Mosquito bites and Sjogrens
Posted , 5 users are following.
Diagnosed with Sjogrens in 1992. Never have a bad flare-up (until now) so never have been on any medication. Only treatment to date has been to plug my tear drainage ducts which worked very well. Just come back from a month's break in Greece and noticed that for the first time in living memory mosquitoes loved me! Read up on why mossies go for some people more than others and discovered that mossies love Co2, beer drinkers and lactic acid. Had my usual blood tests and for the first time ever had raised levels of c-reactive protein, ferritin, CPK, LDH and creatinine. Before I went to Greece, I had the same blood test and all was OK. So what happened during my time on holiday? Just this: I had a rowing machine installed in my apartment in Greece and used it every day ( I go to the gym in London every alternate day) and sweated profusely using my machine. I believe that the mossies loved the lactic acid that was in my sweat and went for me. I cannot think of any other explanation. I will be seeing my MCTD consultant in 3 days time and I look forward to his explanation, if there is one.
1 like, 6 replies
mandy95 zeet
Posted
Regards,
Mandy
Sue1247 zeet
Posted
An insect bite in the UK once brought on a bad attack of RA. I always react badly to bites and stings so I think you're right and it was the mozzies that triggered something.
janet20769 zeet
Posted
Hi, I was in the Caribean in March and got badly bitten, despite using Jungle Formula 50% Deet day and night. I got one particular bite on the back of my calf which went into a blister and my ankle and foot swelled badly below it and didn't go down for weeks.
mandy95 janet20769
Posted
janet20769 mandy95
Posted
Yes thanks Mandy I will, as the swollen foot was a nuisance - good job I could wear flip flops as couldn't get a shoe on. Don't want that ever again!
lily65668 zeet
Posted
In my experience they have some particularly nasty mozzies in some parts of Greece. Normally I'm one of the lucky ones, mosquitos aren't remotely interested in me. I backpacked a lot in the Greek islands when I was in my 40s and had no problems at all, but the one time I stayed close to Athens - in Glyfada and practically on the airport runway! - I got the most horrendous bites. I was covered in them and they left big brown scars that took about six months to go away. Never had anything like that since.
For the record, I didn't start getting Sjogren's symptoms till more than 10 years later so I don't think there was any connection either way in my case.