Hives or something else?

I started out with small bumps very similar to mosquito bites on the inside/under arms and a few on my legs.  In some areas the bites have "blended" together, now looking more like a flat pinkish area.  Should I be concerned?  I took over the counter benadry so was hoping this would help.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

I cannot confirm anything without examination,but it can be due to hives,sweat dermatitis,allergies,insect bite or dermatitis.

Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes.Many cases of hives are "idiopathic," meaning no cause is known. Others may be triggered by viral infections or medications.

Take non-sedating antihistamines such as Cetirizine(Zyrtec) or Loratadine(Claritin to get symptom relief. Sedating antihistamines such as Chlorphenamine(Benadryl) are 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.Also apply calamine lotion and a mild steroid cream on the bumps.
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 pls get it evaluated from a dermatologist.

I hope that helps. Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries. Kind regards.