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Red, itching bumps and spots on base of hairs spreading up my body.

Hi everyone,

There is a skin problem that I hope someone can help me with. I will go to a doctor, but would like some opinions first. Firstly, I am a man and in my twenties who has never been sick and always been very hygienic.
About 4 months ago, a member of my family started getting red “pimples” on his feet that ended up slowly making their way all up his body. The doctor he went to about this had no idea what it was and simply prescribed antihistamine.
Around 2 or 3 months ago I used the (washed and rinsed in antibacterial/antifungal solution) socks from him, not worried about “catching” anything. Then, a month or so ago I noticed the same spots on my feet, which are now making their way up my legs, thigh and arms. Every single red spot is located where there is a hair coming out, and the only spots that itch (very badly, mind you) are raised. Sometimes I get an inflamed and irritated patch of skin a couple of centimetres big, which later calms down again. When I scratch, I only scratch through the clothes which (most of the time) provides me a couple to a few hours relief. After wearing rubber boots for a while, I will need to scratch, but only after pulling my legs out, which I find unusual. I only wear long pants in the boots and never had any itching/skin problems related (ingrown hairs) or unrelated to wearing boots. If I don’t scratch, the sensation can become very painful.
Also worthy of mention is my suspicion that I actually have a skin fungus on a couple of 1 inch spots in my beard. For a couple of months I noticed myself occasionally itching the same spots on my beard and on closer inspection, I noticed skin flakes coming off in those areas. I treated them for a couple of days with antifungal cream which stopped the itching and flaking, but did not continue treatment, because I still couldn’t believe that I actually had a fungus and that it may have been some other kind of irritation. Sometimes when I shower, I forget to specially shampoo my beard and after a couple of days of not shampooing it, I noticed the flaking again, as well as half-millimetre-sized skin-coloured football-shaped objects stuck at the base of some of the hairs. The affected hairs are quite easy to pull out. The sensation is different from the itching caused by the bumps – it feels more like something biting and digging away the skin and can also get painful.

http://upload2.net/page/download/gE9EueJP8peJ9C2/skin_troubles-sm.jpg.html
The attached image shows my problem:
1. This is where the bumps started, and they are still there, as well as on the left foot.
2. The bumps made their way up the leg and above the knee is a week or two.
3. This appeared on the right hand overnight with an unpleasant sensation, it disappeared after a week – I wash my hands with Betadine surgical scrub and use alcoholic hand sanitizer gel which may have “repaired” the problem there.
4. You can see a scratch in the skin here – after a few days it started getting the same unpleasant “biting” sensation as in my beard and I noticed tiny white flakes on and around the scab. Frequent rinsing with Betadine and alcoholic gel almost entirely fixed the problem in that area, however, I am now getting the same red, flat (non-itching) spots at the base of the hair follicles on my arms.
5. You can see the red spots making their way up my leg in this picture.

http://upload2.net/page/download/4mjoFB5e3OqeePT/skin_troubles-sm2.jpg.html
This pic shows 2 thumb-sized blotches that have appeared 4 days ago with no pain or itching.

I suspect I have a fungal problem in the beard and wherever there is a scratch on the skin AND a mite problem that started on my feet. This worries me since it may be an indicator of a weakened immune system. Never have there been skin blemishes before. I have noticed that over the last couple of years I have been getting the “sniffles” more often, as well as getting tired quicker. I have also been under stress for quite some time now. There are no dietary or shampoo/laundry powder changes.
Please share your (appreciated) thoughts, and thank you for reading this long letter.

Tom
8 Responses
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Avatar universal
Hey man, I hope you and your family survived this nightmare. It's now 2014 and I have exactly the same symptoms as you described here from 2007. In fact you describe it so perfectly I'm going to take notes on what you've said so I don't forget anything when I talk to a dermatologist.

My roommate has also got this itch and I'm worried others will get it. We don't know what it is or how to treat it... if by any chance you get this message please reply with what it was or how you treated it. I can't take it much longer. Just today it moved to my face. My eyebrows, my cheek, my nostril, a few places in my beard, my ears... it's torture. I don't know where it's coming from... I thought bed bugs or scabies but I can't find evidence of bed bugs and scabies don't go above the neck.

Initially, my roommate and I thought is was strange. We described it as similar to a bug bite but with no actual bite. Only in the past couple days have I noticed the little red spots at the base of my hair follicle. They are so small I almost missed them. I did have a few obvious little white head follicle pimples I wrote off as being related to heat/sweat. But now I don't know. I think it's all related.

The itch is crazy, and it moves around. It'll be my leg and my arm. Then it's my back and my other arm. Then it's the groin and my cheek. It just keeps moving and it feels like an insect is crawling around and then biting/stinging me. But when I look there is nothing.

If I look really close I can kind of see a little bit of red irritation. Like my skin is raised a little bit. But then it goes away. And later I'll find the red dot at the base of the hair follicle.

Please - if you ever found a cure for your situation please post it here. This is terrible. I have to live and work and be a human being... but how can I when I'm losing sleep and stressing and itching all the time. And if I'm contagious... I need to know how to stop this asap. I'm not sure when I can see a dermatologist. Money is super bad right now and I already have medical bills. I don't know where to turn really...  
Helpful - 0
482850 tn?1215066002
Have a Dermatologist or your GP submit a punch biopsy to the lab to review for fungal infections too.

I suffered for the past year with a rash-like infection that 22 different types of doctors could not identify. The rash began with small bumps on the thighs, fevers, strange looking hairs on my scalp, legs, arms, chin, eyebrows and eye lashes. The bumps turned into ulcers which would not heal even though I was prescribed 10 different anti-bacterial antibiotics over the past year. Eventually, I reached the point of exhaustion and would need to sleep for 10 hours in order to be able to be awake for 2 hours. I started having panic attacks and felt I was in a constant brain fog. The ulcerated sores form along the lymphatic channels

About two weeks ago, my husband asked for some medication as he was getting jock-itch. I accidentally sprayed the "Lotrimin" on some sores on my neck thinking I had sprayed the "Lanacane" skin numbing spray. Within an hour the neck sore oozed out the jelly looking stuff and by morning had an actual scab! Four days later this sore is almost completely gone.

See this article: http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2161.htm

I researched fungal infections and found "Sporotrichosis". All the symptoms and pictures matched exactly to what I have been experiencing. I saw my GP two days ago and presented him with my diagnosis. He agreed with my findings, and he wrote a prescription for “Itraconazole” anti-fungal pills. If needed, my doctor said he would admit me into the hospital for the I.V. anti-fungal medications.

I am thankful my doctor accepted my research since he has seen how long I have suffered. I am also very, very thankful for my husband’s jock-itch infection, which led me to research yeast, and fungal infections.


Six weeks now on the Itraconazole and I am 50% better! Barely any more brain-fog, starting to get energy levels up. My GP and I reviewed my med records and the tiny bumps that started on the lower legs first noted in my chart almost 3 years ago. GP said I may need to meds for life, taped down. I should expect at least one year until all lesions are healed.


Best of luck!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi everyone,

Thank you for the replies so far. My appointment was accidentally made for me at the wrong clinic and was cancelled. Now I have to wait until late December to see a dermatologist.
In the meantime, I will make an update, and again ask for advice:
Shortly after my last update, I put on some latex gloves like every day to do some cleaning around the house but this time it was very hot that day and I left them on for an hour, or so. This allowed whatever it is I have to spread because the next day, the whole top of my right hand was itching. The left hand, which did not have any unusual marks remained unaffected. A couple of days later the entire top of my right hand was covered in tiny itching bumps – every hair had a bump. They eventually calmed down (but still remain, ever so slightly) but now the area on my right hand that I photographed before has quadrupled in size and is itchy and flaky. For a couple of weeks there was also a dried, thickened “sandpapery” area of skin between my index and middle finger but this eventually went away with constant application of fungus cream – the itchy and flaky area remained.
A clue to what may be happening is that some weeks before my family member was affected, we saw a completely furless, mangy poor fox skulking around our property. My family member was rolling around under the car, in the dry soil shortly after we saw the fox, and perhaps he caught a fungal/mite problem from the soil…. BUT WHAT DID HE CATCH??? Fox mange? Could it last this long and spread so viciously?
This is frustrating because I remember looking for mange cures on the net right after I saw the fox, in hope of helping it (I never saw it again) and I came across a post by someone talking about fungal mange, saying that if one finds red spots on their own skin, they should go to a doctor immediately. Well, so far 3 doctors had no idea.
Another thing I should mention is that my short-hair dog, who I take around the property on a leash, lost his fur on every area that the leash (which often falls onto the dry soil) had come into contact with. This happened shortly after my family member got problems, but long before I got them. He got it between his legs and on the scrotum, as well as 2 neat lines on the sides of his body where the leash made contact when he pulled. The skin on his scrotum looked very dry, wrinkly and crusty, like the skin on my right hand, between the fingers. He had to endure 3 weeks of getting large amounts of fungal cream smeared on his family jewels and ticklish sides, but it completely cured him. I washed the leash and everything else in strong bleach and now make sure it doesn’t come into contact with the soil, or him.
But where does that leave me and the other member of my family? Our whole bodies are covered with these itching spots.
Three days ago I noticed my palms itching, but saw nothing, then at night I saw raised red areas of skin appear. Sometimes the itching gets so bad, it hurts. I have been rubbing in fungal cream and it seems to have improved a little, but what could cause this? Thank you for your time.

More pics:
[URL=http://www.imagebam.com/image/fb1f55605216][IMG]http://thumbnails.imagebam.com/61/fb1f55605216.gif[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://www.imagebam.com/image/47b690605217][IMG]http://thumbnails.imagebam.com/61/47b690605217.gif[/IMG][/URL]
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Did biopsy, found nothing, says no fungus, no parasite. Like ca_ca_de_toro it was first diagnosed as scabies. Covered myself with Scabie meds, made it worse. Deratologist gave up on cause. Gris-peg (treats fungas, parasites.) Cleared it up 90% until meds ran out. Now doctors are convinced it is an alergy. However, they are trying to treat with over-the-counters, and they are not doing anything. Found a 84 year old lady with same problem in Dallas. Her docs can't diagnose either.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have similar symptoms,, multiple doctors,, 4 derms, some out of pocket to get a swift second opinion to no avail. It has been going on since mid June 07. First was diagnosed and treated for scabies mutiple times, then took lamasil for a week and the conditioned worsened. I had to stop. Last week I talked a dermatologist into a skin biopsy. It was not painful, ended up with 2 stiches and awaiting results. There are 5 levels of probing (degrees of study) , you want a moderate level  or better. It cost me $100 for the appt and $320 for the test.  This will definitely let you rule out fungal,bacterial, or parasite. This is just a suggestion and my route. Will watch for further postings
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have what appears to be the same problem. I also have been telling my hard-headed doctors that it acts and feels like a fungus. They are set on persuing alergies. I have had alergies all my life, it doesn't have that feel.  I have been to 3 GP's and have made 3 visits to a dermatoligist. He says "well, you got exema, we can't find out what causes it, so we will just treat the symptoms". He gave me Gris-peg, which cleared it up until my prescription ran out. I am in the process of looking for a second opinion. If I find out any more I will let you know. You do the same.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have what appears to be the same problem. I also have been telling my hard-headed doctors that it acts and feels like a fungus. They are set on persuing alergies. I have had alergies all my life, it doesn't have that feel.  I have been to 3 GP's and have made 3 visits to a dermatoligist. He says "well, you got exema, we can't find out what causes it, so we will just treat the symptoms". He gave me Gris-peg, which cleared it up until my prescription ran out. I am in the process of looking for a second opinion. If I find out any more I will let you know. You do the same.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Another update – I now have an appointment with a dermatologist, but it is 2 weeks from now.
Could someone *PLEASE* look at these extra pics and give me their opinion. My family doctor could not help and the problem is worsening. Please note – I am very hygienic but for the purposes of showing the problem in my beard, did not wash the beard for 2 days.
http://www.imagebam.com/image/40e38c217620
http://www.imagebam.com/image/d10b6a217621
http://www.imagebam.com/image/1a794f217622
http://www.imagebam.com/image/21c81e217623
http://www.imagebam.com/image/c4c56d217624

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