CyprusLiving

My daughter who is 16 suffers terribly every year from mosquito bites. It has started particularly early this year and I have been told that there is an injection that may help her. This may be antihistermine.

Do you know anything about this or have any advice on the best way for her to cope?

You can also buy antihistamine tablets over the counter or if you have a health service medical card they will supply them through the government clinic pharmacy.

I used to order mine online from ChemistDirect.co.uk for the unbranded (cetirizine or clarityn/zirtek substitute) which I have to take for allergic rhinitis on a daily basis. I was also prescribed them in Cyprus previously for an allergic reaction to mosquito bites and they do help to take the itch and inflammation out of the affected area. (You can search the website for hayfever or one of the medication names I used above). Even with the postage from UK if I buy 6 packets it's cheaper than buying in Cyprus for me as I take half a tablet daily for my rhinitis (5mg - the tablets are generally 10mg).

Best advice is for your daughter to use sunscreen which contains insect repellant as well as aftersun, to stay away from damp and green areas such as trees and grass at night and always, always wear something light coloured, loose clothing to cover arms and legs once dusk arrives. Don't leave windows/doors open with the lights on inside at night - buy one of those electric zappers too (the one's you see in butchers shops), we have one that cost about €10 and it kills all sorts of flying insects.

I used to find Jungle Formula was the best repellent I could buy - some will say Avon Skin So Soft which is good for those who only have mild symptoms. For someone like me whose ankles and wrists swell to double their size if I get bitten in those places, it's not worth the risk.

There are mozzies about now because we've had wet weather combined with warm sunshine so they are in abundance and will come indoors of an evening when it cools down outside. Once the grass starts to disappear the mozzies will not be quite so bad and I find we don't usually have any trouble with them when it's very humid outside but they come back again from September onwards.

I use unbranded Cetirizine MYLAN tablets for any antihistamine purposes. Local pharmacy price is €7.94 for 30 tablets each contain 10mg Ceterizine. 26 cents a day won't break the bank.

Thank you for your replies. However, are you saying she should be taking antihistermines every day rather than having an injection or only take them as and when she has the really bad bites. At the moment I give her one when it is needed.

All I can say is I have to take 5mg every day for my allergy. The tablets I get are 10mg so I break them in half and I find my mozzie bite symptoms stay at a minimum and don't cause many problems.

However, if I do get a bite in a sensitive area which then swells and goes all dark red with "run lines" from the poison after I've been lying in bed I will increase my dose to 10mg per day for 2 - 3 days. It takes the pain and swelling out of the bite and eventually will go away. If I don't take these precautions my bites can leave a dark mark for up to 5 years...

I use a product called Mosquito Milk, available from the pharmacy. I suffer badly from the pesky things, and this has been the best to date for my family. It is in the form of a roll-on, and does not need to be applied all over the skin. We just put a couple of 'stripes' on arms and legs, 1 around the neck and around the ankles. It is not the cheapest to buy but lasts due to not having to cover entire exposed areas. Hope this helps.

I'm horribly allergic to mosquito bites, so living here I take antimoz seriously! Noise repellers in my bedroom and living room, plug in bottles of repellent and citronella oil and candles for outside. I also have a pocket sound repeller that I take everywhere - bought it in NIkolao. About tis time of year I start taking Zirtek, or its equivalent, every day and spray uncovered bits of body (especially ankles) in the morning and at dusk. It may seem like a lot of work but the consequences if I don't are both uncomfortable and unsightly as well as long lasting - so it's my routine now.

Lesley

I have to say that I don't suffer THAT badly - not as bad as some of you who have replied so far. The best repellent I have found so far is Citronella oil. I buy the small bottles and add several drops (a bit more than several) to some baby oil, shake it up and use it all over the body after a shower. It smells nice, it keeps the skin soft and it repels mozzies.
Teresa

Caroline Evans makes her own mozzie repellent from essential oils. Called 'Bug Off' it's available at the organic shop in tremithousa.
I've used it for the past two years, it's excellent.

Christine.