Strange rash/bumps that come and go

I have a strange rash that has been appearing mostly on my legs and feet in large numbers, though they have appeared on my scrotum and shaft of penis a couple times in very small numbers(like 1 or 2 spots ever), off and on, and this started to happen sometime in the summer of '09 I believe. They started out as small red marks that soon went away after a day or 2, primarily located on my feet and shins. Sometimes they only appear as the small red marks, but other times they appear as large, splotchy red marks that itch, that are sometimes slightly raised. Even less often, they appear as many small red bumps that itch and can burn if I do scratch them or if my clothes rub them.

They seem to only appear after I have worn a freshly washed pair of denim jeans for a long period of time throughout the day, and the I guess the longer I wear them the worse the rash is at the end of the day. On one occasion, I had the spots on my arms after wearing a freshly washed denim jacket for a long period of time, but it was only a few small red spots. That same day, I had 2 of those spots down in my belly button where some lint had gathered. I figured they might be allergies to my laundry detergent, but they don't look like hives, and I tried rubbing some of the detergent straight on a clear patch of my skin to test(probably not a good idea, but nothing happened.) I don't think I'm allergic to denim because if I wear the same pair of pants more than a few days in a row, after a couple days the pants wont give me the rash anymore, as if whatever was doing it eventually dissipated from the pants.

Could it be something that gets in my denim or other clothes? It's strange though, because as I said, it seems only to affect me where denim touches my skin(except it seems the marks on my legs will travel down past my socks and onto my feet, even though denim doesn't touch my feet) and I never had this issue with denim before, which I've worn my whole life.


I can't think of what else to include, but if needed I'll give a few pictures of what they currently look like, after my camera's batteries charge.

[raylee83]

Here are some photos of the rash. I really hope someone can help me figure this out.

This is what it looked like yesterday and


This is it now:




This is after having to wear fresh jeans all day at work.

[raylee83]

Those didn't link... Sorry. Here they are again.

Yeserday:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d6/newmission/stuff/SD531693.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d6/newmission/stuff/SD531694.jpg

Today:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d6/newmission/stuff/SD531695.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d6/newmission/stuff/SD531698.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d6/newmission/stuff/SD531691.jpg

[raylee83]

Can anyone here help me figure this out???

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms and pictures they look like hives or urticaria. The most likely triggers for acute urticaria are allergies to pets, horses, latex and foods, such as shellfish and nuts,bee or wasp stings,allergies to medicines,Viral infections, such as glandular fever and herpes, dental and sinus infections, fungal infections, blood transfusions and vaccines.

The cause of chronic urticaria is often more difficult to identify. Most cases are called chronic idiopathic urticaria, which means they're caused by the body's unexplainable development of antibodies to itself (auto-antibodies). It is essential to rule out the presence of serious illnesses of which recurring hives can be a symptom. Examples are hepatitis, hyperthyroidism, lymphomas, collagen vascular diseases, and cancers of the rectum, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. My sincere advice is to consult an allergist and get them evaluated.
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.

[jo929]

I am a female and i am not around animals and i have broken out 3 times all differnt places and rash itch scratch. it is miserable each dr says something different when you find out let me know  luck  jo

[raylee83]

Well, I have no reason to believe they would be the result of herpes, or any STD. Last time I was at the clinic I wanted it to  be looked at, but they had already faded before I arrived, and the doctor said he couldn't really diagnose them at that point. I'll try to go back, and next time I shall bring the pictures I showed you in case they're faded again and the dr. needs to see them. As of the writing of this, they are starting to fade again since I took those pictures last thursday, but I went all weekend without wearing jeans, and today at work I wore long underwear under my pants. Both my jeans and long underwear are 100% cotton though, so I dunno why the jeans would cause it but not the undergarments. Anyways, Thank-you for your input. I'll keep this updated on any news. :)