Chiggers are eating my legs off.

June 19, 2006 7:17 PM

Chiggers!!!

aaaAARRGH!!! God damn things are all over me. It has been TWO. WEEKS. Nothing is working. I've read everything on the internet, and I tried the pine sol treatment from Wolfdaddy's previous post, it is not working.

How can I get rid of them?

Listen to me. If this doesn't end soon, I will saw off my legs.

posted by Baby_Balrog to Health & Fitness (17 answers total)

Use mud. Then say xyzzy.

Nothing happens.

Okay, seriously though, try corticosteroid cream and antihistamines. Ask the pharmacist for tips. See a doctor. And you could try soothing the itch by applying mud. Really.
posted by acoutu at 7:34 PM on June 19, 2006

I've never dealt with chiggers before but for some itching I have found that popping a bunch of benadryl helps. It also makes you nice and sleepy.
posted by 517 at 7:38 PM on June 19, 2006

BTW, the link I provided says: " Call for an appointment with your health care provider if rash is itching intensely, or if symptoms worsen or do not improve with treatment."
posted by acoutu at 7:42 PM on June 19, 2006

Meat tenderizer works to relieve the pain and itching from jellyfish stings - it might be worth a try here for insect bites. I've had great success with it in the past (for jellyfish/nettles). Just take the meat tenderizer (unseasoned!) and combine with some water to create a paste for application. It may or may not work, but you'll probably have some in the house to try before you can get some corticosteroid cream from the pharmacy.
posted by galimatias at 7:47 PM on June 19, 2006

paint thge area that itches with clear nail polish. Here's a nice little write up on how chiggers work
posted by cosmicbandito at 8:19 PM on June 19, 2006

I've used meat tenderizer for bites and bee stings with good rsults.
posted by acoutu at 8:22 PM on June 19, 2006

Seconding the clear nail polish. I got chiggers once at camp and that was the treatment of choice. I seem to recall it working.

I feel your pain. Chiggers are nasty little fucktards.
posted by brain cloud at 8:42 PM on June 19, 2006

Maybe something with a topical analgesic to numb your skin (like Solarcaine)? Though, if you've been scratching yourself raw, that might sting a bit.

Have you tried a cool bath with epsom salts or colloidal oatmeal?
posted by penchant at 9:11 PM on June 19, 2006

3rd the nail polish. it is the only thing that ever worked in the woods of north west arkansas.
posted by nadawi at 9:39 PM on June 19, 2006

Beware of treating symptoms without getting their cause. Topical steroids can mask symptoms, and that can lead to worse problems. This is not to say don't use them! Just be certain you are also treating the root cause of the itch. (this is no bullshit!)
posted by Goofyy at 2:49 AM on June 20, 2006

4th the nail polish... cosmicbandito has this one right.
posted by richardhay at 6:02 AM on June 20, 2006

Have you checked out the wiki?

It mentions that pimple cream containing Benzoyl Peroxide is lethal to the larva.
posted by dr. moot at 7:21 AM on June 20, 2006

5th the nail polish. It worked for me. I did name a cat after the buggers -- good cat name, good cat.
posted by dness2 at 7:26 AM on June 20, 2006

Response by poster: Ok. Got some clear nailpolish. We'll give it a go.

I'm a little nervous that they might be in my dresser or something, reinfesting my clothes after I wash them.

Incidentally, I had a dream last night, rather, a nightmare - I was being held captive at Gitmo and some CIA hack wanted me to tell him where my sister went to school. I didn't know why they wanted to know, but I refused to tell him, so he pulled out a JAR of chiggers and proceeded to pour the beasties all over my naked body.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 9:05 AM on June 20, 2006

While I was suffereing from an epic case of chiggers as a kid, a nurse friend of the family recommended that I soak in a cool bath with a very diluted amount of Chlorine bleach. I don't recall how much bleach we put in there, or what the water / bleach ratio was, but my parents were pretty desperate and followed the instructions, and I seem to recall getting some relief.

I don't know if this is safe or recommended, or what dose you should use, but it seemed effective. Keep in mind that this was probably 20+ years ago, so precautions for use of harsh chemicals on human skin were probably not what they are now.... Still, you may want to try to learn more about this form of treatment if nothing else works.
posted by fearless_yakov at 9:09 AM on June 20, 2006

When I got them in Belize, I scratched my legs and then rubbed them with rubbing alcohol, as seconded in the other thread. Worked a treat, though I don't know if the (dangerous) scratching was req'd.
posted by anthill at 11:04 AM on June 20, 2006

I got around 200 chigger bites two summers ago while working a scout camp in Nebraska. Unfortunately mine migrated, erm, northward, only stopping at my boxers' elastic barrier. I heard about the nail polish trick, but none of the female counselors would give me theirs so I could slather it all over my balls.

Best of luck to you. I feel your pain. Without any treatment, mine went away by the three-week mark.

Let us know how it turns out.
posted by Sfving at 8:02 AM on June 21, 2006