A HOLIDAYMAKER was eaten alive by bedbugs as she was left covered in more than 100 painful itchy bites.
Natalie Brown, 28, told how her Benidorm holiday turned into a nightmare when she was viciously attacked by the bloodsuckers.
Her doctor told her it was one of the worst cases of bed bug bites she had ever seen.
She was left scarred for more than six months due to a severe reaction she had to the critters.
The tiny creatures had bitten all over her arms, legs, torso and even her face.
She spent three days in a £203 holiday home booked using Airbnb with her friends when the insects descended to feast.
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The paralegal, from Birmingham, was sleeping on the sofa bed.
Natalie noticed a bite on her arm after the first night – and thought nothing of it.
But over the next two days, she accumulated more bites that left her with itchy skin.
Her condition got worse for her over time, and upon returning to the UK the excruciating bites were unbearable.
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Natalie had a bad reaction to the bedbugs which meant she had to take a course of antibiotics.
She said she lost count of how many bed bug bites she had, and her doctor had said it was one of the worst cases she had seen.
“They were all over my body, and the most were on my legs”, said Natalie.
“My bites were incredibly itchy, they were sore, and I couldn’t show my legs and arm for around six months until the bites and scars went down.
“It knocked my confidence and I was embarrassed to tell people because they were all on one side of my face.
"I had to tell work that I wouldn’t be able to come into the office until those bites had reduced.
"I also didn’t want to put my camera on for everyone to see.”
Natalie realised she had been bitten on the first night she slept on the sofa bed, but because she had nowhere else to sleep she had to endure the infestation.
Her friends who had normal beds didn't get bitten by the creatures.
“The bites originally were quite small but they got a lot worse since coming home”, said Natalie.
“My friends didn’t think the bites were that bad when they were fresh, but then in the following weeks they got bigger and lots of people were shocked by the amount of bites on me, especially the ones on my face.
“People said they felt itchy just looking at them and commented that they looked very sore.”
Natalie said this has made her extremely conscious of staying in new beds.
“It’s made me extremely conscious of staying in new beds and I always inspect the bed before getting in”, said Natalie.
Natalie said some people didn’t believe that she could’ve been bitten by bedbugs.
“One friend said she thought they were mythical, like the saying ‘don’t let the bedbugs bite’, she thought it was not a real thing that could happen”, said Natalie.
“Another friend thought that they were microscopic and couldn’t cause that many bites.
“Another person said they’d be checking their beds from now on as they had never thought it would be as bad as I had it.
“Travelling is a big hobby of mine and I try to visit as many places as I can, but this was the first time I got bitten by bedbugs, I hadn’t even seen them before.”
Natalie shared her advice for those who have the unfortunate experience of bed bug bites.
“Use anti-itch and anti-scar products, and wash all your clothes on hot washes and dryer cycles”, said Natalie.
“Check your luggage too, bedbugs can stay there. I hoovered everything and kept my luggage outside until I had done my checks.
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“Contact a doctor and get antihistamines, hydrocortisone cream and if required antibiotics. I had to take antibiotics because I had a reaction to the bites.
“It caused so much itching and scarring, my legs were the worst and I couldn’t show them in public until they went.”
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