Anyone Care to Diagnose Me??? PLEASE!!!

[pta-mom]

Sounds like maybe hives. My son had a nasty case of the giant kind and they came up real quick. Never found out the cause. Here's a pic.

http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/1651.htm

Yes...that picture is close to a couple of what I have. Mostly the ones on my belly. But most of the other areas on me look more like a rash, without the raised part shown on the hive picture.

 

[In a hurry]

I know....you're right! I am being careful to keep a watch on my throat! I'm sure it's not that serious as I'm having no problem eating a bag of junk food as I type!! LOL!! Seriously, thanks for the advice but the kids are home, homework time, dinner prep needing to be done, etc, etc, and I'm a mom!! I'm sure many will understand that. Don't worry though, if it gets any worse, I'll go to the clinic!!

Put down that junkfood!!! Congrats on the 13 lbs!

 

[pta-mom]

Put down that junkfood!!! Congrats on the 13 lbs!

LOL!! Thanks!!

Now, if only I can rid myself of this ugly rash thing, I will look great in my bathing suit!!

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

It sounds like an allergic reaction to me. Just remember, it doesn't have to be something new that you ate or touched. Allergies develop over time. Out of nowhere I started becoming allergic to the fabric softener my mom used. She used it for year and years and then all of a sudden I couldn't where anything that was washed in it. Maybe try some benedryl (but that makes you sleepy). Good luck.

 

[minkydog]

To me, the rapidity of it and the pattern of spreading all signal ALLERGY.

i agree, it sounds like an allergy. Now you have to be a detective and try to figure it out

I take Allegra every day, all year long, for chronic urticaria(itching).I never had allergies until I hit 43. Since then I have had severe allergic reactions to grass, cranberries and pineapple (which i LOVE) and an anaphylactic reaction to Advil just last summer. My allergist tells me that at my age I cannot develop new allergies, but i think he's full of ****.

 

[RadioNate]

Allergic reaction, hives. I've had the exact same thing several times in the last year. Mine were serious enough to need steroids to control the swelling.

Have you taken any advil or asprin? They think mine might be asprin related. Anything with sulfites is also a likely cause.

They will be worse anywhere 'heat' is trapped. Like around your bra strap. Heat also extreamly aggrivates mine. If possible I'd see a dr to get stronger antihistimines before your trip. Hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistrail) and cetirizine (zyrtec) are standard treatment but you may need a medrol pack if the swelling doesn't go down.

 

[Christine]

My allergist tells me that at my age I cannot develop new allergies, but i think he's full of ****.

Yes, he is full of it.

Also, I was doing some reading on ibuprofen/aspirin "allergies" and, did you know, in many cases that this is not really a true allergy but a reaction that is very specific to ibuprofen and aspirin. I forget what they call it but I guess it doesn't matter because it is just like an allergy.

OP, a woman I know always ate these particular cookies from Costco--for years. Last Christmas, she had another one at the company Christmas party and broke out in hives all over. Somehow she knew it was the cookie, although she doesn't know what part of that specific cookie it is. Very strange.

 

[MouseWorshipin]

Mouseworshipin....no to detergent and softners and meds but yes to new clothing....I was wearing a new bra today that I am not sure I washed....can't remember. But, it was not my first time wearing it....it was my second. Though I must say, the rash under my breasts, where the bra touched, is aweful!! But so is the area at the top of my legs where my panties touched and the waist band of my jeans!

And yes Mouseworshipin, I should go to the doctor but if I can avoid it, I will!!

There you are. Wouldn't stake my life on it, but I'd bet you dollars to doughnuts it's the new clothing. Run it through the washer a couple times and put on light-colored, flowy clothes and take some kind of antihistimine and see what happens is my second advice.

My first advice is call the doctor, but I know you don't wanna, so...

Congrats on your weight loss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[phillybeth]

To me, the rapidity of it and the pattern of spreading all signal ALLERGY.

I agree. Whatever you ate today, DO NOT eat it again until you see your doctor. That means everything you ate.

 

[RadioNate]

i agree, it sounds like an allergy. Now you have to be a detective and try to figure it out

I take Allegra every day, all year long, for chronic urticaria(itching).I never had allergies until I hit 43. Since then I have had severe allergic reactions to grass, cranberries and pineapple (which i LOVE) and an anaphylactic reaction to Advil just last summer. My allergist tells me that at my age I cannot develop new allergies, but i think he's full of ****.

Ha I have chronic urticaria too. I have both zyrtec and allegra and then atarax for nights that I itch really bad (sometimes I can't sleep because of the itching). Mine started when I hit 30. I had an anaphylactic reaction last year too, of course they gave me too much epinephrine and nearly sent me into cardiac arrest but that's an entirely different story. lol I've been on prednisome 4 times in the last year and gained 20lbs. Not fun at all.

Hopefully this is just a 1 time thing for the OP.

 

[ZanneMarie]

My son had hives like you describe develop out of the blue-nothing had changed in diet, soaps, etc. Our doctor told us to does him with benadryl and then the hives would improve and as soon as the dosage would wear off they would reappear. This went on fro about 3 days and then they just went away. It was the weirdest thing and this was about 5 years ago and it has never happened again. Keep yourself medicated and hope for the best! Good Luck.

 

[arminnie]

Though I must say, the rash under my breasts, where the bra touched, is aweful!! But so is the area at the top of my legs where my panties touched and the waist band of my jeans!

I went round and round with something like this - multiple trips to the dermatologist. Guess what the culprit was - bleach. She said that bleach can react with the elastic in lingerie and cause a rash in some people.

I do NOT remember ever bleaching my lingerie, but maybe a piece got thrown into a load of towel by mistake. I threw it out and never had a problem again.

 

[SplshMtn99]

I had the hives once years ago like the ones on that website. Really really bad...& my lips swelled up like someone hit me with a baseball.

Never figured out the exact cause. But we narrowed it to:
1. Boyfriend had broken up with me & seeing him in school upset me greatly.
2. New tshirt that hadn't been washed.
3. Mom had bought generic version of Excedrin & I had taken one of them.
4. Mom made lasagna, but not with usual brand of sauce.

Pharmacy recommended benydrl.

Good luck!!!!

 

[damo]

It took me about 20 years to figure out that brocolli was the culprit in my case. No more brocolli, no more hives.

 

[pta-mom]

Hi Everyone!! Thanks so much for all trying to figure out what I've got!! Bottom line, I think it's an allergy....to what? Don't know! I ate fruit salad just before the symptoms started so it's my guess it was something in there.

Very weird though! As the day went on, over a period of approx 12 hours, the rash began at the top of my head and neck area, travelling down wards and spreading out to the extremities of my body. It even went into my ears!! I just kept popping Benadryl and tried not to scratch. I went to bed last night early...about 9:30...and I kept waking up trying to scratch my calfs, ankles, tops of feet and hands! But most of the rest of my body wasn't too bad, itch wise. I finally fell asleep for good at around midnight....12 hours after the rash began!

This morning, I see small patches of redness on my belly and legs and a little on my arms but not near as bad as yesterday!! Thank you Lord Jesus!! I am going to pop another Benadryl and hope for the best!

Thanks everyone for all your help and kind words! And I promise, if it gets worse again today, I will see a doctor!!!!

 

[epcotfan]

Have you had the chicken pox or measles before? When I got the chicken pox at age 27 It started on as itchy hot spots on certain parts of my body (hairline, lower back, etc...) My chicken pox took a couple of days to develop from redish spots to fluid filled pox.