Itchy, painful bumps on knuckles and elbows

[landr]

I occasionally break out with itchy, painful bumps on my knuckles and elbows.  They are skin-colored or slightly reddened, hardish bumps, no weeping or oozing at all.  If I lean just right on my elbow they cause sharp pain.  I believe it may be viral of some sort, because they seem to only appear when life is stressful.  They itch like crazy- almost as bad as poison ivy, which I've had a lot.  Has anyone else experienced this or have any diagnosis or treatment ideas?  I don't think it is eczema or psoriasis, from the descriptions I've read.  Lotion helps a little but doesn't seem to affect their itching or how long they last, creams like benadryl are very short-lived relief.  Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

[Paulette_Chin]

Every single month religiously, I experience an annoying problem where both my elbows itch like crazy when my period is near, like abt two weeks before. First one bump will appear on each elbow. But as I keep itching, I notice, a few more would come up. Sometimes they would appear in clusters of two or three bumps, some r single and scattered. They will stay there and itch me so bad that I sometimes scratch off the heads. They are not watery. Just itchy and a little red and they never go away until my period actually comes. What on earth is the reason for this problem? Paulette from Jamaica.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
The symptoms are suggestive of pompholyx. 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. Also wear gloves while doing any household work.

If the symptoms persist then get an evaluation done from a dermatologist. 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 doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.