kate_nepveu: if it would not cause worldwide catastrophe

Kate (

kate_nepveu) wrote,
@ 2011-09-25 09:19 pm UTC

Entry tags:

if it would not cause worldwide catastrophe

I would be all in favor of using a hypothetical blessed scroll of genocide on mosquitoes.

I gather that topical antihistamines aren't to be used for little kids who swell enormously in response to mosquito bites. Do any topical remedies actually help?

(Please note specificity of question, thank you.)

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	no subject quinfirefrorefiddle 2011-09-26 01:34 am UTC (link)
	A topical remedy for the swelling, or for the itching? (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 2 comments) (Show 2 comments)

	no subject kate_nepveu 2011-09-26 01:36 am UTC (link)
	Sorry. The delayed swelling seems to come with itching; I'm not sure that it in and of itself is a problem. So, itching, of the delayed sort. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject silmaril 2011-09-26 01:43 am UTC (link)
	Rubbing alcohol applied topically always helps me with the itching. For the swelling... um. Garlic rubbed over? Baking soda paste? The latter was amazingly useful for me for a wasp sting... (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject daedala 2011-09-26 01:40 am UTC (link)
	sends magic marker (Reply to this)

	no subject jelazakazone 2011-09-26 01:45 am UTC (link)
	I take it you aren't aware of the bites until they have swelled enormously? DH has a device called a therapik (www.therapik.com apparently) and it seems to work pretty well for him, but I think you have to catch it early. It is supposed to denature the proteins that cause the reaction. I'm not sure why you can't use the topical antihistamines on enormous swelling though? (Reply to this)

	no subject veejane 2011-09-26 01:45 am UTC (link)
	Damn you now I have "You're gonna need an ocean of calamine lotion" stuck in my head. And I am pretty sure calamine lotion isn't even an antihistamine. Wikipedia reports that it is basically snake oil anyway, but maybe just the act of painting your ills pink helps. (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 2 comments) (Show 2 comments)

	no subject fledgist 2011-09-26 01:13 pm UTC (link)
	It doesn't work. For wasp stings, my mother made me anoint myself with vinegar (which is a homeopathic remedy). For mosquito bites we used to use bay rum to soothe the bites. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject kiro 2011-09-26 05:54 pm UTC (link)
	The calamine is a lie? It never worked for me, but my mother insisted every time I complained about a bug bite, and if I kept complaining I was told there was nothing more to complain about because I was chalky pink. (Though it did help a little with the scratching because I hated to get it under my nails.) I am feeling vindicated. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject annaoj 2011-09-26 01:50 am UTC (link)
	I find icepacks help some, especially for the really swollen ones. Are oral antihistamines an option? (Reply to this)

	no subject karnythia 2011-09-26 01:53 am UTC (link)
	This may be bad Mom advice, but I always used the topical gels on my wee people. If alcohol doesn't work then its time for OTC cortisone gel. (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 2 comments) (Show 2 comments)

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feuervogel
2011-09-26 12:45 pm UTC (link)

Or cortisone cream. I think the 0.5% is labeled for children; not sure on the 1%. I've never been a fan of the way gel feels, though it's the best topical delivery system for hairy areas. (We had an entire lecture period in pharmacy school, or maybe 2, on lotions (which are really runny, like calamine lotion; skin lotion is something different), ointments, gels, and creams.)

As with all texture-based observations, YMMV.

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	no subject rosefox 2011-09-27 03:34 am UTC (link)
	I use prescription-strength steroid goop (prescribed for my occasional eczema) and it works like a charm. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

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chomiji
2011-09-26 03:00 am UTC (link)

If you can spot them before they get too swollen, you can head some of the itching off at the pass by using a tiny dab of household ammonia on the bite. It denatures the chemicals in the mosquito's saliva that cause the itching and swelling.

You can either pour a few drops of household ammonia into the bottle top or a small paper cup, and use a cotton swab to dab it on, or you can get it in a purpose-made applicator such as AfterBite.

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	no subject skwidly 2011-09-26 03:25 pm UTC (link)
	Afterbite was the remedy I grew up with. I was glad I grew out of my sensitivity to mosquito bites, but when I had it, Afterbite was always in my Mom's purse. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject kate_nepveu 2011-09-26 07:47 pm UTC (link)
	AfterBite never did anything for me as an adult, but I suppose it's a relatively harmless thing to try. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject mkozlows 2011-09-26 03:34 am UTC (link)
	My mom swears by putting vinegar on bites. I have never tried it (due to having an apparently awesome "bites go away in 30 minutes" mutation), so can't directly corroborate. (Reply to this)

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thistleingrey
2011-09-26 04:15 am UTC (link)

My sympathies to SteelyKid.

Rubbing alcohol (sparing) or baking soda paste (generous) has helped for me, sometimes.

FWIW, a dab of hydrocortisone cream has never helped my mosquito bites (either with swelling or with itching), and we did resort to hydrocortisone a few times for my eczema when I was five or six because I was scratching enough (despite socks, cloth gloves, etc.) that I still have scar tissue on the "insides" of my elbows. Aside from being its counterindicated for little ones, IOW, this is thus a -1 vote for hydrocortisone on bug bites.

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	no subject kate_nepveu 2011-09-26 07:54 pm UTC (link)
	Fortunately yesterday's bites to her face have not swollen the way past bites have; they seem to have been more glancing. Because it is not fun when she cannot sleep for wailing "my eyebrow hurts!" (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject thistleingrey 2011-09-27 01:24 am UTC (link)
	Oh good--glad about relatively small effect this time. (And alas for your bites, too.) (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject badgerbag 2011-09-26 04:36 am UTC (link)
	A tiny ice pack. (Reply to this)

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rilina
2011-09-26 05:00 am UTC (link)

:( I tend to have bad reactions to insect bites, so I sympathize mightily. Maybe an oatmeal bath would help, if there are lots of bites? For individual but troublesome ones, I also use icepacks when the itching gets especially miserable, though they don't offer any longterm relief. And I find hydrocortisone cream helpful, but only somewhat so. The stuff I use only has warnings for under 2 years, but obviously IANAD.

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jerusha.livejournal.com
2011-09-26 05:41 am UTC (link)

I react badly to mosquito bites (not to the extent of enormous swelling, but definitely to the scratch-until-bloody stage), and the best thing I've ever used is a product called Camphor Ice. Basically, it's 20% camphor (by weight) in a wax-petrolatum base.

Unfortunately, it's a recipe that we teach our first-year Pharmacy students to compound, so it's not available commercially (although I'm happy to share the recipe).

You won't be able to walk into a grocery store or drug store and pick up the ingredients, but they should be widely available by mail order (for people who make cosmetics at home)

The other concern I would have is that it's not intended for pediatric use, and I would suggest that you discuss it with your pharmacist and/or pediatrician before trying it.

The best *commercial* stuff I've used is either RhuliGel (which got bought years ago - the last time I saw it on the shelf, it was Band-Aid Brand, but now? who knows?) or Caladryl Clear (or generic equivalent)

RhuliGel/BandAid is a clear gel with camphor and menthol (although not to the concentration as the Camphor Ice). Caladryl Clear (etc) have 1% pramoxine HCl, which is a topical anesthetic/analgesic and 0.1% zinc acetate, as a skin protectant.

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fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com
2011-09-26 05:58 am UTC (link)

Noxzema has camphor in it, and I have found it helpful for dealing with the everlasting hell that is the chigger bite--you want the old-school, heavy cream. My mother was a big fan of oatmeal baths and poultices.

My profound sympathy--my latest bites are now itching more in sympathy. Good luck getting through the night, and here's hoping things are better tomorrow.

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	no subject kate_nepveu 2011-09-26 07:55 pm UTC (link)
	now itching more in sympathy Yeah, the ones I got at the same time are too, which is why I'm not replying to more comments! (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject (Anonymous) 2011-09-26 11:50 am UTC (link)
	I'm disappointed to hear topical antihistamines shouldn't be used; I don't have any other small-child remedies in my armory except oral antihistamines. I'll be interested to hear what you find out. (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject feuervogel 2011-09-26 12:48 pm UTC (link)
	The issue with topical antihistamines that I remember from the mists of my first year pharmacy school lectures is that repeated use can cause sensitization to the vehicle. Not the antihistamine itself, but the stuff it's put in so you can smear it on your skin. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject mkozlows 2011-09-26 01:42 pm UTC (link)
	Also, if Science can't someday give us mosquitos that fulfill their existing ecological niche while simultaneously not biting humans, then I don't know what the point of science is, anyway. (Reply to this) (Thread) (Hide 1 comment) (Show 1 comment)

	no subject kate_nepveu 2011-09-26 07:51 pm UTC (link)
	I don't actually know that it would cause worldwide catastrophe, mind; I realize the subject line is ambiguous. (Reply to this) (Thread from start) (Parent)

	no subject vera_l 2011-09-26 03:44 pm UTC (link)
	Oh, it's a pity that topical antihistamines are counter-recommended for little kids. I love Benadryl gel for exactly this anti-mosquito application, but I'm an adult. Very much with you on the blessed scroll of genocide. Sympathies. (Reply to this)

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cougarfang
2011-09-26 06:40 pm UTC (link)

My family always used green oil to relieve mosquito bite itch. (From that website, active ingredients: Methyl Salicylate 20%, Menthol 16%, and Camphor 3%. Inactive ingredients: Eucalyptus oil, Clove oil.) You can probably find it in an Asian market, if you have one near you. It's also good for rubbing under your nose and smelling when you're ill/nauseous, or rubbing in circles on your temples when you have a headache/nausea. My boyfriend's family uses Tiger Balm for much the same function.

Thing is, for me it helps if I rub it on and then ignore the bite for a short while, and then by the time I get back to thinking about it, it's kicked in. Might need a distraction for an itchy child. ^^; (Then again, it could all be placebo effect anyway...)

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marydell
2011-09-26 09:18 pm UTC (link)

First, a disclaimer: Charlie's rashes and associated armageddon-level prescriptions have beaten me into being blase about the risks of OTC treatments. So, grain of salt.

That said, I recommend OTC cortisone cream. The regular 1.0% should be ok for kids (Charlie's doc prescribed 2.5% when he was 6 months, and that was a sort of first-level treatment). Also solarcaine gel with aloe and painkiller stuff in it is a terrific fast itch stopper, but is probably NOT approved for very young kids. We stick it on Charlie all the time, but see disclaimer.

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doire
2011-09-27 09:29 am UTC (link)

I hope some of the remedies suggested have helped.

When mine were small, if we were using something like baking soda paste or calamine lotion, they put it on themselves. They had a little pot (to minimise spills) and every time they wanted to scratch put a cooling dob on instead. It was good when it got to the scabby stage too, I think because it let them do something even if it wasn't the hearty scratch they wanted.

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	no subject culfinriel 2011-09-27 07:05 pm UTC (link)
	Pretty much the same as everyone else's suggestions. If they're really bad, though, it might be worth asking the pediatrician. (Reply to this)

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thomasyan
2011-09-27 08:23 pm UTC (link)

I like to gently rub a little smooth ice over the itchy spots for a few seconds. (Ice with sharp edges might feel satisfying as scratching, but I'm worried I'd overdo it and break the skin.) This past summer I kept a teacup in the freezer so that I could reuse the same ice cube instead of throwing it out. I have varying success with this method. Sometimes it seems to provide relief on the order of half an hour or more. Other times, the itch comes back quickly.

My girlfriend likes Green Oil, which she finds feels very cool, but it really didn't do much for me.

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