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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,992
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Cellulitis from insect bites

We know how very serious cellulitis is so I am sharing my experience.

 

I have developed a sensitivity to insect bites--mainly mosquitos or maybe some unknown little flies or bugs?

 

The first time was about 2 years ago and I got a mosquito bite. No big deal, so I put some cortisone on it. Within 3 days I developed a wide spread red inflammed area on my leg about the size of your spread out hand. The bite itself never festered. Since the reddness and the heat of the area alarmed me I went to a walk in clinic. The PA drew the area with a sharpie and warned me to watch the area carefully. I was RXed Kenalog bid 10 days.

 

It has happen 2 times since then. I've talked to my PCP who said some people just develop this sensitivity. It's almost impossible to use repellant over my entire body every day. The last episode involved a bit on my lower tush so it would not have been covered by repellant. We were traveling so I think it came from the hotel room or airplane. 

 

So if you bug bite gets angry seek medical attention.

 

 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,902
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Cellulitis from insect bites

I developed cellulitis on my arm from a bee sting about 20 years ago.

Fortunately it cleared up following a trip to the emergency room.

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,913
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Cellulitis from insect bites

[ Edited ]

 

@granddi 

 

I spent over 6 days in the hospital with cellulitis on several different antibiotic IV Drips. Mine originated from one of our cats biting me when we were putting tick/flee protection on him.

I say a picture online showing the roof inside a dogs mouth covered with bugs. The article said "many mistake them for lady bugs", and they are not. Can't remember the name of them, but if did say it could be fatal for them if not removed.

 

Where we live, in s heavily treed area, I  have seen many different types of flying bugs I have never seen before. Where they came, or come from, I have no idea. I learned from my cat bite, if an area around the bite gets bigger and/or more red? I ain't fooling around with it, I  am heading to a walk-in clinic or the ER right away.

 

Cellulitis is not something anyone should take lightly as it can lead quickly to infections that can be fatal to them.

 

Appreciate you posting this to make others aware of what could lead to a deadly problem for them or those close to them.

 

 

 

hckynut

 

hckynut(john)
Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,913
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Cellulitis from insect bites


@queendiva wrote:

I developed cellulitis on my arm from a bee sting about 20 years ago.

Fortunately it cleared up following a trip to the emergency room.


 

 

@queendiva 

 

What did they do for you in the ER in 1999?  Just curious since you said "it cleared up".

 

 

 

hckynut

hckynut(john)
Super Contributor
Posts: 476
Registered: ‎04-24-2011

Re: Cellulitis from insect bites

About 9 years ago on a Saturday evening, I picked something up on my deck (I live in NYC) and immediately felt the pain of an insect bite on my middle finger.  I did not see what kind of insect it was.  Within an hour I knew I had to seek treatment.  I went to the hospital ER.  They gave me a prescription for erythromycin.  As days went by I could see and feel that this antibiotic wasn't helping and the bite site was getting redder and looked like fluid developing under the skin.  I went to an internist who tried to get the fluid out but wasn't successful.  The next morning I could barely bend my fingers and couldn't make a fist.  Back to the emergency room and was immediately put on IV drips of Clindamycin and Cipro -- what the doctors called the "big guns".  I was admitted to the hospital for 3 days with IV's of both meds every 6 hours.  After being released, I was on the pill versions for another week.

 

So, yes, I know full well about cellulitis developing from an insect bite.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,295
Registered: ‎03-27-2010

Re: Cellulitis from insect bites

@hckynut   I know you love your "kids", cat bites not only are very painful but potentially dangerous.  Glad you made it through your hospital experience.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,917
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Cellulitis from insect bites

@granddi @I wear eucalyptus oil and a little tea tree oil on my pulse points and ankles.I also put a little under my hair at nape of neck.I used to get horrible bug bites that took forever to heal but now they seem to leave me alone.Spiders don’t like peppermint either.Thanks for the warning to seek treatment and I hope that you will be bit free this summer.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,913
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Cellulitis from insect bites

[ Edited ]

@phoenixbrd wrote:

@hckynut   I know you love your "kids", cat bites not only are very painful but potentially dangerous.  Glad you made it through your hospital experience.


 

 

@phoenixbrd 

 

First I want to thank you for your kind words. Our cats are our kids. You probably read my oft told story of cats bring dropped off(thrown out) on the highway above our home. Many of them were carrying litters. 

 

All of out present cats are either from 1 or more of those litters, or ones we brought in from outside our home. I knew cat bites hurt a bit because I have bitten more times than I can remember. It isn't easy to take kittens away from there mothers, even when the mother is friendly.

 

I have had to get under our pine and spruce trees to get ahold of some of the kittens, and though they are small, they still easily can bite a finger, even through my gloves. To say nothing of their ability to use their very sharp little claws.

 

Some of our indoor cats(probably total over 40) were not particularly fond of being medicated, orally/topically/internally via IV, and use their instinctive protection modes to get away from you.

 

The cat that bit me did just that. This med had to be put behind his head, low enough so he could not lick it off. My wife was putting it on(yes it took 2 of us) and I was holding his face and head. He somehow managed to pull loose and bite me below my knuckles, between the tendons, which was very deep.

 

Cleaned the wound as I did all the other bites, and went on doing whatever we had stopped to do this. It was on a Thursday evening and I thought little more about it, even though there was discomfort, as with all my other bites. The next morning was a different story. My hand had swelled so much I could not even close it.

 

Fortunately I was able to get in to see my Nephew-in-law, an MD, as my GP had no openings, nor did my NIL. He immediately sent me to the ER to start the IV antibiotics drip, while the hospital was setting up a room. My hand eventually got close to twice as big as my right hand(fortunately) my dominant hand.

 

From there it took months before I could do much with my left hand, and over 6 months of hard work to get my hand, and finger strength back. Long ordeal for sure, and at s time when our home had flooded with Sewage.

 

Jasper is a friendly and sweet cat, but 1 our vet said had a certain type of bacteria that can cause this. He told us it is very uncommon for him to see his cat patients with this, or any other kinds of dangerous bacteria, especially those that are Indoor Only Felines. 

 

We now use a much different approach when we administer this gel type med every year. Our other 5, don't even do anything but purr, when we do the same, and it takes only 1 of us.

 

Stay well now, and WOW that was a long one, even for me.       =^..^=

 

 

 

hckynut

hckynut(john)
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,915
Registered: ‎06-15-2014

Re: Cellulitis from insect bites

Cover your skin

Don’t wear fragrance 

Insecticide bracelets are available, I use them, they work.

 

There are many, many more tips on the web.

 

Good Luck.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 35,608
Registered: ‎05-22-2016

Re: Cellulitis from insect bites

Cellulitis occurs more frequently with people who have chronic conditions, for example diabetes or are immunocompromised. Most healthy people do not have these kinds of skin infections, though it still can happen, and the bacteria that causes it is usually counteracted by the skin's normal flora of a healthy person.