Treatment for Mosquito Bites?

I know this will probably sound funny but we use clear nail polish. I out an X with my nail (crossing in the center of the bite) and then apply the nail polish. It has a drying/sealing affect (if air can't reach the bite it would itch) so it stops the itching and calms the welts. Works like a charm with my boys and myself.

My son has the same result. He gets huge welts when bitten by insects...mosquitos, spiders etc...and he is allergic to bees. Anyway, my mother in law suggested taking a wam rag and mild soap to the bites. It seems so simple, but it really helps! The welts get smaller and the itching stops! The sooner you can do this the better, and it doesn't cost a lot of money either. Good luck!

I have found that just plain rubbing alcohol helps. It helps stop the itch and makes the welt go down.

I use clear calamine lotion or afterbite. They both work (although the Afterbite doesn't smell the best)

I just read an article yesterday that says if you crush a few tablets of asprin and mix it with a little water to form a paste you can put it on pretty much any bug bite to aleviate the itching and pain. I don't know if it actually works because I'm allergic to asprin and won't be trying it on myself anytime soon, but it was from BabyZone so it's usually pretty good info. Hope this helps.

We use antibiotic ointment and cover them with a bandage. This helps to keep the moisture in and prevent the child from scratching and irritating the bite more.

I had and have a bad reaction to bug bites still. I end up finding using the creams as well as taking it via orally. I ended up going to the doctor and he gave me an extra zinc to take. I would check with your child doctor's first. I hope that helps!

You have had a lot of responses. I am going to try the deodorant and toothpaste myself. I have found that using solarcane works great. I was about ready to scratch myself raw last summer and was trying EVERY thing I had. The solarcane took the itch away very fast. It has worked for everyone I have said something to. I have it on hand for sunburns and now for bites.

By a hydrocortizone cream. You can get it that is only 1% hydrocortizone. This should be strong enough.

Try Young Living's essential oils... completely natural, stops itching on a dime, way better than messy stinky creams.

DEET is the only thing that works to repel mosquitos, it's been tested over and over and is SAFE. It just smells bad. Nothing else works nearly as well, not even close.

I'm going to try some of the itch remedies suggested here, though. Thanks! I had forgotten that my mom used baking soda paste and it did work pretty well. Taking a luke-warm bath with baking soda disolved in it can help with an all over itch from bites or a rash.

My son was the same way. He would only have to go outside for 5 minutes and he would look like he had chicken pocks. There were even a few times that when I dropped him off at preschool, they were not going to take him because he had chicken pocks but I assured them that it was bug bites. His doctor just said that some kids are more allergic to them then others. I had to give him liquid benedrel, (if you can not figure out the dose, ask your doctor), and then make sure that your daughter is not outside when it is getting close to sunset.. My son is almost six now and does not swell up near as bad, or the bugs don't seem to bother him as bad.

My first thoughts are she might benefit from some digestion support. Since she is too young for digestive enzymes, I would also dicuss her diet with a nutritianist.

I take regular old meat tenderizer and put a couple drops of water in it to make a paste. I rub it on the bites...it feels really good because it kind of scratches them. It usually takes the swelling and itch out right away. You can do it several times a day if necessary...but it usually isn't.

A.

The best thing I've found is "AfterBite" for kids. I put it on my 2.5 year old so he won't scratch the bites. They stop itching and clear up pretty quickly. I tried it myself and I think it works great. I got it at Walmart. There is also a website listed on it www.afterbitekids.com. I haven't checked the website but I recommend the product.

My daughter has the same response to the bites this year. I know this is going to sound crazy, but try deodorant on the bite which will take the swelling down. I then put hydrocortisone on the bite. Good luck. Hope this helps.

Try calamine lotion the pink stuff you put on chicken pox.

Don't let your daughter out after dinner without pants, long sleve shirts on.

Try giving her some Benadryl at night to help with the sleeping. I have this same reaction.

And I wouldn't beat yourself up over the DEET. I personally am more worried about the diseases you can get from bug bites: West Nile - which can be deadly in young children - and Lyme Disease, which can have chronic effects (my husband has them); than the risk of cancer from proper use of DEET. I just make sure my kids take baths/wiped off before bedtime to reduce the time the DEET is on their skin.

2 of my kids are extremely sensitive to any bug bites, with reactions so bad earlier this year i took them to the pediatrician. she reccommended trying hydrocortisone cream. when that wasn't effective, we ended up getting a prescription steriod ointmentand they take claritin everyday during the warmer months. i would try a little hydrocortisone cream and then contact your child's doc. good luck!!!

just a side note...be wary of using the skin so soft. it contains citronella which can be irritating to sensitive skin.

Hi R.!
The BEST relief I have found for itchy mosquito bites is Baking soda!!! I use a tablespoon of baking soda and mix it with enough water to make a paste a bit thicker than glue. When it dries it just flakes off and no more itch!!!
hope this helps your little one!!
Love L. Conzemius

R.-

My daughter 5 yrs old is the same way we found that using Avon's Skin so soft works the best. We put it on before she goes outside and if she gets any bites we put it on right away it brings down the swelling and it helps her sleep through the night. They don't itch half as bad. Hope this helps.

My kids use my Lady Speed Stick. Seriously. It is the antiperspirant that is the active ingredient. The deodorant just makes it smell good. I found this trick in a parent magazine and have been so happy since. If it does not work right away, I do my dad's "put an X on the spot with your fingernail." Think it just makes the skin more permeable to accept the medicine.

Someone has also suggested mouthwash, but I have not tried it.

Burt's Bees makes a Bug Bite Relief Stick, that you rub on the bites to make them stop itching. You can buy it at Target. It's the only thing that works in our house.

My 7 year old is allergic to mosquito bites too. She takes an oral anti-hystamine, like Benydryl(sp.?). I spoke to the pharmacist and they told us to pick one (oral or cream), but to NOT use BOTH at the same time. Too much medicine for the system. There are other anti-itch creams that don't contain that medicine. Just check. Ask the pharmacist.

A tiny bit of lavender oil dabbed on the bite works well. I get the same way when I get bitten and my son does as well. The next morning there isn't much of the bite left except for a small red spot and there definetly isn't much itching. Lavender is very gentle and safe to use on children.

R. - My daughter has the same reaction, and we happened to be in the doctor's office yesterday for her sister's appt. We have been using calmine lotion (the clear kind) and it works pretty well. But the doctor said we can give her Zyrtec, the allergy med, since this is an allergic reaction. We will be on vacation soon with a lot of mosquitos, so I am going to bring this along just in case. She said it is safe for kids in the 5mg dose with no side affects.

I use Caladryl Clear on my son's bites and it really seems to do the trick. Good luck!

This treatment is a little unorthodox, but it works. I learned about this treatment when I was living in overseas and got really bad mosquito bites with similar pain, itching and inflammation. While at a very fancy spa, the esthetician noticed that I had a really bad mosquito bite and put a very small dab of Mineral Ice on it. The Mineral Ice cooled the pain and relieved the itching.

I've probably tried all other remedies and this is the only one that works for me.

My two year old daughter gets the same thing. Nothing we try seems to help and she scratches them until they bleed. I am interested in hearing what works.

We have the same issue in our house. However, rather than itch, my daughter's bites burn, swell, fester and scab over long before healing. We tried just about everything including topical, medicinal, homeopathic and alternative medicines. We asked doctors, pharmacists, and the coop gurus for suggestions but nothing gave her the relief she needed. Finally, we turned to a compounding pharmacist and were told to try a Chinese medicine/herbal supplement called Hua She Jie Yang Wan. We began by giving her one tables 3 times per day and then increasing it to 2 tablets 3 times a day a couple of weeks later. FINALLY, some relief (without any side effects!). And, as I understand it, this herbal remedy will ultimately teach her body to fight the bites without the adverse reaction she is currently experiencing. We are not that far along in the treatment yet, but hope to be soon.

We were not able to find the item locally but did find it on line (Plum Flowers Brand).

Good luck!

I use diluted lavender oil for all kinds of things from bug bites to burns and it works great and best of all is non-toxic
there are some great books out there on the use of esential oils and they contain some great recipies for all kinds of day to day uses. Hope this helps.

My boys and I get the same welts. I use Melaleuca's MelaGel on them and they get better and stop itching within 15 minutes. If the itching is really bad, I use Dermacort. When I use the Dermacort, the itching is gone for about 12 hours and the welt is greatly reduced. I've had to reapply two - three times to the same bite and then it's gone.

I suggest you make an appointment with your ped because it sonds like she is allergic like my kids. they can them perscribe a stronger cream and I also give my kids an allergy med like benydryl or claritan to help with the itching and let them get some sleep. Hope this helps.

Melaleuca (Tea Tree) Oil is great for both protection from mosquito bites and healing the sore spots afterwards. I use an ointment from the Melaleuca company called Mela Gel when I need to apply it to the skin after a bite. Place 10-15 drops of the essential oil in a spray bottle with 2-4 ozs of water and spray on the skin to keep pests away. It's safe, non-toxic and healing. You may also want to try the essential oils of Citronella or Lemongrass. Add the same amount of drops to the water and spray on the skin for a safe, effective bug repellent.

T. T.
Wellness Cosultant
www.positiveoptions.fourpointmoms.com

Those pesky little things ruin everything!!

If you're into the natural approach, you may want to try L'Bri Pure n' Natural's pure aloe vera gel. It's just like breaking an aloe plant open and using the inside to heal. It works amazing on anything that itches and is also very effective in treating burns, cuts, abrasions, sunburns or any other kind of rash. I'd be happy to send you a sample so you can see how it works. I'm all about skipping the chemicals whenever possible.
S.

Sounds like she is allergic to mosquitoes (I know, we all think we are, but some people actually are allergic to them!). Same thing with my daughter. Our pediatrician puts her on Claritin over the summer. That way if she does get bitten, the itching and swelling is minimal. We also found putting a dab of real vanilla behind her earlobes helps keep the mosquitoes away.

My son actually had so many bites his glands swelled up all over his neck and his hand doubled in size (necessitating steroids, eventually). But--the doctor, after his round of steroids, recommended Claritin kids (or Wal-Itin, the Walgreens version). It keeps the itching at bay for a full day, and it's a once a day dose. We tried Benadryl cream, but he has so many bites, I can't cover that many with the cream. We alternate the Claritin with the Benadryl oral when they're bad, but we mostly do medicine at night and creams during the day. I'm not usually one to medicate my child, but his reaction is so awful, he just feels miserable.

Hi R.- Our daughter gets bit the same way - huge welts all over her whole body. The topicals work a little bit but our ped's doc told us to give her a small amount of liquid benadryl. It does the trick! She has been super sensitive to mosquito bites since she was an infant, but with each year the sensitivity is decreasing - she is now 4 and although she still gets huge welts (which by the way are decreasing in size) they bites no longer itch as much! Good Luck!

As crazy as it may sound, we use a roll on Deoderant. The aluminum in it stops the itch and takes away the swelling. If you can rub it on before they even scratch it it won't swell at all.

I'd try a higher percentage of deet. I know it sounds bad, but the bites are bad! Also, I'd try an oral, non drowsy anti histamine, like claritin or a generic. Ask a pharmacist. I'm someone who reacts like this to bites and try desparately to keep them from biting me to begin with. I also seem to attract the bugs when no one else gets bitten.

I second the toothpaste response! It works like a charm!

I don't know how help with the itching, but I have heard that Skin So Soft form Avon works real well to keep mosquitos from biting. Am not sure if they still have this or not,but it may be worth a try.

D.

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I use Mela Gel and Dermacort as well. And the bugs have been terrible this year! I read a couple of other responses and just want to let you know that aluminum in deodrant that takes away the itch is being linked to cancer causing agents as well, so I, personally, wouldn't do that either. But that is just me.
M. G

I don't have any special remedies, but I have found with my 3 year old daughter, who also reacts the same way that instead of using any kind of bug spray, we were told to use Listerine mouth wash, the old yellow kind, and spray it on. We live in Minnesota, so we know about mosquitos, and it has worked well for us. Good luck.

this is a tough one. bug bites are terrible!

i do know, however, that putting some vanilla extract on your body will help keep mosquitoes away. ive heard you mix equal parts vanilla and water and spray it on your body, but it worked for me to put drops on my head too.. so try that anyway...

sounds weird, but I've recently discovered that putting a dab of toothpaste on bug bites totally helps! takes away the itch and the welt!

Hey R.,

Have you tried the oldest trick in the book? Rubbing alcohol. When you see them, just use a qtip or cotton ball and rub alcohol only where the bite is and that should stop the night itches. Another suggestion, calamine lotion, its ugly and messy, but works. Another suggestion powder her sheets at night. Not too much as for breathing reasons, but rub it into the sheets and knock off the excess.

I hope maybe one of these will work for you.

Our daughter seems pretty sensitive to the bug bites out there - what we have found works is Afterbite found at Sportsmans Warehouse. It is a stick and we apply as soon as we see a bite of any sort. It seems if the bite is unattended, the bite just swells up.

Good luck!

I love Busby Bee Salve. It is 100% natural and made in St. Paul, MN. I am not sure if it is sold in stores, but you can get it and learn more about it at www.beesalve.com

R.,
Mosquitos also seem to LOVE my daughter who is 2 1/2. I've found that regular calamine lotion really helps relieve the itch. Plus my daughter likes having it put on because it's pink LOL.

I've been told comfry works.

Ive always been a bug bite magnet and now so is my daughter. I struggled with not being able to sleep most of my childhood cause I'd itch them bloody. So I went to camp one year and grandma noticed I'd done that. Well you know grandma's they have a remedy to everything. So she took dial bar soap, the orange bar kind, she put water on the bar and made a little paste of the soap on her fingers. She then rubbed it on my bug bite and the itching ceased completly. (you don't wash it off you just let it dry) Since then I've always done this and I now do this with my daughter. She says it works perfectly as well. So there is a nice safe method for treating them.

My husband gets some spray from the weed and pest and sprays our yard for mosquitos to keep ours down some. We get a family care mosquito spray with a 7% deet, we also found some without any deet in it. It seems to help a lot.

maybe a paste of baking soda and water can help the itching somewhat.

My MIL told me to try Listerine and it really works! Good luck!

Wow, lots of great ideas. Here's a new one I just read... vinegar.

Benadryl cream usually works for my daughter, but you could try the oral benadryl if it's preventing her from sleeping.

hi, i just was infomed on Monday to use deodorant on the musquito bites. oh, my did this work. my 2 yr old did not know what to do. he was irritable and just scratching the whole time. lady that works with me told me about using deodorant (antiperspirant) and just use a little bit where the bites are and he stoped itching in about 3 minutes. wow. who would of thought of it. hope it works for you as it did for me. good luck.

my suggestion as my son avery is allergic to some types of bites is to use Aveeno Itch cream/benadryl creme and give her a dose of benedryl only when she wakes up. Sometimes antihistamines have an opposite effect and make you hyper instead of sleepy. your girl sounds like ave! Massaging also helps break up the massive amounts of blood flow to the are and I also use a heating pad. Hope this helps. Let me know if you find the miracle cure for preventing them! :) Ave 7 year old boy could use it!!
K.

you may have already received this advice, but i don't have time to read through all your responses! i just tried this, and it worked! deodorant! just rub it on the bite and it stops the itching and calms down the swelling.