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Allergic to midge bites?

21 posts & 14 voices | Started 1 year ago by miketually | Latest reply from Drac

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miketually - Member

I think it's either that or I've grown a second left knee.

Went for a ride yesterday in Hamsterley. The rain stopped while we were there, so the midges came out to feast. Lots of swelling and heat on my left thigh above and next to my left knee, where lots of them sated their thirst.

The same thing happened a couple of weeks ago on my ankle. A trip to the NHS walk in centre got me antibiotics as they were worried about cellulitis.

I can't do that every time I go for a bike ride.

So, advice for treatment now and for prevention in the future?

Posted 1 year ago #
sweepy - Member

that sounds more like a clegg than a midge to me, do you get them down there?

Posted 1 year ago #
WackoAK - Member

Try an anti-histamine tablet before going riding? I normally do this as I get bitten a lot by midges and nothing seems to stop them but using an anti-histamine tablet definately lessens the effect of the bite.

Posted 1 year ago #
cookeaa - Member

Went riding last Monday with some work mates in south Wales, far too much standing and chatting waiting about for others, we all got bitten to buggery all three of us still look like we have localised chicken pox of the lower legs and forearms…

I will definitely be taking as much repellent as possible to MM this W/E!

Posted 1 year ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Use repellant - DEET in high concentrations is the only effective one.

Cover up

Antihistamines if you swell up with an alergivc reaction.

Posted 1 year ago #
miketually - Member

Took an antihistamine before going and applied a cream to the bites after getting home.

There's an amazing amount of heat coming out of my leg right now.

Posted 1 year ago #
tinsy - Member

My first and only encounter with Midges was SSUK 06 at Hamsterly, its grim oop north.

Staying down south with my shandy from now on.

Posted 1 year ago #
Drac - Moderator

The Hamsterley midgies are evil gits could be a horse fly bit either but sometimes I react badly to midgies. Keep an eye on that bite could be infected I find Eurax cream provides great relief from the itch. Anti-histamines knock me miles off I'm like a zombie after one.

Posted 1 year ago #
Scienceofficer - Member

Like TJ says, get some repellent. Icaridin has very favourable comparisons to DEET, without the whole stinging, plastic melting thing.

You can find it in Autan active. I use it during the biting seasons since I'm one of those people the bugs find tasty.

Prevention is better than cure IMO.

Posted 1 year ago #
miketually - Member

Thanks everyone.

Posted 1 year ago #
stooo - Member

I get this quite regularly.... midgies seem to love me, but when I react like that it tends to be localised to one area when there are other midgie bites in other places that aren't reacting... usually looks like it's one biggish bite that's reacting which makes me think it must be a clegg bite.

Usually take a couple of days to calm down and tends to weep quite a bit (nasty) over those couple of days.

Not nice... feel for you mate.

Posted 1 year ago #
Zulu-Eleven - Member

Clegg!

grown a second left knee

gottabe a Clegg! Evil bastards!

Posted 1 year ago #
miketually - Member

Bite update:

There's a very hard disc under the skin, about the size of a £2 coin, with a small "proper" bite in the middle, not a red dot like midges cause. There's more, softer swelling all around this disc.

The bite is right in the middle of the depression on the inside of my knee, with the swelling and heat running 3 or 4 inches above and below the bite.

Almost identical to the ankle bite I had a couple of months ago that needed two different courses of antibiotics to clear. Time to phone the GP...

Posted 1 year ago #
Zulu-Eleven - Member

There's a very hard disc under the skin, about the size of a £2 coin, with a small "proper" bite in the middle, not a red dot like midges cause. There's more, softer swelling all around this disc.

Defo Clegg! AKA Horsefly

it's a wee fly that buzzes round a horses arse, and try as you might ye canna bamboozle a clegg!

Posted 1 year ago #
miketually - Member

I didn't go anywhere near those horses arses and I have witnesses!

Posted 1 year ago #
Cheeky Monkey - Member

Mosiguard isn't bad as a repellant. It's based on a plant extract unlike DEET which is pretty aggressive chemically / on kids etc.

Prophylactic use of antihistamines like others have mentioned.

Horseflies are feckers though

Posted 1 year ago #
Bunnyhop - Member

I had the same Mike, last year.
My left ankle swelled right up ( looked like a cankle), giving off quite a bit of heat. Doctor didn't think it was anything to worry about and sent me out of the surgery with nothing. A day later, hard small disc under the skin and weeping.

Oh the joy of mtbing in the summer.

Posted 1 year ago #
smiffkin - Member

Drac, have you tried different types of anti-histamine? Only they have different active ingredients. Might be worth a careful look at the label and see if a different active ingredient affects you as badly.

Posted 1 year ago #
miketually - Member

I had exactly whay you described a couple of months ago, bunnyhop, but with redness of the skin too. Took two courses of antibiotics to clear it. This is the same, but on my knee.

The swelling had got worse when I got home from work, and the redness was spreading up my leg along the line of the artery, so I took a trip to A&E. I now have a Special Brew dose of antibiotics to take (625mg tablets of co-amixiclav).

Two rides at Hamsterley have led to these two bites and three courses of ABs...

Posted 1 year ago #
friendlynorthernbloke - Member

Nowt bothers you when you put this stuff on, not even the wife!!

Posted 1 year ago #
Drac - Moderator

Drac, have you tried different types of anti-histamine? Only they have different active ingredients. Might be worth a careful look at the label and see if a different active ingredient affects you as badly.

Not really no, I now use Eurax as it's instant anyway.

Posted 1 year ago #