Comments on: Bugged!

By: Tone Garot

Tone Garot — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 14:09:36 +0000

I am going through this right now. I was stung about twenty times last Sunday. Yesterday afternoon (Friday), I realized that I was scratching one arm with some of the more potent stings. Last night I took Benadryl to sleep.

Every time I scratch a particular area of stings, then stop, I notice that other areas of stings, especially on the other arm, start itching. It’s almost as though scratching releases histamines which cause other areas to be overloaded.

I used Calamine lotion last night to sleep. I think it helped. My sheets are sort of pink now.

This morning, I noticed a reddish, splotchy area circling around some of the more itchy stings. I am guessing that this is causes by the release of histamines when I scratch.

I’m trying the baking soda toothpaste right now. This feels sort of minty fresh, but I wonder if it only works with the stings that still have an open sore? Also, the spots that I missed with the toothpaste start to itch after awhile, so I can find them readily. Isn’t that nice?

By: Katie

Katie — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 17:33:03 +0000

Same thing happened with my daughter. Her foot was stung and I couldn’t find a stinger. Ice and elevation and the symptoms abated. One week later, after a couple of hours in the pool, the sting site started itching again. I had her put her foot up on an ice pack again whilst I researched online. Best remedy so far….ICE. Foot was still itching. Next best remedy….baking soda TOOTHPASTE. The toothpaste worked immediately. We will call the doctor next week if symptoms persist. Good luck!

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 12 Jul 2005 18:23:38 +0000

My family always used Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer mixed with enough water right after getting stung. However, I got stung at a church work day recently, and one of my church members did the tobacco thing that Daniel (comment #2) said. He moistened the tobacco, put it on the sting, and believe it or not, it worked!

Geren–RE: Cellulitis. I had cellulitis (according to the doctor) without the fever and red stripes. My foot just swelled. Amoxicillin or Augmentin knocked it right out though.

By: Dougal

Dougal — Sat, 09 Jul 2005 14:39:45 +0000

A few days ago, I scratched the scabs off and started applying antibiotic creme. It’s looking much better now. Before, there was a purplish mottled area around the bites. There’s still a tiny amount of discoloration (more pinkish now), but the itching seems to be gone, and the sting points seem to be healing more normally, now.

By: AmyJ

AmyJ — Sat, 09 Jul 2005 06:51:57 +0000

How’s it? Update us. With all that advice, you won’t need a mother! But I am one so here’s my nickels worth. The health food store- go there. Ask, seek, persist. There are nifty homeopathic remedies for everything! Buy a Boerick and Taffel book there if that is their brand and look up all your symptoms- mark up the book and find what will work best according to what is going on. I bet you are experiencing symptoms that you don’t even relate to the bite [if it was a yellowjacket- sting if it was a bee].

By: philippa

philippa — Thu, 07 Jul 2005 09:48:08 +0000

i think you should get a good mate to suck on your foot to rid you of all the poison

By: Harvey Ramer

Harvey Ramer — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 22:12:15 +0000

I’m way late on this suggestion, but your story reminds me of a time my wife had a nasty case of poison ivy. There’s a connection because both your case and hers involve a histamine reaction.

Nothing topically applied worked, but what finally took away the swelling and itching within an hour or two was a poison ivy extract. Sounds nuts? Absolutely true.

What does this have to do with you? I’d suggest visiting your local natural foods coop or whatever and asking for a bee (yellowjacket) sting extract. If they have it, I’ll wager it will clear things up quickly.

By: logtar

logtar — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 18:04:36 +0000

no advice, but I do hope you feel better.

By: john

john — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 00:11:34 +0000

Bananna peels really work, insect bites to bee stings. No Kidding.

By: Geren

Geren — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 22:32:23 +0000

It’s not cellulitus. I know. I’ve been there. If it were, you’d have a high fever, severe pain in the leg, slight red “stripes” running up your leg from the infection point, and no itching.