Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
First, let me preface by stating I'm not referring to the common Mosquito bite and the body's reaction to it by localized swelling and minor itch. I'm talking about a severe allergic reaction that gets hot to the touch, blisters with eventual puss oozing, and a size of 3-4" in diameter if we catch it early to swelling of half the arm on a 3yo. Once she had a reaction so bad we had to take her to the hospital and was admitted. The original prognosis was MRSA but later came back negative. There is so little known about this type of allergy that prevention is the only course of action. I am well-versed in prevention and treatment. During summer she gets daily Zyrtec which does help control the reaction if bitten. She also gets DEET applied before heading outside. Sometimes mistakes happen and spots are missed. When she receives a bite a topical steroid ointment is applied which was prescribed by her doctor. This cream is fantastic! She also receives an oral dose of Benadryl. However, I still have not found anything that will relieve her of the itch. It's hard on her to deal with the itching and hard on me to watch her deal with it.
I'm curious about experiences others have had with this type of allergic reaction.
I'm also curious as to how long their child carried this allergy before they grew out of it.
Please understand that if you *think* your child has "Skeeter Syndrome" they probably don't. You will KNOW your child has it because the reactions are nothing like you've ever seen before!
That's terrible. That must be so hard for your daughter. My daughter is what you would call semi-allergic to mosquito bites. A typical bite for her will have a welt the size of a quarter to 1/2 dollar, be bright red, hot to the touch, and sometimes "wet' for lack of a better word. Often times she will have swelling that will take up half of her arm or leg near the bite site. We give her Benadryl as well as a prescribed topical antibiotic. She is almost 9 and has had this issue all of her life. My husband was like that as a child and grew out of it in his 20"s.
My daughter has severe localized reactions to fire ant stings. We've been keeping epi-pens on hand for four years because the doctor said there was a chance we might need them. She usually recieves a three-day course of oral steriods for a sting, along with benadryl.
What helps her most with the itching is a hot shower---hot as she can stand it---which makes the itch unbearable for a few minutes as the body releases histamines in response to the heat, but which keeps her from itching for a few hours afterwards.
Using a bug zapper in your yard might help with mosquito control. We used one last year and never got bitten in the yard. Haven't needed it this year with the drought though.
My son had several mosquito bites when he was small < 8 and had no reaction, his first bad reaction was when he was 9. He was bit on the brow bone and it swelled his eye closed and the entire right side of his face. Hot to the touch, so swollen the skin was shiny and bright red. Since then it has not abated. Prevention is absolutely the key. I am actually reading up on this not because of my son's reaction, but my own. Tonight at 37, I had to go to the ER because this is my second terrible reaction in the past month. I had NO prior reactions outside of the norm. Today at 11 am I was bit 2 times, once on the pinky and once on the front of my neck (throat area) by 1 my pinky was swollen twice the normal size, the joint ached and it was red and hot to the touch. Benadryl did nothing. Laid down and took a nap, woke up at 6 and my neck and underside of my chin was so swollen I was having difficulty swallowing. My pinky and ring finger were swollen HUGE as well as half of my hand. I was sweating and felt dizzy. ER doc gave me steroids via IV, sent me home with a steroid prescription and an epipen. He stated that I should see an allergist and indicated that this condition only gets worse. This is an immune system reaction to the mosquito bite, so the bite is not actually the problem - it is an overreaction by the bodies immune system. I am absolutely miserable. Aching joints, my skin feels so stretched it feels itchy and like it might burst. Wishing your little one well. I know this doesn't help, but I hope that hearing that this is NOT simply a childhood condition might help you prepare for the long haul. Best of luck.
Thanks for the reply. I hate it for you and your son that the both of you have developed this allergy. I know my daughter is absolutely miserable when she gets bit until I apply the cream. The name of the cream is fluocinonide. It might be something you'd want to mention to your doctor. After months of seeing "specialists" we never came to a conclusion about what can be done to treat the bites. Finally at a check-up with her pediatrician the bites were mentioned as he wanted to know what we have found out. After informing him that prevention was the only treatment he prescribed her the cream. If this cream is applied within 30 minutes of the bite there is no allergic reaction. It really is good stuff.
Just wanting a bump as to hopefully receive more replies.
I am also curious if someone who suffers from the same reaction to the bites as my daughter has had any issues with the flu shot? My daughter received the flu shot on Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday morning I noticed a dark red, hard, and hot to the touch the size of a post card around where she received the shot. Last year's flu shot there was a small reaction but was gone in a day. Last year's shot contained a preservative so this year we opted for the preservative-free shot hoping to avoid a reaction. I'm curious if there is any correlation between what a mosquito injects when it bites and the ingredients of a flu shot? Sounds strange that I would ask that question and it may just be a coincidence that the reactions are very similar but she has been bit by fleas and flies and obviously received other shots without a reaction.
Well oddly this makes me a little relieved reading all your posts. My son will be ten in May and since he was a baby, he's always had odd reactions to bug bites, needle sticks.. basically anything that might break the skin.
He has mild allergies to dogs and of course dust mites but nothing that explained why a small bite would swell his whole arm. I brushed it off, thinking maybe his system doesn't process things as well since he does have CP.
I felt like a bad mom seeing such ugly swelling on him as other people's reactions to it aren't always pleasant. The school truly convinced me that his leg was infected last fall. I took him to the doctor and she brushed it off even though it was his whole lower leg swollen and red and hot. I wish you all the best of luck, prevention does seem to be key.
he's always had odd reactions to bug bites, needle sticks.
First, thanks for your reply.
It's interesting you posted about needle sticks. My daughter has the same issue except it's only on certain vaccinations. The only thing I've been able to narrow down the cause of the reaction is vaccinations that contain a preservative. She first had a reaction similar to that of a mosquito bite 2 years ago when she received a flu shot. This past flu shot I requested a preservative-free vaccine and there wasn't a reaction. When she received her vaccinations for kindergarten she received one in each leg. I'm not sure which vaccine went into what leg but she had a reaction to the one injected in her left leg. There was no reaction in her right leg. Of course, and surprising to me, the doctor had no record of where each vaccine was injected. I wish I knew because I think it would help me narrow down the problem even further.
I am 42 and have skeeter syndrome. I also have crohns disease and I believe that this has something to do with my mosquito reaction. Crohns is an auto immune disorder for those who don't know. Skeeter syndrome is a immune response. I never had a reaction to mosquitoes until after being diagnosed with crohns. I am currently battling a bite on my hand that has caused it to swell twice it's normal size. Have been bitten on the eye several times and look like I have just stepped out of the boxing ring. Just a suggestion and don't want to worry anyone but I would question Dr as to why your child is having this type of immune response. I know why I do because of crohns. My nephew does the same thing and he has immune issues. He is also allergic to the sun. Wishing you the best
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
