Insect bites and LCHF.

[GrantGam]

There's some stuff you can get from Avon that deters gnats and their other little bitey friends. Its called Skin-So-Soft and its a spray oil in a greenish-blue bottle (you must get the spray oil). We had a friend who had to do a lot of camping out in the Army and he buys loads of it - and told Mr Chook about it during one summer when Mr C was getting badly bitten. It must have some kind of deterrent in it because if he walks in to one of those clouds of swirling gnats they all avoid him. It smells nice, too.

No, I'm not an Avon lady.

Has helped me a lot when fly fishing in the Scottish Highlands.

Just to add, carbs or no carbs, I get bitten chronically. I must say that over the last couple of years, I've seen a huge increase in Cleg bites (horse flies to those South of the border). Whether the frequency of bites have increased - or just the severity of reaction, who knows...

Totally covered in them just now after a few days out on the mountain bike. No use... Death to them all!

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

So I am wondering if there is something to do with the metabolic changes to do with running on fats which has reduced/eliminated my reaction.

My wife always said that I was bitten by the mozzies and not her because my BG was higher. I was told that Marmite was the answer (eaten not smeared on the skin) and I have stayed at hotels where they now have Marmite on the breakfast table because of this. Since taking vitamin B12 regularly I don't seem to so attractive to mosquitoes whereas my wife now knows what it's like.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Ooooooh @LittleGreyCat that's really interesting! That could so be the case! I suppose what we eat could well determine how we taste!

I haven't noticed a difference in how delicious I do or don't taste to nasty wee fanged beasties since lowering my carb intake, but a couple of weeks ago I had a bite on my calf that was *just* a bite, and then it morphed overnight into something so very alarming that I was googling both cellulitis and Lyme disease. It is neither, I am glad to report, but it was the itchiest thing I have ever had, and the redness has only just gone! And it sort of spread and grew and got redder and thicker, and ended up about the size of the lid on a small yoghurt pot, but with ragged edges.

Goodness knows what species the beastie was, but it was certainly a card-carrying member of the evillest branch of its family tree..............

If it gets big, red and nasty and isn't clearing after 3 days then it is worth going to the surgery in case it is infected.

I have had infected bites from time to time; could have been a horse fly or something which didn't brush its teeth properly.

Last time was a dumb bunny moment; I had an infected bite on my wrist and I mentioned to my partner that I had this funny red line up my arm. (Doh!)

Phone up and into the surgery within 30 minutes. Strong antibiotics. Doc also drew a biro line on my arm to show where the red line stopped so I could see that it wasn't growing.

Top man!

 

[LittleGreyCat]

I think the Avon stuff the SAS use is called "Oh, so not a pouf" although I could be misremebering.

We tend to use a 50/50 mix of Dettol and baby oil. Picked this up from a boat skipper in NZ who used it for everything from insect repellent to grazes.

It does work extremely well, but you do go around smelling "interesting".

 

[JohnEGreen]

My grandson sprays on so much cologne no living creature on Earth can get within fifty feet of him.

 

[Brunneria]

My grandson sprays on so much cologne no living creature on Earth can get within fifty feet of him.

But at least he is safe from the SAS.

 

[Moosepig]

Apparently the sweeter you taste the more you get bitten.

couldn't agree more - ive always suffered from any insect bite - gnats, cat fleas, etc - but since my levels have raised my legs are disgusting and not for public display!!

 

[glucoseintolerant]

All my life I have been a martyr to insect bites.
They always seem to swell up enormously.
A mosquito bite on the ankle can be crippling as I can hardly bend the ankle and have to wear sandals because I can't lace up shoes.

Strangely, since I switched to proper LCHF I don't seem to have had this problem.
Insect bites just seem to itch and be gone in 3 days.

So I am wondering if there is something to do with the metabolic changes to do with running on fats which has reduced/eliminated my reaction.
Something a simple as blood glucose feeding the reaction. I know there is a view at the moment that some cancers are sugar hungry, and LCHF can reduce or stop their growth.

Further (unplanned) test under way.
I had the doors and windows open yesterday evening to help keep cool and I've been bitten a few tim,es.
Let us see if all goes well.

There's some stuff you can get from Avon that deters gnats and their other little bitey friends. Its called Skin-So-Soft and its a spray oil in a greenish-blue bottle (you must get the spray oil). We had a friend who had to do a lot of camping out in the Army and he buys loads of it - and told Mr Chook about it during one summer when Mr C was getting badly bitten. It must have some kind of deterrent in it because if he walks in to one of those clouds of swirling gnats they all avoid him. It smells nice, too.

No, I'm not an Avon lady.

i read that roll on deodorant stops bites itching. Tried it and it works for me!

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Latest bites seem to have gone away.

I find that toothpaste stops bites itching.
Best used overnight so as not to scare people with the white blotches, though.

 

[Wenan]

It became a family joke when I was a teenager that I had 'Eat Me' written in insect language on my forehead! I was always bitten first and the most out of all the family. I was diagnosed with T2 when I was 48. Now 53 I use antihistamines regularly, which do help a bit. I was very much underweight back then and am still 'normal' weight according to the diabetic nurse.

 

[HelenHak]

There's some stuff you can get from Avon that deters gnats and their other little bitey friends. Its called Skin-So-Soft and its a spray oil in a greenish-blue bottle (you must get the spray oil). We had a friend who had to do a lot of camping out in the Army and he buys loads of it - and told Mr Chook about it during one summer when Mr C was getting badly bitten. It must have some kind of deterrent in it because if he walks in to one of those clouds of swirling gnats they all avoid him. It smells nice, too.

No, I'm not an Avon lady.

Boots do an after sun and a sun cream that are insect repellent too

 

[shammieu]

All my life I have been a martyr to insect bites.

Got me reading the whole thread just by that line.

Anyway, like you, bugs of all kinds love me, too. I asked my doctor about this and I was told that no, insects (especially mosquitoes) don't bite me because of my condition.

 

[sarahmorter2]

There's some stuff you can get from Avon that deters gnats and their other little bitey friends. Its called Skin-So-Soft and its a spray oil in a greenish-blue bottle (you must get the spray oil). We had a friend who had to do a lot of camping out in the Army and he buys loads of it - and told Mr Chook about it during one summer when Mr C was getting badly bitten. It must have some kind of deterrent in it because if he walks in to one of those clouds of swirling gnats they all avoid him. It smells nice, too.

No, I'm not an Avon lady.

An Avon Chook??

 

[JohnEGreen]

The mosquito is in fact the most dangerous creature on Earth, more people each year are killed by the mosquito than all the other animals put together. It is estimated that every second person who has ever lived died due to the consequences of a mosquito bite.
Frightening isn't it.. Though to be honest it's the viruses transmitted via their spit that do the damage.