Some bugs are worse than others

[e.e.cummings]

It is enough that I cannot open my mouth on my commute in some places, but I ended up with a couple of nasty bites on the inner part of my arm on Monday. Thought nothing of it. However, it had not gotten better the entire week, and after getting back yesterday from a long ride it was really red and swelling. Went to the pharmacist who said it was probably an allergic reaction to the bites (possibly wasp or bee), told me to put ice on it, and an allergy cream. First allergic reaction of my life!

[Tri Girl]

eek!
How strange that this is your first allergic reaction in your life. I get swollen for days with just a mosquito bite.
I have to carry an epi-pen. I haven't had a bee sting since I was a kid, but the allergist told me I'm very allergic to them now and I better carry one just in case I get stung or I might go into anaphylactic shock. Ummm.... OK

[ny biker]

I had a bite on my thigh a few years ago from a rather tenacious fly that bit me through my shorts while riding at about 15 mph. By the end of the week I was at the doctor being treated for cellulitis which had spread up my leg. If I'd waited much longer to see the doctor it would probably have landed me in the hospital.

[JennK13]

Most of my rides parallel a creek at some point and the skeeters are brutal right now....i have a couple huge bites right at my knees and on my shins (i wear knickers) and one on the inside of my elbow. Like tri girl, i get a pretty good reaction just from the mosquitos. Cant even count how many Ive inhaled the last two weeks - It sucks this time of year!

[BikeDutchess]

If I'd waited much longer to see the doctor it would probably have landed me in the hospital.

Yikes! Whatever bit me through my shorts during Little Red last week was pretty nasty too. By day 2 or 3, the main welt was 2 inches across and the secondary redness/swelling got up to about 8 inches across. I was trying really hard not to scratch so it wouldn't get infected. I was about one day away from seeing the doctor when it started getting a little better, thank goodness.

[7rider]

A bunch of years ago (maybe 3-4?), I was out for a ride on a day off (DH was at work), when I got smacked in the lip by an unidentified bug. Maybe a bee. Maybe it stung me or bit me. Anyway...my lower lip swelled up to about the size of a baseball! I took a picture of myself in the mirror and emailed it to DH (I think I posted it here somewhere). He absolutely freaked out, had me call my doctor immediately, and came home to take me there. Lots of antihistamines and steroids later, it finally came down. We went out to lunch afterward (when it became apparent I wasn't going to die) at a local Chinese restaurant. We got quite a few strange looks, and eating was a challenge!

[OakLeaf]

I've probably told this story here before - but not long after DH and I started dating, I was sitting at a stoplight on my moto with the helmet visor flipped up, and a bee flew right under the earpiece of my sunglasses. I tried to dislodge it before the light turned, and got stung for my trouble. I had a beautiful shiner, and DH got the dirtiest looks everywhere we went together for the next week or so.

[e.e.cummings]

Before my own experience, I had no idea how bad it could get! Thanks for sharing. The ice and allergy cream seem to be doing its trick slowly, but I still have a large spread of redness around the bites. But you cannot notice it so much now that I have a tan/sunburn from riding yesterday. (We rode far longer than we meant to, must start breaking out the sunblock...)

[lph]

I had a beautiful shiner, and DH got the dirtiest looks everywhere we went together for the next week or so.

When my son was about 7 he took a long fall off/out of a barn door and ended up with some splendid bruising to his face. At the time I had some fine cracks in my glasses that I hadn't bothered to get fixed since I usually wear contacts. We were going to a zoo the next day, so son and I did our best to trail along behind my dh looked cowed...

I had my first allergic reaction a wasp last year. My hand swelled up like a melon and stayed that way for most of a week, still visible 2 weeks later. Very annoying, and I should be carrying an epi-pen too.

[sfa]

I got stung by a bee last week for the first time since I was a teenager and was amazed because I had NO reaction at all (other than a bit of pain at the time of the sting). Used to be I'd swell up at the sting site and all around it and stay that way for about a week.

Come to think of it, mosquito bites don't bother me nearly so much as they used to either. Maybe one day of itching and they're gone. I also don't get bitten nearly so much. I think I'm not so tasty anymore.

Sarah

[OakLeaf]

Sweat bees don't leave much of a mark on me, but it sure does hurt when they sting. I hate it because they're not aggressive, it's just they get into all sorts of tight spaces, behind your knees, inside your elbows, under your clothes, and then if you're not aware of them and you move and start to squeeze them, they panic and sting you.

[ny biker]

Sweat bees don't leave much of a mark on me, but it sure does hurt when they sting. I hate it because they're not aggressive, it's just they get into all sorts of tight spaces, behind your knees, inside your elbows, under your clothes, and then if you're not aware of them and you move and start to squeeze them, they panic and sting you.

I think I got stung by one of them last summer. It was my fault -- he was just floating along minding his own business and I rode into him so he stung my leg. Hurt like crazy but only left a small red mark.

[marni]

and then there is the time a bee flew into the open neck of my jersey, fell into my cleavage and managed to worm his way inside my bra before he bit me on the nipple.

I have been bitten by hitting bees several times on the arms and legs. Hurts a lot, leaves a red mark and aches for a bit but not nearly as devestating as the titty bite.

marni

addendum: if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a sting, you should be aware that it will probably get progressively worse each time you are bitten again and that you should take all necessary precautions before the reaction becomes life threatening- carry fast acting anit histamines, epi pen, wipes, or if worse come to worse, and you have nothing with you, be prepared to pee on the bite(bees, wasps, hornets and the like) as that will help short circuit the allergen that is in the bite.

also make sure that you carry an alert and or that the people you are riding with know that there may be a problem. Anaphalactic shock is nothing to mess around with and can kill you.

[malkin]

I didn't know that pee trick worked for insect bites. I've only heard of it for jellyfish stings.