Hello everyone
I’ve been in Tokyo for 3 days now and I’ve started getting red itchy bumps on my legs above my ankle and below my knee. There’s a couple that are close together but mostly about an inch apart. The first day when I saw a couple I thought maybe it was from the ants we sat by but over the last 24 hours or so they’re spreading around my leg more. I thought maybe it was something in the hotel but my girlfriend doesn’t have any on her. I was thinking maybe fleas or something, but I’ve never lived somewhere with those so I wouldn’t know. I never feel anything crawling on me. Its strange. Anyone experience this? Any medicines or creams I can get at a drug store? I tried googling what could cause this but it hasn’t been much help.
Unrelated to that, does anyone have any recommendations for something like tums? I brought my famotidine with me from the US but I’m looking for something that can provide fast relief if I need it.
Thanks!
12 comments
Are you familiar with mosquitos? That’s most likely what it is because it’s still hot and humid in Japan. I just left and got bit a few times. Try taking a non drowsy anti-histamine.
https://matcha-jp.com/en/4777
Hope it helps
How big are they? Do they itch? Are the bites in clusters/patches of multiple bites, or are they single bites? How many would you say there are and do they appear in the morning or at night? Also, what do you wear to sleep?
Some options are mosquitoes, but if your girlfriend isn’t getting them too, I doubt that (unless she’s in full pants and sleeves?) Also with Mosquitoes, you’re usually aware when they’re around cause they’re annoying as hell.
Another option that I don’t see mentioned on here much are Dani (aka Tatami Mites) they’re basically the bedbug of Japan. Their bites tend to look like tiny clusters and would appear on parts of your body that aren’t covered by clothes while you sleep.
Bedbugs are another option. They tend to bite once, move a few inches, bits again, move a few inches, etc. They’re hella quick and only attack when you’re sleeping so that can be why you don’t notice.
For Dani or Bedbugs, you’d have an explanation for being the only one with bites. Not everyone is allergic to their bites and therefore don’t show signs. You could be unlucky and be having a reaction, while your girlfriend is also getting eaten alive, but not having a reaction to the bites. I know when I had my bedbug encounter a few years back, my partner at the time never showed bites but I was covered.
Either way, I’d recommend looking online for ways to tell if you have bedbugs/Dani and do a check. ALWAYS check your hotel beds just in case.
Sounds like mosquitoes.
You should carry around bug spray if you’re going to be outdoors a lot and/or wearing shorts/skirts/dresses.
For relief there’s these little anti-itch creams or dabbers you can get from the drugstore and they work almost immediately. Often times they’ll have bugs on the label. I always bought the brand called Tact.
Some people are more prone to mosquito bites than others. They are REALLY attracted to sweat btw so if you’re a sweaty person and your gf isn’t, that could be a reason you get bit moreso than her.
Could be a particular caterpillar. We had that in Japan after visiting Nikko. Their hair causes a bad rash.
I can’t give a specific recommendation for tums, but what I have done before in various countries is look up and take a screenshot of the active ingredient (I’ll also translate that ingredient into local language) and show that to a pharmacist. I’ll also translate a description of what I’m looking for (fast acting heartburn relief in chewable form).
Doing these two things in combination with each other has always worked for me. If one method fails, the other works. Good luck!
Same boat bud. It’s Japan’s tiny ass mosquitos. I don’t even feel them bite. But man does it itch at night.
Got some nasty mosquito bites at beginning of september and it left one leg swollen for a week
Was in Japan last week and I got devoured by mosquitos, especially in Kyoto and Nara.
Just got back from my first visit and yeah, especially in the Kansai region I was devoured in bites and itching pain. Antiseptic cream did the job temporarily.
It’s definitely mosquitos. Mosquitos also aren’t fair about who they like to target, I was in a group of 4 and got bit so much more than everyone else 😭 If you go to a drugstore or market and show them the bite and say “Kaa” (mosquito in japanese) they should direct you to a anti itch cream and/or repellant you can use. I had to hose myself down every single day with repellant so I didn’t get eaten alive earlier this month on my trip.
Right I’ll say this.
Don’t scratch them so much that it breaks your skin. Japans climate isn’t great to get that healing quick and it can get infected pretty quickly.
I’ve learnt the hard way but don’t do it!