Dianne-TX Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 My little guy, 2, has two mosquito bites that look like an allergic reaction. One of them looks much worse. I've used tea tree oil and a healing salve and Benadryl cream. It's been two days and they don't look much better. Is there something else to use? I thought of putting a baking soda paste on it tomorrow as I do for wasp stings. Should I call the dr? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) I typically get large welts from mosquito bites, so I don't know that a reaction like that would necessarily mean an allergic reaction. Also, I wouldn't keep putting stuff on it--at least not trying one thing after another. I found that I react terribly to the ointments that are made for mosquito bite relief. Now I just use a hydrocortisone-based cream or ointment. ETA: "After Bite" is one I really reacted to. Edited May 30, 2012 by gardening momma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Dd gets welts that swell up, and leave bruises. She even has a bit of scaring from mosquito bites. I was asked pretty much every spring/summer when she was little, is she had impetigo or something. I just gave her benadryl and tried to always put bug spray on her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I have a daughter who also gets welts. I give her Benadryl tablets immediately and use Caladryl Clear on her to help relieve itching. She thinks the clear works better. I also would advise going easy on the topical products. Tea tree oil commonly causes contact allergies--I'm allergic even to the fumes of dilute tea tree oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Rose Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) Benadryl orally every 6 hours. Allergies cause a histamine response that you have to get ahead of by using the antihistamine. ETA Dosage Instructions. http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/childhood-illnesses/medicine-cabinet/benadryl Edited May 30, 2012 by Ruby Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 DD13 has to have her bites covered with band-aids. The general friction of everyday life really keeps hers inflamed. When she gets bit, we usually cover them in a generous slather of benadryl cream and steroid cream, topped with a gauze pad and wrapped with an ace bandage. We reapply creams, change gauze pads and rewrap every day for about 3 days. She gets softball size reactions to the little striped mosquitoes so we have developed this system that works for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Cortaid. Or, if you want an old wives tale treatment that really works...Scotch tape. Cover the bite with a piece of Scotch tape. It stops the itching...not a clue as to why. We do it all the time around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 I typically get large welts from mosquito bites, so I don't know that a reaction like that would necessarily mean an allergic reaction. Also, I wouldn't keep putting stuff on it--at least not trying one thing after another. I found that I react terribly to the ointments that are made for mosquito bite relief. Now I just use a hydrocortisone-based cream or ointment. ETA: "After Bite" is one I really reacted to. I just assumed it meant an allergic reaction. My other two dc never did this, but my nephew did. I can't remember what they did for him. My grandmother would use a salve on him (nephew) if he was with her and she said it helped. That was 20 years ago, though. I've never used After Bite. Is Benadryl a hydrocortisone cream? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 I have a daughter who also gets welts. I give her Benadryl tablets immediately and use Caladryl Clear on her to help relieve itching. She thinks the clear works better. I also would advise going easy on the topical products. Tea tree oil commonly causes contact allergies--I'm allergic even to the fumes of dilute tea tree oil. Hmm, good to know all of this. None of my dc (including the 2yo) have had a reaction to tree oil at other times, but that's good to know. I didn't think about Calydryl. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 Benadryl orally every 6 hours. Allergies cause a histamine response that you have to get ahead of by using the antihistamine. ETA Dosage Instructions. http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/childhood-illnesses/medicine-cabinet/benadryl He's on a daily allergy med already. Would Benadryl interfere with that? I guess I would call the dr. to know for sure, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 Cortaid. Or, if you want an old wives tale treatment that really works...Scotch tape. Cover the bite with a piece of Scotch tape. It stops the itching...not a clue as to why. We do it all the time around here. Good to know! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dianne-TX Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 So, will they just go away when they are ready or do I need to go to the dr. at a certain point? How long does it take for them to go away? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 So, will they just go away when they are ready or do I need to go to the dr. at a certain point? How long does it take for them to go away? I took dd13 to the dr one time when they continued to grow after the 2nd/3rd day. The swelling was increasing and they felt hot to the touch. Her itching was so bad she was beginning to hurt. She was getting an infection. They gave her antibiotics, oral steroids and topical steroids. For us, as long as they are improving after the 2nd/3rd day, I wouldn't take them to the dr. (Between day 1 and 2 they often get worse for her, day 2 they stabilize and are looking a bit better on day 3.) Obvious bad signs are streaks going away from the bite, bullseye rashes, open sore in the middle, weeping/oozing, large dark scab (may be spider bite), fever/chills, joint pain, flu symptoms, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in NC Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I get welts. I put a drop of liquid hand soap and that quiets the itch, reapply as need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Benadryl cream. However, if the reaction i abnormally severe I would get it looked at because bug bits can easily turn into cellulitis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Just cortisone creame. And I don't know that I'd add benedryl to the other allergy meds. My daughter gets huge, silver dollar sized, hard, welts from mosquitoes too. Cortisone helps a bit, oatmeal baths, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quad Shot Academy Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 My 10yo daughter used to be very allergic. Thankfully, she seems to be growing out of it. We used to do Benadryl and Ibuprofin, but would have to go get oral steroids if the bite was on a joint or her lower leg. We would elevate the bite the best we could, like prop her foot up on pillows at night. Hers would swell so bad that she could not move her joint and they would bruise. You could see her pulse throbbing through the bite. Since we discovered Zyrtec, she has been fine. As soon as she gets one, we give her a dose and she has not needed oral steroids since. I find topicals to be useless unless it is a small bite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) Is Benadryl a hydrocortisone cream? No. Benadryl (whether it's the pills, liquid (oral), or cream) has Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride. ETA: Cortizone and Cortaid are brand name products containing hydrocortisone. You'll find store brand creams labeled hydrocortisone or cortisone. Edited May 30, 2012 by gardening momma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Benadryl gel and take a Benadryl at night. Or Zyrtec- that helps me with the itching. I get huge bites that stay for days, and I usually wake up scratching them, so I end up with scars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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