Hello, do any of you have a severe reaction to insect bites? I’ve always had a little bit more of a reaction but nothing like this! I recently got bitten, by what I have no idea. This is the top of my foot. They have calmed down a lot but very red. GP not helpful. Antihistamine didn’t help. An ice pack was the only thing that did.
I was diagnosed with lupus in 2020.
Any recommendations on treatments should it happen again.
Thank you
Hi Laurajoy
I was advised by my Gp to take both different types of antihistamine. I’d take Certrazine am and Loratadine at bedtime. I found that the combination worked and used it from May to Oct if I got an insect bite. Ask your Gp if that is something that may help you.
I’m extremely allergic to insect bites 😬😬😬
The only thing that helps me is piriton (oral) plus low strength antihistamine cream. High dose antihistamine cream from my GP if this doesn’t work.
I also feel unwell when it happens and I wonder if it’s due Mast Cell Activation 🤷♀️
Hope you recover soon.
You have quite a reaction. The first couple of reliable places I checked, including Lupus UK, said people with lupus definitely can have severe reactions to insects bites. Although I am not one of those, I am mosquito phobic and hate ruining a vacation after lots of bites. They do like me.
Here is what I do: put OTC cortisone cream on the bite and continue with Off bite, which stops the itch. One of the problems with the bites in a lupus patient is possible infection and flare. So ask your rheumatologist about this. Your GP may not actually know this issue but he would have checked for infection,
Are you still itching?
Best of luck.
Kay
Most important!
Do not let those spots get infected!
Use a cotton wool pad dipped in antiseptic solution and keep skin clean and sterile.
I usually react badly to mozzie bites but not like yours. Apart from antihistamine, did the doc give you anything else? I always buy Boots own make of cream for insect bites, I’d ask in Boots for it. I take in on holiday every year and it’s amazing the amount of times I hand it out if I hear someone has got bitten, it’s a super cream, everyone I give it to agrees with me.
I almost always have severe reactions to bites. (I am told it's one of the symptoms that supports lupus diagnosis.) I find cold packs help with reducing the itching and inflammation and I also take piriton, although it makes me tired and grumpy, as it works more quickly for me than the non drowsy ones. Fexofenadine is one of the newer ones you might try if it doesn't clash with any other medicines you're taking. I also use Korres repellant whenever I'm out in the Summer. I find it effective and the bonus is it smells lovely. Downside is that it can be hard to find online. Hope this helps you 🙏 x
Hi Laurajoy. So sorry to hear you are troubled with insect bites. I’ve read the replies about antihistamines and creams but no one mentioned antibiotics. I’ve added a photo of the last time I reacted badly to an insect bite. Usually I get bitten abroad by mosquitos and there is usually swelling around the area. This last time it was in the UK. Not sure what bite me 🤷♀️ and not a lot of swelling. As you can see the doctor drew a line around the inflamed area and told me if it spread any further I might need to go to hospital. 😱 She gave me erythromycin antibiotic. ( one I have no reaction to ) and thankfully my leg got no worse. I’ve reacted badly to bites several times over the years and I always get an antibiotic before it gets too serious. My thinking is it could turn to blood poisoning, but don’t quote. 🤪 If I’m going abroad I take vitaminB complex a couple of weeks before I go and while I’m there. Not sure if this does help or it’s just a coincidence but I haven’t been bitten as often. I do use insect repellent at night while away. I hope you improve soon. 🙏🏻
This is the first time I’ve posted on this forum. I read what people have written with interest and sympathy. My SLE journey didn’t start too well and I don’t want to upset or discourage anyone by telling my story. Everyone’s journey is different and I feel for all of you going through a bad time at the moment. You have my sympathy and hope you all feel much better soon. 🙏🏻 By way of encouragement I will say that I have been in remission for years now. 😁 When I was diagnosed with SLE in 1990 there wasn’t a lot known about Lupus. Not even by the medical profession. Thankfully that has changed and things have improved a lot. Even with the lack of knowledge I have to say I have had excellent care from both my GP and the staff at The Freeman hospital. I’m still on maintenance dose tablets and have regular checkups. Blood test etc. I know I have been lucky. Some of you are not taken seriously or given the care you need and deserve. My heart goes out to you. I hope my story has given you hope that although you might be suffering now. There are better times to look forward to. ❤️
Hi, yes both I and my husband get a bad reaction. He has some sort of connective tissue disease (they gave up trying to find out what) and I have PMR and GCA.
I have had a nightmare trying to get antibiotics. They really are reluctant to prescribe. I've had two instances now, and hubby three, where the bite redness has spread up my leg, gone swollen and purple and been so painful I can't walk. Both times I've been to the GP and been refused antibiotics. I was told by a pharmacist to use double the dose of Piriton, which helped. But in both cases it took over a month to be able to walk normally again.
Now, if I get bitten, I apply hydrocortisone cream several times a day straight away. This seems to dampen down my reaction to the bite and I've had no more trouble, though a recent tick bite, which developed spreading redness and a pale ring (bullseye) round it indicative of Lyme disease was still refused antibiotics! The redness has now gone but there is still a scar after 3 months.
Hi Broseley, did they take a blood test after they diagnosed ‘tick bite’? It will show if the tick was infected, you then will be offered antibiotics.
No, no-one would do anything. It's hopeless round here at the moment.
I would ask for Lyme’ disease blood test to rule that out as if you are infected you can become chronically ill without immediate treatment. People should really take tick bites seriously it can make you ill and affect you for month / years. Enjoy your garden, the outdoors but make sure to check yourself , your children every day for these very small insects . Get rid of them the correct way , tick removal tool.
Thanks yes I did remove it correctly. I have had no symptoms other than the rash. I looked at the NICE guidelines nice.org.uk/guidance/ng95/c... which also state that the tests may not work on people on immunosuppressive treatment as they won't produce the antibodies.However I can ask again. The tests are not always conclusive though.
Hi Laurajoy, sorry to hear that you're suffering. I don't have lupus, but I do react really badly to bites, so I can empathise. As advised, don't scratch, take Piriton (or equivalent), apply antihistamine cream, try to keep the limb raised when possible, and apply a cold compress / bag of frozen peas in a tea towel (or if it's really burning submerge the foot in water) - keep it as cold as possible and definitely avoid direct sun. Hopefully it'll ease off after 5 days, although I had a bad one last month that kept burning. To try to sleep I elevated my foot on a few pillows, put a gel cool pad on top of the pillows (I had one for hot flushes), then a wet flannel over the bite. Then every couple of hours I'd get up and stand with my foot in cold water (I have Raynauds, so this is not something I ever thought I'd choose to do, but the burning was driving me to distraction). After 8 days it was still inflamed so the GP suggested I try eumovate cream which contains a steroid, and it did help soothe it. However, his main advice was to avoid getting bitten in the first place, even if it means wearing insect repellant and covering up as much as possible everytime I venture outside. I've been experimenting with different blends of essential oils as I can't bear covering myself in chemicals so frequently (I work in a garden), but I think there will be days when I'll need the strong stuff! I hope you're feeling better soon.
yes I've had similar, a really bad one years ago when there were horseflies around and another that left me with anaphylactic shock. Even now I have red itchy blobs, not sure where they've come from.
Just to add another angle to the good advice you have already received is if you are outside a lot in insect prone areas ( I am I'm a birdwatcher) you can get insect proof clothing, which incidentally is factor 50 sun protective too. The clothing includes shirts, t-shirts, socks etc. Pricey but in my circumstances worth it.
Link please? Or name of webshop? Thanks
The brand of clothing I buy is Craghoppers Nosilife ( bought direct from them) - there may well be others if you look at other outdoor clothing sites. I am petite and have found the sizing of the shirts and trousers to be on the large size and quite long and so have had to take them up.
I've always been a target for bitey insects but in the last few years I've had blisters, rashes and this year the worst itching ever. Antihistamine tablets send me to sleep, so only manage 1 a day when it's unbearable. Local pharmacist suggested eumovate and a soothing moisturising gel (Adex) which is good as the skin is getting very sore where it's scratched in the night and always manage to find spots of blood from it (didn't fancy calamine but that was the first suggestion). They don't seem to be going away this time - I came off 11 years of hydroxychloroquine 18 months ago as it caused a problem with retinas in both eyes, and I refused to go on a replacement (aza or methotrexate) so had monthly blood tests. So far, not needed any specific drugs again BUT this itching with bites is the worst ever and I wonder if it has anything to do with not taking a damping down drug?
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