**Mosquito Bites - Allergic Reaction**

hamstercheeks_2

leo2moss wrote: »

Have you tried the Avon "Skin So Soft" as a deterrent? It's got to be the one in the green bottle though!

yup tried it - don't work for me

WolfSong2000

Garlic works wonders for deterring any blood-sucking little critter...we use it with our dogs and they've never had fleas in years...miles better than the chemical rubbish vets prescribe .

It also works for people, too - you can get odorless garlic tables at Holland and Barrett. It works by altering the "taste" of your blood. It makes your blood unpalatable to mosquitoes, etc. Sugar has the opposite effect, so if you have a high sugar intake, or high blood sugar levels, you're more at risk for getting bitten.

Citronella is also a good natural deterrent - lighting a citronella candle in the evening can help keep bugs at bay.

If you've already been bitten, I recommend Aloe Vera gel. It cools and soothes the bite and stops it from itching as much...also helps with the healing process.

Going back to mozzies, though, if you've been to a tropical area and have been bitten, keep an eye out for the symptoms of malaria. Doctors are getting better and picking up on it than they used to be, but because it can take a while to manifest and the symptoms can mimic that of a bad bout of flu, a lot of people don't realize what the actual problem is.

Also, another thing with anti-malarials - stay AWAY from Larium. I have no idea why the FDA approved the drug as it has so many problems...at best you're likely to get godawful nightmares and at worst it can cause permanent issues with psychosis. It's recommended because you only have to take it once a week instead of once a day as you do with the other drugs, but IMO it's not worth the risk.

Different areas suffer from different strains of malaria, so different anti-malarials are recommended. My mother travels regularly to Gambia and takes doxycycline, which is fine as long as it's not taken on an empty stomach, as it can make you ill.

Also remember to continue taking the anti-malarial once you get back from holiday. So many people assume that once they're back they can stop taking it, but this is definitely not the case, and you could still end up with malaria.

Most strains of malaria aren't deadly (some are though, so watch out). As long as it's caught early and treated there's often no real problems - it's just like having a bad case of the flu

I know this has gone a little OT, but as my family has a lot of ties with Africa (I lved in Malawi for a few years as a child and my mother runs a charity in Gambia) so issues such as malaria, etc interest me . As such, if anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to answer!

stephb34

I was in holland and barrett yesterday and the lad recommended garlic capsules but he told me odourless capsules were no good you have to take the original ones, can anyone tell me if odourless ones do work as i don't fancy smelling of garlic for weeks.
I suffer with hayfever and take cetirizine for it and on our last holiday i was the only one not bitten and they don't make me drowsy like piriton (well drowsys not quite a good description i felt like i wasn't really on this planet had to stop taking them pretty sharpish).
Also do brewers yeast tablets have any side effects and can anyone reccommend anything for a 5 year old.

lorweld

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bignred05

After coming back with a few bites, a few years ago

our local chemist reccommended us to use the inside of a bananna skin on any bites you get (just rub the inside of the skin over and around the bite mark)

have used this for the last 2 years (been the same place 3 years on the bounce) anyway it works a treat :j :j

WolfSong2000

stephb34 wrote: »

I was in holland and barrett yesterday and the lad recommended garlic capsules but he told me odourless capsules were no good you have to take the original ones, can anyone tell me if odourless ones do work as i don't fancy smelling of garlic for weeks.
I suffer with hayfever and take cetirizine for it and on our last holiday i was the only one not bitten and they don't make me drowsy like piriton (well drowsys not quite a good description i felt like i wasn't really on this planet had to stop taking them pretty sharpish).
Also do brewers yeast tablets have any side effects and can anyone reccommend anything for a 5 year old.

If you're unsure about which will work better, take the original tablets...I very much doubt they'll make a huge difference in terms of a person's ability to detect the smell, but they may be more effective. Maybe try some original ones for a week in advance and see if you notice a difference? I shouldn't imagine so, but I'm not entirely sure