tiny itchy blisters on arms & legs

[twilightburl]

Shamefully, for almost 8 years I have been getting very small itchy blisters on various spots on my arms and legs.  The small blisters develop and immediately itch intensely, which is how I know they're there.  They have a clear fluid inside, with no puss.  When I scratch them in my sleep or when they break, they often weep a little  amber colored liquid.  Also, when I scratch them, more tiny blisters will develop around the original blister, signifying an infection.  These broken blisters often leave  (little open sores) which can be difficult and slow to heal.  These outbreaks seem to come in waves, as I'll often go weeks or even a month or two without a sign of blisters, itching, or infection.  I have never had any white puss or swelling redness around these troublesome blisters/vesicles, which isn't like any normal skin infection I've ever had before.  Can anyone help me diagnosis this problem please?

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

Differentials may include eczematous disease ( allergic dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis)involving the extremities.There may be an overlying infection after severely scratching or breaking the skin.

Have you any known allergies?

At this point it is difficult to tell what causes the condition. A complete examination by an internist or dermatologist may help.

Have you tried taking any medications before that relieved the symptoms?

Application of cold compress over the extremities, avoiding extreme heat or dryness, washing with a bland hypoallergenic soap and avoiding other possible triggers ( like food, certain medications,stressors) may help.

[UKROG]

I too seem to suffer the exact symptoms, as is always the case it is nice to know you are not the only one suffering these symptoms.  For me they seem to come and go and are mostly on my right & left arm & right leg, I have also had on occasions small blisters on the roof of my mouth towards the back (I am not sure if this could be linked but having  thought about it a bit the thought now crosses my mind).

Of course if you search there are a multitude of other things it could be from things such as a food allergy (Gluten, etc) to Staph Infection (Staphylococcus Aureus) and these are to name but a few indeed.

I also have had Pneumonia once before that took a while to clear and now seem to have some sort of sinus/mucus problem and occasionally experience a slight shortness of breath, again these may not be related and some may be down to the fact i am not in the best shape I could be in but I do not drink or smoke etc.

I do think the bottom line is seeing my Doctor in the vain hope whoever I see will show some kind of interest and point me in the right direction so a diagnosis can be reached.

Anyway I hope what I have wrote helps or inspires you in some way!

And remember you are not the only one suffering this (from the sound of things)

Rog

[angelmistifi]

I also suffer from this rash.  I live in an area that was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.  Since the storm, I have had this same type of rash repeatedly.  I have gone to the emergency room numerous times because the rash would be so severe that after taking a bath, they would ooze this sappy looking stuff that was sticky, I would have a rash on my body after the blisters went away that resembled measles and would have severe asthmatic flare ups-allergic reaction I was informed.  But the question was From What though?  No answer  This only happened after the bath.    I still do not know what is the reason.  I tried a cream called Lidex, very cheap for generic, it worked great.  But the rash comes and goes. To end the reoccurance of it would be a blessing.  I would love to know what it is.  It itches and burns and drives me crazy.  If anyone could shed light, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Lynnie23]

I too have been pestered for many years with these intense itching little blisters on my fingers, hands and arms.  Some are in streaks, little lines, singluar spots, and in the worst areas they form a little mass that eventually turns red with little scabs from scratching in my sleep.  They remind me so much of poison ivy rash but I know that is not the case.  I used to be plagued with poison ivy as a child on these same areas, and I even wondered if the toxin is still in my system and works it's way to the surface every so often.  One thing I do know is it seems to occur after a change in diet.  I'm always working towards a healthier life style eating foods that are not processed, without chemicals and pesticides, and more on the raw side.  Well being human and all, sometimes I slip and slide in this and find myself eating processed cheese fries and lots of sugar delights.  It's after these eating intoxications that I notice the rash occuring.  When I eat healthy I know my liver is cleansing my body well, and then when I back track on the unhealthy stuff my liver works overtime to cleanse my body.  I kind of wonder if the rash is a response to toxins in the body.  Because, when I get back on track eating healthy foods, I never experience the rash.  It's only when I eat chemicals like high fructose corn syrup, and highly processed foods that the rash develops.  It sure takes it's time going away becauce it spreads if the blisters are scratched open, just like poison ivy does.  Also personally, my skin has always been a bit sensitive to external chemicals as well.  I've had to change deodorants and detergents because I would get a rash out of nowhere.  

[Nancy16]

Is this an HPV related symptom?

[attillio]

Hi,

I too have this problem and you have described it beautifully. It first appears on my right or left arm as an intensely itchy spot which is impossible to resist scratching and the more you scratch the worse it gets. After scratching, tiny weeping eruptions appear and tends to cause it to spread. In my case, the itching is so intense that I can't get to sleep at night.

I too can go for months at a time without this annoying affliction appearing.  In my case, this curse started 20 years ago. I had been working clearing a vacant lot when I accidentally disturbed a large wasp (yellow