Recurring itchy welt at old bug bite site

[conniptionfit]

Back in late September of 2007, what I thought was a mosquito bit me on my outer right calf.  It looked like a fairly typical bug bite.  It was itchier than a usual bite, but I've had allergies and wicked sensitive skin forever and I'm very good at not scratching things, so I was able to leave it alone.  Several days later, all signs of it were gone.  

A couple months later, the same spot starting itching again, but so badly that I couldn't ignore it.  There were three tiny but firm bumps within a quarter-sized, welt-like area of scaly skin (my skin was soft and smooth everywhere else - no rashes, no itches).  I tried to keep the area moisturized and used some hydrocortisone cream, but it didn't do anything, so I just sucked it up and ignored it.  It went away on its own in about a week - just like the first time, you couldn't tell any difference in the area from the rest of the skin.  It looked completely normal again.

But the stupid thing keeps coming back.  Sometimes it comes back after a couple of weeks; once it disappeared for three months - it's not regular at all.  I've experienced it about 15 times since it first occurred.  I'm starting to get nervous about it.  I've had several health issues (lethargy, chronic pain, weakness, worsening depression) since I got to Korea (which was about a month before the initial bite) and, until lately, I'd just ascribed them to my body and mind not getting along with this country.  Now, thanks to the paranoia-inducing wealth of information on the internet, I'm thinking the bite had something to do with it?  

Tell me; is it normal for a bite's effects to come and go like this over the course of almost two years, or should I stop conflating this with my other health issues? Thanks!!

[Karilyn34]

Papule urticaria.  I get it all the time on left ankle where my original bite was.

[Karilyn34]

Papular

[Nala_Z]

Just curious if you noticed the bites reappearing after you either added vitamins or had something that helps you detox?  I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and I've recently learned this can be due to the bodies inability to detoxify.

I've recently started dry brushing and using a coffee-sugar scrub and added a few new vitamins.  An old chigger bit on my shoulder from 22 years ago, just resurfaced.  It's never reappeared before now.

My guess, if yours is reappearing in waves, it's the bodies way of pushing out the toxins from the bite.  if your body can't detox, you can develop multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS).  MCS may be related to undiagnosed allergies, vitamin deficiencies or a metabolic issue.

My MCS was getting worse day by day.  When I added some vitamins it helped somewhat.  Then I discovered the pharmacy filled one of my prescriptions (Synthroid) with one tha contained gluten, acacia and food coloring and a list of other unnecessary ingredients.  I'm highly gluten intolerance.  Acacia has been known to be a cross-reactive for latex allergies or lectin intolerance.  

[karriker137]

I started synthroid about 1 month before this started with me.  What do you mean about they added stuff to your synthroid?  

[Gaiami]

I have the same problem! 3 years ago, I lived in a duplex, we had a tree in the front yard and our parking was under the branches of the tree. I had seen spiders on the tree before. One morning as I am leaving for work, I sit in my car, as I am starting it I feel a HUGE sting on my left butt cheek, I immediately lifted myself off the seat and stayed stiff for about 10 seconds due to the pain I felt. I looked at the seat and around my car and saw nothing! The site of the bite turned red, super itchy with small blisters, about the size of 2 quarters put together. I put some ointment on it, eventually it dried up and it was gone. Since then I have been getting it on a monthly basis, sometimes I don't see it for 2-3 months at most. I have noticed that it comes out around the time of my period, which has led me to believe that whatever bit me had to leave either a stinger or proboscis behind, my body possibly adapted to it, encapsulating it within the tissue and every time that tissue capsule breaks or during my period, when my hormone levels fluctuate affecting my immune system, it attacks the site of the foreign object all over again causing the reaction. I have not gotten it checked because I am certain a specialist will not know what to make of it and I will just be wasting my money. I don't know, just my opinion of it.

[karriker137]

This happened to me the exact same way.  In my car, i went inside and looked and their were 3 whelps.  Over a week wen and it got worse, went doc and they said shingles.  I took the meds for that for a week amd stopped and now it is coming back.  So I don't know if it was shingles.  

[Naynay001]

I have the exact same thing in multiple places around my ankles. It's been yeeears since the original bites. I never saw or even felt the culprit. I'm guessing chiggers though. These bites keep coming back over and over again.  The original bites left scars like little craters and they were a bloody mess. This is horrible, embarrassing and miserable.  Any luck finding a cure or cause of this??

[polyethylmeme]

Hi! I have the exact same problem. I got bit about two YEARS ago, I remember it being very painful and I am not sure what it was that bit or stung me. It's on my forearm and when it is not itchy or being painful it looks like a tiny little scar. When it starts being weird it will randomly turn bright pink and swell up a bit and becomes extremely itchy. This happens every few weeks or months since I was originally stung. It just puzzles me, why does this happen? I thought I was the only one until I finally put the words together and googled what I was experiencing! Hoping for answers soon.

[Saraha916]

It sounds like what you had was cellulitis, or some form of infection. Usually tell tale sign of an infection is swollen and warmth. I had the same thing happen to me three times. I was bitten by something (convinced it was a biting midge). My hand and arm swelled up, red, hot to the touch very itchy, spread quickly. Once it started spreading I was told to go to urgent care. Was given antibiotics and it immediately got better.

I recommend once you feel the bite or itch, wash the area immediately with anti bacterial soap and apply an antibiotic cream hopefully go stop it from getting infected.