What do you use on mosquito bites to take out the itch?

My bug bite relief of choice for years has been Bactine. It is an antiseptic and anesthetic so it takes the itch away and helps it heal. The other thing that I've started using since I found out about it is I pick of a yarrow leaf (and I have tons here) and mash it into where the bite is. It is wonderful at taking the sting out.

Get a can of REPEL from wal-mart. Dab a little on the bite of mosquitos or redbugs and that will take care of the problem. LIZ

Try a dot of super glue. Just a dot. It seems to block the air from getting to it and for some reason it stops the itch.

They love me too. I have to use an OFF product or I'm just attacked an miserable. Even using it they will find a spot I missed or didn't spray, like my forehead. I have several tubes, and some always in the car, of just generic Benadryl cream from Wal-Mart. It stops the itch but one species makes me swell up and itch worse so then I have to take a Claritan also. I actually felt one hit me last night! Now that's big!

I eat a tumbs or rolaid. It stops the itching and bring down the swelling.

Betty

OOoh... interesting ideas.. all of them.

benadryl makes me too sleepie to focus. creams are useless as they only distract the itch fo ra brief few minutes. Claritin is a neat suggestion. I fear vinegar will have me screaming in the streets, as I usually start to scratch before I know it's a bite, and acetic acid on an open wound.. EWW OWWWIE.

TX mosquitoes are assassins... I swear... munching little monsters.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I use the Benadryl (generic) cream NOT the pills. They knock me out too! That's why it's the ingredient in the sleep medicines! Claritan is a non-drowsy antihistamine.

I swear if you just put a dot of super glue to the bite it will stop itching imediately. Be sure to let it dry before you touch anything. Heck if they can use it in surgery for open wounds closure then it isn't going to hurt on a bug bite. Just a dot.

I might try that next time.

I used to live in Tombstone, AZ and got plenty of misquitos and chiggers, even worse because I would get a bad reaction to the chigger bites, but the glue worked great.

I had heard of putting nail polish on chigger bites.

Same principal. It seals the bite from the air and inhibits the toxin from itching.

Uh-oh, what I thought was a skeeter bite on my chest now has a large red area around it, and a thick red streak running from it, towards my armpit... no fever or other ill feelings, just the itching still....doctor appt. this afternoon. Sheesh...

Ouch. Sounds like that might be a spider bite, so seeing a
doctor is a very good idea. We have brown recluse spiders
here in Albuquerque so we take bites seriously.

Yep, we have those here, too, but I think maybe it was a spider web I walked through in the woods--they have funny little triangular-looking spiders. I'll let you all know what the doc says.

Most deffinately get to a doctor right away. If you have a red streak it is blood poisioning. Don't mess around and wait another minute. Every minute counts against you. GO NOW!

Doc put me on an antibiotic and said if it doesn't improve in a couple days to go back. He said it must've gotten infected from bacteria on my skin when I was bitten, or from bacteria that entered when I scratched it. The red streak is the infection heading toward the lymph nodes.
Such are the risks of traipsing the woods, lol. Thanks for caring!

Glad you reported back so quickly. I was catching up and got worried. Yes, any time you do anything there's some risk involved!

Just catching up, you take care and pay attention to that "couple of days"-means 2 to me!

I'm sorry to hear about your spider bite and resulting infection. I hope you feel better soon.


As to the mosquito bites... I use Blistex lip balm it has antiseptic and analgesic properties. I wash the bite area with soap and warm water. Wipe the are down with alcohol and then apply the Blistex.


Aquene,
Moe/WautuckquesSochepo

This message was edited Sep 12, 2008 3:19 PM

Thanks, mac, the spider bite healed completely with the heavy-duty antibiotics the doctor prescribed. Hmm, Blistex--never heard of that remedy for bites, but sounds like it would be effective. Thanks for that tip!

You're welcome. It works for me.

Aquene,
Moe/WautuckquesSochepo