Reaction ? to insect bites.

[soootired]

I've been trying to work out how to word this for a while and since we've been discussing allergies on another post I decided to attempt it!

This past couple of months I've been experiencing this seemingly trivial problem and it's been driving me mad!

I've had so many bites , dozens it looked like chicken pox on my arms. My question is

1. were the bites normal ie don't normally cause such a reaction so I'd not normally be as aware of them, but for some reason I was REACTING to them? Or...

2. for some reason was I and no one else in my family being targeted by insects? And...

3. Was my body's reaction to these bites causing the CONSTANT FLARE I've been experiencing?????????

This has all coincided - bites and flare, and I just can't help wondering if they're linked???

I hope one of you lovely sensible people can help me! 😊

[Paul_Howard Partner LUPUS UK]

Hi soootired ,

You may be interested in reading our blog article about insect bites and lupus. Hopefully it will answer these questions for you - lupusuk.org.uk/lupus-and-in...

[soootired in reply to Paul_Howard]

Thanks Paul

The blog is very helpful indeed, thank you very much for the link.

When you say "people with sle are more susceptible..." in the article, does this mean we're more likely to get bitten or just react more?

Also, could all these bites over such a long period cause a flare?

Thanks again. 🤗

[Paul_Howard Partner LUPUS UK in reply to soootired]

There aren't really any studies with evidence to support it, but anecdotally we have heard from people who claim to get bitten more because they have lupus, as well as having more severe reactions.

The reaction to the bites could possibly be triggering the flare because they would be initiating an immune reaction - but there is no way to say for sure that they are the cause and not possibly something else.

[soootired in reply to Paul_Howard]

Thank you. I thought as much.

If be interested if anyone else suffers!

[Ianrussell69]

Hi I get what looks like bite marks on the tops of my legs that got infected told them at rumi (thought it might be due to methatrexate) and they told me it was foliciultus infected hair follicles when I get them I have to stop methatrexate and get a corse of antibiotics

[Treetop33]

It's always hard to gauge what's causing what but I get bitten a lot, they swell, and I do feel quite poorly with it. Have done for a few years. But tbh I have quite a few triggers so can't be sure about the causation. What Paul says seems to make sense though. I try and avoid getting bitten, basically.

[soootired in reply to Treetop33]

Thank you, it does make sense.

The thing that I don't get is how out of a family of 5 of us I'm the only one who seems to be smothered in these huge bites, which is what lead me to think that I'm OVER reacting to them.

And I do think that the flare is linked, on top of which I had a UTI which spiked my immune system so I think that the two things together probably sparked it.

[Treetop33 in reply to soootired]

And of course we're slower to heal too, something I actually think is partly medication related.

[Carrie43]

I have had the same experience this Summer. I have always lived in the countryside and never had a problem with insect bites - in fact I was always the one who didn't seem to get bitten. This year I have been covered in itchy bites and huge lumps that last for days/weeks! I'm not sure if it's my body reacting differently or because of medication but something has definitely changed and I am reacting differently.

[soootired in reply to Carrie43]

It's definitely never been like this before for me, this is my first year on aza so I did wonder if that could make a difference... or the disease which seems to be getting worse, they discovered it 3 years ago...

[Pepysmum]

I have exactly the same problem with bites, in fact it causes great amusement to my family.

I was even woken one night with a searing pain in my arm from shoulder to wrist - like it was on fire. I could see nothing wrong. In the morning I had to go to the GP's as my arm was very red and terribly painful like internal burning. I was told after close examination it was a spider bite in the crook of my arm two tiny punctures - I lived in sussex at the time - not the tropics.

When I get a silly mozzie bite it absolutely drives me mad with itching plus the redness spreads far from the bite. I have tired not to scratch, covered it up, put on creams etc but the reaction is the same. There was an article that said if you eat marmite every day it increases the it b in your blood and you are not so attractive to biting insects. It doesn't work.

The areas I am bitten were making me suspicious of how an insect can get there in the first place?!

I realised that the biters are opportunistic especially at night, but that they do set up a flare which causes other areas of rashes which one is then suspicious are other bites - when they are not. For example i thought i had head lice as my scalp was itching so much then there developed wheals and lumps just like mosquito bites. These crusted over etc etc.. my hair started falling out.

I have had several horse fly bites on my legs that have required intravenous antibiotic treatment as my reaction was so bad the the resulting infection so severe.

My son has Reynauds and he also reacts badly to bites. There must be a correlation to those with autoimmune diseases and the overreaction to foreign toxins, or foreign bodies which can extend to medications one supposes? Isn't that why you can get a drug induced lupus flare?

A good anti mosquito spray is essential when working in the garden but day to day wear when you go out is not fun as it makes you terribly greasy and smelling foul.

A problem we have no alternative but to accept.

[soootired in reply to Pepysmum]

I love marmite so that definitely doesn't work!

As for the spider bite 😨 !!

I did wonder if they were ALL actually bites at one point, because the ones that definitely were looked like bites but the other areas that had been itching furiously would vanish after a while. I keep getting these little bumps on my hands - where my palm meets my wrists, that itches like mad then little blisters form, and I don't think these are bites.

But it got ridiculous a couple of weejs ago, where all the dozens of bites were so obvious on my arms - there were about 7 or 8 on each arm, and I had a function to go to - not a good look i can assure you in my nice dress! - it looked like chickenpox.

I've been using either tea tree oil or lavender oil at night which has helped.

[Hidden]

Hi, I like to think its because I'm particularly juicy, but I don't think that's the case. Apparently some people get bitten but they do not react to what the gnat or other insect puts into you, when they take your blood, we however, do. I would presume this is do to the over protective nature of our immune systems. Ive always reacted to bites. they get huge and Ive been on antibiotics many times due to them. I now spray religiously. I might try marmite though !

[soootired in reply to Hidden]

I think we're juicy too!

It's interesting to see others with the same problem, so do think it's definitely related. I'm seeing my rheum soon and was wondering if it was worthy of going on my list of things to discuss!!

And logically, having over a dozen at a time, all itching like mad must cause a lot of hystamin (not sure if I've spelt that right) to be coursing through ones body and it's bound to cause an immune reaction?

I might try a good b complex as I've heard a few times that vit b can help though I don't understand why/how.

[Hidden in reply to soootired]

I would spray with gnat repellent when you go out. Check they are gnat bites. I have had some flea bites from my cats at times. Use cooling insect sprays at night an take a antihistamine.

[Neonkittie17]

I've been savaged by midges in the garden and having the bedroom window open too they drift in and get me at night as well. They take ages to stop itching for me as I've very sensitive skin and months to fade. Anthisan has done nothing and neither has Savlon. Be gone damn things!! 😝

[soootired in reply to Neonkittie17]

Snap! Nothing stops the itching.

[Neonkittie17 in reply to soootired]

I haven't tried calamine lotion. Wonder if they still make the rub in lotion as opposed to the one that dries chalky!

[soootired in reply to Neonkittie17]

Don't know, not tried it either but need to find something that works, seriously itchy!

[Neonkittie17 in reply to soootired]

I just saw "lacto calamine" on Amazon. Will have to send for some.

[soootired in reply to Neonkittie17]

Got to be worth a try!

[Neonkittie17]

I remember my Mum putting lacto calamine on me when I had chicken pox tickles when they were healing when I was 8. It stopped me scratching so I'm sure it will stop the midgie bites! 😀