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Bite relief. (Read 1861 times)

SamT

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Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 12:34:19 pm

A question for you hive mind..

I suffer really badly when bitten by midges. They seem to love the taste of me over and above other folk around me and I'm always the first to start bleeting when the wind dies and they rise from the bracken and make a bee line for me.

Strangely, its on about day 2 (usually 36/48 hours later) that the bites really kick in and start itching like hell.  It can make sleeping difficult they are that itchy and invariably I scratch and take the tops off which only makes matters worse.

I don't seem to get massive histamine type swelling,  just fairly small red bites, but the itching can be intense.

So are there any magic remidies out there to sooth the itching.  I've tried various cremes etc from the chemist over the years but non that have ever stunned me with their effectiveness.  Stuff I've got at the moment is Anthisan, and the active ingredient is mepyramine maleate 2%. Its a bit meh.

 :please:



Liamhutch89

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#1 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 12:38:05 pm
For me, DEET seems to be very effective at preventing the bites in the first place.

SamT

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#2 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 12:52:34 pm

Totally, prevention better than the cure for sure... but in the case of missing a bit, or not having any on...

mrjonathanr

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#3 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 12:54:07 pm
oral antihistamine?

SamT

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#4 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 01:09:59 pm
Not really thought of that but might be worth a go I guess, if I've been ravished. 
Guess I've always thought of it as a preventative thing that hayfever sufferes take in the morning.   I did once take some after getting home from Lundy to find my scrotum had been attackd by the infamous Lundy bugs on the last day.  Pretty grim but the anthihystamies sent me completly dooladly (might have had a pint on a walk in the peak - cant remember) but I do remember driving home thinking there was no way I should have been driving, I could barely keep my eyes open.  Havent really taken them since (dont really suffer from hayfever thank good ness).

Bradders

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#5 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 01:20:38 pm
I don't have any solutions I'm afraid but I thought I'd reassure you that your reaction to them in comparison to others sounds quite extreme! Perhaps it's an allergic reaction? In which case an antihistamine might help; they're not just for hay-fever after all.

Whilst I certainly get bitten by them of course, I don't think I've ever noticed the bites afterwards. Even on a recent trip to Ireland where they were utterly horrendous, once I'd left the area that was that.

CrimpyMcCrimpface

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#6 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 01:27:53 pm
I've found aloe vera gel to be very good at taking the itch out of skin ailments. I don't suffer from insects biting but have had issues sleeping from extreme bouts of eczema. I've tried all the prescribed creams but none compared to aloe which takes the heat out and evaporates quickly without leaving residue. Enough to stop one scratching so the body can heal.

Isn't there also something about using the piezo igniter from an electric lighter? I've never tried it. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lifesystems-Compact-Insect-Bite-Sting-Relief-Piezo-Clicker-/143040482050

jwi

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#7 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 01:29:00 pm
I would also recommend to try taking oral antihistamine. I know it helps a bit against mosquito bites regardless if you are allergic or not. Might help against midges as well.

You should not get tired from antihistamines like ebastine as it does not cross the blood-brain barrier. 

SA Chris

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#8 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 01:41:58 pm
I've been ravished. 

Must have been big midges!

Be glad you only get the small red bites (i get them but no real itching), my partner gets little blisters form on every bite which itch like mad.

Don't believe the Avon SSS hype, apparently the formula was changed a few years back. It only works now if you spray enough of a layer on your skin and the midges die in it, so you then have an oil slick of dead midges on your skin. I'd rather have the bites. Plus it's hard to wash off your fingers once applied.

I've heard good things about Smidge and https://www.thesmokinmidge.com/ but never used either in anger.

cheque

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#9 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 02:08:28 pm
I’ve got a zapper thing (the piezoelectric gadget Crimpy links to, basically) that stops them itching for about 6 hours. Downsides are that you have to zap each individually and it only stops them itching for about 6 hours- for some reason it’s worse when it starts again, particularly if that time is while you’re asleep!

I don’t use the zapper at all in recent years, partly because it’s such a pain in the arse to zap them all individually and partly because I’ve just got better at avoiding them. Mainly climbing very locally for the last few years has made that easier I suppose- the worst midge scenarios are always when you’re camping and the wind/ humidity conditions at the campsite have changed  :( .

I don't think I've ever noticed the bites afterwards. Even on a recent trip to Ireland where they were utterly horrendous, once I'd left the area that was that.

This is my experience early in the season but as it goes on the after effects get worse. Early September is always the worst for midges (both in terms of how voracious they are and how much the bites itch the next day) I find. They seem to know that their time is coming to an end!

Muenchener

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#10 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 02:39:05 pm
I've found some Greek stuff called Bug Off very effective for Kalymnos & Leonidio mosquitoes, and now I stock up whenever I'm over there. Don't think you can get it outside Greece though.

(Contrary to what the name might suggest, it's an after bite soothing cream not a bite preventer)

I also read that a styptic pencil might help. I have one, having recently switched to hipster single blade shaving, but I haven't tried it on bites yet.

moose

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#11 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 02:49:10 pm
I tend to suffer pretty badly with midge bites.  They invariably turn into massive red, itchy, fluid-filled swellings unless I take antihistamines during the evening after I've been bitten and for a day or two afterwards. 

Personally, I find the standard cheap, supermarket own-brand pills work well enough for me - either cetirizine hydrochloride or loratadine. 

If I'm remiss with taking the pills, hydrocortisone cream is the only thing that reliably mitigates the itching (I think it's only available at pharmacies though, which is a bit of a faff).  Lanocane, an anti-itching anaesthetic cream, has sometimes worked for me... but sometimes not and sleepless, scratchy nights have ensued!

SamT

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#12 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 03:23:18 pm
Thanks all...

Forgot about the pizo zappers.  I think we have one somewhere.

My other half suffers really badly with mosquito bites and gets huge blisters.

Heading off to Greece acutally - so will look out for the Bug off stuff.

I'll look at either cetirizine hydrochloride or loratadine based anti hystamines.

tk421a

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#13 Re: Bite relief.
July 29, 2022, 10:47:08 pm
Hydrocortisone cream?
I've used it regularly for mosquito bites in the tropics and have some for occassional ones here.

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#14 Re: Bite relief.
July 30, 2022, 09:53:19 am
I've been quite impressed with the latest formula of smidge. Used to think of it as marketing fluff heavy, low performance stuff but a few times this year I've been out in full irritation mode midges and received very few bites.

I used to react to them but it's just died off over the years. Apparently* once you had 1000s of bites your body gives up reacting.

*heresay, not done any fact checking.

Carliios

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#15 Re: Bite relief.
July 30, 2022, 10:51:09 am
+1 for hydrocortisone - it’s really the only thing that gets rid of the itchiness for me. I’m hoping I’ll become immune to their bites soon cause they fucking love me  :'(

SA Chris

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#16 Re: Bite relief.
July 30, 2022, 10:52:49 am
Apparently* once you had 1000s of bites your body gives up reacting.


Even if your body stops reacting they are still annoying little cunts to have about. Might try some of the new smidge.

moose

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#17 Re: Bite relief.
July 30, 2022, 11:52:06 am
I've been quite impressed with the latest formula of smidge. Used to think of it as marketing fluff heavy, low performance stuff...

The active ingredient is still picaridin isn't it? I never understood the hype for smidge. It works well enough but it was marketed as if it was revolutionary when it's just another picaridin based repellent, same as Autan and Bayrepel which had been around for years before.

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#18 Re: Bite relief.
July 30, 2022, 09:18:51 pm
For general bite stuff, in my personal experience, I've found Mosi-guard really good for midges - citronella based so it's zingy on the skin, and comes in an xxxtreeeem version too. Apparently it's popular with fishermen. Smidge was okay-ish, but Avon SSS was utterly dire, as Chris said all it does is coat you in a fine layer of greasy midge soup and any still have alive will bite you out of vengence.

For after bite, I use, errr, After Bite, which comes in a pen form, and has been helpful against mosquito bites. I scarcely react to midges apart from red dots, so I don't know about them.

 

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