I am allergic to bug bites... they swell up horribly and I get really itchy and it's unbearable.  I manage to avoid getting bitten most of the time, luckily.  A few years ago, I had a flea problem with my dogs and I had bites ALL OVER ME and I looked so diseased.  I went to the doctor and he actually prescribed Atavan (anxiety medication) to combat the itchiness.  I took one and stopped because it nearly knocked me out cold.  Plus I don't think that is probably good for kids.  I would think the Benadryl is the safest thing.

 

As far as mosquitos, can you drape mosquito netting around her bed?  It make an awfully pretty princessy looking drape :)  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002HA7T0?tag=avoidmosquitobites-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B0002HA7T0&adid=1MNJPN0V5DW16RDKBY5M&

 

 

HI Jill,

 

I can tell you I know where you are comming from. My now 6th grade son had that problem. The worst was almost exactly 9 years ago, he got some bites in his little boy region, and we nearly spent his birthday in the hospital. He had oral antibiotics, benedryl, prednisone, and finally a shot of superantiobiotic as well as continuing everything else for several days. Fortunatly I can say, he has pretty much outgrown the severe swelling. He still gets a little bit of a rash/swelling at times from insect bites, but nothing like he did when he was 2-3. Our Dr at the time also recommended cold/warm packs too to help with the swelling. Keep hanging in there, it can get better!! I realize that you said you don't want to medicate your child, but you might also want to consider visiting with the Dr about allergy meds such as Zyrtec, or Claritin. My boys take them off and on for allergies, hayfeaver type stuff. I know that Zyrtec has helped my boys out from time to time. I don't like giving them meds all the time either, so it has been nice that I can get it to them when they need it.

My middle child has what has to be allergies to mosquito bites.  We've never taken him to the doctor specifically for them, but the doctor did notice one at an appointment once and said just to give him so benadryl.  They swell up to about quarter size red spots with a big blister in the middle.  After a few days the blister will either go down, but most often bursts because of the activity level of my son.  They were a cause for concern at school because of the blisters, but once I told them it was just a mosquito bite they knew it wasn't anything to worry about spreading.  We just put a bandaid on them when we're going to school to avoid the worry. 

 

It's not fun for him.  They don't always itch a lot, but I know they irritate him.  He's learned to not scratch them and most of the time doesn't.  When they are too itchy we just put a bandaid on to keep his fingers away.  We don't give him a lot of medications for it if any.  Unless they are in an uncomfortable place like his eyelid then we'll give him the benadryl for swelling.  I'm just always leary of over-medicating my kids so we don't do it unless really necessary for the bites.

 

As for the bites not showing up till the next morning, that happens a lot with my son.  He'll get bit that night and then they don't welt up until the next morning.  We went through the same thing of thinking he was getting them at night in his sleep until we started noticing a pattern of there being more of them when we were outside.

 

Michelle

Jill,

 

I know I am coming to this discussion late, but I thought I would add my own two cents.  I would recommend taking your daughter to the allergist.  My daughter(13 months old) is allergic to a variety of foods, some of which we had been giving her, but we didn't find out until she was 10 months old.  I know this isn't the same as your situation, but it is similar. 

 

My daughter has eczema which itches a lot.  Her allergist prescribed Atarax to be taken at night and nap time for itching.  This may help.

 

As for your unique case, my niece has the same problems.  My sister treats it by bascially doing the same things you are doing.  Prevention is the best course of action.  Try to avoid her exposure as much as possible. 

 

I hope this helps.

 

Hilda

Just wanted to quickly respond to you!  My daughter is now 24, and when she was little she was terribly allergic to mosquito bites.  In fact when she was in third grade we went to Disney on vacation and got all bit up the night before we left, she got so bad that we were just about to take her to the emergency room, and then we found a great surprise.  She went swimming in the hotel pool, the chlorine worked miracles.  It saved her from the emergency room that night, and then a summer later at Girl Scout Camp.  So after that if she got bitten up, off to the pool we would go.  We even found out later that it wasn't just the bugs, but she stepped on a thorn from an apple tree in the yard, and she was overnight big foot!  then bee stings, and on and on.  However she is now 24, and while the mosquitos still really like her, and they turn a bit more red than an average person, never the extreme reaction she had as a child!