Since being with my wife. For the last 30 years I have not been bothered by insect bites. Whilst she is a magnet for all airborne and crawling creatures. I seem to have read somewhere that being blood type A. Whilst she is O makes her more attractive to insects. Anyway, true or not, whist together I seem to be protected.
Things have however changed. I was attacked three days a go whilst gardening. I have no idea what it was. But wondered if taking Apixaban has altered in someway my blood chemistry that makes me now more attractive to insects.
I have tried to attach a picture of the back of my knee to see if anyone can suggest what it was that attacked me.
I will make what is left of my life's work to ensure whatever it was appears on the endangered species red list.
Unable to load picture for reasons unknown. But the question on Apixaban still remains picture or not. Thoughts please.
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Tryfan
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I am A+ and have always been badly attacked by insects. But some are more aggresive than others. There is a 'black fly' in Oxfordshire ....looks a bit like a blue bottle that causes a nasty wound that invariably becomes infected.They like watery environments and also like mock orange trees/shrubs.
Anticoagulants slow down the clotting process but for the life of me I can't see how they could make you more attractive to biting insects. Even if they did affect the blood chemistry you would need blood on your skin to attract them. I have always adopted the view that at least the little b*****s will die if they attack me.
It might be that the level of testosterone / pheromones you have is reducing as the years pass. Insects are very sensitive to this. Sorry to make such a personal comment😳
My dad was never bitten until around 65 whereas my mum was a bug magnet …and he linked it to not needing to shave every day .
Personally at 60 I seem still to be the less attractive to our insect colleagues of my wife and I and I’m on apixoban she is on no medication
I was bitten last July by something tiny that I didn't notice at all until I began to have hives and a bad bout of AF. It put me in hospital and seems to have exacerbated my Af afterwards to the point where I am waiting for an ablation. I thought it was just me but perhaps not?
I'm A+, and always have had an often nasty reaction to bites - they go into blisters, leave marks etc. This used to only happen abroad, ie in mosquito countries. I've been on Apixaban for 3 years, and yes, I'm now getting the same reaction to bites here in my garden, on walks etc. I was putting it down to climate change, and that we must have welcomed new nasties here in Northern Europe, but it seems there might be something in your theory of A being involved. Like Bob, I can't really see how, but who knows? Maybe the little buggers can sense you're not going to clot so quickly, so they get a longer drink?
Anyway, I'm single-handedly supporting the entire bug spray industry at the moment, nice to know I'm doing my bit....🦟
Sadly the picture didn't come through. But, if it's a big bite that has turned red all around it and swelled up, it could well be a horse fly. They don't seem to care what blood type you are or what deodorant you wear. They only bite humans when horses aren't available though . . .
I’m B+ and get bitten by anything and everything. The worst are big brown flies, found around moorland and cattle and also horse flies. These always result in large blisters and I have to be very careful as they often seem to become infected. Doesn’t matter what I use to try to deter them, the blighters always manage to find me. Probably the best deterrent is Avon Skin so Soft, but not a very manly smell.......
I'm Blood group A- and have always reacted badly to any bite at all. Needless top say I get bitten to death, and swell like a balloon, have had several medical interventions to help, but my husband, group A+ never gets bitten at all. Just the luck of the draw I think!Sue
I have not noticed any difference. But having said that, I live in Canada...out in the country, and am outdoors all day...forests, and fields with the dogs, gardens at home, trails on the bike...so I either protect with deet-free protection, or I'm a dead-man 😉 ...black flies, hornets, wasps, and of course mosquitoes. Now I now you have them in the UK...so just imagine ...x10 lol.Ever been hammered by a bald-faced hornet? 🤬🤬🤬 Oh mercy me there is some agony and swelling...sorry, I digress...no, they are equal opportunity micro-satan spawn. My wife swells up, and me not.
I'm beyond an avid gardener and biting insects zoom in on me as if by radar. The only difference I notice since taking Xarelto (a blood-thinner) is that when I scratch, the bite obviously bleeds more. No big deal; just a bit of witch hazel on it and I'm good to go again.
I did read that eating Garlic. As well as being the best contraceptive known is also supposed to help deter the pesky things. Or maybe that was put about by the Garlic growers association.
I have found that since I have been on anticoagulant that the bits I get now has become much worse than I used to get. I am really wary of going out or in the garden because now when I get bitten it is really traumatic. So yes I think it does make a difference. Maybe it’s easier to suck 😬
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