Post cruise bug bites

What bit me?

First cruise ever was great otherwise - did Carnival Glory - western Caribbean (Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize, Cozumel) returned Aug 4...

my bites were first noticed on the night of the Belize stop, during which we snorkeled and swam at Starish Island. Husband not affected but we were always together. (We both had gotten the flat non itchy sand fleas in Roatan which disappeared within 24 hrs the prior day)

However, I developed very different extremely itchy papular (bumpy) bites in “exposed” areas, like legs and arms, in no pattern like lines. Quite a few!!

They don’t look obvious unless they have recently been scratched, but you sure can feel the bumps.

IfI had walked thru tall grass or woods I would think these are chiggers.

Coconut oil helps the itch for a few hours, but they are no better a week into it; they are kind of crusting when they dry after being scratched.

I think I’ve elimin the following:

Bed bugs apparently appear in lines. Sea lice bites are in covered areas not exposed areas. Sand flea bites are flat with a tiny blood spot in the center.

Anybody know what these are?

I'm sure you have recovered by now, but did you consider you might have developed a sunscreen allergy? I did in my late 50's after using sunscreen all my life. Bumps all over my arms, my legs don't get as much sun and weren't affected. Hydrocortisone helps with itching, but they did take some days to clear up.

Fortunately, the newer sunscreens with invisible zinc oxide don't seem to cause a reaction.

:confused:Yes I am healed now with scars, took about 4 weeks to stop intense itching and the little hard scabs took another week or two to finally be gone!!

I did not consider a sunscreen allergy as the cause, which is definitely a reasonable idea, I don’t think it was sunscreen in this case because of the pattern and character of the “lesions” - I would expect a more diffuse outbreak and maybe not as much like actual isolated sores. :confused:

Sun screen, heat, a combo of the two, any number of bugs, or things in the water.

What bit me?

First cruise ever was great otherwise - did Carnival Glory - western Caribbean (Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize, Cozumel) returned Aug 4...

my bites were first noticed on the night of the Belize stop, during which we snorkeled and swam at Starish Island. Husband not affected but we were always together. (We both had gotten the flat non itchy sand fleas in Roatan which disappeared within 24 hrs the prior day)

However, I developed very different extremely itchy papular (bumpy) bites in “exposed” areas, like legs and arms, in no pattern like lines. Quite a few!!

They don’t look obvious unless they have recently been scratched, but you sure can feel the bumps.

IfI had walked thru tall grass or woods I would think these are chiggers.

Coconut oil helps the itch for a few hours, but they are no better a week into it; they are kind of crusting when they dry after being scratched.

I think I’ve elimin the following:

Bed bugs apparently appear in lines. Sea lice bites are in covered areas not exposed areas. Sand flea bites are flat with a tiny blood spot in the center.

 

Anybody know what these are?

The lumps of heat rash usually disappear quite quickly.

Agree with mosquito bites. That would explain why you have it and not your husband.

Jellyfish tentacles. I've had these before and they are lines of bumps. The tentacles can be floating round in the sea

I had them bad from Roatan last year and if they didnt appear after the day of snorkelling they appeared the next. No relief till scratched and scabbed over. quite annoying and yukky.