INSECT BITES: I find it interesting that no-one seems t...
Posted , 47 users are following.
INSECT BITES: I find it interesting that no-one seems to mention that an insect bite has been the cause of their cellulitis. I was hoping someone would have found a solution to this being a cause... after suffering two bouts of insect bite induced cellulitis, both which effectively put paid to summer for me, one incident meant I was hospitalised and on a drip for two days followed by 10 days of twice daily visits by nurses to administer intravenous anti-biotics plus recovery time afterwards, the other last year, required frequent visits by GP's to drain the horrendous giant yellow blisters that occur through this infection - and again I was off work for 5 weeks at the height of summer and more importantly missed out on booked holidays to boot, I was really hoping someone had found a solution to be being infected in the first place!
If anyone has suffered cellulitis as a result of insect bite and has found a way of preventing this, please let me know! Now that summer is almost here I don't intend to sunbathe in my garden, or even go in my garden without wearing long trousers and mosquito repellent as a back up. It really spoils summer for me now as cellulitis is so painful it's frightening. I'd do anything not to get it again!
Also, does anyone suffer problems with the place where the blisters have been? I seem to suffer frequent itching and soreness on the patch where the blisters have been and wonder if this means there's underlying infection there?
Being someone who looks after themselves, is fit and active and tries to keep healthy, I find this condition really difficult to cope with, I get very distressed as when I've first been infected and the pain is at it's worst I have to get friends to stay with me to look after me as I can't even get to the bathroom unaided, it's so painful, even childbirth wasn't as bad, at least that ended after a relatively short time... this goes on for days and days and days! And no sleep!
And I agree with the lady from Spain, doctors here don't zap it with the right strength of anti-biotics if you get it really badly, that's why i ended up in hospital the first time - if I get it again I'm going to insist on the double dose of different anti-biotics they have ended up using both times as single dose of one anti-biotic did absolutely nothing and meant that it got much worse than it needed to have been.
Apologies if none of this helps anyone, but it makes me feel a lot better to know that others have suffered as I have as no-one else I know has had this, and doesn't know how bad it is 
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5 likes, 75 replies
Guest
Posted
She insisted on seeing another Doctor, having had an upsetting disagreement with her normal Doctor. The outcome was that obviously this was normal practice within this Doctors surgery!, as they refused to give her a higher dosage.
After a further 3 weeks of different antibiotics - but symptoms NO better, through desperation she travelled to Spain with a copy of my Spanish prescription for info.
After some 48 hours she felt much - much better, hardly any pain,and within one week was almost back to normal. The Doctor here in Spain agreed, on checking her leg to prescribe EXACTLY the same strong antibiotics as I received, no attitute of "lets try the cheap low dosage first ! "
WHY WHY WHY are GP's in the U.K. not taking this condition seriously.
I made a point of confronting my Doctor in the UK re this subject on my last visit to UK, and was told " well thats how it is " we have to try certain antibiotics first.! When I suggested to him he meant obviously the cheapest he brought the subject to a close. This is rediculous! I would gladly pay in the first place for the stronger, but apparantly this is not possible either. You cant win. At least in my own case if I do suffer the problem again, I know the drugs to clear it up quickly.
For info I have not ( so far ) had another attack since July last year. I will out of interest keep posting comments from time to time, just out of interest, to see if the strong antibiotics prescribed at a very early date, have indeed cleared up the problem.
8)
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Guest
Posted
I've tried Eurax, and Eurax ;with hydrocortisone, cream E45 for itching, but onon of these work! I'm taking piriton, but it just makes me so drowsy!
Any suggestions I'd be really grateful for!
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janet65133 Guest
Posted
My husband had three bites, separately, with increasingly severe repercussions. Now, six months later, we've just realized that the problem with itching on his calf is probably cellulitis. Have noted your mentions of strong antibiotics when we get to the doctor's; we have also read that athletes foot causes it too, when small scratches between the toes can cause infection to spread upwards via underlying tissue, into the calf, where his problem is. Thank you.
glenn06752 janet65133
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Aboom glenn06752
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My doc said my cellulitis was from athletes foot. I found that a bit strange as i have athletes foot between my baby toes and the next toe over (both feet) every summer and sometimes I have had at least a minor case of it almost the whole season.
That would mean that every summer for 30 years I have had athlete's foot and this one particular summer, I just happened to get cellulitis because of it? I'm not disagreeing with my doctor, I just find that strange. As much as I wanted to attribute it to an insect bite I could not find one!
Guest
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Guest
Posted
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lisa53100 Guest
Posted
I can't believe there are so many cases out there like mine, but you, Guest, in particular. In August U got a few mosquito bites on my arm and elbow while walking, then another bite on my outer left ankle. Within seconds the ankle bite became so itchy, even the top of my foot was itchy, that I swiftly turned around and headed home to get some anti-itch remedy
It was crazy itchy! The whole foot swelled up and two weeks later, still swollen and red, I went to Dr. and was diagnosed with cellulitis. 10 days of harsh antibiotics cleared the infection but swelling remained. Dr said it was gout, but blood work says otherwise. Still slightly swollen and gets sore to walk on. It's some Inflamation but they don't know why. It's definately not athletes foot though!
I wish everyone the best of luck in dealing with this weird thing. Thanks for writing in!
Guest
Posted
More recently, 4 months ago, I was bitten on the back of my hand and this developed into cellulitis overnight. It was like a boxing glove. I had to go to A&E as it was spreading halfway up my fore arm. I was given Flucloxacillin 500mg 1 capsule 4 times a day and Penicillin V 250mg 2 tablets 4 times a day (7days).
Just last week I was bitten on my other ankle....... yes, my foot has swelled up both sides of my ankle and halfway up my shin and calf. Went to the doctors last friday and he reluctantly given the same course of antibiotics as I had a few months ago. I'm glad to say it's clearing it up and keeping my foot elevated has really helped with it healing.
I really don't know why I get this almost everytime I am bitten. I carry an array of creams, mainly Antisan (the one by Aventis) with me everytime I go out and find it's really important to use them as soon as I get a bite. The Antisan I use has been excellent and only if I leave it late putting some on have I had a bad reaction to bites.
One very important thing I've learn't about being bitten..... resist the urge to touch or rub or itch the bite. It will lead to it getting worse very quickly.
lillie
Posted
penelope4
Posted
The next bout was about 3 weeks later on the opposite arm as the first episode. Again, I woke up in the middle of the night, scratching my arm. Within 8 hours it went from a raised bump smaller than a dime to large 8'x8' circle of raised, red, hot, swollen flesh. Again, I was given antibiotics. Only for 7 days this time.
A week later I woke up with a swollen eye. Went to the urgent care again and was given antibiotics as well as steroids. This time the doc said it appeared to be an allergic reaction. Not hot or rapidly spreading or red.
A week following that I was bit once again near the same spot as the first episode. I immediately shot up out of bed and rubbed the area down with Dial antibacterial soap. I went to sleep for the rest of the night, woke up in the morning and the bump/bite was gone.
And now, about week since that last close call, I have an episode beginning on my hand. I woke up once again to scratching the side of my left hand. I was so groggy that I laid around in bed awhile before washing the area with the antibacterial soap. It had already begun to swell, but washing it stopped it in its tracks. My had was swollen all of yesterday. Making a fist was uncomfy. The skin was very taut. But, today, I can now see a hard, tiny lump on my pinky finger (which I suppose is the entry point of some bug bite) and I can make a fist comfortably. The skin is not hot. Just a little red. Like an allergic reaction subsiding, but I KNOW that had I not washed immediately with Dial antibacterial, I would have been in the doc's for another round of antibiotics.
This condition is so creepy. Every time I see a doctor they recommend that I check around my home for bugs and handle that issue, if I find there is one, but the first 2 episodes occurred while I was away from home. All other episodes occurred at home, but I sleep in the bed with my boyfriend every night and he has never been bit.
I'm really discouraged at this point.
However, I wanted to share with everyone my "trick" to coping: IMMEDIATELY wash with Dial (or maybe any brand of) antibacterial soap. DO NOT scratch!!! Allow the area to dry and apply an antihistamine cream if the itching is unbearable. It has helped me twice!! has worked 100% of the time.
I wish us all luck and definitive answers from doctors in the future!
Emps penelope4
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I think this is important if the source is external. Mine isn't (see the other thread on this) but, just in case, my consultant perscribed Dermol 500, which is an anti-bacterial soap replcement or moisturiser, presumably with the aim of reducing the amount of bacteria on the skin in case of a bite (or cut or crack or puncture) and then you can use more to wash it when you spot it. So it'd be worth people asking their doctor about it.
helpme02106 penelope4
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Desmaris penelope4
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Penelope4 - although it's been quite some time since you submitted your post, I am posting this response anyway with the hope that you'll get it; and as well to share my information & knowledge about this very odd malady with others who may relate to it. What I find most intriguing about your experience is that mine shared commonalities with yours that I'll explain in a minute. But I can't shake the feeling that there is something behind this that may offer a clue to the origin and reason for the whole scenario. What I am referring to is you stated you got it first on one arm; and then on the other arm in the same place on the arm. Then it occurred again weeks later on the first arm again. The same thing happened to me except it was on my hands.
First, I get what appears to be a small insect bite on my right hand ; on the right side of the back of the hand, situated halfway between my little finger & the wrist. A day later, it formed a blister and then started swelling and getting red. The redness proceeded to spread fairly quickly and it itched like mad. I took Amoxicillin, which cured it up. But the site of the bite healed in an odd kind of way that wasn't normal; and it took like, three weeks to fully heal. It wouls suddenly start itching again out of the blue even though it appeared to have healed completely. One night I woke up in the process of scratching my hand madly and it started getting all red and I could feel it wanting to start swelling, so I got myself under control and didn't scratch anymore.
Then last night, I noticed what appeared to be a bite on the exact same part of my hand - but this time it was the opposite hand. The condition proceeded in an identical manner as had the first one.- first the blister formed, then the swelling & redness started spreading; again itching like mad on the whole back of my hand. It is important to note that I have never had this sort of reaction to an insect bite before these last two. It's very odd, I think; that we both got them on one arm/hand; and then the other arm/hand in the same place; and I can't shake the feeling that there's something to that. I'm in the United States, and have read more than one story about the experiments scientists are doing with genetically altering mosquitoes and then releasing them into the population ... which gives me the impression that we're the guinea pigs they're doing their little "experiments" on!! I know, I know ... I sound completely wacko!! I'm not familiar with exactly what cellulitis looks like or acts like, so I am not sure that "cellulitis" is what I had - so I just described what happened and what it looked like. If you indeed get this, let me know how you're doing!
Desmaris penelope4
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I forgot to mention in my previous post, that I use Lavender scented skin lotion all over m exposed areas, and to does work to repel mosquitoes.
The two times I got bitten (if it indeed was a mosquito bite), I didn't have the lotion on.
brandie Desmaris
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brandie
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forgot to mention that in all the Articles I've read on cellulitis itching is not a symptom. So if it's cheating is typically not a symptom of cellulitis then why are we all itching?