Mosquito bites

Spacer

I got my face and hands covered in them in Agra last night, luckily my arms and legs were well covered, any idea what's the best way to get rid of them quickly. I have some Fucibet cream but I can't see that doing much. At the moment I look like a 16 year old with an acne problem, plus Agra is an annoying kip which isn't helping the problem either only another 7 or so hours until my train to Varanasi anyway. Anyone know what Varanasi islike with regards to mosquitos?

mira4bai4

Hi Spacer,
Don't itch them!!!

Try this previous thread

vinayverma

If you have time, go and consult a doctor.
for Varanasi, better buy a mosquito repellent cream (not sure if spray is available in Agra and if it'll be effective) from a local chemist shop.
Haven't used for years now, but there is one local indian brand called 'Odomas' (its odourless and white like a gel).
In Varanasi, ask the hotel guy to provide you with mosquito repellent (electric ones).
Hope this helps

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Spacer

Nice one for the replies folks, much apreciated. I'm really paranoid about getting malaria even though I'm taking doxycycline, so the bites are a major annoyance.

iasis

Have heard that Odomos works comparing with all the other Indian mosquito repellents...havent try it though!

Nick-H

I've been trying to find something good to put on bites too. It's all well and good talking about reppelants, but when itching all over it is a bit late ;-(.

Odomos doesn't work well for me. Repel, a DEET repellant works better, but it didn't stop me being bitten yesterday.

But once I'm being kept awake by more than two or three bites I find applying cream just does nothing: might as well take an antihystamine tablet for all-over relief.

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machadinha

There's a Dutch product called prrrikweg ("itchy-go", seriously ), if you do a search on it it appears to be listed together with Azaron, Afterbyte, Nestosyl or you can even find in-depth English studies on it, maybe those latter names are available where you're at or those studies will tell you what the active ingredient is. Mosquito milk is a sturdy repellent which I found also eases itchy bites, probably just because it cools you (so you might try clear alcohol as well for instance -- ehm for *external* use folks), but it (the milk) used to be unavailable or at least very hard to get in India.

For prevention local citronella-based creams or oils are OK and easy to find, maybe Odomos is one of those, I don't remember the brand name. Mosquito milk is handy in heavily-infested areas, and of course some people attract mosquitoes more than others. Calamine lotion helps against many irritations so maybe against mosquito bites too? Treating bites with vinegar might also help.

Nick since you were talking about your mosquito troubles in another thread, I really recommend using those mosquito coils, they do a good job. Just don't put the house on fire with them

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*jyoti*

When I was in Haiti, a nurse recommended using Hydrogen Peroxide, which I assume is available in India. It cools it off and dries it out, and does stop the itching for a bit, but you have to keep putting it on about every hour or it starts itching again (especially if you scratch one--then suddenly they all itch again!).

machadinha

Hmm interesting. Handle with care/heavily diluted I presume or you'll burn your skin away?

*jyoti*

Well, we used the same kind you'd get at a US pharmacy, which I believe is already 2% or something like that. Not the straight stuff, of course! Here, it's pretty common as part of a first aid kit, but again, I don't know about India, etc.

--Jyoti

rangss

I need mosquito-proofing only at night when I sleep. So I bought an Air Conditioner.

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machadinha

I see Jyoti. I wasn't being cynical, just thinking of bleaching my millimetered hair, don't leave that stuff on too long! But I can see that it would work yes.

Aloe vera is a good natural product against all sorts of skin irritations actually, if it grows freely in India just break a leaf and apply the sap to your skin. Good against sunburn, rashes, insect bites and as a skin moistener. If it doesn't grow there then try to get some plants for your balcony/garden, or an aloe product from the drugstore of course.

*jyoti*

I had a friend who we barely stopped from bleaching his hair--WITH BLEACH! Straight from the bottle. Oi.

Aloe Vera in the wild!? That I have to see!

machadinha

There was no wild aloe in Haiti? That's funny, it grew everywhere where I grew up in the Caribbean. A quick search suggests it grows freely along India's SE coast at least and is cultivated all over the place. I never paid much notice to it when I was there I'd have to say, mosquitoes are only moderately fond of me luckily.

I could do a lengthy post for Nick on bug control but a) I was a kid and didn't do all the cleaning b) we had a trade wind which was immensely helpful (sort of like a natural constant fan) c) there were no mosquito-borne diseases, other than yellow fever which some guy came to spray for every half year or so, he looked like he'd been eaten by the foul chemicals himself really, icky stuff. Anyway maybe some Indian members can tell us what they do for control on this or the other thread, AC is obviously helpful but not for those twilight hours unless you want to live in an airsealed freezer after 7 each day.

mira4bai4

Have to pass once again a vote for Rawleighs' Medicated Ointment, the blue and white tin, a little goes a long way. The other day I got a good dose of bites and one was a pest for a few days but the Rawleighs cleaned the lot up. Check the stuff out its been round for hundreds of years, well 18 something anyway.