[ElenaG.]

Hi,

This question pertains to my 13 yo daughter. She has positive ana and other symptoms. Appointment in August at Children's Boston. We went camping last week. Obviously we all got bug/mosquito bites even after applying bug spray.

Rachel's mosquito bites all turned to bruises with swelling and then some hard areas underneath the skin!! Does this happen to anyone else? The poor kid look like she had been beat!

thanks, her mom

 

[jude mack]

Hi Elena

Not all my bug bites turn into bruises, but some do, with hard lumps underneath the skin. I am allergic to bug bites, so maybe this is the cause. I've never questioned it as I've been like this since I was a kid. I can understand beaten look, I have been pulled aside and questioned many times. Hopefully she feels better soon.

Hugs Jude

 

[denalirat]

I wouldn't worry too much. Almost all of my bug bites end up looking HORRIBLE. They get extremely swollen and bruise pretty deeply most times. I have been questioned on many occasions about this...especially one time after a visit to Yellowstone and I acquired so many bites and bruises that I looked like I had been mugged! Mine also get hard lumps underneath them.

I think I read somewhere a long time ago that these kind of reactions to bug bites are often common in lupus patients (or maybe it was autoimmune patients in general, not sure). Anyway, I've never had problems other than it being an annoyance, dealing with the major swelling (this doesn't get in the way unless I get bitten on my face!!), and the bites taking quite a while to heal. It sure is tough to not itch the mosquito bites though...


-kit

 

[annada]

Hi,


I just wanted to say that my 3 yr. old grandson is the same way. The bites get hugh and look just realy bad. Some times the bites stay for several days as he just can't keep his little hands off and I feel so sorry for him. He seems to attrack the darn things I swear. Even tho he is sprayed with Off repellant he still has a hard time with it.

They say a Downy fabric softener sheet tucked into the shirt or hanging in the pocket will help keep them at bay. Also heard that sweet basil tied in thin netting and hung in the rooms will repel these bugs. I don't get bit much, I think these bugs probably die after they get a taste of me! With all the things I have going on with the bod nowadays.

Take care,
Ruth

 

[peonyprincess]

Mom,

I have to agree with Ruth, I do not get bit that often either. It probably is because they die after getting a taste of me. Those that make it back to "bug camp" spread the word that I am poisonous and to fly quickly away. You know, the bug worlds Paul Revere.

Anyway, I seriously do not get bit often at all. I do not even remember having any bug bites this year. One thing I can say is that I have a cat that like to play a little rough. I have cat scratches all over my arms and the scratches have turned into scars. I have had cats all my life and it wasn't until now that these minor scratches have turned into bruises, and nasty scars. My docs actually thought that I was cutting myself. Please.......I cannot hardly grasp a knife. Anyway, my point, and I do have one, or maybe it is more of a question, hmmmm...... I wonder if it is something with the way our body has a really screwed up immune system and then bleeding disorders, that it leaves such injuries as bruises and scars. Anyone else have similiar problems??

NANCY

 

[Raglet]

definitely, some people are allergic to bug bites. My daughter is - when she was just a baby, she had a horrendous crop of what I thought were mosquito bites on her face. I estimated that there were over 60 on her tiny little face. The doctor told me that they won't all have been bites, that she will have had a couple of bites on her face but had an allergic reaction to them and had an outbreak of hives (which were lumpy) all over her face.

She looked terrible - I remember being out grocery shopping and having other shoppers clucking disapprovingly at me telling me that 'i shouldn't bring a child like that out shopping'. I felt like the worst mother in the world, but actually she was quite healthy, just itchy, and looked like she had the plaque ! She was quite happy sitting up in the supermarket trolley, she liked going shopping and it was distracting her from the itchies (she was covered in calamine lotion as it is very safe for babies who chew and suck on everything).

btw, my daughter doesn't have lupus, she just happens to be allergic to mosquito bites (bee stings make her swell up, but that is another story).

Hope your daughter's bites improve soon

cheers

raglet

 

[Forest Gump]

Hi I am the same with some insect bites but not all. Copied this from the Dr Hughes Alternative Criteria for Lupus.

4. Severe reaction to insect bites

This, as far as I know, is not reported. yet it is a feature of so many lupus patients. Ask your patients whether they were particularly susceptible to insect bites; not only are they susceptible, but often the reactions were severe and prolonged. Whether this feature is confined to any subset (? Ro positive) of lupus patients is unknown. The skin is a major organ affected by lupus. It would be surprising if hypersensitivity to insect bites were not an important phenomenon in lupus.

 

[ElenaG.]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for all of your prompt responses and well wishes.

Being that her dad is portuguese, all of her cuts and bruises have become raised and healed that way. Just like many african americans, her scars stay raised and lighter color than her skin for some time.

Mosquito bites have always made her swell, but the bruising so bad was new this summer. I figured that as many people w/o lupus would have a similar reaction. I thought maybe in her case could be her body's hyper reaction to the foreign body/substance trying to attack it.

My son got a few bites that do not look like hers, I must have gotten bit but did not have any reaction until the first night home and I woke up in the middle of the night so itchy I couldn't sleep.

She also stepped on a piece of wood with filthy nails in it. Luckily her tetanus shot was up to date. I read a few days later that people with Lupus should not have live organisms or bacteria if you will, injected in to their systems. I just cannot wait until this is all sorted out.

thanks.............Elena

 

[halfpintfl]

Hi mom, I have no experience with that, I just cover up. But if you think that she my be a lupie, or just because those bites really sound awful, I would take her to whatever dr. that you can see the soonest. Post here after, and let us know what happens.

 

[Steffanee]

Bug bites are icky!! My skin wont heal for weeks and then leaves a slight scar. Max (my dog) had a sharp toenail, that small scratch took 4 weeks to heal!! For me, I cant even be under floresenct lightbulbs. Lupus really effects my skin but my doc warned me not to us anything with DEET. It can absorb into the skin get into your system. This is not a 100% guarentte that will happen with everyone, but I cant use Deet, it cause me to go into a flare. But I saw a commercial BullFrog I think was the product that was a sunscreen and bug repelent, made w/o Deet. Check around to see if that will help keep the bugs away.

Take Care, Steffanee

 

[ginlyn]

Yes for the very first time I am having an allergic reaction to Mesquito bites

Mom,

I have to agree with Ruth, I do not get bit that often either. It probably is because they die after getting a taste of me. Those that make it back to "bug camp" spread the word that I am poisonous and to fly quickly away. You know, the bug worlds Paul Revere.

Anyway, I seriously do not get bit often at all. I do not even remember having any bug bites this year. One thing I can say is that I have a cat that like to play a little rough. I have cat scratches all over my arms and the scratches have turned into scars. I have had cats all my life and it wasn't until now that these minor scratches have turned into bruises, and nasty scars. My docs actually thought that I was cutting myself. Please.......I cannot hardly grasp a knife. Anyway, my point, and I do have one, or maybe it is more of a question, hmmmm...... I wonder if it is something with the way our body has a really screwed up immune system and then bleeding disorders, that it leaves such injuries as bruises and scars. Anyone else have similiar problems??

NANCY

Hi for the very first time I am experiencing a mesquito bite allergy attack and my cat left a really large scare on my chest area after scratching me! that was the first day after bringing her home she has learned to keep her claws in of her own doing since. As far as the Mesquito bite reactions this has been a first ever and it just goes to back up what I have been saying about my symptoms and lupus. Finding knowlegable Doctors about Lupus seem to be another subjet entrirely.

 

[Pink Pearl]

It seems that the mosquitos this year have been absolutely insane. I have NEVER had as much trouble with them as this year. The new OFF mosquito repellers DO work!!! The key is to use fresh batteries in them. I am one who always uses the "coils" that you burn to keep them away. But, the new OFF do keep them out of the area. Highly recommend that if you are in areas with massive problems, you use at least two per person. When in the garden, I hang them on the fence near me, or put them on a belt or some other thing to hang on so my hands are free. I still rely on the coils, but the others do work. I live in a rural area, above a wetland, and our mosquitos are HUGE. We, not so jokingly, refer to them as "huey helicopters." Also, not so joking, claim that 4 of them could carry off a grown adult.

Something I noticed this year is that we had VERY FEW swallows. Not sure if it was our cold spring & early summer, but it was a major problem as we know how many bugs they do away with. When it warmed up, we got a few of them, but not the usual number we get. They were gone a couple weeks later in their annual migration. Wonder what it means for the next year. I have been very careful to not leave any buckets or containers with water in them. The soil was so soaked, the mosquitos were breeding in it! I had to have the local True Value Hardware to special order the mosquito coils for me as the regular stores were not carrying them any longer this year. So, if you need, get them on a special order, it only took a few days for them to get here.

I have had the hard lumps after a "no-see-ums" bite, but not the mosquitos. The n-s-u are a very small bug that can get thru most screens. They are nasty little devils.

Sally

 

[keebler]

Hi Ladies,

This is an old thread. July 26, 2007 and the member who started this thread hasn't been here since 9-10-07.
If you would like you could start a new thread.
Love,
Lyn

 

[nancypittman]

WOW> thats weird, i live in the country & every mos. bite i get welps up huge & leaves a even bigger bruise (I got s.l.e) It's somethang i need 2 talk 2 the dr. about & u 2!

 

[nancypittman]

Hello, my name is nancy also, I know exactalty what you mean! Lupus effects the skin & tissues, so most of the time i get bit by a bug or scratched by my cat's it isn't intil later that i notice it, I'm head 2 toe n bruises & scars! I have s.l.e type, I'm still learning about this horrific disease!

 

[keebler]

As I said in a post this is an old thread. (2007)

Feel free to start a new thread and you will get more replies from members.

I am going to close this thread so there isn't any confusion.
Love,
Lyn