rash from flu vaccine?

about 1 week after having the flu vaccine i noticed a lumpy rash on my arm about a week after that it spread to my chest and neck . now it is on my face and i have swelling.. it is very itchy some lumps are red others are skin colored .. the swelling under my eyes is red and it is also on my ears..is this a reaction to the shot? it has been two weeks and it is not letting up.. i have tried benedryl and cortazone. they help temprorarly

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it looks like 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.

Many cases of hives are "idiopathic," meaning no cause is known. Others may be triggered by viral infections or medications. Wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites. You can apply some calamine lotion at the rash as it will help in soothing the skin. You can take some OTC oral antihistamine medications like Benadryl or Claritin and see if it helps.

If the symptoms persist then a dermatologist’s evaluation is needed as topical and oral steroids may need to be prescribed. If the hives don’t go after 6 wks of treatment also, then it can be a case of chronic urticaria which needs further evaluation as it may be due to auto antibodies.
I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional doubts. Kind regards.