Funky Rash

[ILUVMJ]

Hi,

About four weeks ago, I started getting a funky, itchy red rash.  It almost reminded me of a mosquito bite and over time it got worse.  It was on my chest, breasts, stomach, buttocks, and upper thighs.  I had just adopted a new kitten and thought maybe it was fleas.  I have been very vigilant about treating all my cats and keeping my house cleaned.  I have not seen once trace of a flea on my cats or in my house.  The bites weren't around my ankles either.  Then, I did some research and thought maybe it was bed bugs.  I had two different pest control companies come out and no signs of bed bugs... I have recently noticed the blotches/welts during the day...

I went to my regular doctor two weeks ago and he thought it was a mild rash pertaining to dry skin.  He have me an antiobiotic and predisone. It seemed to help for a bit but I started breaking out more on my legs while on the antibiotic.  These did not seem to itch... I went back to the doctor yesterday and he is not sure what it is...He doesn't believe it to be scabies since the rash does go away and seems to pop up in other places.  I also do not have any noticeable burrows and I do not have any bites or blotches in the webbing of my fingers or toes.  I have not had an outbreak on my hands or feet... I have been cleaning like it could be scabies though but there are no pinholes in the bites or rash from what I can see...

I had another break out yesterday and they seem to come in clusters of three or four... I noticed the ones on my stomach are extremely itchy and I also have one under my breast... I noticed another breakout of three this afteroon and they almost seem to form a triangle.. They eventually stop itching and do go away.. Is this a symptom of scabies or something else?  I do have an appointment with a dermatogist but not for another week or so... I live in a rural area so there is some waiting time... The doctor prescribed me an ointment to dab on the rash/bites... They don't itch at night as to where I can't sleep but I'm very frustrated with this... Today, I noticed I had some chills to go along with it.. I have had this off and on over the course of the rash....Any ideas? Thanks.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Urticaria, or hives, is truly not one disease, but a reaction pattern of the skin. Chronic hives can persist for more than 6 weeks. The cause of chronic urticaria is often more difficult to identify. Most cases are called chronic idiopathic urticaria, which means they're caused by the body's unexplainable development of antibodies to itself (auto-antibodies). Regarding the diagnosis if scabies, It is characterized by intense itching, usually at night and by small insect-type bites lesions on the skin. Diagnosis of scabies is made by scraping the skin and viewing the material under a microscope to see the characteristic mite or eggs.
I hope it helps. Take care and regards.

[ILUVMJ]

My doctor didn't believe it to be hives because it takes two to three weeks to go away in one area.  I have had hives before but nothing like this.  Do hives scab over?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
The symptoms that you are having are suggestive of hives. Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They have a tendency to change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours.

Many cases of hives are "idiopathic," meaning no cause is known. Others may be triggered by viral infections or medications. The mainstay of treatment of hives is antihistamine which may be necessary for prolonged periods (in excess of 6 weeks). You can take non-sedating antihistamines such as Cetirizine(Zyrtec) or  Loratadine to get symptom relief. Sedating antihistamines such as Benadryl is used at night to get urticaria control. Short courses of oral cortisone or steroids are taken for short periods (one to three days) to settle more severe symptoms.
You may take Vitamin C along with the prescribed treatment. Vitamin C is a general anti-allergy supplement. It helps stabilize mast cells so they are less likely to release histamine. If the symptoms persist then I suggest you to consult a dermatologist.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.