Hypersensitivity to Mosquito bites?

[sherri]

Has anybody developed hypersensitivity to mosquito bites after chemo and Herceptin. If yes, please tell me if you have participated in UW Vaccine trial or if you have, had IBC.

Thank you.

[juanita]

Actually I am the opposite. In the 3 years since I was diagnosed and did treatments, etc... I have not had any mosquito bites at all. They just don't like me at all now I guess.

[IRENE FROM TAMPA]

Before I was on any chemo I hardly ever got bitten by any bugs. When I started on chemo, it seems like I started attracting mosquito's, deer flies, you name it. They bite me all of the time now.

What is wrong with these bugs anyway? Do they know something we don't about these drugs......

[Becky]

Flies bite me all the time now. It's outrageous actually. It's weird because it makes it seem like I am a rotten piece of meat (which sometimes I probably am when I am a sweaty mess).

My bites are also much redder and itchier than they used to be. I guess we can liken that to a more reactive immune system.

I was not in a vaccine program but I did take Herceptin and I used GM-CSF instead of Neulasta. It is the same immune response drug they give you in all the vaccine programs. Maybe that has something to do with it. It is the reason I fought and got GM-CSF (brand name Leukine) instead - because it helps the anti-tumor immune effect.

[Bev]

Mosquitos love me now. Ten at a time love me all at once, Before Bc I was their last choice of available entrees. Now when I get bites they are very pronounced, itchy and slow to heal. Another way of thinking is maybe they didn't like us when we had undiagnosed cancer. To balance the last statement, Asian tiger mosquitos are new to our area and are voracious at all hours of the day. So maybe it's not us but them. BB

[Brenda_D]

I had A/C chemo, currently getting Herceptin.
I'm glad someone brought this up because I thought I was imagining things. Lol
I seem to attract mosquitoes, flies, chiggers, and other no-seeum's. I'm also getting reactions to what I think are chigger bites. I've had to use Triple Antibiotic salve on a couple because I was afraid they were looking like Impetigo. Luckily it helped and they are healing.
Now I know it's not just me.

[Hopeful]

I have not had chemo but have always been an attractive target for mosquitos, and always had a severe reaction to the bites. My understanding is the buggers are drawn to people who put out a lot of CO2. I just read an article on severe itching (I think in the newspaper or a health newsletter yesterday.) There is a gene associated with it. If I can find the article, I'll post the info. For more on itching, check out this thread: http://her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=28946&highlight=Urticaria

Hopeful

[Gerri]

This might sound weird, but my radiation oncologist was talking to me about preventing lymphedema (even though I only had my sentinal node removed) and said that even a mosquito bite on the side where nodes are removed can cause it. He gave me all the precautions: not drawing blood from that arm, don't have blood pressure taken on that side and to treat "even a mosquito bite" if you get one. Thought I would pass that along.

By the way, haven't been bitten by a mosquito for quite some time where before I was their all time favorite.

[Yorkiegirl]

While on Chemo and my year of Herceptin I was not bitten at all.

I have always attracked mosquitos.

Now that this year is different, I am having to fight them off. I have very severe allergic reactions to the bites and swell up real bad. I can at leasy say they have only bitten my leg's and my lefy arm. I don't know what I would do if they bit my right arm where the nodes were removed.

[KRISS]

I am currently taking Herceptin. I live in the country and have not been bitten at all by mosquitos this year. I however was stong by a wasp at work last week. The sting was on my underarm very close to the nodes. I have never had a reaction to bee or wasp stings but this was different. Got very dizzy had elevated heart rate, my arm swelled and a week later I still have a red mark and a bruise! I think there is a marked difference in how are bodies are reacting to the venum.

[fauxgypsy]

I have been on CTH, now just herceptin as of this week. Bugs seem to love me this year. I can't enjoy the outdoors because I am constantly being bitten by no see ums, mosquitoes bear down on me at the speed of light, everything loves the taste of me. They always liked me but now I seem to be a banquet hall. No bad reactions as of yet, just itchy for a while. I hate using bug spray but I think I am going to try a low absorption brand that my sister-in-law found at Walmart in the camping section. The natural products with citronella give me a terrible headache. Remember, a chemical can be natural and still be a chemical. Plants make chemicals to protect thenselves, as do bacteria and fungi, from us as well other animals and each other. Think aspirin, penecillin. The biologist in me comes out at the oddest times.

Leslie

[Emelie]

I was stung by a bee Sunday as I cut the grass and it is still swollen, red, and very itchy. Never used to get this repsonse before. I have been putting Benedryl cream on it for the itching.
Also, does anyone else seem to bruise a lot now? I get bruises and they become huge black and blue messes.
Curious if anyone else is too?

[Gina]

Before I used Herceptin, I was a mosquito magnet...my mom also and she just blamed our mutual RH-blood factor (apparently, there is some basis for that, bio-chemically), but now that I am on Herceptin, I don't even need "Skin so Soft" any more ( a lovely Avon product that accidentally was discovered to be a mosquito repellent.) Sure beats OFF...smile...

Anyway, Sherri, I have missed talking with you -- I washed my beautiful $300 Razor cell phone in hot water and clorox and lost your cell number that I had stored in there (along with most of the rest of my digital 'life'--all my photos, all my contacts..oh woe is me...smile).

If you still have my cell number, please call sometime. I am working in Georgetown. Otherwise, PLEASE...drop me a quick note to my e-mail here or at home so we can catch up...

Miss you,
Gina

[theresaw]

I don't get bitten as often as I had before, but when I do get bitten my bites which used to be small and itchy now swell to the size of a dime, turn red and itch, then they go away leaving a mark. That never used to happen, the color red they turn and the size you would think I was being burned, it's a perfect circle.