Bad allergic reaction to the bites//first infestation.

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Bad allergic reaction to the bites//first infestation.

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ghostbitten

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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 46

Posted 2 months ago
Thu Sep 3 2009 23:43:59
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Long story short, my mother had a mysterious rash in June. I went away up North for a week near the end of June (after her rash appeared), came home with so many bug bites I wasn't sure what was from up North and what I might've gotten at home when I came back in July. It wasn't until just last Saturday (August 29) that I noticed funny things I thought were hives//an allergic reaction. Much Googling after my doctor suggested they could be bb's, and here I am. I've read most of the forums here, a ton of "popular" or most-read bb-related blogs, and am joining the ranks I suppose.

My apologies if this is long.. most is posted off of my blog as well, but here goes:

I’ve a few questions… first off, about my situation, it’s not that heavy of an infestation. About a 4 on the 1-10 scale. It’s contained to my mother’s couch she sleeps on and a few ‘droppings’ on my box spring. So far nadda. Nothing dropping off of the ceiling or skittering across the floor, though the nymph I found the other day was on my desk and I caught it with tape for my landlord. Anyway: I’m living with my semi-cooperative about the whole ordeal mother who had a stroke last year due to alcoholism. She is highly prone to succumbing to stress and is narrow-minded. Until today, when I spent awhile educating her, she thought bed bugs were a personal problem. She isn’t cooperative in preparing for treatment so I’m doing my own room (I’ve the bedroom) and she can be fubar’d and get evicted for all I care. I’m frustrated. I also am on geared-to-incoming housing for my unit, and on disability. I live on a few hundred a month and my 200$ grocery money for the month? Going to laundry, dry cleaning, plastic garbage bags and Ziplocs. I’m getting rid of everything I own furniture wise except one dresser (if not infested), my desk (same), and my electronics as I need my computer for school//work.

I won’t eat this month, not like my stomach’s holding anything down anyway (I get sick from stress, badly, I guess it’s part of bipolar disorder and the way this whole thing is affecting my germphobia//contamination-OCD). I’m preparing for the initial treatment as I’ve read on many blogs over the past four days, but my main question is the itching. I’m severely allergic ( photo one & photo two for example of my bites and how they flare without itching ) and the itchiness is about an 11.5 on the 1-10 scale. I’m fighting against it but it’s worse than the itchiness of getting a new tattoo (and I got my first one a year ago, I still remember) and having something like head lice at the same freakin’ time. I’m currently using http://www.medbroadcast.com/drug_info_details.asp?brand_name_id=1151">Anugesic-HC (yes I know what it's actually for) for the itchiness and Reactine, an OTC allergy medication. Also, rubbing alcohol. I was wondering if something like GoldBond would work, or if there are any creams readily available OTC for under ten or twelve dollars that’ll last me a month? I live in Canada (Ontario) so anything that Shoppers or Dell Pharmacy would have is preferable. Ordering online isn’t an option as I don’t have a credit card.

Urgh. On top of it, my landlord and PCO (for the wasps, he’s the one who inspected) laughed at me when I suggested they check the units above and below me. LL said no and implied it started with us, the bastard. If that was so, WHY ARE WE HAVING ISSUES JUST NOW, AFTER LIVING IN THIS UNIT 11 YEARS?! Good thing, I’ve public health on my side as I called them first. The man I spoke to assured me this isn’t my fault, esp. with the background history I gave him.

Hello, my name is Mis and I’m yet another one bitten (harhar) by the bed bug fiasco. I’m leaning towards Zen about this: get rid of it all, start over with steel furniture and keep a clear, level head about it. Do we get free coffee to aid in our sleepless nights? :s

(hope I tagged/categorized correctly :3 )
bbfiend

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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 82

Posted 2 months ago
Fri Sep 4 2009 10:04:49
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ghostbitten,

i can totally understand your reaction to the bites, i am extremely allergic too and not i'm not exagerating. my husband photographs the bites.. one time i have a welt that's about 1 foot long. so there, i'm allergic. the lastest welt is about 4 inches across plus it's been 2 months and i'm still spotting the dark patches of discoloration.

here is the thing i found that helped with the itch and if i catch the bites early enough. cheap and useful for me.

i went to a chinese herbal shop and asked for this oil, mostly menthod and eucalyptus - it's called White Flower Oil. It set me back oh, maybe like US$2 for a bigger bottle and it takes away my itch instantaneously. I only apply it about 3 times daily.

I've tried all the other creams and even a prescribed one from my allergist. nothing worked. This does.

The other thing I can suggest is if you can find a Thai grocery store, ask for this talcum powder called Prickly Heat. Each time i put them all over me, before bed, the bugs don't seem to like to bite me. A big bottle is about US$2.50, at least here in NYC.

Cheap too and seems to work. Hopefully, if you use these, they would work for you too.

i can totally empathise with your frustations about the finances and the allergic reaction.

Good luck. Post your results if you try these products, I would like to know if they work on others too.
ghostbitten

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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 46

Posted 2 months ago
Fri Sep 4 2009 13:50:41
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Unfortunately our closest Asian mart that might sell anything like that is all the way across town >< It's driving me mad---I'm supposed to go out and get more Ziplocks, garbage bags etcetc, and the stress just makes you so damn sick (can't eat, can't sleep, feel constantly nauseated) and how is one supposed to get anything done like that?

So far, even this cream mom was prescribed for her "rash" isn't working. I'm about to head to the pharmacy later for hydrocortisone cream, if I can get some otc.
MyWorstFear

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Joined: Sep '08
Posts: 266

Posted 2 months ago
Fri Sep 4 2009 17:04:21
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In the US you can buy 1% hydrocortisone over the counter. Can you get Zyrtec (allergy pills) over the counter in Canada? Those might help with the itching as well.
stevebeast

newbite
Joined: Aug '09
Posts: 32

Posted 2 months ago
Sat Sep 5 2009 13:52:21
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I have been using rubbing alcohal and baking soda, mix them togethet and put the paste on the bite when it dries it will fall off.
tisIsaidthefly

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Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 91

Posted 2 months ago
Sun Sep 6 2009 15:37:01
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These bed bugs inject you with an anesthesia so you won't feel them sucking your blood. Unfortunately, I am apparently very very allergic to this stuff and it literally MELTS my skin.
I wind up with huge holes that don't heal for months and they leave big brownish red
scars all over me. Lately, it's gotten much worse and when I'm bitten, it starts to feel
like I'm going to have a heart attack or something including chest pains. I lose my breath
and my blood pressure shoots way up and then I perspire buckets. I'm not young and I'm not healthy either and this seems to be more than my body can handle. I'm getting more and more allergic. We thought we had gotten rid of them as we had none for nearly six months but
they're back.
ghostbitten

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Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 46

Posted 2 months ago
Sun Sep 6 2009 16:50:36
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tisIsaidthefly - 1 hour ago »
These bed bugs inject you with an anesthesia so you won't feel them sucking your blood. Unfortunately, I am apparently very very allergic to this stuff and it literally MELTS my skin.
I wind up with huge holes that don't heal for months and they leave big brownish red
scars all over me. Lately, it's gotten much worse and when I'm bitten, it starts to feel
like I'm going to have a heart attack or something including chest pains. I lose my breath
and my blood pressure shoots way up and then I perspire buckets. I'm not young and I'm not healthy either and this seems to be more than my body can handle. I'm getting more and more allergic. We thought we had gotten rid of them as we had none for nearly six months but
they're back.

Being someone with a slightly weak immune system and many allergies, what you're experience sounds close to a severe allergic reaction. Do you have a heart condition? I have a heart murmur and when I have a severe anxiety attack or certain types of medication (Midol and Pamprin were the last ones that caused it) -- I had a reaction like yours. I would suggest you seek medical care immediately if you're experiencing chest pains and palipitations. Even if it turns out to just be stress, it doesn't hurt to be sure. :3
bedbuggery

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Joined: Dec '08
Posts: 49

Posted 4 weeks ago
Fri Oct 23 2009 19:56:30
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HI.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation... I hope that I can offer some decent advice, here goes.

What you're feeling is not just anxiety (although you can develop a "syndrome" from the lack of sleep and anxiety which will hang around for a while. If you are feeling sick it is NOT mental. There seems to be a sensitization process involved with the bites and your body is developing something that may be a form of autoimmunity condition. From what I've read, this can be coupled by lack of sleep so if you have the chance to get a safe place to get real sleep... take advantage.
I also developed angiodema with attacks. I believe it may be related to contact urticaria (are you able to write words on your skin that flare up by pressing them in with the back of a pen?) I also had bouts of anaphylaxis that were totally unpredictable in corresponding to the bites, and these symptoms hung around and even got worse when I got away from the bugs. They also took months to recover from. This is more serious than you think- don't be anxious though- be level headed and take things at a pace you can handle as stress will be your enemy. Here is my advice to you;

First of all SEE A DOCTOR. You live in Canada right? I live in the US and don't have the option of affordable healthcare. So get in touch w/a doctor asap, get his advice and then see an immunologist, dermatologist, or allergist. You are a guinea pig and what the medical community learns from you is incredibly valuable. Document your symptoms and don't let them shrug them off as mental!
One of the best treatments I found was claritin (or zyrtec) if these are available over the counter then have them handy, steroids seem to help with the allergic reactions and (although I am no doctor) they seem to take pressure off whatever your immune system is doing to your organs. If you have difficulty breathing or a tightness or pains in your chest this is asthma. Never been asthmatic? WELL YOU ARE NOW!!! The asthma may come from the bites but can also be from inhaling bug shedding particles, much like asthma from cockroaches . You can use claritin/zyrtec in combination with benadryl (which will also seriously help the itching) but make sure you drink plenty of water or you'll end up w/ a UTI or kidney infection. Also, I was told by a naturopath to consume absurd amounts of garlic, it may make you a smelly person but it suppresses immune system inflammation and is supposed to drive away blood feeders. Last but not least.. if u develop shower urticaria (this will be hives that develop after getting out of the shower) they are not bites but the result of a skin condition. Try a cooling rinse before you get out of the shower, it seems to calm the skin and keeps them from developing. Cold showers may seem undesirable but hey, pick your battles right? Also It's probably a bad idea to stop eating.. instead, switch to foods high in protein so that you maintain your strength through this.
You can live well off hard boiled eggs.

Secondly, even if you're neighboring units aren't infested (which is unlikely if you haven't brought any new furniture into the place or traveled recently) they will be soon from your apt. Your not going to make a dent in the infestation w/ laundry and home bug spray so talk to your landlord and get treatment asap to keep things form progressing. The infestation is always worse than you think..I lived w/ bugs for 8 mos b/f seeing ANY evidence of their existence, and only then because I caught a bug red handed. If you suspect your landlord is being less cooperative than you initially believed and even if he is, learn your local landlord tenant rights. Information is free and you can even try to find a lawyer who will do a free consultation.

Lastly, know that the effort you put into fighting this problem WILL make your life easier, even if you don't see immediate results. Also, if you can get a hold of a product called "results bug powder" this is the only effective home treatment I know of and is known in the pest industry as "drion dust." Put it between your mattress and around your bed but know that it can get into the air and if you have asthma it won't help things.

Good luck to you friend, and know that you aren't alone- Bedbugs are everyone's problem.
bedbuggery

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Joined: Dec '08
Posts: 49

Posted 4 weeks ago
Fri Oct 23 2009 20:04:13
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Oh, also check your local hardware store for the drion dust. If they don't have this product then don't waste your money on anything else.
bedbuggery

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Joined: Dec '08
Posts: 49

Posted 4 weeks ago
Fri Oct 23 2009 21:19:09
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Oops! SOrry, I just re-read the posts and realized no one has asthma issues... think I got a bit carried away. Ok, well if you try Claritin or Zyrtec for the itching( and it WILL help if available and not too expensive) and it also helps with the nausea/sickness....then these symptoms would appear allergy related and NOT stress related. I also had nausea and actually vomited on occasion. If it is stress however, use benedryl (Diphenhydramine) as it will stop the itching/take the edge off the stress/ and help knock you out for a while. But ask your doc about these of course.