Horse fly bite help! Pictures so be warned!

Get to the docs, that's nasty! Have had similar on my arm, and i was quite ill, cellulitis, and high temp.
i went up to get mine in for the farrier today, got four bites in an hour (none causing problems so far!) and a broken nail. Farrier didn't turn up, so at least I came home with something! :D
 
Oh that looks really uncomfortable ..an AB job I think. I had a similar reaction to a mozzie bite recently and luckily ab+steroid cream from the pharmacy worked ??got a 2nd one just before I returned home and caused a panic on the flight as my ankle swelled up really badly and as they had no antihistamines on board I was given a bag of ice and spent the whole flight with my foot elevated and a bag of ice cubes balanced on it.
 
i have been bitten 3 times in the last two weeks ,, the first bite my armed swelled up about 3 times its size .. it was extremely painful and id applied after bite on it within minutes of the bite .. it did not help .. the second time was on back of my leg the horse fly had bitten right through my leggings and again i was in alot of pain and it swelled up like a balloon .. i was then told to apply citronella before i went to the areas with said horseflys ( you can get it at the chemist bout 2 quid ) .. just mix afew drops with oil .. baby oil / almond oil and spray it on yourself .. Yesterday i got bit again .. i had been doing my research .. firstly apply saliva till you can treat it at home .. when i got in i made a mixture in a little tea cup of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar .. waited afew minutes then applied mixture to arm where i was bitten again .. i also took an antihistamine tablet straight away .. at least a 10 ml tablet .. success horse fly bite didnt blow u into a full blown allergic reaction ... and today instead of having an arm 3 times its size i just have a red lump :D i hope this helps x x
 
OP, glad you got yourself to the Drs. Hope it all starts to get better soon.

I've always reacted to anything that bites - wasps and ants in particular and have looked like you did more times than I care to remember :(

I've not tried after bite yet, but after all the recommendations I think I'll be making a visit to a pharmacy to get some. I have discovered though in the course of trialling all sorts of lotions and potions, that Anthisan is the worst thing I can put on a bite - although an antihistamine it just makes the reaction 10 times worse and lass 10 times longer. There have been times when I've ended up wishing I could ride side saddle!
 
Super size like this -

This is the dark giant horsefly, hideous thing. The fly in the picture is a smidge under an inch long; it was trying to eat the Anticob (and he would take a lot of eating!) when I killed it.

2015-07-04-2320_zpsd8aajcoh.jpg


A couple of years ago, not far from me, a man died after a reaction to a horsefly bite. I wonder if it was one of these that caused it.
 
Beausmate said:
Super size like this -

This is the dark giant horsefly, hideous thing. The fly in the picture is a smidge under an inch long; it was trying to eat the Anticob (and he would take a lot of eating!) when I killed it.

2015-07-04-2320_zpsd8aajcoh.jpg


A couple of years ago, not far from me, a man died after a reaction to a horsefly bite. I wonder if it was one of these that caused it.
Click to expand...

ahhhhhh we had two in the house I thought were wasps so I use the electric bug bat on them. Gave me a sadistic buzz ( scuse the pun ) watching it go Z Z Z Z ZZ ZzzzZZzzz on the electric bat
 
Oh you poor thing. Hope you recover quickly! I react to an insect bites, one particular occasion they spread all around my entire body and then proceeded to blister. I was in absolute agony, they were so itchy I couldn't sleep and I ended up on steroids, steroid cream and the strongest antihistamines I could get.
 
As The Tank says, if they offer you an Epipen, grab it with both hands! After a reaction like that I would be seriously considering asking for one anyway. Weird thing with bites and stings is that you can either build up a resistance, or your resistance will be reduced. DEET containing preps don't seem as effective for horseflies as it is for Mozzies. Hope you have a speedy recovery!
 
I swell up just like that. One bit me on the back of my hand, that ended up looking like a water-filled surgical glove and the arm was swollen to the armpit. Apis Mel tablets 30c, at least 4 times a day for at least 5 days as soon as you get bitten. Antihistamine does nothing for me whatsoever but the Apis Mel will keep it to a small localised swelling with little itching. I carry a tube in my car, and one in my handbag. It has NEVER failed me yet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top