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Damn horsefly bite!

(37 Posts)
phoenix Tue 11-Jul-17 18:28:44

Evening all, hope you and yours are all well, sending good wishes if not.

Walking the bosses dogs yesterday lunchtime, got bitten by a horsefly (I think) on my ankle)

Wasn't too bad at the time, but today I have a fat, red, hot foot. Just very glad I went into work wearing my Birkenstocks, or as Mr P calls them "those lesbian sandals you bought in Munich"

(Although actually, these are replacement ones that my boss had to buy for me, or allowed me to order on the company credit card, after his young dog ate my last pair, but I digress)

I have bought some anti histamine cream and dabbed it on, but it doesn't seem to be doing much.

I know it's hardly life threatening, but any advice would be welcomed. I have been told that applying a used chamomile tea bag is soothing, but as I don't have any, it's not much help!

Tegan2 Thu 13-Jul-17 12:38:07

I always keep some chloramphenicol eye ointment in my fridge; mainly [obviously] for eye infections but, because it has some sort of antibiotic in it I apply it to insect bites etc [when I was younger and suffered from the occasional spot I used to use it for that, too]. Not sure that it works, but it doesn't do any harm.

Jalima1108 Thu 13-Jul-17 12:05:40

Succulent is a much better word than 'juicy'!!

Luckygirl Thu 13-Jul-17 11:54:11

How's your bite phoenix? Has the swelling gone down?

Gagagran Thu 13-Jul-17 10:40:33

Me too Jalima*! I put it down to being succulent. wink

Jalima1108 Thu 13-Jul-17 10:20:14

Anthisan first of all, followed by anti-histamine tablets (Clarityn is my choice) and Fucidin cream if the Anthisan doesn't work.
I shall be taking a suitcase full with me when I go overseas as everything in the insect world loves biting me!

Tried Marmight, Vitamin B tablets, garlic capsules, yeast tablets etc etc but none of them work, I still get attacked.

Tizliz Wed 12-Jul-17 13:21:53

annodomini I also find they don't bite me, though they are annoying.

annodomini Wed 12-Jul-17 11:46:40

BTW

annodomini Wed 12-Jul-17 11:46:18

MTW, I have found a small tube of 1% steroid cream sold for insect bite relief. Why? Anti-histamine cream is adequate for nettle stings, surely also for insect bites.

annodomini Wed 12-Jul-17 11:42:05

If I knew the secret I would tell you: the midges, although they annoy me by getting into my eyes, my ears, my hair, my nose, my mouth, don't bite me. They do say that if you eat a lot of Marmite, it puts the insects off, but I don't like Marmite; I prefer the Aussie equivalent, Vegemite, though get through barely two small jars in a year. I once found a tick in an unmentionable place and the GP had a good laugh. The moral of that was, don't crouch down for a pee among head-high bracken.

Lillie Wed 12-Jul-17 11:23:51

I came home looking as if I had chicken pox.
I agree, it looks horrible, especially if you're fair skinned the bites show up even more. I don't dare try rubbing concealer onto them.

BBbevan Wed 12-Jul-17 11:18:07

When we went to Skye, all the midges in Scotland were waiting for me at Inverness. I came home looking as if I had chicken pox. Even DH's Germolene didn't help.

Baggs Wed 12-Jul-17 10:45:23

I get dozens of bites every year: ticks, midges, clegs (horse-flies). Chlorphenamine tablets, paracetamol if painful, and Germolene have always dealt satisfactorily with the horse-fly bites. Tiger Balm is good on midge bites. Tick remover and a dab of gin deal with tick bites.

My GP says most minor infections (including horrid ones like ear infections) clear up by themselves within 72 hours. This certainly seems to be true as far as my family is concerned.

Hope it doesn't remain a problem.

Lillie Wed 12-Jul-17 10:26:26

How's your bite today, phoenix? Mine is so much better, thanks to piriton. I can almost see the entry points of the bite now.
I feel a bit silly having gone to the doctor's, but at least I have the antibiotics in the cupboard on standby in case another time I get a worse one!

annodomini Tue 11-Jul-17 22:38:42

Many years ago in the Western Highlands, my Mum had a cleg (Scottish horse-fly) bite which made her arm swell up from elbow to shoulder and Dad had to take her all the way to Fort William (about 30 miles) for treatment which in those days was an antibiotic injection. Yes, Phoenix, do get advice and don't leave it too long.

Tizliz Tue 11-Jul-17 22:26:49

The thick pink germolene is prescription only now ? Always used it liberally, wonder what it contains that makes it restricted

harrigran Tue 11-Jul-17 22:23:15

DIL got bitten by a horsefly when we were on Islay and she had to have a course of antibiotics, she was really very ill. The bite was on her forehead and it made her face swell.

phoenix Tue 11-Jul-17 21:57:02

Do you, know, having had a think, I'm very tempted to put some good old fashioned Germolene (thanks BBbevan! ) on it, even though it is no longer the pink cream in a tin! (The one I have is in a tube, and not very pink, doesn't quite smell the same either))

I think it does, however have some sort of analgesic ingredient, so will give it a go.

phoenix Tue 11-Jul-17 21:44:08

"Boozy", BBevan ??

BBbevan Tue 11-Jul-17 21:14:32

I wear Berks. !!!!

BBbevan Tue 11-Jul-17 21:13:40

Just to digressphoenix I always wear bird's, but I have a pair of Josrf Seibel lace up shoes. All the family call them my lesbian walkers
To return to the thread. I got a very nasty bite from something the other day. It was on my cheek. Very red and boozy. DH is a great fan of Germolene ? so he applied that liberally. It didn't work and the bite itched for several days Nearly gone now, but no idea what bit me.

Jalima1108 Tue 11-Jul-17 21:01:35

I got bitten by a horse fly once, my calf swelled right up. I keep anti-histamine tablets in just in case I react badly to any bites, but do be careful as you could need anti-biotics, so see the GP if it doesn't get better soon.

phoenix Tue 11-Jul-17 20:47:23

Many thanks for the responses, appreciated as always.

Not a tick, quite funny really, a student came up to my office a few weeks ago asking if I possibly had a tick removing gadget. She and another one had found ticks on their lower legs after a walk.shock

She couldn't believe it when I reached into my drawer and produced one! (Think she may have thought I was some sort of mega able person, it was only there because George, the workshop cat had a tick a few weeks ago, and I had forgotten to take the tick remover home!)

Luckygirl Tue 11-Jul-17 19:56:26

I would ring 111 for some advice. Better safe than sorry.

LadyGracie Tue 11-Jul-17 19:55:23

I had to have antibiotics my leg was really swollen and painful to walk on

merlotgran Tue 11-Jul-17 19:52:53

Actually, I think Wasp-eze has been discontinued.

As you were.....