Ooh, aah, eee, ahhh, owwwwwww! (Anthisan Cream)

Member Name: hypno06

Product:	Anthisan Cream
Date:	02/08/09 (106 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick relief from stings and bites.

Disadvantages: Not waterproof.

I am writing this review from the comfort of my holiday villa at Center Parcs. The nice people at Center Parcs have been thoughtful enough to provide wifi access so I can continue writing reviews while I relax and enjoy the surrounding woodland.

On our first evening here, my son was exploring the woodland outside the villa, stood on a wasps nest, and was soon jumping about as he tried to evict the small army of wasps that had gone up his trouser legs and down into his socks (although, really, how any beast that gets near his feet can possibly want to stay there, is beyond me!!). He came out of the whole episode with several stings to his feet and legs.

As my husband dashed outside to see what all the noise was about, he too got stung, not by the wasps but by some stinging nettles that were nestled amongst the undergrowth - obviously my husband was taking the most direct line to get to our son, and so was not looking at what triffid like stingers might be in the way.

So there we were, a 13 year old with multiple wasp stings and his Dad with nettle rash rapidly appearing around his legs.

The parcmarket was the only place we could get access to and they sell tubes of Anthisan Cream, which claims to provide "relief from pain, itching and inflammation caused by insect bites, insect stings and stinging nettle rash"......It looked as though it was going to be £3.50 well spent.

To use, simply apply the cream directly to the affected area, two or three times a day for up to three days. The active ingredient is mepyramine maleate 2% which is an anthihistamine with antipruritic (which means it relieves itching) and local analgesic (which means it numbs the skin) properties, so relief should be fairly quick, and fairly complete.

Both father and son duly applied this cream to their various stinging body parts, and within minutes of application felt the stinging and burning sensations subside. My son had several wasp stings, so his relief was not absolute, but I suspect that some of this would have been due to the shock of standing on the wasps nest and its subsequent invasion close to the nether regions, as much as the actual stings themselves.

Generally speaking, this tube did exactly what we needed it to do - it relieved discomfort effectively and quickly.

There are some exclusions, as with most medical products, and this cream should not be used on broken or sunburnt skin. It should also not be used on eczema. If a rash breaks out after using the cream, then discontinue use, and of course if in any doubt, please consult a doctor of a pharmacist for advice.

This tube comes with a shelf life of 2 years - so it is something that can easily be kept in a medicine box at home or on your travels "just in case" without it continually losing its effectiveness.

The only problem we had with this cream is that my son is doing a lot of swimming whilst we are on holiday, and this cream soon washes away. We have got round this by giving him piriton to relieve the itching, rather than a topical cream, when we know he is going in the pool. Piriton is also more effective at night to relieve itching because it helps sleep as well as reducing the stinging sensation.

So, for quick, easy relief from stings and bites of all sorts, without causing the drowsiness that piriton or other oral anti-histimines can cause, I can thoroughly recommend Anthisan Bite and Sting Cream.

Summary: A great standby for medicine cupboards.