Mosquito Bite Allergy

I'm super allergic to mosquito bites. If you put a thick paste of baking soda and water on it before you have a chance to scratch it, that helps a lot.

I use the Benadryl allergy stick on it and it reduces the swelling or I give them a tiny dose of liquid Benadryl to make the itching and swelling go away.

If he's too young to take it without a doc telling him to do so then don't give him any at all. If he's old enough only give him 1/4 dose. If it works then he doesn't need more than that. If that doesn't help at all then do another 1/4 dose, this would make the Benadryl in his little system a half of a dose now. He doesn't need any more than that for a bite like this.

Benadryl is the gold standard.

Sometimes my mosquito bites swell like that. I take an antihistamine and do the same for my grandkids. It's really not a problem. I wouldn't have thought to take myself or my grandchildren to the doctor. My granddaughter has lots of allergies and when younger frequently was covered in hives. We did check with her doctor, by phone, and was told to give her Benedryl.

I've edited my post. Here is a web site with information about mosquito bites. http://allergies.about.com/od/insectallergies/a/mosquitoa...
For those whose whole limb or even body swells up there is a test for allergy composed of whole mosquito body parts.

Another piece of information that I read in a Wikapedia article was that the mosquito also feeds on plants. This could explain why some bites swell more and are more uncomfortable. I suggest that the pollen is still on the mosquito or in it's mouth, even.

I don't think your son's reaction is serious or a cause for concern. However you could call the advice nurse and ask before making an appointment that is probably not needed.

Give him Benadryl when he gets a bite like that to keep the reaction under control. Call the advice nurse (or doctor's office whatever you do when you need phone consult) and ask about Benadryl dosing... I'm certain that that is what they'll recommend.

An allergy test will only tell you that he reacts to mosquito bites, which you already know.

Keep an eye on future bites to be sure they don't get infected.

Are you sure this wasn't a spider bite?

I am allergic to chiggers and I take benadryl and use a medicated ointment. It's called Chiggerex Plus. You have to get it from the pharmacy counter. You do NOT need any kid prescription for it, but they keep it behind the counter. It's used for all kinds of B. bites, including mosquitoes. Good luck!!

My kids reacted like that and each year it got a little better. When they were young the bites would swell like you described but now my oldest just has a normal reaction. We use Benadryl and just wait till they subside. Last year my 3 y/o's eye was basically swollen shut and looked like a giant grape over it. Poor guy.

My son has responded like that to fire ant bites occasionally, but since he has gotten older, he hasn't reacted like that for a long time. He also ended up with hives one time after getting 30-40 ant bites at once......

The allergist didn't test him, but felt that it was enough of a concern to prescribe Epi-pens for him, since he was frequently in fire ant territory when hiking and camping with Boy Scouts. (At that point in was only involving one organ, the skin, and not involving the respiratory system... but the concern was that we didn't know if the next time WOULD involve the respiratory system.) We never did have to use an Epi-pen on him, though...

He also reacted badly to a wasp sting (yellow jacket, I think?) one time...... I was also stung, but my reaction was just a red streak and discomfort.... his sting swelled up like a small baseball!

I can't say about the bite. When I get bit a bump about the size of a large pea, but almost flat.

I do know how to get rid of the mosquitos. I use a bug wacker and beef liver. I've said it several times here on mam-pedia, so if you're interested, PM me.

Good luck to you and yours.

I think Benedryl is a really good idea. I wish the college infirmary had just told me to take that when I had an allergic reaction to Coppertone tanning lotion. Instead, they gave me prescription medicine, which I took, got on the bus that rode in a circular loop, and woke up to find that I had ridden the bus for over an hour, instead of a few minutes. I don't know HOW long I would have stayed on that bus if the bus driver hadn't recognized me and knew what dorm I lived in. I barely made it up the elevator and stumbled like crazy to get to my dorm room before making it to the bed and sleeping for 4 hours straight. I threw that prescription away...

If you end up getting meds from the doctor, you might want to make sure that you are at home, rather than use it when you are out so that you aren't having to carry your son around. That's why I think that Benedryl is better than a prescription - you want the least amount of medicine to do the job, rather than using a medicine that is so strong. I do think that the baking soda and water idea is a good one, in addition to the Benedryl, too.

My sister is allergic to Mosquitos. Cold compresses to treat it locally, and sometimes Benadryl. Was always localized.

Make a paste with baking soda and water or meat tenderizer and water, put on bite.

I use California bug spray, put a sun hat on him to try to prevent bites around his hairline (common bite spot for him), and put Benadryl cream on it as soon as I see it. I keep my eye on him so he doesn't scratch it for a few hours while the Benadryl is on it. Sometimes the Benadryl makes them disappear, which always astonishes me!

My daughter is VERY allergic like this. Her eyes as an infant would get puffy as well but now its just the location. She is also allergic to sprays like Off so we found an all natural spray from Bear Creek Herbals.com called no more bites. I actually just ordered three bottles. One for daycare, purse and home. Although my oldest son is not allergic to off brand the entire family uses this spritz. If they do get bit by a mosquitoe we use burts bees Res-Q- Ointment to help heal and relief the itch. She is 3 . Not sure how old your son is but my daughter is also very allergic to sunscreen. Aveno baby seems to be ok but I am looking for a herbal one. She seems to react well with herbal or all natural products. Shampoohs and lotions are also irritating. Her knees looked like she was attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes after we started swim class. I finally figured it was the new spray on sunscreen. Just a heads up in that area too.
http://template.ivivos.com/site/1073/spritz.html

Yes, my daughter was the same. It's common in young children until their bodies acclimate to the mosquito saliva, this could take years. My daughter is now 5 and has a fairly normal reaction. She just had her first bite of the year a few days ago, and it did get bright red and the size of a nickel. So, still a little larger than what I experience myself, but much better than before! Each year gets better as the immunity develops. I never used Benedryl. I use a topical hydrocortizone; Aveeno. It's important they don't scratch to avoid infection. Also, an oatmeal bath works well. :)
Happy Mother's Day to you too!

Last summer I got covered in mosquito bites and they grew to be quite large. I finally went to the quick care because one was near my eye.

The doctor circled them with a pen so that we could watch the size of them. He also gave me a tetanus shot, which surprised me. I was fine in a few days, however I still have a little lump on my forehead where it bit me.

If you read about the bites, it is the mosquito's saliva that makes us itch.

this happens to me actually, not my kids. Mine has swollen up to the size of baseballs and I have to go get antibiotics for them. Even though I hate bad chemicals, because of this allergy of mine, I have to cover myself in off bug spray in the summer. I have tried all types of natural bug repellents, but they don't work for me. The bugs we have out here in VA are nasty things!
What has worked well for me when I do get a bite is putting something cool on it, like an ice pack. I use benadryl anti itch cream (usually the only one that works for me, rather than store brand). I also have the benadryl spray and if it get really bad, then I will actually take some benadryl.

My son is nearly that allergic, so I carry a Benedryl 'pen'. It seems that no matter how much repellent I put on him, they find an open spot! The physician may recommend an epi-pen, since allergic reactions can escalate with each subsequent exposure.

Everybody is allergic.I think he scratched it without you knowing or it would get better.It takes about a week or 2 for a big bug bite to completely heal