Horsefly bite ?

Question

I got bit by a horsefly on Monday. I'm allergic to them so it was lucky that I had my antihistamine ( no hospital visit required) but this was obviously an especially nasty one - I have a huge lump on my leg with bruising and it keeps weeping. Calamine lotion no good. Any ideas what I can put on it ?

Answer 1

Debi, they can be so nasty.

I know this sounds a bit harsh, but I always go with a dab of good old " TCP" neat from the bottle, put it on with Cotton wool. (really takes the sting away).

I hope it feels better soon.

They are such evil monsters at this time of year.

Answer 2

hydrochortisone cream. Dont itch it, as this make it swell up more. Im very allergic to horse fly bits, and i had quite a few on my leg once, so tied a horses cold wrap (that sorta thing) on to my leg for the day! did the trick!

Answer 3

tea tree oil works for me.

Answer 4

dang england...so sorry!!! sulphur powder works for everything and paw paw ointment

Answer 5

ice

Answer 6

I've always used toothpaste for all my stings and bites. Works like a dream. Also, if you've ever seen that movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where they are always spraying their cuts and burns with windex, it actually works. Yes, weird I know that anyone would try. But I've sprayed on poison ivy and all sorts of bug bites, and the swelling and itching went down considerably.

Answer 7

go to CVS and buy some alochol

Answer 8

HAVE U SEEN DA MOVIE SUPER HEROES? U SHOULD IT STUPID FUNNY AND ITS ABT A HORSEFLY BITE WUO KNOWS U MIGHT TURN IN TO A SUPER HEROE! OWNESTLY CHECK OUT DA MOVIE IS FUNNYYYYYYYY

Answer 9

Apply sodium bicarb moistened with water immediately after the sting. It gives immediate relief in pain. If sodium bicarb is not available, apply a bit of tooth paste. It also works nicely.

Answer 10

Bug bites are no fun.

The BEST thing I know of is natural, herbs. Such as, the common weed, plantain (not the banana, the weed). It looks somewhat like spinach and grows EVERYWHERE.

Take a bunch of it and blend it in the blender to make it into a thick paste or such. Then take this and apply it to your bug bite and wrap it with a gauze pad and bandage it.

Replace the plantain 2-3 times a day.

This stuff WORKS MIRACLES

Also, make sure that you do not pick it where it has been sprayed.

Answer 11

go swim, chlorine helps heal scraps and bites, i really recommend it!

Answer 12

I would use sugardine (a paste made from mixing sugar and betadine).  The sugar helps to draw out the infection, and the betadine helps clean the wound.

If you have never used on your horses before - mix sugar and betadine until you git a gritty, diarhea texture substance.  Apply that liberally to the wound and cover it with a combine dressing (feminine pad works well too) and an ace bandage.  Change it every six hours and it should help draw out any infection.

Hope you feel better!

Answer 13

use 1% hydrocortisone to remove the swelling and the redness.

Answer 14

ice, or open it up to reduce the swell.

Answer 15

ice or some special cream

Answer 16

Hm, I'd recommend some Tea Tree Oil or Aloe Vera, works on everything. Also, Benadryl cream. Oh, you're over in the UK aren't you? Okay... if they don't have Benadryl cream, then just any antihistamine I'd say.

Oh, I think that some people just go to questions and thumbs down every answer they see for the heck of it. It probably isn't even a Horses section regular.

edit: I just saw the answer that buckinfun gave, and realized it was pretty much the same as mine! Great minds think alike!

Answer 17

horse flies also like horse s.hit, so it may be infected. see the doctor

Answer 18

Benadryl cream!

My son has serious reactions to all bites and Benadryl Cream has helped him tremendously.

Heck, not sure if you have Benadryl over there. Hmmm

ANY antihistamine cream then.

My grandma was from an Indian reservation in Oklahoma.

She always used wet tobacco on our bites and wrapped them up with it for the day. Does it work? I dunno...I was a kid but I DID put it on my son when he was bit by things.  Not sure if it worked or if it just naturally went away. :)

I'm willing to try most anything.

Baking Soda made into a paste is one I have heard for bee stings.

**edit** I just read shagda (whatever it was) and remembered another Indian remedy:  Thistleweed.

Boil it up and place it over the bite.

You should hear what they do to prevent ever getting poison ivy.  :)

I'm really glad you didn't have a hospital visit.  I'd be scared to go outside if I were in your shoes!  Scared of the world!

haha

Answer 19

bactroban (anti biotic)

Answer 20

Debi:  Try vinegar, full strength, on that horsefly bite...and, take a antihistamine, i.e., Benedryl or any other that may have been prescribed by your physician.  If vinegar doesn't do it for you, try a one percent cortisone cream on that bite.  

Keep an eye out for infection or increased weeping from the wound.

Edit:  I see Phantom recommends putting vodka directly on the wound...nuts to that...I'm sure that having a little shot of vodka mixed with  tomato juice would make you feel a lot better in a big hurry...!  And, you'll get your vitamin "C" for the day!

LOL

Answer 21

Benadreal(sp?) has a gel for things like that. I got into Sumac one time & it is soooooooo ichy & that was the only thing that helped!! Not too sure what they have on your side of town.....

****edit***

Everyone saying cream, there is a gel that works great!!!! Thats what I was meaning.

Answer 22

e45 cream allways works for me!

Answer 23

Put Vodka on it,

Saw this on MythBusters. . .it worked.