aug 10, 2018)

The mosquitoes haven't been to bad this year but we have gnats. They can be brutal especially when I start to sweat. They usually get me when I'm gardening. They are particularly fond of the ears,around the eyes, and hairline. Once they bite the area swells up like a balloon with an intense itch. Nothing much you can do but wait it out and apply the items you mentioned SeaBreeze. Oh the glory of summer. lol


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## Gary O' (Aug 10, 2018)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> The mosquitoes haven't been to bad this year but we have gnats. They can be brutal especially when I start to sweat. They usually get me when I'm gardening. They are particularly fond of the ears,around the eyes, and hairline. Once they bite the area swells up like a balloon with an intense itch. Nothing much you can do but wait it out and apply the items you mentioned SeaBreeze. Oh the glory of summer. lol


Don't forget the flies
Late Aug into Sept they get a bit lethargic, just slow enough to get you to play their little game of *'whatcha hittin' yerself for, hmmm?'*


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## Don M. (Aug 10, 2018)

I'm outdoors nearly everyday the weather permits, and this time of year I always get my fair share of bug bites, even when I use Deet.  I keep a product called "Chiggerex"...from Walmart, on hand, and it does a good job on most bug bites.  I also keep some "triple antibiotic" in the cabinet, in case the bite shows any signs of infection.  Insofar as "itching" is concerned, the Best thing I've found is "Preparation H".  Not only does that stuff work on the "private" parts, it also seems to numb the bug bites quite well if the Chiggerex doesn't work.  A few weeks ago, a Deer Fly nailed me on the hand, and within a few minutes, the hand began to swell....I had to take a Benadryl pill to get over that one.


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## PopsnTuff (Aug 10, 2018)

The mosquitos in our area can carry all kinds of virus' and getting worse each year so we're fearful if we get bitten....I've already had many bites from them and the gnats....only benedryl tabs work in a cinch and baking soda dissolved in a paste and applied works the best for me.....and I definitely have to use Off spray....nothing else on the market works....tried em all....so I wash it off each day....
last month I had a wasps sting me, ready for this, Six times on my belly.....and yes they can sting multiple times and not die.....it was soooo painful, swoll up with itching and burning....I could actually see the six little holes....never had this happen before and my belly was covered by a sun dress so it fly up my dress, that naughty little bugger!


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## hearlady (Aug 11, 2018)

I was hoping that with our very cold winter the mosquitoes would be less this year. Not a chance!
We are always looking for any standing water like plants pots or anywhere they can breed. You'd be surprised the places water can collect.


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## Camper6 (Aug 11, 2018)

Gary O' said:


> Don't forget the flies
> Late Aug into Sept they get a bit lethargic, just slow enough to get you to play their little game of *'whatcha hittin' yerself for, hmmm?'*



I read this somewhere.  I don't know if it works.  When you swat them aim behind them because they jump backwards before take off.


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## Camper6 (Aug 11, 2018)

If you want to sit and enjoy outdoors without being bothered by mosquitoes, then get one of those oscillating fans and put it behind you.

They hate wind.

People that itch from bites are slightly allergic to them.

There must be something you can eat or drink that will repel them. Maybe alcohol will make them drunk so you can swat them.

In Canada it's the blackflies that are the menace.  They get on you and bite and you don't feel them until later.  And then the itch starts and I am allergic to them.  My forehead swells up.

The natural predators of mosquitoes are the dragonfly and bats.


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## kburra (Aug 11, 2018)

Tea Tree oil,stop the itch.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Aug 11, 2018)

kburra said:


> Tea Tree oil,stop the itch.


 I`ve never tried Tea Tree Oil on them but going to next time.

Several years ago,a friend and I had dinner at a place with outside dining. They had several ponds out where the tables are and I ended up with over 60 bites on my legs. The following day I went to work in the "big city" where we kept an apartment while we worked there. I had the most intense itching all night-I thought I would lose my mind. I finaly got upat 4am and drove to Walgreens and bought one of each of everything for mosquito bites. One of them was in a little pen type applicator and smelled like ammonia. So I bought a bottle of household ammonia the next day and dabbed it on each bite and no more itch! I now carry a small spray in my purse all summer so I never have the problem again. I was feverish and felt awful when I had that many bites-obviously pretty allergic


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## RadishRose (Aug 11, 2018)

West Nile disease is on the move. 2 cases in CT now, both seniors in the hospital.


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## Falcon (Aug 11, 2018)

For some reason or other  we've  never  had a  mosquito  problem.

For  many years  we had  a dairy farm  across the road  and we had a gazillion  horse flies.

The dairy finally  closed  and now, NO  more flies  OR  mosquitos !!   YAY!


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## RadishRose (Aug 11, 2018)

Falcon said:


> For some reason or other  we've  never  had a  mosquito  problem.
> 
> For  many years  we had  a dairy farm  across the road  and we had a gazillion  horse flies.
> 
> The dairy finally  closed  and now, NO  more flies  OR  mosquitos !!   YAY!



Too dry where you are Falcon. They like standing water, damp, drippy forests, puddles, stagnant birdbaths, ponds etc.


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## PopsnTuff (Aug 11, 2018)

Falcon said:


> For some reason or other  we've  never  had a  mosquito  problem.
> 
> For  many years  we had  a dairy farm  across the road  and we had a gazillion  horse flies.
> 
> The dairy finally  closed  and now, NO  more flies  OR  mosquitos !!   YAY!



Out west there's no humidity Falcon, probably why they're not prevalent....


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## RadishRose (Aug 11, 2018)

Camper6 said:


> If you want to sit and enjoy outdoors without being bothered by mosquitoes, then get one of those oscillating fans and put it behind you.
> 
> They hate wind.
> 
> ...


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## PopsnTuff (Aug 11, 2018)

kburra said:


> Tea Tree oil,stop the itch.



That never worked for me K....but I use it to heal all my other skin conditions that pop up.....funny how everyone's body is so different with the remedies they have to use for the skin.....


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## SeaBreeze (Aug 20, 2018)

PopsnTuff said:


> ....I've already had many bites from them and the gnats....only benedryl tabs work in a cinch and baking soda dissolved in a paste and applied works the best for me.....and I definitely have to use Off spray....nothing else on the market works....tried em all....so I wash it off each day....



The itch on my arms didn't subside with the creams, over these days I was applying a lot, Lidocaine in the morning, Hydrocortisone in the afternoon, mix and match in the even and throughout the night.  I finally decided it wasn't a good thing to use so much of those creams so often, especially since they weren't helping to the degree they should have.

In the evening yesterday, I decided to rinse my arms in cold water and get those creams off, itching was still a problem.  I made a large amount of paste with baking soda and filtered water as you suggested.  I applied it really thick on both my arms and let it dry for awhile.  Although I still was itchy, I did begin to feel some relief calming from the soda.

When it was dry enough where it started flaking off in clumps everywhere, I rinsed by arms again in cold water and patted dry with a towel.  I felt more relief than I did with either (or both) of those creams.  I left my arms bare last night with no added creams or anything.  This morning I rubbed coconut oil onto both arms and that was very soothing.  Reapplied the coconut oil again in afternoon, best day yet with limited itching in my arms.

Thanks for that added push I needed to try something else Pops. each:


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## PopsnTuff (Aug 20, 2018)

So glad the baking soda worked a little for ya' SB....another added note: when we itch intensely some of it comes from too much histamine, therefore the anti-histamine tabs work great....I only take 1/2 of whatever they recommend on the label....


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## exwisehe (Aug 20, 2018)

I hate mosquitoes too.  You're right about what they can do.  I had the misfortune in my 40's to be bitten by one that gave me viral encephalitis, and that was undoubtedly the worst week of my life trying to recoup.  You talk about a headache, that's the worst one ever- and the pain was moving around from place to place on my head.  No eating, no relief, going in and out of consciousness with tylenol 3 (with codeine), not even water would  stay down.  The only thing I could do (actually my wife) was to take suppositories.

So I don't go anywhere outdoors without the repellent spray.
There are ways to get rid of them, like some outdoor arenas that hold concerts in the summer.  For example, in Cary, NC I've been to a few concerts to hear the Carolina Symphony at Koka Booth amphitheater, and there are NO mosquitoes, and its beside a lake.  How they do it, I don't know, but they have these large tall towers that have something there that keeps them away.


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## terry123 (Aug 20, 2018)

RadishRose said:


> Too dry where you are Falcon. They like standing water, damp, drippy forests, puddles, stagnant birdbaths, ponds etc.


  Like here in Houston town!! We have it all!!  Throw in a Hurricane Harvey like last year and its party time for them!!!


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## SeaBreeze (Aug 20, 2018)

PopsnTuff said:


> So glad the baking soda worked a little for ya' SB....another added note: when we itch intensely some of it comes from too much histamine, therefore the anti-histamine tabs work great....I only take 1/2 of whatever they recommend on the label....



Thanks, I've also been using Benedryl or Chlor-Trimeton anti-histamine pills.



exwisehe said:


> I hate mosquitoes too.  You're right about what they can do.  I had the misfortune in my 40's to be bitten by one that gave me viral encephalitis, and that was undoubtedly the worst week of my life trying to recoup.  You talk about a headache, that's the worst one ever- and the pain was moving around from place to place on my head.  No eating, no relief, going in and out of consciousness with tylenol 3 (with codeine), not even water would  stay down.  The only thing I could do (actually my wife) was to take suppositories.
> 
> So I don't go anywhere outdoors without the repellent spray.
> There are ways to get rid of them, like some outdoor arenas that hold concerts in the summer.  For example, in Cary, NC I've been to a few concerts to hear the Carolina Symphony at Koka Booth amphitheater, and there are NO mosquitoes, and its beside a lake.  How they do it, I don't know, but they have these large tall towers that have something there that keeps them away.



That sounds terrible Exwisehe, glad you made it through that okay.  I can see why some of you guys use more replellent than I do, guess it all depends on where you live.  Glad you could enjoy the concerts without being eaten alive.


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## SeaBreeze (Dec 23, 2018)

*Research Shows Coconut Oil is Better (and safer) Than Deet to Ward Off Mosquitoes*

I will be trying this in the summer, mosquitoes love me, I'm always getting bit by something and scratching 'till I bleed.  They hardly bother my husband at all.  More HERE.  



> Last month, the United States Department of Agriculture’s Research Service *posted a bulletin* with a surprising headline: *Coconut Oil Compounds Repel Insects Better than DEET. *This announcement followed the results *from a study* by USDA researchers published in the journal Scientific Reports, stating that fatty acids derived from *coconut oil*  had long-lasting repellency against certain insects—an even better  effect than the most widely-used insect repellent in the world.
> 
> The  research found that the coconut oil compound provided more than 90%  repellency against mosquitoes, including the strain of mosquito  responsible for transmitting the deadly Zika virus. It also out-lasted  DEET against bed bugs and ticks, and by a wide margin. DEET was shown to  work against these biting insects for around three days, whereas the  natural fatty acids repelled ticks and bed bugs for a full fourteen  days.
> 
> According to researchers, the coconut oil-derived compounds  offered longer-lasting protection from these blood-feeding insects than  any other known natural repellent. Eager to take economic advantage of  their findings, ARS has filed a patent application for this new  technology and is working to develop commercial repellent products  derived from the isolated fatty acids.


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## Bob1950 (Dec 24, 2018)

Mosquitoes are just "children" compared to chiggers.  https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/prevent-treat-chigger-bites#1
Chigger bite is mosquito bite x 1000.  Itching  will be for several days. Spring/summer chiggers are really nasty pests in Texas.


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## SeaBreeze (Dec 24, 2018)

Thankfully, no chiggers in Colorado.


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## Pinky (Dec 24, 2018)

I am highly allergic to mosquito bites. They swell up into hives. While in Australia, my mother-in-law gave me Avon's Skin So Soft to slather on my
arms and legs .. I was skeptical, but I didn't get bitten at all, even though we'd spent several hours at an outdoor event. It feels a bit oily, so you will want to shower it off. If it worked for me, it will probably work for others.


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## SeaBreeze (Dec 24, 2018)

Thanks Pinky!  It's been decades since I used Avon's Skin So Soft bath oil, and I remember liking it very much.  Interesting that it is a mosquito repellent, the coconut oil must have some relation....good to know, I'll take oily if it works.



> Avon's  Skin So Soft is a popular line with varying uses and fragrances. It is  designed to soften the skin. Many have used the original scented body  oil as a mosquito repellent, and now Avon has introduced a Skin So Soft  bug spray line. The ingredients in the original Skin So Soft product are  soothing and pleasantly scented.
> 
> *Natural Ingredients*
> 
> The  original Skin So Soft has just a few ingredients, so the chances of  allergic reaction are slim. The main ingredients listed are mineral oil,  fragrance and carrot seed oil. This is the basis of the bath oil, with  two oils as a base and the fragrance to impart a pleasant aroma.


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## Pappy (Dec 25, 2018)

If all else fails, try this....

For centuries, apple cider vinegar has been used as a natural remedy to treat many medical conditions, from infections to blood glucose problems. 
If you have an itchy bite, dab a drop of vinegar on it. The vinegar can help reduce stinging and burning sensations. It can also act as a natural disinfectant if you’ve been scratching too much.
If you need more relief, try soaking a washcloth in cold water and vinegar, and then applying it to the bite. If you have many bites, dilute 2 cups of vinegar in a tepid bath and soak for 20 minutes. Beware, a hot bath may make itching worse.
If skin irritation occurs, stop this treatment.



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## Camper6 (Dec 25, 2018)

Has anyone tried to have a bath in Epson Salts solution.

I don't know how it would work on mosquito bites but it sure is relaxing.  It seems to soften the skin.

I bathe my feet in it as well.

The main ingredient is magnesium sulfate.

Excerpt:
[h=1]Search Results[/h][h=2]Featured snippet from the web[/h]*Epsom salt* helps draw the moisture out of lesions caused by rashes, such as poison ivy, according to the doctors. And with *bites* or stings, *Epsom salt* reduces the swelling, which eases the itching sensation because the body's nerves fire less frequently, the doctors say.


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## SeaBreeze (Dec 25, 2018)

Camper, we always have Epsom Salts on hand and will take baths now and then for relaxation and soothing muscles, I also throw some bubble bath in mine.


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## Butterfly (Dec 26, 2018)

Old fashioned calamine lotion (or the new-fangled Caladryl, which has some benadryl in it) is the only thing that works for me for bug bite itching.


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