Bug bite...help...

[maherwoman]

Can anyone help me out?

Yesterday, during an adventure I will post about in a few minutes that required me to stand absolutely still for quite a long period of time (about an hour), one of my hands got bit by something. I did not feel it, though I did feel the itch from it not long after, and now my hand is swelling.

The bite occurred on my hand, at the base of my thumb, a bit between my thumb and forefinger...and the area is all swollen now, itchy like you wouldn't believe in the entire area (front and back, though I haven't found a bite on the back/palm side), and hot.

The bite happened around 8pm, and was swelling by midnight.

Last night, in an effort not to wake Danny, I was able to locate some Benedryl spray I carry around (in case I get bit by yet another bee...long story, and doesn't pertain here, lol), and sprayed the area with it. It helped for some time, but the itchiness woke me several times during the night.

I have not scratched it (thankfully, I know better than that), but the bite itself has a raised center (kind of like a mosquito bite), but it doesn't just itch, it also aches.

I've now slathered it with hydracortisone cream (now that I could find it, lol), but it doesn't seem to really be improving.

Anyone have any idea what the heck this is? Could it be a mosquito bite that's just in an unfortunate spot? I do have a mosquito bite on another spot on the same arm, but it's not swollen like this.

:?

 

[JadeIcing]

No idea but it sounds like a spider bite I had once. Hope you feel better.

 

[terrellflyer]

last spring while cleaning bluebird houses a small fuzzy spider with green spots on it's back jumped on my hand,never felt any sting but in a few minutes a red spot appeared, itched like craze and burned a small amount,pain went away by for almost a month later if that spot on my hand was touchhed it would itch like mad

 

[slavetoabunny]

It sounds to me like it's a spider bite. Maybe one of our Edmonton members who know what kind of critters you have up there can help.

 

[maherwoman]

Thanks, you guys!

Unfortunately, my hand is still swollen, and kinda tender...and itches LIKE MAD! They hydracortisone didn't seem to help, so I'm going to ask my FIL when he comes home, as he might know exactly what bit me, and what to do to handle it.

Kinda nice having the house all to myself (well, me and Em, that is)!! It's so QUIET! LOL!

 

[degrassi]

Its weird that you didn't feel it when it bit you. That rules out things like wasps, or bees.

I've not sure what kind of biting/ stinging critters we have here besides mosquitos, horseflies(not really in the city and hurts like hell if bitten), wasps, bees and spiders(not sure what species).

If its still swollen after a day or 2 or is painful and not getting better by taking Benedryl, then you might want to get it checked out.

Have you taken a Benedryl pill? It might work better then a spray.

You could also try calling Health link 408-link and ask them. You talk to a nurse and can ask them anything.

 

[fuzz16]

if its a spider...if it starts swelling or getting red you might want to see a dr. could be a reclus? also, couldnt kill you to try clear finger nail polish. it helps with chiggers, but might help with infection.

i got what started like a bug bite, started hurting and swelling then i knew infection had started growing below the skin, then i figured it a spider bite. ended up being staph

 

[maherwoman]

Thank you, degrassi for letting me know what's in the area.

I showed the bite to my FIL, and he said that it looks like a mosquito bite, and that it's having such a problem mostly due to our being new to the area (and thus needing to get used to the things the mosquitoes here might have on them germs-wise). He said that I should try making a baking soda paste and doing that...but I hesitate because the concoction didn't help my bee sting from October, lol. (I'm being stubborn, I guess.)

The swelling is going down, thankfully...but it does ache a bit, and itches like MAD still, lol.

Thanks for your ideas and help, guys!!

 

[DeniseJP]

fuzz16 wrote:

if its a spider...if it starts swelling or getting red you might want to see a dr. could be a reclus? also, couldnt kill you to try clear finger nail polish. it helps with chiggers, but might help with infection.

i got what started like a bug bite, started hurting and swelling then i knew infection had started growing below the skin, then i figured it a spider bite. ended up being staph

Got bit on the calf by a spider here in upstate NY back when I was hiking to a neighbor's deer stand to pick up a branch cutter that he borrowed to trim the trees around it- it itched and hurt and when the doc saw a day or two later it he did not mess around - I was put on the highest dose of antibiotics I have ever had in my life... 2000 mg per dose of something I can't remember. Doc said it was serious - might be worth having checked as they can get infected easily and quickly.

Good luck!

Denise

 

[fuzz16]

DeniseJP wrote:

fuzz16 wrote:

if its a spider...if it starts swelling or getting red you might want to see a dr. could be a reclus? also, couldnt kill you to try clear finger nail polish. it helps with chiggers, but might help with infection.

i got what started like a bug bite, started hurting and swelling then i knew infection had started growing below the skin, then i figured it a spider bite. ended up being staph

Got bit on the calf by a spider here in upstate NY back when I was hiking to a neighbor's deer stand to pick up a branch cutter that he borrowed to trim the trees around it- it itched and hurt and when the doc saw a day or two later it he did not mess around - I was put on the highest dose of antibiotics I have ever had in my life... 2000 mg per dose of something I can't remember. Doc said it was serious - might be worth having checked as they can get infected easily and quickly.

Good luck!

Denise

ya i went to the hospital when i strated getting a fever and throwing up. its a type of staph infection, possibly MRSA since i have a new outbreak every week. meaning anti-biotics forever. yay me.

 

[DeniseJP]

fuzz16 wrote:

DeniseJP wrote:

fuzz16 wrote:

if its a spider...if it starts swelling or getting red you might want to see a dr. could be a reclus? also, couldnt kill you to try clear finger nail polish. it helps with chiggers, but might help with infection.

i got what started like a bug bite, started hurting and swelling then i knew infection had started growing below the skin, then i figured it a spider bite. ended up being staph

Got bit on the calf by a spider here in upstate NY back when I was hiking to a neighbor's deer stand to pick up a branch cutter that he borrowed to trim the trees around it- it itched and hurt and when the doc saw a day or two later it he did not mess around - I was put on the highest dose of antibiotics I have ever had in my life... 2000 mg per dose of something I can't remember. Doc said it was serious - might be worth having checked as they can get infected easily and quickly.

Good luck!

Denise

ya i went to the hospital when i strated getting a fever and throwing up. its a type of staph infection, possibly MRSA since i have a new outbreak every week. meaning anti-biotics forever. yay me.

That MRSA stuff is nasty - the docs thought I had it when my knee surgery some years ago - I ended up lucky - the docs said I could have ended up dead.

Good luck with the bug bite!

Denise