Mosquitoes & Their Bite

Mosquitoes must have been the first vampires. What!?! Do they not suck your blood?

I went to my brother's BBQ on Saturday. Unlike some of the others, I just sat, fanned myself, ate and chatted with my brother's in-law relatives. It was too hot, 90's, and humid to run around. As I was under the trees in his backyard, I was the feast for some other critters. I do not think the bug-off spray worked. I guess it made me tastier.

When I got home, I went searching for my cortisone as some of them were saying "scratch me". I keep a tube a round as I easily get hives when I'm totally stressed. I could not find it anywhere -- emptied the pocketbook and brief case and shoveled through my carry-on. I must have left it in the office or hotel bag. Gotta have something to put on the bites or I'll never sleep. I hightailed it back to the car for a quick trip to my Shop-Rite. I picked Aveeda's 1% hydro-cortisone. Smeared it on myself and went to bed with mine over itch.

I woke up with more mosq bites screaming for scratching. Put more Aveeda on myself and had my sis help with the ones on the back. Not much relief; maybe an hour.

I posted on FB and twitter about my misery with my mosq bites. I got some very interesting advice...

"rubbing alcohol on cotton balls, blot. works for me"
"ice also helps a little bit"
"Aspercreme! It has a numbing agent and takes away the itch!"
"Drink a beer or a hard cider...itching disappears for some reason"
"if you have Maalox rub that on the bites and it will stop itching"
"go ahead and scratch"
"sometimes Benadryl helps w/ the itching. Does for me but it makes you tired. Also After Bite if you have it there works"
"make a paste of meat tenderizer and water and put it on your bites. It works believe me. Crazy but true."
"try the Dr Burt's res-q ointment. It is made by Burt's Bees"

The Benadryl reminded me that I can take Claritin as it decreases the histamines in the body. I forgot that I took that along with smearing Cortisone on my hives. I found my Claritin and took one. Still major itch screaming. I looked at the advice given and feel Aveeda is better as moisturizing company and headed to my local CVS.

I liked the aspercreme comment but CVS did not have that but they had their brand. Picked that up. Picked up rubbing alcohol, too, as you cannot go wrong with having that in the house. Benadryl actually puts out an extra strength itch stopping cream. It's like the aspercreme as it contains a topical analgesic. Cheapo me went with the CVS brand which contains the same ingredients.

Got home and smeared the CVS itch relief cream on. It actually works. Bites went into a murmur. I don't know how much this was helped by the Claritin I took earlier. I have the CVS quasi aspercreme as a back up in case I need a stronger numbing agent. Aspercreme is for arthritis.

Well, Monday early I had to get on a plane. I took my Claritan and guess which cream I used. I used the CVS pretend aspercream as I did not want to hear from the bites at all. They only gave little squeaks until I deplaned. I think the usage of my legs woke them all up.

It's Tuesday and they have all quieted down with occasional murmurs that I can easily ignore. I did not put anything on them today. However, I don't appreciate the red splotches that are the remnants of the bites.

My sister has requested that my brother hold his next BBQ indoors. Her boyfriend has more bites than I did. He did not become aware of them until Sunday and Monday when some of them wanted attention.

Next time, I'm bringing the citronella candle pot I have.