Coco Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Hoddy, I'm afraid the only flaw in our "fair-skinned" theory is that Michael (who is a red-head with freckles) gets about half as many bites as me (for twice the outside exposure) and his come up, itch for a day or so and go - mine can last a couple of weeks and get HUGE!! Catalpa, we thought we would try the flyscreen idea on the windows. Trouble is, although we do have a bedroom window to fit it to, because we have to get the family suite complete for first booking on 1st July and still have walls to put in place and paint, floor to lay, staircase to sand down and varnish!!! There's not even a spare ten minutes to fit one. The plug-in thingy seems to work quite well though. We have three different types because each year we've bought one and then haven't been able to get refills. The other day I decided to buy a new one, with several refills at the same time, and would you believe it, they had refills for all the old ones! Two mornings ago was the first time I woke not to find myself covered in a new rash of bites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 [quote]When visiting the tropics many people use DEET. It is actually horrible stuff (tends to “dissolve plastic” so you “stick to things”). I hate the stuff but it is meant to work.Also, I was told that i...[/quote]Ian, I think you may have something there!I had a quick check, and found this..."Some studies suggest that taking thiamine (vitamin B1) 25mg to 50 mg three times per day is effective in reducing mosquito bites. This safe vitamin apparently produces a skin odor that is not detectable by humans, but is disagreeable to pregnant mosquitoes (Pediatric Clinics of North America, 16:191, 1969). It seems to be especially effective for those people with large allergic reactions. Thiamine takes about 2 weeks before the odor fully saturates the skin."That got me thinking, vitamin B1 is found in Marmite. I'm a real Marmite lover, it's the only "British" thing that I simply must have and I've eaten it on an almost daily basis for years. I've often found that mossies avoid me in favour of other people, they get bitten to pieces and I'm untouched by the horrid beasties.Obviously this doesn't prove a thing, perhaps it's simply that I don't have much of a sweet tooth, and mossies prefer someone a bit more "sugary". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Cat, I would rather have the bites. Marmite, it is true, love it or hate it and I just couldn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Teamedup - yes, the PIPIOL really does provide relief. I also bought some Cinq a Cinq spray to use before I mowed the lawn this morning. Got no bites whatsoever ! What a relief. Now, if I can just get the dozens of bites I already had healed and gone, then I'll be happy.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vraititi<P>PSG till I die -fluctuat nec mergitur.<P> Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 If bitten, nothing more effective than ZanZack I think it's called (£7 at Boots 2 yrs ago), sends a little shock (to the bitten area) that kills the pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Having started my career as a nurse I should know good sources of Vitamin B but can't think off thetop of my head. Anyone got any suggestions other than Marmite, I'm DEFINITELY with TU on that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted June 21, 2005 Author Share Posted June 21, 2005 B1 which is part of Brewers Yeast seems to be the main smelly ingredient. I got my Brewers Yeast in the UK last time I was there - a French source would be useful.As Marmite is full of yeast it stands to reason that it would work. A good reason for not taking Marmite every day is its very high salt content. Still, if you are a crisp eater or similar, Marmite on toast instead of the crisps would be a healthier alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 I used to buy Levure tablets here years ago. I had forgotten I used to do that. I'm pretty sure that they are brewers yeast tablets, or were, it was so long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Taylor Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 The extreme allergy is called "large local reaction" - when the area around the bite swells up like a third, er, breast (assuming you have two already! Never known a man have it). If it's anywhere near the hand, it swells up like an inflated rubber glove. My médécin prescribes a cortisone cream and antihistamine tablets. I asked for Telfast as these don't zonk you out. Germolene eases the pain as it contains a mild local anaesthetic. Ice wrapped in a cold flannel brings some relief. But it HURTS and throbs and sends histamine levels way up, and lasts 4-5 days, usually leaving a scar. If this is the reaction you have, be very careful - there's a 10 per cent risk of anyphylactic shock. Also be very careful if taking any medicine to thin the blood - when on heparin, prescribed when I had a broken ankle, and bitten, the infection caused lymphangitis. Not nice, and it's difficult to grapple with crutches when an arm's out of action!I have the reaction with mossies, horseflies and ticks but was delighted when attacked by wasps last year (!), being stung for the first time since I was 5, that it doesn't happen with wasp stings. (Nor when I sat on a bee...) I don't eat many sweet things, but was told years ago that I have high blood sugar and to watch out for diabetes later on, so it might be related to sugary blood. This time of year I have a Raid citronella thing in the bedroom, and pin a mossie net around the window.Great tip re. Marmite! Will definitely try that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Taylor Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 The extreme allergy is called "large local reaction" - when the area around the bite swells up like a third, er, breast (assuming you have two already! Never known a man have it). If it's anywhere near the hand, it swells up like an inflated rubber glove. My médécin prescribes a cortisone cream and antihistamine tablets. I asked for Telfast as these don't zonk you out. Germolene eases the pain as it contains a mild local anaesthetic. Ice wrapped in a cold flannel brings some relief. But it HURTS and throbs and sends histamine levels way up, and lasts 4-5 days, usually leaving a scar. If this is the reaction you have, be very careful - there's a 10 per cent risk of anyphylactic shock. Also be very careful if taking any medicine to thin the blood - when on heparin, prescribed when I had a broken ankle, and bitten, the infection caused lymphangitis. Not nice, and it's difficult to grapple with crutches when an arm's out of action!I have the reaction with mossies, horseflies and ticks but was delighted when attacked by wasps last year (!), being stung for the first time since I was 5, that it doesn't happen with wasp stings. (Nor when I sat on a bee...) I don't eat many sweet things, but was told years ago that I have high blood sugar and to watch out for diabetes later on, so it might be related to sugary blood. This time of year I have a Raid citronella thing in the bedroom, and pin a mossie net around the window.Great tip re. Marmite! Will definitely try that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattsie Posted June 24, 2005 Share Posted June 24, 2005 This is a good post for me as I have had a very bad reaction to a bite on my hand and it did swell up and had to go to the doctors for spray tablets for r bite and antibiotics cost 85 euros plus twenty for the doctor I can not afford to be ill in France I have not been here long enough to sort the medical card out yet and this has been my second expensive doctors visit the first included two bloodtests and a Xray I have been using Avon skin so soft after having been recommended by a Canadian friend and separately my English doctor they say that because of some form of licence Avon can not advertise its repellant virtues although the local rep in England says that they all know and indeed tell all who travel to use it But to add to my defence I am going to buy both "cinq sur cinq" and "pipiol" tomorrow am I to understand that the cinq is for before you get a bite and the pipiol for after thanks for the advise it may well stop me from going back to the UK as I can not afford to keep getting bitten cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chez<P>Smile, someone somewhere loves you!<P><P>Chez< Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 HelloPlease help! I am fair skinned and fair haired, well it is a little more blanc than blond nowadays, but all that aside, I have been bitten on my ankle. I now have a blister, rather red and angry and about 1 cm in diameter, and a very swollen foot, I am struggling to put my shoe on to be honest. Any ideas as to what has done it and what I can do to avoid it? I am new to the site, anyone else out there from Brittany? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Taylor Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 Apologies for the double post above.Chez, go to your médécin, he'll sort you out, and read all the posts above. Keep the foot up and encourage your nearest and dearest to be very sypathetic.I tried the Marmite prevention strategy and have rapidly gone off Marmite. Love it, usually, but not if I HAVE to eat it every day. Got two bites on my arm this week, too high up for the inflated rubber glove effect, this time it was more like one of those balloons that you blow up then twist in the middle...Jo (in Normandy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now