Southerners: need your help

Army Wife'79 · #1 04-30-2008, 10:51 AM

What's your best home remedy for fire ant bites? I was strolling thru the MIL's gardens this past weekend wearing sandals not looking where I was going (typical Yankee) and yikes. Two bites, one on each foot. I'm on day 3 and the pain has turned to intense itching and I'm ready to take a razor blade and start digging it out (the blister) b/c it itches so much. Cortisone is not helping. Help.

BabyPiNK_FL · #2 04-30-2008, 12:12 PM

Visit your local walk-in non-emergency clinic and pay the copay. They should NOT be hurting 3 days after, something sounds wrong.

shinerbock · #3 04-30-2008, 12:33 PM

You shouldn't do this...but when we were kids and got a really bad one, we'd use the still-hot tip of a sparkler and touch it to the bite. It burned, of course, but the itching also went away.

If it is really that bad, you should certainly get a real opinion. Weird things happen with insect bites, but most of the bad results only occur when people don't seek out medical attention.

ZTAngel · #4 04-30-2008, 12:38 PM

Have you tried Benadryl? That might help with the itching.

nittanyalum · #5 04-30-2008, 12:51 PM

Never having had red ant bites, I googled it quick and yeah, I'd say go to your dr. or a doc-in-the-box to have them looked at, sounds like there could be some bad reactions in some people. Better safe than sorry.

SigKapSweetie · #6 04-30-2008, 12:54 PM

Have them looked at. After that, if they just give you hydrocortisone and kick you out the door, try a little Windex. (No, really. The ammonia takes the itch away. We used it all the time when I was a lifeguard.)

scbelle · #7 04-30-2008, 01:04 PM

I accidentally ran on top of a mound when I was little and got covered. After being thrown in the pool to get the ants off, my parents covered me in a meat tenderizer and water mixture. It took the pain and swelling down.

nittanyalum · #8 04-30-2008, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SECdomination

Wait- do fireants inhabit the entire US or what? I've never thought about it, but I assumed they were everywhere.

The reason that there's a reaction is because their bites have small amounts of poison in them. I'm not sure if yours is too severe, but some people are allergic.

This is what I referenced, it seems to indicate fire ants are mainly in the southeast (but spreading).

Fawn Liebowitz · #9 04-30-2008, 01:09 PM

Sorry you're uncomfortable, Army Wife. Hopefully a quick visit to the doctor should fix you right up.

I had to laugh about this...

Quote:

After that, if they just give you hydrocortisone and kick you out the door, try a little Windex.

Isn't Windex what the dad in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" used to cure everything?

nittanyalum · #10 04-30-2008, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SECdomination

Oh, ok. I was just a little surprised that someone had never been bit before.

LOL. There's a big wiiiiiiide world out here beyond F-L-A, SEC.

nittanyalum · #11 04-30-2008, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SECdomination

I knew that! The GATOR NATION IS EVERYWHERE!

http://identity.ufl.edu/gatorNation/tvspot.html

LOL. Ok!

Not to be a jerk, but here's me being nit-picky -- click the link and look at the very top, title line. "Gation Nation". Woops.

summer_gphib · #12 04-30-2008, 02:17 PM

Take benadryl. From my experience fire ant bites take about 2 weeks before they stop itching.

I just got bit a few weeks ago (15 bites on one foot) and are just now not itching. I still have the bumps though.

Elephant Walk · #13 04-30-2008, 03:02 PM

When my family lived in Dallas, I would walk barefoot in the summer and I seemed to always fall in fire ant piles. That being said...calamime lotion works well (if it's the thick pink lotion...I think that's calamime)

knight_shadow · #14 04-30-2008, 03:05 PM

^^^ Calamine lotion

RU OX Alum · #15 04-30-2008, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Army Wife'79

What's your best home remedy for fire ant bites? I was strolling thru the MIL's gardens this past weekend wearing sandals not looking where I was going (typical Yankee) and yikes. Two bites, one on each foot. I'm on day 3 and the pain has turned to intense itching and I'm ready to take a razor blade and start digging it out (the blister) b/c it itches so much. Cortisone is not helping. Help.

Hmmm...

this sounds like an allergic reaction (i think that because i've had lots them [reactions]) as some people are allergic to insect venom (i am one of them)

Get to a Dr./ ER/ Non-ER clinic/Paitent first or whatever you have around you. If you can still breathe it is not an emergcy and anaphlaxysis (spelling???) is usually imideiate, but I would not waste time. You are most likely allergic to the venom of the ants that bit you.

If that's what it turns out to be, then I seriously suggest you get tested for other allergies. Getting tested is one of the worst things you'll ever go through (you will think so when everything starts itching) but about a week or two of avoiding whatever you're allergic you'll start to feel than ever.

But seriously, in the mean time, you need to get that looked at. There might be some anti-venom or something similiar they can give you.

I'm really sorry you are going through this, ArmyWife, I hope your feet are better soon.