I slept in a bed full of bedbugs last weekend and it took me seven days to feel normal again (apparently I had a stronger than typical reaction). There is a lot online about preventing and eliminating bedbugs but in case you're like me and feel simply tortured by the bites and are looking for relief, maybe this advice will help:
DON'T:
Scratch. Seriously. I totally ignored this advice but I wish I had had more self control in the first few days. It was almost like the bites had a life of their own and when I scratched them, they just got angrier and more defiant. Every time you think you need to scratch or feel like you're going insane trying to avoid scratching, apply something cold (see below for recommendations.)
Take a hot bath or shower. You may think that a hot shower will help soothe your skin but quite the contrary, it will just inflame you further. I know, it sucks, but take a cool shower for maximum relief. The only exception is if you buy some Aveeno oatmeal bath packets which make the hot water feel a lot "softer" (I dumped 2-3 envelopes in at a time, myself.)
Do intense exercise. I usually do a 30 minute exercise circuit every day but I aborted a few workouts because the workout just resulted in itching flareups. Maybe it was the sweating or increase in circulation or being in touch with the floor but exercising definitely made me feel worse. Until your bites feel manageable would advise against doing any exercises more intense than a brisk walk (a swim might be soothing too.)
Bundle up. If you can, dress yourself in light, loose layers. Wednesday I moped around in a thick hooded sweatshirt which irrirated my neck to death. If you can bear it I'd just wear short sleeved or sleeveless shirts to keep your skin cool.
DO:
Go to urgent care/see a doctor (if you have time/insurance.) I was alarmed by how my skin was reacting to the bites so it was a relief just to know I didn't have the bubonic plague. I got steroids and some other meds. I can't really speak to how effective they were but I would rather find a quick silver bullet from Big Pharma than sit around waiting to see if esential oils might work.
Stock up on OTC cooling agents. Witch hazel wipes and Gold Bond Anti-Itch Lotion (buy the big bottle) gave me relief. I also bought cortisone cream but that didn't do much for me.
Buy Benedryl. It may knock you out too much to use during the day but night-itchiness was a real thing for me so if you can sleep through the discomfort, I recommend it.
Get several ice packs going. Like a fever, my inflammation would come in waves and at some parts of the day it felt like my skin was crawling. Ice was very soothing and my skin was so angry, I'd hold onto completely frozen packs until they'd melted into puddles. Prior to my bed bug attack I used to worry I had too many ice packs taking up room in my freezer but this week I was glad I did.
Good luck to you. Going through these bites felt more like battling an illness than dealing with a few mere bugbites so if your bites look like mine did I'd recommend taking whatever measures you can to make your life easier--take time off work, ease up on household tasks, whatever, until you feel better.