Sudden Itchy Rash

[Arcadelia]

Today (10/22/09)  I developed a sudden itchy rash that turned the skin on my arms and knees hot and bright pink.  There are small portions of raised white skin that look similar to mosquito bites of different sizes, but I haven't seen bugs recently (it's cold out) and I don't remember being bitten.  I change my sheets and towels once a week.

I have been sick with two separate mild common colds for about two weeks (the second was picked up in Canada a week ago; I live in Pennsylvania).  I haven't eaten anything unusual in the past few weeks.  

One possible cause is an allergic reaction to a birth control pill I started taking on Sunday (10/18/09), but it's been about five days since then and I haven't felt anything else unusual.

The symptoms of the cold I have are mild sore throat, runny nose, cough, fatigue, and mild upset stomach.

I took an antihistamine and used lotion on my skin an hour ago, and neither have had much effect.

I am 17 years old and female.

Thanks for any feedback!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
The itchy red rashes are due to hives. Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They have a tendency to change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours. They can be caused by viral infections or medications.

Take some antihistaminic like Benadryl or Claritin and apply some calamine lotion on the rashes. If the symptoms persist then topical or oral steroids may be needed. Please consult a dermatologist in that case.

I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep me posted in case you have any additional doubts. Kind regards.

[Arcadelia]

It's me again... just to confirm, I'd like to know what this rash is, what caused it, how I can treat it, if it's contagious, and whether it will affect my day-to-day life in the days to come.

Thanks all!  Hope to get over this soon.  I'm sick and tired of LITERALLY being sick and tired.

-G.M.