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Insect bites and stings — what to take?

Insect bites and stings cause local reactions (redness, swelling, itching) or sometimes systemic ones (anaphylaxis). Severe reaction to wasp/bee/hornet is a medical emergency.

5 recommended OTC drugs
4,387 pharmacies available

OTC — no prescription

What you can take for insect bites and stings

Informativ. Nu înlocuiește sfatul medicului. Consultă medicul sau farmacistul înainte de a lua orice medicament.

Types

Mosquitoes, fleas, bedbugs — itching, erythematous papule. Benign local reaction.

Bees, wasps, hornets — acute pain, local swelling, possible anaphylaxis in allergic individuals.

Spiders — most harmless in Romania.

Ticks — carriers of Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, etc.

First aid

  1. Remove stinger (for bee) — with a card, not tweezers (avoid crushing the venom sac).
  2. Wash with water and soap.
  3. Ice 10-15 min for swelling and pain.
  4. Oral antihistamine for marked itching.

OTC treatment

Oral antihistamines — cetirizine, loratadine.

Creams with 0.5-1% hydrocortisone — for persistent swelling and itching.

Anti-itch creams — menthol, calamine.

"After bite" pen — ammonia, menthol, helps with mosquitoes.

Ice + compresses — reduces swelling.

Paracetamol/ibuprofen — for pain.

Anaphylaxis — EMERGENCY

Signs: generalized urticaria, facial/tongue/throat edema, dyspnea, cough, wheezing, dizziness, hypotension, collapse. Immediate treatment: IM adrenaline (EpiPen if available), then mandatory 112. People with known allergies must always carry an auto-injector.

Ticks

Quick removal (24h): fine tweezers, steady vertical traction, NOT twisting. Disinfection. Monitoring 30 days — appearance of circular erythema (migrans) or flu-like symptoms → antibiotic treatment (doxycycline).

Repellents

  • DEET 20-50% — most effective.
  • Picaridin (Icaridin) — non-DEET alternative.
  • Essential oils (lavender, citronella) — modest effect.
  • Window screens, mosquito nets.

Medical disclaimer: the information in this guide is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical or pharmacist advice. For diagnosis and treatment consult a healthcare professional.

Nights, weekends, holidays

24/7 pharmacies for insect bites and stings

Insect bites and stings doesn't wait for office hours. If you need a medicine at 2 AM or on a weekend, open the map with the 24/7 filter on and find the nearest on-call pharmacy. Major cities have several round-the-clock pharmacies — the per-city pages below list them all, with address, phone and verified opening hours.

Call ahead before you leave, especially at night — on-call schedules can change and stock for some prescription items may be limited between deliveries.

Search the pharmacy

Medicine categories for insect bites and stings

Step by step

How to find a pharmacy fast for insect bites and stings

Open the interactive map and grant location permission — you'll immediately see pharmacies sorted by distance, each with its opening hours and a one-tap route in Google Maps. If it's night or a weekend, switch on the 24/7 filter to keep only the on-call ones. For insect bites and stings most of the listed remedies are over the counter, so you can walk in without a prescription, but check stock and prices first to avoid wasted trips.

If you have a preferred active ingredient (paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.), search it in the comparator before you leave — you'll see which chain has it cheapest near you and whether it's in stock. For chronic prescriptions, save your favourite pharmacy in the app and turn on hours notifications — it saves unnecessary trips, especially when treatment for insect bites and stings runs over weeks.

When to see a doctor

If any of these signs appear, consult a doctor — OTC treatment is not enough:

  • Anaphylaxis (generalized urticaria, dyspnea, collapse) — EMERGENCY
  • Extensive facial edema
  • Signs of local infection (suppuration, extensive redness)
  • Tick detected after 24h
  • Erythema migrans after tick bite (Lyme)
  • Multiple bites in small children

Frequently asked

Common questions

Bee stinger — how do I remove it?
With a card or fingernail — lateral scraping. Not with tweezers — crushes the venom sac. Wash + ice + antihistamine.
When should I worry about a sting?
Systemic signs: generalized urticaria, dyspnea, facial edema, dizziness. Call 112 immediately and adrenaline if you have EpiPen.
Mosquitoes prefer me — why?
Genetics, blood type O, sweat, more CO2 exhaled, body heat, smell. DEET 30% repellent + long clothing.
Tick — do I need to remove the head?
Yes, completely. Steady vertical traction with tweezers at the base. Disinfection. 30-day monitoring for Lyme symptoms.

See also

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