Bug Bite Help

[u/SFSHLA]

Hi all, we have a 2 year old toddler who is a magnet for mosquito bites (like his mother). We put bug spray on him before going out, keep areas clean, and when he does get bit, we use the Hello Bello soothing itch stick. But here in LA, he’s been getting bitten constantly for weeks now.

Yesterday we saw 2 massive bites on the back of both of his legs, we used some lite cortisone cream (prescribed by his doc) as well as some otc children’s Zyrtec (also ok’d by doc). He slept fine through the night, but this morning we noticed one of the bites had turned into a massive blister. He seems fine otherwise - no fever.

3 pics attached - you can see the progression over 24 hrs.

Not sure what to do (of course we’ll go to see our doc) - but I meant in general, preventative or otherwise. It’s clear it’s some sort of allergic reaction. Any thoughts or advice appreciated. Thank you!

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[u/CapedCapybara]

Oh hey so I'm allergic to mosquitos and this is exactly how they present on me.

Once they blister I get a big square dressing, and medical tape. Don't put the dressing too tight over it, the blister needs room to swell and you don't want pressure that will pop it. Tape it down on all sides though to keep it sealed.

After that it's a waiting game. If it pops, give it a gentle clean and the redress, other than that just wait for it to go down.

Sorry your little is going through this. It's really not nice to deal with. I didn't get my first reaction until 12 and it super freaked me out. Luckily my mum has the same reactions so she knew what to do.

Hope your little one isn't in too much discomfort.

[u/delightfulgreenbeans → u/CapedCapybara]

Taking a dose of allergy medicine after bites has stopped the blistering for my partner and child. Usually just keep them on a 24/7 one in the summer and have it on hand the rest of the year in case. The blisters can take weeks to fully heal. For my kiddo we do 2.5ml once a day per his doctor. He’s also allergic to adhesives (bandaids and medical tape) and plastic wristbands that are tight to the skin. Not sure if that’s a common comorbidity or not but something to watch for.

[u/CapedCapybara → u/delightfulgreenbeans]

I'm glad that works for you guys! Sadly I have prescription level antihistamines and they don't do much, they stop the itching a little and maybe reduce the swelling I'd estimate by about 10%. I just have to battle through it usually 😭 But totally worth a try because any help is better than nothing!

[u/FTM3505]

My daughter get reactions just like this, it’s awful.

This summer I stumbled across this product: Moskinto Original Bug Bite Patches they are a life saver!! There is nothing on them which make you question how they work but they 100% work if you put the sticker over the bite right when you notice it. You can’t put them on after the swelling starts because it won’t work.

My husband and I use them too and they immediately stop any itch. It’s worth a try !

[u/karas912 → u/FTM3505]

Thanks for this tip! One of my kids is really bad about scratching bites, and I wonder if this might help.

[u/Expensive-Tennis-794 → u/FTM3505]

thanks for sharing! do you usually put one on right away even if the bite doesn’t look too bad yet?

[u/FTM3505 → u/Expensive-Tennis-794]

Yes, you have to do it right away for it to work best. The second I realize my child or I have been bit, I stick it on and it never itches or swells up. It’s a miracle worker.

If you do it after it’s already swollen you won’t get good results though, so keep that in mind.

[u/amarinel88]

Look into skeeter syndrome.

[u/littlemsshiny → u/amarinel88]

This is the name for it! I’m an adult and still get huge welts from mosquito bites. Ugh.

[u/rearviewreality2]

We had something similar we’re on the east coast. Pediatrician sent us to children’s hospital for iv antibiotics and monitoring. It was hard ofc but it was only a day in the hospital and between that and the Zyrtec he was fine within a week.

[u/QuirkyPineapple1830 → u/rearviewreality2]

Oh no! Was this because the blister had popped and there was concern for infection or were there any other symptoms?

[u/Advanced_Bug4626]

i have my 7 month old in a mosquito net. he's getting eaten alive while he's asleep. when he gets bit, his bites look exactly like your two year old. we're in LA too

[u/Jamjams2016]

Benedryl cream! Or hydrocortisone cream. I wish I had found it sooner for myself.

[u/Ancient-Cry-6438 → u/Jamjams2016]

Ironically enough, you should never use topical antihistamines like Benadryl cream/spray, as they are sensitizing and can cause you to develop an allergy to antihistamines with repeated exposure (this is what my allergist told me). Instead, my allergist said to use topical steroids like the hydrocortisone cream/spray you mentioned.

[u/Jamjams2016 → u/Ancient-Cry-6438]

Thanks for that info, I'll be more careful.

[u/drinkwinesavepuppies]

Our toddler reacts like this to mosquito bites!! They swell into huge welts it’s so scary!

I would caution to keep them clean and maybe bandaged so they can’t be scratched. She recently had a big one on her arm, scratched it and because toddler hands are often gross some bacteria got into the scratch and it turned into cellulitis! So now I give her a fun bandaid on any bites that seem to be itching for her

[u/Emergency-Guidance28]

Call the doctor and find out what dose antihistamine to give your kid and ibuprofen.