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04 April 2011

Hives? I have a bugbite(?) that's swollen to the size of an egg and seems to be getting bigger. There's a red fingertip-sized area in the middle that I think is the original bugbite. IIIIITCHEEEEEE. Help me, hydrocortisone cream, you're my only hope!
Just throwing out the possibility that it's a spider bite. Those are the only bites I've ever had that swelled that badly and left the bite mark in that way. You might want to read through the recommendations here - don't scare yourself, though! most are harmless - and just keep an eye out for any of the problem symptoms that mean you should get checked out.
posted by Miko 04 April | 10:51
Has everyone forgotten already?
posted by pjern 04 April | 11:58
I missed that somehow, pjern. What an ordeal.
posted by Miko 04 April | 12:54
Are you certain it's not a swollen lymph node or a cyst? I had a cyst in my back two summers ago that got pretty big; I had it drained by a dermatologist (though it had started to go down on its own by then). It had a mark that looked like it could have been a bug bite.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 04 April | 13:54
Not at all, TPS; did yours itch like crazy? It doesn't feel--to the touch--like the raised, flat, circular hives I've encountered before, but they were on a horse. I've never seen hives on a person. This is egg shaped and swollen convexly, not flat.

One of the dogs has a chronic cyst that I drain when it swells up (with the vet's blessing). It doesn't feel like that does, either while it's filling or when it's so swollen it needs draining. Again, animals != people, so I don't know.

Hope I didn't bring up any too-bad memories, pjern.

ITCHEEEEEEEEEEEEE. ITCHEEEEEEEEEEEEE. RRRG.
posted by galadriel 04 April | 14:04
ant bites do that to me.
posted by gaspode 04 April | 14:28
Wow, gaspode, that's awful. I get bitten by ants, often fire ants, maybe once a month or so; can't imagine having a response this bad to something that I run into so often.
posted by galadriel 04 April | 14:52
Yep. I'm allergic to pretty much everything that stings and bites, but ants seem to get me the worst (well, except for the bee/wasp anaphylaxis, but that's on another level).
posted by gaspode 04 April | 15:33
Mine wasn't too itchy, no. Mainly uncomfortable, particularly as it took on hunch-like proportions.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 04 April | 15:37
I do not miss the fire ants of Texas. Got bitten lots of times and they're so itchy! My mum got bit by a spider and the doctors insisted it was poison ivy. I don't know how they missed it because it was a classic spider bite. It finally healed on its own but it took a long while.

I'm sorry I can't help you with your problem, galadriel, but do keep an eye on it. Things like that can turn septic fairly quickly.
posted by deborah 04 April | 18:23
Oh, deborah, I was just hoping for sympathy, really. The itching is driving me out of my head. But thank you :)

Must...not...scratch...
posted by galadriel 04 April | 19:27
Just thought of something - cold. Can you put a bag of frozen peas or something like that on it?
posted by deborah 04 April | 22:13
I can't recommend that you do this, but what helps me when I have something itchy like that is to take my hair dryer, on high, and aim it at the itch till it gets too hot and I have to pull it away. Then, I don't touch it, don't scratch it and in a minute it quits itching. I don't hold the hairdryer on my skin, I don't give myself a burn, but somehow the pain short circuits the itch. I am very careful not to cause myself grave injury. I am not saying you should try this because I don't know you and I can't be there with you and IANYD but that's what works for me.
posted by boscosmom 05 April | 06:18
Hot water is safer than the hairdryer, and works wonderfully.

Be careful not to scald yourself, but run hot hot water over the area until it starts to feel, well, icy. This is a signal that your nerves are scrambled, and you should be almost completely itch-free for a couple hours.
posted by Specklet 05 April | 11:06
About the Sunday night/Monday morning downtime. || Midwestern politeness is bringing me down.

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