Look at this bug bite

[ashleydl83]

Eli was bitten by mosquitoes (we think) yesterday while he was with my grandfather. He always has a bad reaction to bugs (at least the size of a nickel) but this is ridiculous! He doesn't seem to have any breathing issues, and I gave him benedryl, but holy crap! I saw it last night before he went to bed and they were like they usually are, but he woke me up this morning complaining about it. It's at least 3-4 inches in diameter, really swollen, and hot to the touch. I've got an older brother who has severe asthma and allergies, but not to bug bites. Anybody got any experience in that department? I spoke to the nurse line who said to give him benedryl, itch cream, and keep his an eye on his breathing. I know allergies are cumulative, but who has that bad of a reaction to mosquitoes?

[Deleted]

My mosquito bites can get pretty large. That doesn't look too big to me.....

[ashleydl83]

Jan 13, 2013 8:07:18 GMT -5 @thadsrad said:

My mosquito bites can get pretty large. That doesn't look too big to me.....

Maybe it looks big to me because I've never seen one that big. I measured it and it's a little over 3 inches in diameter.

[Deleted]

You could give him Benedryl for the red/itchiness but mine normally itch pretty bad for a day or two.

[cat19]

Linz reacts just like that to spider bites. It's a time thing. Keep on with the Benadryl, and if it doesn't improve call again.

[christidee]

It looks like he has been scratching it.

[imimahoney]

Could be a spider bite. Try some topical itch cream to see if that helps.

[ashleydl83]

Thanks. He's only had a few others that looked like this, but he's never scratched. He woke me up this morning saying it itched.

[orriskitten]

That is how I usually react to spider bites, including the warm feeling and redness.

I'd try not to worry too much and keep him covered with anti-itching cream so he doesn't scratch. Maybe put a band aid on if he is itchy and scratching?

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[rxbeth]

Did you mark it with marker or is that just on the photo? If you did mark it, good job! You want to keep an eye on it. If it extends too much from the markings, definitely get it checked out because it might be infected.

I would recommend some benadryl to help with the itching and maybe a cool compress. Keep and eye on it.

[Deleted]

Juliana has an almost identical reaction to mosquitoes. It wasn't always this way, but I keep stuff on her constantly during peak months because of it. Avon makes a sunscreen/mosquito/bug lotion and spray that works well for us and does double duty.

Benadryl orally is best (per our pedi) because they don't know how much gets absorbed through the skin with the Benadryl cream.

[Deleted]

She swells up like the nutty professor...looks like something out of a circus freak show. It takes about a month to go away too.

[moolarkey]

Our daughter had reactions like that, she would get these huge odd colored marks, sort of like bruising but not blue/yellow. The Ped said it was just her reaction to bug bites and not a problem but what it looked like, to anyone that didn't know, was that she'd been burned by cigarettes.

[lolaburns]

Hmmm...I've had a spider bite before and it looked very similar to that.

[ashleydl83]

Jan 13, 2013 12:23:13 GMT -5 rxbeth said:

Did you mark it with marker or is that just on the photo? If you did mark it, good job! You want to keep an eye on it. If it extends too much from the markings, definitely get it checked out because it might be infected.

I would recommend some benadryl to help with the itching and maybe a cool compress. Keep and eye on it.

Yes I did. It has spread about another 1/2 an inch past that mark now. I just gave him his next dose of benedryl, so we'll see if it helps any.

[rxbeth]

When was the bite? The fact that you say warm to touch, too, makes me worry that it's an infected spider bite.

[ashleydl83]

Jan 13, 2013 14:14:54 GMT -5 rxbeth said:

When was the bite? The fact that you say warm to touch, too, makes me worry that it's an infected spider bite.

Last night around 5 or so. He had another one about a month or so ago that was on his hip. He was playing in grass in the afternoon and I noticed it when he was in the bath that night. I gave him benedryl and it took a few days to go away. He reacts to pretty much all bug bites and they are at least the size of a quarter, but this is the second or third one that has gotten this big.

[Deleted]

In the future, if you ice a mosquito bite immediately it all but goes away.

[ashleydl83]

I think my grandfather did (I wasn't here) but Eli mentioned something about it. Thanks for the tip though!