Itching all over

About 2 months (December) ago my wife came home with a bad cold.  My children caught it, then I caught it.  Everyone got better except for me.  I got worse and went to the doctor where I was diagnosed with atypical pnuemonia (pneumonia).  I received an antibiotic, cough medicine and some prednisone tablets.  The wheezing and chest congestion got better.
A few weeks later I noticed that the congestion had returned. It is hard to explain.  When I exhale, there is a wheezing at the end of my exhalation and feels to be at the bottom of my lungs.  Occasionally, I cough up some phlegm.  The congestion is there some days and not there on others.
I also started itching with these episodes.  The itching is generalized and is usually on my legs, back, or upper arms.  It feels like a prickling sensation.  I often get a swelling under the skin on the itching area and get hives when I scratch.  Sometimes the areas are in red blotches.  Anyway, it seems that after I have one of these itching episodes, the wheezing starts.

The itching episodes are strange.  It starts in one location and then spreads to many different locations quickly.  It almost seems like the more I think about it, the worse it gets.  Also, the redness and hives always appear and then are gone in less than an hour.  I take benedryl and it helps (but makes me sleepy).

Some days I have these episodes, some days I don't.

Also, I feel like there are some small brown spots that have developed on my torso, arms, and legs.  But, I have always had many many moles and these spots could have always been there and I just never noticed.

All of this may not be related.  The symptoms kind of seem like an allergic reaction, but I have no idea what may cause them.  I mostly seem to have the itching attacks at night, not long before bedtime.  This is not always the case though.  Occasionally, I itch at work during the day, but it is never as sever.  It is often the morning after I have an itching episode at night that I have the wheezing the next day.

Please give me some input.....I'm a worrier and Its all about to drive me nuts!  Thanks!

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Let me start by saying the obvious: for proper diagnosis, you are going to have to see a doctor.

Now I will add the less obvious, to which you have alluded yourself: you have become hypervigilant.  Concern over wheezing and health have caused you (a self-described "worrier") to look and think about everything on or in your body.  As you say yourself, "It almost seems like the more I think about it, the worse it gets."

If you scratch your skin, you will get blotchy from histamine release.

Your symptoms do not add up to a disease I am familiar with (wheezing plus skin symptoms.)

Therefore:

1) Get some Sarna lotion (OTC) and apply it every time you start to itch.
2) Make an appointment with a skin doctor.
3) Ask your regular doctor how much longer you're likely to wheeze, whether the wheezing you produce with deep breathing means anything at all, and whether any of the skin symptoms seem to relate (bet they don't.)
3) Stop looking and thinking about your body.  Let your doctors worry for you, while you watch the Olympics.  

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[Rsha_rsha]

Hi,
i'm a pregnant women, i'm at my 28 week, i noticed about 3 weeks ago that my rest at both of my hand developed a round kind of red spot. This spot is only on top of my hand rest, it's ithchy and the skin is kind of rough! not smooth as other part of the hand. it looks like the spot is burned. i went to the doctor she gave me "Elocon" cream. i used it only twice.. and the symptoms disapear... but i have red about the "Elocon" on the web sites that it might have side effects on the baby since it will be on the blood stream !! i'm scared now that my baby could be affected!! please tell me what is going on? is the doctor was right or wrong ? and what if i developed side effect on my baby?

Rasha