Help! I'm a mess (bed bugs? poison ivy? hives?)

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I think I'm falling apart, this is not good.

A few weeks ago, my son develope these marks all over his torso, that looked like wicked mosquito bites, but he usually doesn't react that way. I've been hearing a lot of people say that they're struggling with bed bugs, so I was worried it was that, but I looked on line and they looked like hives, and he's got lots of other allergies this time of the year, so I gave him Benadryl and they gradually faded.

Then last week I had a super stressful week at work. On Saturday, my eye started bothering me, and I kept rubbing it, and ended up with a puffy rough spot in the corner. Then Monday I woke up with itchy spots on my neck an all over my torso. The ones on my neck are starting to look more and more like big bug bites -- two of them, but the ones on my torso are starting to look more like poison ivy -- spreading out into patches with funny very uneven boundaries, no bubbling yet. However, we weren't outside much at all this weekend (although I was cuddling with the dog some). Could I have bug bites and poison ivy? Could it be something like bedbugs? How concerned should I be.

Then today at work I took a bad fall, so now I have several nasty bruises, that are luckily under my clothes.

Seriously, I shouldn't be allowed out of the house, I'm a wreck.

Oh, yes and my plantar fascitis decided to flare this week.

Really, I just want thoughts on the bug bites/ poison ivy -- any idea what they could be? I'm kind of thinking I might have poison ivy and since it's in places I can't scratch at work, I've been bothering these normal bug bites on my neck more than I normally would and now they're looking really irritated. I think that because I like that theory.

 

[cassiez76]

i don't know what it is, but i'm a super sensitive skin easily get rashes girl. hydrocortizone is always stocked in my cabinet!

is it itchy?? hydro should work for both. but ii did get poison ivy and had to get something stronger.

good luck...i know how annoying rashes can be!

 

[robinb]

Have you looked up chicken pox and shingles? There seems to be a lot of chicken pox going around right now.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

You're freaking me out, I have never had CP, and now would NOT be the time to get it.

However, I don't think I have it -- it's just 2 spots on my neck, my eye, and then a couple spots on my torso.

I also don't think it's bed bugs, since the bites/marks are really far apart -- which doesn't seem typical.

I think I'd rather have CP than Bed Bugs since I hear those are a nightmare to get rid of, so I'm very glad of that.

 

[Crystal0608]

I'd go to the dr. A couple months ago dd got red raised bite-looking marks ALL over her tummy. After a visit to the peds we were told they were bug bites and keep doing the same things- warm aveeno oatmeal bath soaks, benedryl, etc. Bug bites made sense b/c she had recently been on a nature walk. My poor dd isn't a complainer and it wasn't noticed until my mom took her swimsuit shopping. Well, it got MUCH worse and spread like crazy. Took her to see another dr and I was told she had contact dermatitis. The warm water was a big no-no. She was given a steriod med and an antibiotic and it went away in about 2 weeks.

 

[kellyg403]

Wow OP...I have had times like this,where I feel like I am just falling apart everywhere!

I had something similar to what you are describing a few years back. It turned out it was STRESS! I had lots of things going on, one day I woke up and had a 'rash' everywhere. My dr gave me a steroid based cream and they were gone in a week. He said stress can do lots of things to us, including hives!

Kelly

 

[tnmt]

No disrespect intended, but have you thought about scabies?

 

[Mkrop]

Have you called the Doctor?

 

[HM]

My first thought was Chicken Pox too.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

No disrespect intended, but have you thought about scabies?

Hey, I'm considering bed bugs, I have no pride! Given that I work in an elementary school, any contagious bug or fungus is a possibility (I had lice last year).

My son had scabies a few years ago and it didn't look like this -- the ones on my torso, maybe, but the ones on my neck definitely don't look like those did -- the scabies were more patchy and these are lumps, like mosquito bites or hives, only bigger.

No, I haven't called the doctor, I'm thinking I'll stop by the school nurse first.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

Do any of your spots look like lines? That is a sign of poison ivy. My dd9 is just getting over it. She only had 2 lines, the rest looked liked bites or hives. She had it on her face and is now on steroids for 2 weeks. If they are on your face, it is more serious and needs to be treated with steroids. You really should go to the Dr.

 

[mousetravel]

I agree that it could be stress (I get them too). Do you live in an area with lots of pollen? Could be that too. I take Zyrtec or Claritin, whichever I have at the time, and it always works.

 

[heatherwillmom]

usually if an adult gets chicken pox, they are very ill. Usually with a fever. most childhood illnessess are serious in adults. The things that are minor in kids, make adults very sick. Unlikely it is chickpox. You can't get Shingles if you've never had chicken pox. It is the same virus that lies dormanant in the body & causes outbreaks later usually in times of stress

 

[SaraJayne]

Hey, I'm considering bed bugs, I have no pride! Given that I work in an elementary school, any contagious bug or fungus is a possibility (I had lice last year).

My son had scabies a few years ago and it didn't look like this -- the ones on my torso, maybe, but the ones on my neck definitely don't look like those did -- the scabies were more patchy and these are lumps, like mosquito bites or hives, only bigger.

No, I haven't called the doctor, I'm thinking I'll stop by the school nurse first.

Since you mentioned a dog, what about a flea infestation?

Otherwise, it could quite possibly be chicken pox.

I hope you get it figured out ~ the itchies must be making you crazy!

 

[holycow]

my first thought was fleas.

Have you sat on the floor and see if anything jumps on your leg?

Good luck! So stressful!

 

[robinb]

my first thought was fleas.

Have you sat on the floor and see if anything jumps on your leg?

Good luck! So stressful!

If it were fleas she would have more bites on her legs. These are on her neck and torso. I don't think it's fleas.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I had a stress-related rash years ago -- pityriasis rosea.

http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/pityriasis_rosea.html

The article doesn't reference stress, but my derm at the time said that it was stress-related.

 

[sparklynails23]

Mange/Demodex?

 

[Wishing on a star]

Wow, my son has had what seems like a similar condition.

He does have many allergies... Pollens, Cats, etc...

Well, from what I understand, I think it was a breakout of allergic dermatitis... It is like a few bits, and he would just break out like he was all bitten up. His legs, too, were horrible looking!!!!

The dermatologist didn't believe this at first.
Tried to say it was fleas...
Actually did a 'punch' (ouch!!!) and sent it to the lab.
They said that the punch did seem to be a bite....
But, later the dermatologist did mention an allergic dermatitis.

Zyrtec EVERY evening....
Topical Hydorcortizone (Walmart is just great, fewer extra ingredients)
Maybe some Topical Benadryl.

If these work, then allergies may be the big trigger.

My son has been on allergy shots for over a year now.
He takes his Zyrtec faithfully. (this should be something you do every night, not just to address symptoms - take this prophylactically)

These seem to be taking care of it.

And, needless to say, we make sure he keeps sprayed with repellant when he is out and liable to get bitten up.