Itchy Red Bumps

The other morning I woke up to what I thought was a single spider bite on my arm. I didn't think much of it until the next morning when I woke up to one on my stomach, one on my foot, and three on my lower back. That freaked me out so I slept in my mom's room with her and yet again, in the morning, I had two more bites, side by side, on each arm. So a total of 4 more that morning. My mom however, had none. I decided to vacuum out my ENTIRE room and I changed all my sheets and pillow cases yesterday. I went to bed last night in my room wearing super tight clothing that covered my entire body (I even wore socks) aside from my neck and collarbone area being exposed. I slept with a new blanket also. This morning I woke up to 5 more bites on my left arm.

The bites look like mosquito or spider bites. They almost seem to be getting bigger as the days go on but that could be my own paranoia. The first bite I got is now fairly small but it is still there. I'm going insane. I don't know what is causing these and I feel dumb going to the doctor over what may just be an insect bite. I didn't find any spiders in my room when I vacuumed it either.

Does anyone have any ideas or advice? I'll take anything. I've already thought about it being spiders, bed bugs, or fleas. I'm not sure how to tell the difference in the bites and I've done a ton of research. I don't think it would be bed bugs however because none of the signs that they would be present, are in my room. I'm not completely ruling that idea out though.

And lastly, I have been putting on anti-itch creams and icing them to try and get the swelling down. Because they really are MASSIVE bites. But not even that seems to be helping. At times the bites also look like they may have a whiteish part to the center of them. But no, they aren't zits for sure. They itch like crazy. And I've even taken benadryl to try and calm them or to see if maybe I was having an allergic reaction to something. I've only ever had hives once, when I was a kid, but they didn't really look like these and they definitely didn't last like these are.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Skin conditions like contact dermatitis, dermatitis, lice, scabies and hives,eczema, viral rash and atopic dermatitis and allergic reactions to chemicals ,wool, soaps, cosmetics and certain foods  can cause such itchy skin.

You can apply an anti-itch cream or lotion to the affected area. Oral antihistamine, such as Benadryl can also be used. You should take a comfortably cool bath and wear smooth-textured cotton clothing. Application of calamine lotion also helps in soothing the skin. You should choose mild soaps without dyes or perfumes and use a mild, unscented laundry detergent when washing clothes, towels and bedding.

Please take a second opinion from a dermatologist if the symptoms persist. 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 dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.