Any Dis Dr's/Nurses around- Rash question. Long

[happily single]

Just a disclaimer-I have seen a doctor (actually 2 doctors) at the Emergency Room this weekend.
facts:
I finished a dose of antibotics on Thursday

No changes in laundry soap, food or body wash.

On Sunday/Monday we went away to a clean (seemingly) hotel.

I began dogsitting a dog Thursday. On Friday I let the dog (a 2 pound Chihuahua) whom I have watched before sleep in bed with me

I woke up Saturday with itchy arms, which increased in severity. I had zero rash or redness. Just itchy arms and feet. I checked, double and triple checked the dog. Nothing. No ear mites, no bugs, no scratching.

Sunday when itchy a rash, scratch marks appeared. It has spread to everywhere. The rash and scratch marks go away. The rash only appears if I scratch an area.

I was thinking scabies. I work as a massage therapist, so I am hands-on a lot of people. Also we went away to the hotel. My BF has zero sypmtoms.

The ER doctors did not think it was scabies. I have zero burrows and nothing on my hands or between my fingers.

I have been on a high dose of Predisone and Bendayl since Sunday with no relief. I got nervous about Scabies and applied the Premithin (spelling) on Monday. The itching has not subsided.

This morning was the worse. A total body rash after my shower. The rash went away after about 20 minutes.

HELP!!

1.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

What does the rash actually look like? Is it just raised like goosebumps? Or red? Do they have a shape?

 

[Hikergirl]

My dh just got through with a course of doxycycline and developed a rash.

 

[happily single]

What does the rash actually look like? Is it just raised like goosebumps? Or red? Do they have a shape?

Small bumps and the scratches are long "track marks" which makes me THINK its scabies, but the marks/scratches go away after about 20 minutes.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Small bumps and the scratches are long "track marks" which makes me THINK its scabies, but the marks/scratches go away after about 20 minutes.

Nope... no idea. I’m sorry that’s no help!

 

[happily single]

Nope... no idea. I’m sorry that’s no help!

thanks. its very frustrating.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

You need a referral to a dermatologist. Rashes can be tough to figure out. Good luck.

 

[Hikergirl]

The going away part is weird.
I was thinking maybe you were exposed to poison ivy, oak or something like that. The oil could have been on the dog's fur.

I was exposed to hickory tussock caterpillar and got a rash like you described (red bumps and scratch mark "bumps") but it never went away. It took a couple weeks for the rash to fade, even after the itchiness was gone. It was extremely itchy too.

 

[cvjw]

My son got scabies his freshman year of college. It does not go away. Poor thing itched for months. I took him to primary care doctor who gave him a cream for the rash. His itching and rash did not go away. Next time he came home, he went to the dermatologist who instantly knew it was scabies and gave him medicine to get rid of it.

Go to the dermatologist. The have more experience with various rashes.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Small bumps and the scratches are long "track marks" which makes me THINK its scabies, but the marks/scratches go away after about 20 minutes.

Scabies is usually spread by prolonged contact with an infected person. It can be spread via towels and bed sheets or shared clothes. But the mites only survive a day or two off of skin. So that isn't likely. It doesn't go away in 20 minutes.

Do they start out red or pink, get bumpy then seemingly combine and then lose color and disappear?

 

[Christine]

Sounds like dermographism, which is a overabundance of histamine. I have this, but it doesn't occur constantly like in some people For instance, last week, I took a medicine that has a red dye in it that I guess I'm allergic too. Well the next day, wherever I spread lotion on, wherever, I scratched, I got the red marks easily. Mine took about 2 hours to go away.

I also get it if I eat cantaloupe. Again, doesn't happen until the next morning. Your body is reacting to something with an overproduction of histamine. Once that dies down, you should get back to normal. You can speed it along by taking Zyrtec or Benadryl.

 

[kmb584]

Interesting.

I would make an appointment with a dermatologist. Don't overthink about the fact that some parts of the rash look like scratch marks. Rashes can present in all sorts of ways, and I've seen quite a few that looked like someone had their back/arms/legs clawed by fingernails. In those cases, it was almost always attributed to an allergic reaction to something that person had eaten and confirmed via allergy testing. Sometimes, the doctors I work with had no answer then or now, because it could have been caused by a contact situation and we all know how much we touch in a day. Best bet is Benadryl with a Calamine lotion for now. Try a cortisone cream or a Benadryl cream too.

 

[happily single]

Scabies is usually spread by prolonged contact with an infected person. It can be spread via towels and bed sheets or shared clothes. But the mites only survive a day or two off of skin. So that isn't likely. It doesn't go away in 20 minutes.

Do they start out red or pink, get bumpy then seemingly combine and then lose color and disappear?

Yes. Say no arm gets itchy. I scratch it then small round red bumps and lines (most likely from my fingers) appear. But after about 15-20mins the marks go away

 

[happily single]

Sounds like dermographism, which is a overabundance of histamine. I have this, but it doesn't occur constantly like in some people For instance, last week, I took a medicine that has a red dye in it that I guess I'm allergic too. Well the next day, wherever I spread lotion on, wherever, I scratched, I got the red marks easily. Mine took about 2 hours to go away.

I also get it if I eat cantaloupe. Again, doesn't happen until the next morning. Your body is reacting to something with an overproduction of histamine. Once that dies down, you should get back to normal. You can speed it along by taking Zyrtec or Benadryl.

I am taking Benadryl with no luck. I forget the dose but it’s one pill every 8hours

 

[Disney Doll]

I think you need a dermatologist.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Yes. Say no arm gets itchy. I scratch it then small round red bumps and lines (most likely from my fingers) appear. But after about 15-20mins the marks go away

I am taking Benadryl with no luck. I forget the dose but it’s one pill every 8hours

I'd go back to the doctor. If you have difficulty breathing, head into the ER.
Good luck.

 

[DLgal]

This happens to me a lot. It's not a "rash." It is due to histamines. It can be triggered by food, stress, or hormones.

I'm assuming your "rash" is large splotchy pink patches that appear along with the itchiness? And having it come up after a shower is very telling...that happens to me a lot too. Sometimes, vigorous exercise causes it too.

Ditch the benadryl. Try something like Claritin or Zyrtec (a 24 HOUR) instead.

It's nothing to be worried about. But It is annoying.

 

[wgeo]

I would also recommend a dermatologist. But I have a friend who has something similar to this - its something about histamine an too much of it. And once she starts itching, it flares up really bad rash wherever she itches. Goes away but comes back if she runs her fingernail down her arm or anything. She started talking double douses of zyrtec/claritin type stuff twice a day until whatever was causing the histamines to build up or overreact? slowed itself down. But again, a dermatologist would be the best person to see.

 

[Kay123456]

You definitely need to have labs done to makesure the itching isn’t related to anything going on in your body. I’ve always had allergies and this happens to me and my daughter all the time. Wherever we scratch becomes red and then bumpy but goes away after the same period of time. I think it sounds like a normal inflammatory reaction to stimuli, but you should definitely be seen by a MD, especially since you were just on antibiotics. Do you take anything for pain that has an opiate in it by any chance? All opiates will cause itching like you describe, even codeine. It could be numerous numerous things. Anything from an insect or poison ivy will not disappear however so you can put that out of your mind. Stupid question but have you washed your bedding including pillows since the dog has slept in it?

 

[diznygirl]

I would also recommend a dermatologist. But I have a friend who has something similar to this - its something about histamine an too much of it. And once she starts itching, it flares up really bad rash wherever she itches. Goes away but comes back if she runs her fingernail down her arm or anything. She started talking double douses of zyrtec/claritin type stuff twice a day until whatever was causing the histamines to build up or overreact? slowed itself down. But again, a dermatologist would be the best person to see.

Right. And certain foods and medications actually can increase histamine levels. Like ibuprofen raises it, and vitamin C can lower it.

OP - I'd google and see if there are other things you can be doing to lower your histamine levels. And I agree that a dermatologist can help with this mystery.