http://bedbugger.com/forum/ Bed bug support forums en Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:51:43 +0000 http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/perspective#post-62621 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:04:34 +0000 soscared 62621@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I am sad to see so many posts about people freaking out. I mean, I did it too, hence my name on here - "soscared". But look, even if what you have is bedbugs, it's not the end of the world. It's not. You or a loved one can get some disease tomorrow and die. All sorts of things can happen. Yes, bed bugs suck, but it will pass. Work on it, and it WILL go away. </p> <p>Right now I am in the waiting stage, my baby and I still get the odd bite-like mark every once in a while, after 3 PCO treatments. But I am over it. I am working on it, of course - vacuuming, hot washing and drying, packtiting stuff, etc. And I am patiently waiting to see if I can find some evidence or a bug - so far nothing, or if the pattern of "bites" changes. We HAVE had blood stains on our bedding, but my husband and I are both bleeding out of various scratched up bites or stress hives. I can't exclude the possibility that the blood stains are from that.</p> <p>But I am emotionally just done with it. I am not crying anymore. It WILL end eventually. They are not allmighty and supernatural. Life goes on. It's not the end of the world to make sure you're wearing stuff straight out of the dryer when you go to people's houses. It's not the end of the world to check and repowder the climbups every once in a while. The upside is - I got rid of a lot of crap I've been meaning to discard for years, and my house is cleaner than it has ever been. </p> <p>Be strong, everyone. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/ive-become-obsessed-and-think-i-need-to-talk-with-someone#post-61485 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:11:09 +0000 offsides1971 61485@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>We've had 3 treatments in 30 days, maybe 4..I lost track..Our last full treatment was Oct 1. Baseboards, ceilings, every light switch/plug, every drawer, in our master bedroom. He also did the entire upstairs (two more bedrooms, bathroom, hall, laundry). They were basically in our master; however, once he sprayed (both stuff to kill and stuff to sterilize them and also dusted everything) we did have about 10 escapees into the hall, etc. trying to get away from the poison. We had to move out of our master where they were because my asthma kicked up which is why he didi the rest of the rooms to prevent them from "coming to look for us" in the guest room and son's room.. We've laundered, bagged, etc. The master bedroom is nothing but bear bones and waiting to be repainted. Then had carpets cleaned at 230 degrees, the entire house on Oct 7. Then PCO came and sprayed all the baseboards again Oct 11. We've not seen one bug since Oct 1. ....and I am obsessed. I'm obsessed because I haven't seen any. You'd think I'd be thrilled but I can't stop thinking one is lying in wait for us. Our PCO says we got them and that the chances of them "lying waiting hungerly to move back into our Master suite" is not realistic. He states in 30 days we would have seen some sign of them migrating. I can't stop though. I have a flashlight on everything and even everybody. Every little twitch, itch or red mark (and my skin marks easy) I'm sure is a bite. I inspect my 11 year old like he's a science project. My husband is ready to put me in a rubber room I swear. I'm thinking I might need to talk with a professional as it's clearly taken over my life. I can't smile, I can't enjoy my son's ballgames or activities. Everyone I meet on the street I think "I wish I had their life so I didn't have these bugs". I feel guilty for being so upset about these when my friend is going through cancer. I'm sure she would be thrilled to have bedbugs instead of what she is fighting. I go ballistic if anything touches the floor anywhere, even a pencil that falls on the floor from doing homework in the kitchen. Does anyone feel like this? Is it just me? I don't know how to be normal again. I even freak out when my poor child checks out library books at school...and they are required to so I can't stop it. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/de-diatomaceous-earth-and-heat-pipesradiators#post-61608 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:31:58 +0000 never_again 61608@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I am DE-ing the perimeter of my new apartment as a prevention method for possible future infestations. There are quite a few heating ducks around and i was thinking about dusting under/around them, but i just wanted to make sure there wasn't a health risk to doing so.</p> <p>Could the heat release DE particles in the air consistently or is it pretty safe to dust there? </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/is-it-possible-to-get-bed-bugs-internally#post-61653 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:32:47 +0000 shughes 61653@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>long story short, i just move into an apartment building in sept. i noticed german cockroaches from time to time and though the black specks were roach droppings. now after the bites i've been getting i've come to the conclusion it is bed bugs.<br /> my question- is it possible to get them up your nose? and i mean, way up there if you are breathing them in for a long time? i swear to you, i'm blowing them out of my nose in large amounts. they are darkish brown with hints of red which makes me think it's bb... but not full on adult bed bugs but i'd say fresh ones. or is it possible that these are yet another type of bug? </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/adding-insult-to-injury#post-61654 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:45:15 +0000 Itchybutdealing 61654@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Now my daughter and I have lice, thanks to infested friends at school. I am a walking mini zoo. Add fleas and I could charge admission. Please tell me life will change.Thanks. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/seriously-i-had-to-get-medication-for-stress#post-55500 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:11:16 +0000 worrywart1 55500@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>After becoming suspicious that we might have bedbugs (still not confirmed), I have really been a mess. It was all I could think about day or night. I could barely function at work or at home. After a while I went to my doctor and explained to him what was going on. I didn't have any obvious bites at the time but I described a weird one I had had, and he didn't deny that it could have been a BB bite but he said it also could have been a spider bite. I explained to him about the way I was obsessing and stressing about the whole thing, and he ended up prescribing a medication for stress. It seems to be helping some.</p> <p>I know some people have strong beliefs and feelings about the medications they take, and I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do. I'm just saying that for me, for now, this was what I needed to do. Just thought I'd share that.</p> <p>BTW, I'm still doing what I can to determine what's going on and using precautions with clothes and shoes when leaving the house, but I'm not going crazy like I was. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/avoiding-bedbug-stress#post-61333 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:00:16 +0000 BB_Slayer 61333@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Don't think of them as nasty annoying biters. No... instead... imagine....</p> <p>Bed bugs are magical creatures. Only a select few are lucky enough to be Chosen to receive the magical Kiss of the Bed Bug.</p> <p>If you could see one up close through a magnifying glass, they look like My Little Pony. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/bedbugs-as-an-allergy-catalyst#post-60777 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:55:14 +0000 bedbuggery 60777@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>It's been about eight months since I got rid of bugs and began a long recovery back to health.<br /> When I was living with bedbugs I developed a huge spectrum of symptoms including; sore joints, anaphylactic attacks, fever like symptoms, insomnia, jumpiness, dysphoria (doom), asthma, angiodema, diarrhea, vomiting, weekness, contact/allergic/and shower urticaria, and a resurgence of panic disorder that had been under control since high school. </p> <p>Before my run in with these bugs I was 15 pounds above my average wight. I had been living and working on a salmon fishing resort in Alaska and was healthier than a horse. I've never had asthma and I've certainly never experienced anaphylaxis or any skin condition of any kind. </p> <p>I still have shower urticaria and dry skin, and I seem to have picked up allergies to both dust mites and flea bites that result in a resurgence of a lot of my old symptoms including asthma (although less so.) </p> <p>I don't think that we can look at bedbugs as simply an "allergen" because they actually exacerbate, and maybe even cause immune system sensitization. I have the notion that prolonged exposure plays a role in this and it supports that bedbug populations need to be treated aggressively and immediately. One of the things that make them so difficult if you are allergic is that, say, with peanut or detergent allergies- you can simply avoid these things because a peanut doesn't depend on biting you for it's survival. I think this last factor contributes to a unique situation that results in prolonged and very uncommon "tampering" with the immune system that causes it to go haywire. (obviously I'm no doctor.)</p> <p>One of the more documented conditions that bedbugs cause is Urticaria, which is an autoimmune disorder, so is asthma for that matter. Which combination of exposure/allergic susceptibility does it take for someone to develop thyroiditis, or systemic reactions?</p> <p>Can anyone see my point here? On these grounds bedbugs are a public health threat to an unknown cross section of the population and that alone should be enough to legislate wiping out their populations. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/heres-how-far-you-can-over-react-go-ahead-and-laugh-in-hindsight-its-funny#post-61200 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:50:41 +0000 offsides1971 61200@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>After posting that I think we are bug free..we've seen nothing for 4 weeks. I got to looking on this site more.After reading about people who had themin their sofa, I decided I should look. Keep in mind, it's two levels down and on the other wing of a 3000 square foot house from where we had the problem. So after turning the furniture over and conducting a thorough search, Ifound these little brownish red looking things (about 15) in a little pile. I should also mention here that I have some problems seeing small items close up due to an eye condition. Anyway...I freaked. I called Glenn, my Orkin guy. He said, "that would be odd, don't panic and I'll be over". He was here in thirty minutes. He looked all over in the area I found them on the floor under the couch and said "Mrs S., these are little bitty rocks..kinda looks like peices of sand gravel or something". OMG...I was embarrassed. The poor guy still checked the rest of my living room for me anyway and said "I'm 100% sure with all of the sprays we did we've got them all." He left with a smile on his face and said, but if you see anything else, please call.</p> <p>So I feel like a moron, but I swear I have the best PCO in the world. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/do-i-have-bedbugs-or-am-i-paranoid-and-this-is-something-i-have-to-live-with#post-61087 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:53:51 +0000 fr0st003 61087@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Ok so heres the short version of the story.</p> <p>I move into apartment, new room mate starts getting bitten, by what are thought to be mosquitos(this was in august). We decided without finding any evidence it must be bedbugs and she only gets bit while sleeping. Pest control guy comes says he cant see anything but it is possible. We have him return and spray her entire room. While she is stay at friends house I decide to check on room, and low and behold I found a dead bedbug confirmed definite yep its a bedbug. We toss everything to the street that was in her room, she had a cheap futon and some random other items she didnt mind tossing as she keeps most of her stuff in closet. So her room is empty and she has been sleeping on an air mattress in the floor since. No bites that I know of or she knows of.</p> <p>Being the paranoid psycho that I am everything in my room that is able to either bagged or boxed is, I spent a small fortune on mattress covers pillow covers, space bags, you name it. My stuff is all sealed and once a week for the past 3 months I remove everything from my dresser and spray rubbing alcohol and clean and flip my mattress etc etc. Sometimes in the middle of the night I wake up turn all my lights on flip my bed and do all that craziness. About 2 weeks ago I notice a pimple on my inner thigh and then a few days later another and then like a week later another so over the period of 2 weeks I got this nice little row of ingrown hairs(this feeds my paranoia). I am mindful I have very thick hair and I have been riding bike quite a bit prior to it get cold and those pimples are right where they should be, well they are more like ingrown hairs from my pants chaffing my leg, but point being I have a line of them. Now fast forward to this week I haven't had anything, nor have I been biking tonight after a longer session at the computer doing work than I normally would be I felt that soft sweet spot, right where my butt cheek meets my leg and I had 2 or so little welts kinda feels like a little swollen rash, and this too happens to be right where my underwear elastic wraps around my leg and where I would normally sweat.</p> <p>My questions are these, could these.<br /> 1) My room is about 500 ft away from my room mates she lives in the back room of the house and never comes towards my side, could they migrate that far?<br /> 2) Would she be more prone to being bitting sleeping on the floor?<br /> 3) I have had the Pest control team come 3 times and spray and explore the apartment moving all the furniture and making my life a living hell, only to find nothing, srpay this chemical all over the place, make me take apart my bed(Which I dont know how many more times I can do before I strip the bolts) etc etc. Is there another way I can prove to myself I dont have them? The pest control guys dont convince me ever.<br /> 4) And lastly do bedbugs try and bite open skin like arms or legs, or skin that lies under elastic bands?</p> <p>Sorry for the poor grammar and typos its 4:40am and I just got done doing a full shake down of my room. Will I ever be sane, I swear the day I see a life bedbug I am going to shriek and scream like a little girl, the only one I have seen was dead. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/proof-that-bed-bugs-are-a-more-significant-stressor-than-many-people-think#post-49564 Thu, 28 May 2009 10:57:47 +0000 buggyinsocal 49564@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Greetings, everyone. </p> <p>I was out of town last week, staying at a hotel, like you do, and this week is the busiest of the term at work, so I can't stay long.</p> <p>But something happened last night that, I thought, neatly encapsulated what dealing with bed bugs is like, and I thought while it was still fresh in my mind that I'd record it for posterity.</p> <p>My encounter with bed bugs likely began in March of 2008. I was staying at a beachside hotel in southern California, one with a pretty massive sea gull issue. (as in the sea gulls would walk right into your room if you left the windows open.) </p> <p>One night, I found what looked to be a giant tick on my bed. Skeeved, I scooped it up in a tissue and took it out to the balcony. (Oh, yeah, I know. Knowing what I know now? Totally insane. But at the time, I had heard nothing about bed bugs.)</p> <p>Fast forward to June of last year. I'm taking a mid day nap, and I look over and see something skittering on my bed. I had no idea what it was, but I googled, and lo, I found out I had bed bugs. My mind flashed back to that encounter in March I had discounted as a tick, and my stomach sank.</p> <p>End of June, I get thermal treatment which knocks the infestation out in one go. Yay.</p> <p>Except, I remained unconvinced for months. In August, I had what I'm sure are bed bug bites. I suspect I got them at a particular movie theater that I haven't been back to since. A few months ago, I brought the DVDs, CDs, and VHS tapes that had been stored outside back into my apartment, only after putting DDVP strips in the bins with them for over a week.</p> <p>When I went back east for the winter holidays, I flew through JFK, and I spent days worried that my bags were next to a bed bug sufferer's bags in the luggage hold, what with NYC being in the midst of an epic bed bug epidemic.</p> <p>Still, I've been back to the hotel (which has magically discouraged the sea gulls, I noticed). I've stayed in hotels besides that one in Calgary, San Francisco, Madison, Palm Desert, and plenty of other places since then.</p> <p>I'm mostly better. </p> <p>Last night, I'm in bed, my second night back from my most recent trip. (On my most recent trip, one of my roommies was preparing to head off to Europe for over a month, and since he was worried about encountering bugs while backpacking around, he asked me to show him what to look for and how to inspect, so I did.)</p> <p>The lights are off. I'm watching television. My cat, who missed me while I was gone, was curled up beside me purring up a storm.</p> <p>And then I see something squiggle bug-like across the comforter.</p> <p>My adrenaline levels spiked through the roof. In fact, the panic was far more acute than what I felt when we got walloped with a 4.7 earthquake a few weeks ago.</p> <p>It turned out to be a little gnat which appeared bigger than it was because it was so close to my face.</p> <p>However, let's review:</p> <p>I've been bed bug free for 11 months.</p> <p>And still, the motion of a bug squiggling across my comforter is more terrifying to me than a 4.7 earthquake. (For which, I was naked since I was in the bathtub, which I have to tell you has long been one of my big earthquake fears. Because if I have to run outside, I'm worried that I won't be able to find shoes and glasses, to say nothing of the notion that if it's big enough, I don't want to land naked in the rubble if my building collapses. Okay, fine, it's not as big as my fear of being pancaked under a bunch of freeway overpasses, but still.)</p> <p>If anyone needs a concrete example of how much PTSD bed bug infestations can cause, feel free to tell 'em that bed bugs have caused me more PTSD than moderate earthquakes. (In the interest of full disclosure, I feel that I should mention that I have not been in California for the biggies like Landers, Loma Prieta, and Northridge. So a 4.7 nearby or a 5 something at a distance are the biggest ones I've been through. But still.)</p> <p>Bed bugs. Scarier than moderate earthquakes. I'm just saying. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/in-desperate-need-of-some-hope#post-59779 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:59:38 +0000 petong 59779@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I've spent the past 3 days in total bed bug info overload. It took me 2 weeks to realize I had a problem. I'm making an appointment with a PCO ASAP, but it's looking like that may not be till Monday. Still, I think I have a reasonable idea of everything I have to do.</p> <p>But it's a lot of information and there don't seem to be a lot of success stories out there. I just have the overwhelming feeling that no matter what I do I'm going to be dealing with these suckers for the rest of my life. I'm not exaggerating when I say I've come pretty close to a full-on panic attack twice in the past two days. I can't relax in my apartment, but I feel trapped because if I go anywhere I feel like I'm spreading them. I can't talk to anyone about this because I don't want my friends to know I have them. I feel like I can't be near anybody because I might spread them. And then there's the thought of all the money I'm going to have to spend to get rid of them. All the clothes and shoes I'm going to ruin trying to get rid of them. </p> <p>So I'm looking for some hope. Some success stories. I really need some reassurance that these things can be beaten. Also, how to cope with this panic. Any suggestions? </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/post-2nd-treatment-paranoia#post-56148 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:35:27 +0000 nycbedbug 56148@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Yesterday was my 2nd treatment...Is anyone else out there going through the stage in which your skin is so sensitive and jumpy that all day long you think you feel something on you and either nothing is there, or it's a tiny hair that fell onto your foot when you were combing your hair, or it's a mole that you've had all your life? I just discovered a mole on my back and a barely-there one on the back of my shoulder. When I asked my friend to look and tell me if I had a bite or a mole there, she said, "It's a mole, but how can you even feel that? It's not even raised!"</p> <p>My infestation was light and caught early, hence I have never even seen a bug or any evidence of them (but definitely had them), so my evidence of whether or not they're completely gone is based solely on any new bites. This is making me crazy!</p> <p>I just felt a little bump on my face near my left ear...not at all itchy, so who knows why I just touched it, but it's there and it is threatening to make me lose my mind! </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/anyone-know-how-often-bbs-lead-to-anemia#post-53718 Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:20:05 +0000 Just itching to get rid of them 53718@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Anyone know the stats on that? Would the stats be worse for those who already have a bleeding problem? </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/extreme-allergic-reaction-please-advise#post-45990 Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:18:22 +0000 violetsonia 45990@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>hi. i have had only 2 experiences with bedbugs biting me. they were both extreme and identical in nature. once i got bit on my fingers another separate time on one arm. in both cases i woke up with a numb, and extremely painful arm. there was some local inflamation but there was also red lines coursing up to my underarm lymph nodes. my arm was in so much pain i thought i should go to the hospital. i didn't go either time because i have a fear of hospitals but in retrospect wonder if i should have. someone said it sounded like blood poisoning symptoms(???). the pain lasted for hours and once the inflamation and pain went down the bites themselves were itchy. i cannot find any information on this. does anyone have experience or advice for this? thankyou in advance. sonia </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/support-group#post-50984 Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:27:21 +0000 bbsurvivor 50984@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I live in NYC and really, really want to start a support group for people with PSTD from these things. Think it would be super helpful to talk to others who've gone through this madness as only those who've had them understand just how real the trauma is. I can't seem to find any out there, either in the city or in Brooklyn. Are there any or is anyone interested in joining one? </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/taking-my-anxiety-meds-again-paranoia-getting-severe#post-58518 Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:37:34 +0000 Paranoid001 58518@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I don't know what to do. I'm out of my mind.<br /> Last week I got bit and assumed BB and flipped out. I have found no evidence of BB but lots of CB. "Bites" are where I would sit between couch cushions and I found them in there. Since then the only sites with reaction are my hands and wrists when I clean the vacuum canister. You'd think that was good...but I'm just not convinced. Every once in awhile I find another CB larvae and I can't breathe. Then I found this super tiny slightly fast moving pale bug with one and had a freakin heart attack. So tiny. From what I can see, it's not shaped like a BB but longer and skiny. Hoping that's what CB's look like freshly hatched but I don't know.<br /> I am to the point of tears all the time. I can't rest. When I do I'm convinced I'm itchy b/c of the situation. I feel so alone. God forbid I mention BB to people. Half blow it off like I'm kidding and the other half act like I have some kind of hideous disease of filth. Just when you need to be alienated right? I feel so alone in this like I have no one to talk to. I find myself turning to this forum more and more despite people trying to tell me that all it does is feed my paranoia.<br /> Anyone want to share how they feel? Or reassure me? Or just cuss out BB and CB to feel better? I mean I went full force after those bastards until I broke my vacuum doing it. Bought a new one and kept on going. I'm in physical pain from the severely intense cleaning and still feel like I can't do enough. I'm so tired...but now I'm paranoid I need to dump everything I own out. I found 2 in one burea and 2 in another. None on the actual clothes. I pulled them and checked. Drawer was otherwise clean. No dirt at all.</p> <p>Does anyone feel this way?</p> <p>My name is Regina. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/autism-and-bedbugs-help#post-58017 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:39:18 +0000 mum-of-hysteria 58017@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Hi, I'm kinda desperate, I'm a single mum of two children aged 9 and 11--the 9 year old has autism and we have bedbugs.<br /> I phoned the local council to come and exterminate, which they did for a non returnable fee, after the first visit my children slept in their room---until they saw more bugs when they started getting hysterical and slept downstairs (the council said we should sleep in the bedrooms as bait but I couldn't put them through that) I remained in my room and continued to get bitten every night, the council came out for a second visit and again sprayed and once again my children returned to their room, until once again they saw bugs when they returned downstairs extremely distressed.<br /> I bought some spray privatly today from a company that offers a 30 day money back guarantee and sprayed the rooms this morning but tonight, dispite going to their room within 5 mins they were back downstairs ---I explained it would take a little while but since I'd sprayed everywhere and put double sided tape round their beds they should be safe---this was ok for the 11 year old who agreed to give it another try, the autistic 9 year old though is absoultly terrified, he's currently upstairs trying hard not to cry and not to think about them but he is really scared and I don't know how to deal with him, trust has always been an issue with him anyway (part of his condition) but he has always said I'm the only person he can trust---and now I've put him back in the bedroom with bedbugs that will bite him </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/psychological-effects#post-57881 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:09:02 +0000 bbfiend 57881@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I've always had sensitive skin and allergies, but it seems like since this onslaught of the bbs, my whole psychological sensation has been heightened to a new level.</p> <p>The tickling, I can understand. The pricking/being bitten sensation - I don't understand. The other one that's puzzling is the sensation of a feather or something like travelling on the skin. </p> <p>I know the Mayo Clinic has an article about the mental health effect of the bbs on their victims, but do these weird sensations go away after a while? I don't even sleep deeply anymore, just too ticklish at all times, if not, it's prickly.</p> <p>Even as I'm typing, the tickling is going on on different parts of my body, all at the same time! </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/what-the-heck-is-wrong-with-me#post-57747 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:17:37 +0000 TryinginBK 57747@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>OK, I haven't been to the forums in just over a year, but for my mental health I need to vent to people that understand...</p> <p>Back in 2007, I found BBs in my old apt. After 2 fires in the apt above me, I believe the BBs were literally washed down on me by the fire dept when putting out the fire. Anyway, I notified the landlord and immediately moved out with basically the clothes on my back. I found a great, newly renovated apt in the same zip code. Everything has been wonderful except for a scare in 2008 which turned out to be a false alarm confirmed by a visit from KillerQueen (love that guy!).</p> <p>Of course, after my experience I'm always vigilant, but I've been able to live my life without panicking about BBs or just not thinking about them at all (yay!). My mattress &#38; box spring were encased day 1, I keep my bed on risers with mineral oil and occasionally spray with KleenFree. But no living out of ziploc bags, and my clothes are hanging in my closet without any "protection." It's been great. Until now...</p> <p>I happen to be watching the Tonight Show and Conan O'Brien mentioned a news story about Bill Clinton having to temporarily move out of his office in Harlem due to a BB infestation. For some reason, that one story clicked a switch in my head and I've been anxious and paranoid about getting BBs again for the last few days. I haven't been able to eat or barely sleep. My emotions are up and down. At times I feel back to "normal" after telling myself that although the problem is getting worse in many cities, the odds (given the overall population in NYC) are still in my favor - especially with me being a bit more knowledgeable about BBs now. Other times, I feel downright depressed and alone and want to cry. I tell myself to snap out of it, especially since I'm BB free, but this is driving me batty.</p> <p>Has anyone else that is now BB-free experienced this? What have you done to snap yourself out of it. Geez, do I need a therapist (not that I can afford one)? I want my home to be a refuge, a place to relax, not a place to be afraid of! Ugh! </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/help-please-only-found-1-bb-in-my-brand-new-bed#post-56151 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:44:37 +0000 freakingoutmom 56151@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I am about to have my 4th child and I just found 1 bed bug in my BRAND NEW freakin bed. I seriously just got my bed a week and a half ago, new bedding, pillows, curtains and everything in my room. I of course washed and vaccuumed everything when I first got it. I am a super clean housekeeper and I just dont know what to do! I can hardly keep up with my regular housework as it is, and I have an exterminator coming tomorrow but have heard its going to cost $1500 or more which I absolutely cannot afford. Plus all the packing up/washing of clothes/toys and everything else when Im this pregnant. And I cant bare the thought of bringing home a newborn to a house full of bugs/chemicals. Not to mention my other children are all under the age of 6! I feel like I am going to have a total meltdown, and I am never going to be able to go to sleep....Sorry to complain Im just feeling so overwhelmed by all this </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/cannot-sleep#post-55555 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:44:30 +0000 natalie729 55555@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Tonight is the first night I've slept in my bed since two weeks ago when I saw my first, and only, bed bug. Since then, the bites have been explained, a PCO has treated, stuff has been washed, encasements are on my mattress/box spring, etc. I've read all the info and followed all the steps, but somehow, this doesn't do much for my peace of mind. I just tried sleeping. I did for an hour, woke up and felt itchy. It's to the point where I can't tell if I'm actually being bit, if something really is crawling on me or if maybe I'm just going insane. How long did it take for everyone on here to relax again? I feel like I can't even live in my apartment even post treatment. Sitting on my futon freaks me out, I slept in my bathtub last night and now, at 12:45 a.m. I'm writing on here ... from bed ... still convinced my life will never be back to normal. This is ridiculous. The government, responsible citizens, someone needs to do something. This really interrupts your life when it hits. Any tips on how to fall asleep? And yes, I've already taken an OTC sleep aid ... three hours ago. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/end-of-rope-here#post-55241 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:30:25 +0000 DDavid 55241@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I am alone in this. I get no support, morally or otherwise from ANYONE.</p> <p>People just see the misnomer "parasite" from reports on youtube and dont want to know from me.</p> <p>I am now broke for hiring someone to help me prepare the place because I am not well enough to do it myself.</p> <p>Now there's a 180 degrees about the furniture. Some pieces have to go especially public enemies captains bed and headboard. There was originally passing mention of the porters helping me take it out now the tune is the co-op wont help and you need to make your own arrangements.</p> <p>I'm just brokEN now. 3 months of shock and no help, a paranoid neighbor who sprayed cinnamon junk at my door until i asked her to stop, a stupid woman down the hall who legally we cant prove a thing and obligate her to pay for all this. </p> <p>I dont know what to do. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/freaking-out-038-cant-sleep#post-55379 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:53:59 +0000 stayawaybb 55379@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Basicly 2 weeks ago the lady who cut's my husbands hair was telling us about her trip to Las Vegas. Yes... the hotel room they stayed in was infested with bed bugs. I never knew anyone personaly who had to deal with something like this. It really freaked me out. I couldn't sleep that night and have been pretty parinoid since then. I have been checking all the bed's in the house and haven't seen one bug (besides spiders) &lt;&lt; wich I hate as well. I washed my kid's bedding and sprayed their beds and floors. I have been feeling itchy but it could just be in my head. I think this because I have no proof of any kind of bugs. I find no bugs, droppings, spots nothing. I don't know what to do. I'm afraid to go to bed. I think I have seen every youtube video of bed bugs and now I'm super freaked out. It''s all I can think about. Every one is sleeping but I feel the need to wake them and check the beds again because I know they come out in the dark, but on the other hand I don't want my family thinking I'm going crazy. What should I do????? Please help. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/feeling-like-a-head-case#post-55040 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:27:23 +0000 AwakeAllNight 55040@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>We've been bed bug free for a week! (yay!) I've been sleeping through the night amazingly until last night. I received a mosquito bite as I was walking in the door from work. I am highly highly prone to bug bites. (They must find me to be yummy, I guess) The bug bite began itching while I was of course laying in bed last night, unwinding in front of the TV. I knew that it was not a bed bug bite. I was absolutely sure because no one in my family has seen a bedbug in my house for a week now. I of course, was awake every hour on the hour checking my bed and my sheets. Help! Does this ever go away. I feel as though I'm psychologically scarred from my ordeal with bed bugs. I was the only one in my family to get bit other than my grandmother. Shes fine and sleeps through the night. Is there something wrong with me? My ever patient boyfriend thinks I'm crazy and my mom is worried about me. What do I do?! </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/stay-up-all-night-waiting-for-them#post-54981 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:21:29 +0000 cantsleepbugger 54981@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I've had bedbugs for few months now. PCO came to my house and found them all dead...well yea..I panicked and killed all the ones I found. So they refused to do anything. Of course they are still here. I cant sleep. I lay down with a flashlight. Thats a step up...I was sleeping with the light on. I think this way I will see them when they are coming towards me. I've gotten a few this way...but I'm exhausted. I'm itchy all the time. Everything on my bed looks like a bedbug. I've been using a spray I found at the hardware store. I've noticed less...one every 2-3 days. CANNOT TAKE IT. Tomorrow heading down to landlords office...I have been bugging them (no pun intended) for 2 months now that they need to come back. They keep saying yes yes yes...but are not doing anything. AHHHHH paranoia </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/totally-messed-up-in-the-head-in-re-bbs#post-54901 Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:18:46 +0000 Jay A. 54901@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I don't even know where to start but my life in hell continues.<br /> I just feel like I was raped or something but no one understands. This BB horror started in 2004 and I've been a mess since then. I'm full of anger and rage and I don't know what to do about it. NO I can NOT go to a "normal" therapy group. How many ppl. in that group are there because they're messed in the head by BB's? I feel lost. I have quit associating with people because I feel like no one will get it or they'll laugh at me </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/bed-bugs-vs-mosquitoes#post-54779 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:49:08 +0000 Aris 54779@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>From many of the posts, it seems that one of the most upsetting things about bed bugs is the thought of them sucking your blood. Some forum users have described anxiety over possibly being bitten while staying in a hotel.</p> <p>But why is being bitten by a bed bug in a hotel bed any worse than being bitten by a mosquito, assuming, of course, that you don't have the misfortune of bringing bed bugs home with you?</p> <p>Mosquito bites, after all, are known to transmit various diseases, some of which may be fatal. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/my-internist-didnt-know-that-bbs-suck-blood#post-54357 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:40:21 +0000 Just itching to get rid of them 54357@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>My headline says it all. A "few " of his patients have bbs he says, but he did not know bbs suck blood. When I told him he said,"Ooh, that's disgusting." A lot of education still needs to be done. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/having-a-fever-when-dealing-with-bbs-or-not#post-54279 Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:42:17 +0000 Traumabugged 54279@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I've actually moved out of the infested apartment and been living in an expensive one for almost one month. However my back still itches and there are quite a lot of itchy pimples there, which could be from bbs or just the air mattress I'm sleeping on.</p> <p>Anyway, I started to feel light on my head the day before yesterday and yesterday I just stayed on the bed, alone. Having been through all this I just wrote this post to remind everyone dealing with it that how important good sleep, eating and health is. They might bite but generally they do not make you have a fever. But once you get sick because you are too tired and your immune system is weak, THAT is unbearable.</p> <p>So sleep tight, everyone, even if you have bb bites. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/talking-to-people-about-bedbugs#post-52841 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:46:32 +0000 Munched 52841@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Like most everyone here, I have my own story on <a href="http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/possible-early-infestation-1">another thread</a>.</p> <p>A common complaint I've heard is that dealing with an infestation tends to drive people into isolation and loneliness. We don't like talking about bed bugs. We want to keep our problem a secret. Of course we do. We don't know if people will understand. We don't know if we will be thought of as dirty, or seedy, or promiscuous. These are all rational, healthy fears; although handling it all alone is not necessarily a rational, healthy response to those fears.</p> <p>So, I decided to try a little experiment: I told <u>everyone</u>. I told family. I told friends. I told my boss. I told my condo property manager. I told random people I'd never met before at parties. Here's what I found:</p> <p>First, most people have no idea that bed bugs actually exist. I had dinner with a visiting friend from New York and she had never heard of them, <em>which is crazy!</em> If you are the first person to introduce this topic to them, you have been given a golden opportunity to create the right impression. </p> <p>Second, the first thing people start to wonder about as you recount your tale is: "Can I get them from you? Are they on you <em>right now?!</em>" For this reason, you need to put the <u>Here's why you're not going to get them from me</u> part of the conversation right at the front. More on that below.</p> <p>Third, at some point very early in the conversation, you will notice them scratching somewhere. <em>Point this out to them!</em> Thinking about bugs of any kind will cause your mind to be hyper-aware of sensations on your skin. Most people do not know about this psychosomatic effect. It is your job to ease this fear by pointing out to them that <em>everyone</em> does this. I usually say something like: "Oh man! See how your scratching yourself? It's really interesting how just talking about bugs causes you to start noticing the movement of every hair follicle on your body. I swear, every person I tell about this starts scratching right away."</p> <p>Fourth, people will tend to mirror your current emotional state as you describe the bugs. If you get all worked up and agitated telling your story, they will get worked up and agitated. You do not want this. Even if the content of your message is agitation, try to deliver it calmly. I often say something like: "Yeah, they totally suck. You don't want them. I've kind of been in full on freak-out mode since I found out about them." Notice that even though the content says, "I've been freaking out!", the delivery says, "I have this under control so you don't really have to worry."</p> <p>Here is how I talk to people about bed bugs:</p> <p>1. Introduce the topic</p> <p>You will almost always be given an opening in a conversation to talk about it. Make sure that you have time to spell it all out. You do NOT want to say "By the way, I'm dealing with bed bugs" as you are making your good byes. Make sure you have time to tell the whole story, so that they can leave with their fears allayed, not inflamed. </p> <p>2. Allay fears</p> <p>Get to the part where you tell them why they can't get infected by you as you are talking to them. Remember, people do not know anything about bed bugs. They frequently associate them with things like lice or scabies. They are going to wonder if they can sit in a chair you've sat in or whether they can shake your hand. Make sure they understand that they are safe. Actually, before that, make sure that <em>you</em> understand that you are safe. It's important that you are telling them something that is both true, and that you believe to be true. Here is how I do it:</p> <p>"Well, first of all, you can see the adults. They're up to half a centimeter. You can see the babies too, but they're really small, so they're hard to notice. That doesn't matter though, because they really don't like being anywhere around you when you're awake. They're not like fleas with tough little bodies. They're fragile. They want to get you when you're asleep or at least stationary and they don't live on or in your skin. They pretty much only come out at night unless they're really hungry. They're not very good climbers. They're not like ticks that stick out these hooks trying to grab on to passers-by. Still, none of that matters because I keep all the clothes I wear outside in a plastic bag. Before I go out, I open up the bag and put on my 'outside' clothes. When I go home, I'll take everything back off, put it back in the bag, and put on my 'inside' clothes."</p> <p>At this point people are noticeably calmer. They have a story they can tell themselves about why they are safe.</p> <p>3. Recount your tale</p> <p>This part is optional, but I like to make sure that they know that I didn't get bed bugs by sleeping with prostitutes in a dirty motel out on Aurora. Given a vacuum of information, people will fill in the story themselves and I want to make sure they have an accurate narrative. It also seeds the idea that this could happen to anyone. </p> <p>4. Educate</p> <p>This is your chance to be a soldier in the war against bed bugs. It is a war against ignorance. The points I make sure to hit are:<br /> <ul><li>Bed bugs feed on blood, preferably human. They do not eat and should not be associated with filth.</li><li>It's worth washing and drying all of your clothes when you come home from travel. If they're dry clean only, you can probably just run them through the dryer.</li><li>Inspect a new apartment well before moving in. You don't want to move into an infection.</li><li>If you suspect you have them, resist the urge to handle it yourself. You can't fog them away. You can't just throw out your mattress. There are well established protocols for getting rid of them. It's a total pain, but it's the only way to be sure.</li></ul></p> <p>It's hard going at first. Start with a close friend and branch out as you become more comfortable. Dealing with bed bugs is horrible, but it can be a lot less so with some public awareness. No one is embarrassed if their garage has spiders. We don't hide away in our homes because we got some mosquito bites. Bed bugs are just another pest that we, as a society, need to be aware of and deal with. You can help make this happen. Be strong. Shed the shame. Set an example. Peace and bite-free nights to you. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/cant-sleep-thank-you-bed-bugs#post-53708 Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:54:54 +0000 AwakeAllNight 53708@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>We just got rid of bed bugs about 2 weeks ago after finding them about 3 weeks ago. I react terribly to the bites (all bites actually) and was covered in welts. After getting rid of them, we found them again a week later. Now, 5 days after the second treatment, I can not sleep. I'm up every hour convinced I'm getting bitten. My (extremely patient boyfriend) takes my calls and IMs at 430 in the morning when I can't sleep convincing me that there is nothing in my bed. I need sleep, I'm exhausted. Help! How do I get over this to get back to sleep?! </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/they-have-returned#post-52754 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:08:55 +0000 tisIsaidthefly 52754@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>after nearly ten months of relief they have come back and are once again sucking the joy out of my existence. I'm highly allergic to them and when they bite me it literally melts my skin, causing<br /> a big weeping hole that leaves a dark ugly scar forever not to mention that it itches so badly till<br /> I can't help but to scratch it after which it HURTS BAD. I am so devastated I don't even know where to begin with this one. Perhaps someone would be kind enough to please say a prayer for<br /> me, that I can find an answer to this terrible problem. Thank you. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/does-anyone-have-experience-moving-out-before-the-lease#post-51555 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:33:44 +0000 jkim 51555@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I am seriously distraught with my bedbug infestation. It has been going on for 3 months and I had to have a fourth treatment a week ago because there was a BB sighting after a 3 week hiatus.<br /> To make a long story short, my minor case of depression has exasperated due to the anxiety and paranoia of the BB. I have been seeing a therapist and she recommends I take medication( anti-depressants). I think this is outrageous. I want to get out of my lease, although it does end at the end of August, I can't imagine living like this out of plastic bags and disarray for another two months.<br /> If anyone has had a good experience dealing with the landlords or fool-proof argument to give the landlords and receive the security deposit as well, please do share. I know there must be ways to move out before the lease without losing so much money, without having to take the LL to court or hiring attorneys (which I can't afford anyways).</p> <p>My LL has paid for the expenses of treating the aparment, but will not allow any of the tenants (12 tenants out of 20 have BB in the apartment) to move out before the lease is up. I have written a letter to the LL explaining my situation, but to no avail. The management company is just ignoring me or being nasty on the phone.</p> <p>I need your help. PLEASE! </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/the-emotional-toll-is-taking-its-effects-in-ways-i-hadnt-expected#post-49987 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:10:58 +0000 third demension of hell 49987@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>After days of research and then going 3 days with almost no sleep in my efforts of eradicating these beasts, I had reached my limit. In the throes of complete exhaustion, I gave up my Goliath persona I reached out to my best friend by phone. What happened next I was not prepared for. She listened to me break down on the phone as I waited for a handyman and his wife whom I had enlisted to come to my home to help me do things that I couldnt do on my own, like encasing my mattress. Moments later, my best friend's husband called and said that his dad had been on drugs and thought bugs were crawling on him. They, my best friend and her husband, would "help me" by taking me "somewhere" to get help. I was blown away.</p> <p>The handyman's two cents. The handyman's comment "I dont see any bugs", we cant do anything here to help you, but we will pray for you, because you do need help ma'am." And with that, the handyman and his wife were gone.</p> <p>I have slept since then, and am renewed in continued efforts to eradicate the things from my home. What I was not prepared for was the emotional toll it taking on my life and the disbelief of others. I am living an emotional hell. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/complete-meltdown-need-resassurance-positive-stories#post-49193 Fri, 22 May 2009 19:31:41 +0000 bedbugbubble 49193@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Hi,</p> <p>I have been in complete meltdown state since I found bed bugs on Monday. And now the POC inspector isn't coming until next week. </p> <p>I'm not sleeping because I'm scared of being bitten (I'm staying as suggested) in my bed, which is only making things worse.</p> <p>I just don't see any light with this. I don't think I have a heavy infestation. Maybe? But I just got furniture for the first time in a long time and now it feels like I'll have to get rid of everything. I just can't stop crying, can't stop feeling alone. </p> <p>Has anyone had an experience where they were confined to the bedroom? I have a one-bedroom, apt. Is the likelihood that they're everywhere? Or do I just have to bin and store everything (it's Canada--no thermal, no Vk). </p> <p>This is a financial, emotional, and life drain. I just don't see the light right now. Could use any positive story. I'm reading this blog way to much and freaking out. I'm calling my family every ten minutes sobbing. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/nightmares-and-post-traumic-stress-from-bbs#post-48205 Tue, 05 May 2009 18:48:59 +0000 Itchy-Scratchy 48205@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>We've now been a few months "clean" and I should be sleeping soundly ... but oddly, a new problem has arisen over the past three weeks or so. I have been having repeated nightmares and have been screaming "Help me" in my sleep. Sometimes my screaming wakes me up, sometimes it wakes up my daughter, who comes into my room to give me a shake. It's now happening about every second night. While the nightmare details vary, it always involves being attacked. It's clear I'm having some sort of (embarrassing) post-traumatic reaction to it all.</p> <p>My daughter finds it ironic that, now that she's in a BB-free situation and should finally be catching some zzzz's, instead she's being awoken by my screaming. If it isn't BBs, then it's mother's with night-terrors -- poor kid just can't catch a break.</p> <p>Anyway, I'm certain it will fade with time, but I'm wondering ... has anybody else been experiencing PSTD symptoms? </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/bed-bug-landlady-from-hell#post-48790 Sat, 16 May 2009 00:00:06 +0000 JPG125 48790@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>1. My landlady got bed bug from a college student who had a infestation on his campus. Well she called in an exterminator and never told anyone. A few weeks last my daughter started get bites. I told her she most likely got them for outside. A Flea are Mosques but we vacuumed and cleaned her room from top to bottom. After a week she got them again. She has started reading about Bed Bugs in New York City. I was not getting bite so I decide to call in one of those train Bed bug dogs, he was in my apartment about 25 mines and found where they were hiding. It cost me $350 and that was just the beginning.<br /> 2. My daughter has a really bad but phobia. So she will not sleep in your room and is having nightmares about them biting her. My lease is not up until 2010, but I moving and I 'm thinking about suing her.<br /> 3. For mental and what is has cost me over the last few weeks. My daughter has started therapy because of this </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/battling-those-thoughts-of-suicide#post-45576 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:36:34 +0000 BettyV4 45576@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>When I first discovered this horrific situation in my home way over a year ago I had 3 or 4 melt-downs. I cried and cried; I shook and wanted to run away and never come back. The stress and torment easily could have put me over the edge. I started taking tranquilizers, and walked around like a zombie. Going to bed was a terrifying experience. I would rip the bed apart every night. I still got bit. They're still around - I am in therapy; come to this website which saved my life, talk to other people who have them and most recently met Killer Queen. I don't know for sure where I'd be without therapy and this website and Killer Queen - but I can tell you I really was loosing it. I just started to fight back and realize bed bugs are not my whole life. That there's a whole world out there without bed bugs. So that's the road I try to choose. We are all in the same situation; we are together. There is some solice knowing that. I am not my bed bugs; I am a human being with bed bugs and am not alone here or anywhere else. They are all over. Somehow life has to go on; with help. This horrific experience is NOT something I could have gone through or continue to go through alone. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/legal-recourse-my-roommates-kept-their-bedbugs-a-secret-for-months#post-47031 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:04:24 +0000 buggieinbklyn 47031@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>I feel I am at the end of my rope..! My situation is very stressful and complicated, and I need some perspective and advice:</p> <p>I live with a couple, both of whom I had been friends with for several years. They had bed bugs in their room from Oct-Dec and fought them with bleach and water, vacuuming and laundry until their bites went away. The whole time, and in the ensuing months, they made a conscious decision to keep this all a secret from me. (It is now April.) </p> <p>In the winter, around Jan-Feb, I began having terrible insomnia, getting hives and then waking up with bites and other weird rash symptoms. Our downstairs neighbor is also a friend of my roommate's and her bedroom is directly below theirs. A few weeks ago, she was in our apartment complaining of bites. I heard her and chimed in that I have also been having some kind of bites or rashes for a couple months and I thought it was just stress. My roommate who had the bed bugs stood right there listening to us and didn't say a word about his recent bout with bed bugs!! My other roommate, his girlfriend, even noticed me scratching bites on another occasion, right after waking up from a nap, and kept her mouth shut. (She later admitted to having noticed my bites..)</p> <p>At the end of March, my downstairs neighbor finally found a bedbug in her room and called an exterminator. It was only then, and only through my neighbor, that I found out about my roommates' bed begs. And she had only found out after-the-fact from other mutual friends. I assume that I have them too, as I have been having bed bug-like bites for months, paired with terrible sleep problems. (I have torn apart my room looking for them and had an exterminator come, but have found no signs of them -- just bites.)</p> <p>I have been totally livid with both my roommates!! The guy is very neurotic and does not communicate about things in general. My other roommate, his girlfriend and friend of mine for 4 years, went along with him in keeping it from me. When I confronted them about it, they said they "didn't want to stress me out" and "thought the problem was contained and taken care of." I feel this is an incredibly selfish way to treat ANYONE you live with - especially someone who had been a friend. In fact, I feel utterly betrayed, and would like to move out as soon as I'm sure the bugs are gone.</p> <p>The other side of this is: My life is crazy in the first place. I am in graduate school, work full time, and have an internship. I work 7 days a week and I am in the middle of finals, and am stressed to the max as is. I had to take days off work to tear my room apart and have an exterminator come.</p> <p>The added stress of the bed bug situation, and the seething anger I feel about my roommates' lack of concern for my well being has resulted in me having a total nervous breakdown these past couple weeks. I have had crying spells and panic attacks at work from the exhaustion. I am so distraught I feel I can barely make it through the last few weeks of my semester. And I am having so many different skin problems I don't know if I am actually getting bitten or just getting hives from stress.</p> <p>My question: Do you think my roommates should be held responsible for reimbursing my missed days from work and the cost of my mattress and pillow covers ($150)? If they had had the decency to tell me when the problem was going on, I could have done preventative measures months ago when I was on winter break from school. I have also been thinking I'm going crazy for months - not sleeping, thinking I have stress-related rashes. I got sleeping pills from my doctor and have even had trouble sleeping on the pills! My physical and mental health have been seriously impacted by this infestation, and these people feel little responsibility for not informing me, and have not even really apologized.</p> <p>Any feedback / support / advice appreciated!</p> <p>Thank you. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/sickened-by-insecticides#post-46689 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:10:39 +0000 tisIsaidthefly 46689@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Unfortunately for me, I live in an old building where most of the apartments are NOT well sealed off from each other. I'm also on the top floor and since fumes rise, I get it all whenever anyone treats their apartment. All I have ever asked from this exterminator is that he warn me before he treats anybody in my building. He has NOT complied and as a result, I was made so sick three times already that I nearly wound up in the hospital. I have Hep C and my liver can not tolerate these toxins. Now really - I do not expect anybody to live with bed bugs. I myself react real bad to the bites and I would not wish it on my worst enemy - that they would have to live like that. But for goodness sake, is it asking too much for a little consideration - to be warned? And does anybody know the laws regarding this or how I could find out what the laws are? Thanks. </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/bed-bugs-on-the-news-tonight#post-46331 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:36:23 +0000 paulaw0919 46331@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Just got word that there is supposed to be something on bed bugs tonight on channel 7 at 5pm. (NY/NJ tri state area) </p> http://bedbugger.com/forum/topic/nightmares-anyone#post-41721 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:59:22 +0000 BrooklynNurse 41721@http://bedbugger.com/forum/ <p>Just wondering if any of you have nightmares of bedbugs almost every night. I have done thermal treatment and haven't gotten any bites or seen any in almost a month. But I have nightmares almost every night of them in all different scenarios. I don't know if I need therapy for PTSD.<br /> I think this whole thing is making me crazy. This thing is like a freakin curse. </p>