Help! It's driving me nuts.

[lynnzop[$]]

No, chiggers tend to collect along clothing lines - panty lines, socks, even shoes, waistbands.

I've never heard of flood rash before, but anything's possible. I think it's definitely environmentally caused since you and Bri seem to get them at the same time. (Nothing like sharing, eh? )

[theworm[$]]

yep. They're not following those clothing lines. They say that normally people get them on sock lines, waistbands, and in those private areas. Thank God that hasn't been an issue. Mine have been mostly on my calves, thighs, arms and shoulderblades. Brian's are mostly on his legs and a few on his stomach. And the way that it comes and goes doesn't sound like Chiggers, but they sure as heck itch!!!! My skin was Burning today!!!!

The nurse said that other doctors offices have been reporting incidents of this strange "flood rash" since we have the floods, but nobody yet knows what it is. I suppose it could be some sort of insect or parasite, or a reaction to the molds. I just wish someone knew how to clear it up. She said that they wrote down our name and number so that if they hear more about it, they'll call.

Hmm. Better treatment from the walk-in clinic than from the private doctor. Just found our new doctor!!!

[MrsNormanMaine[$]]

Add some OTC pepcid or zantac to the clarinex or claritin. It will potentiate the antihistamine effect.

Dr. MNM

[jgibson2[$]]

MrsNormanMaine said

Add some OTC pepcid or zantac to the clarinex or claritin. It will potentiate the antihistamine effect.

Dr. MNM

Last bad latex exposure, the ER doc told me that. I was living on zantac and benadryl for a couple of weeks because I was trying to avoid steroids. Amazing how long an allergic reaction can make you miserable. OTOH, the initial response with steriods (this latest illness) was faster, but I'll probably STILL hack for weeks -- and now I need the zantac because my stomach hurts and I just remembered that predinsone will do that.

At least I don't itch. I think I would lose my mind.

[theworm[$]]

Thanks, Andy!!
We'll try that!

[theworm[$]]

I've been taking Pepcid w/ the Claritin. I hope it's helping, but it's hard to tell. THis is so odd. They won't stop! Last night I got a few mosquito bites on my arm and I felt the bugger get me. They were annoying but nothing. I had some big hives that were really bad. All the mosquito bites died down very quickly. The hives got bigger. This morning, I had a spot of my leg that was so swollen it was nasty. On top of the pills I used the RX ointment. The weight of my pants on the welts today actually hurt. The mosquito bites are all gone, but I have about 9 hives on my legs that are huge and quite bothersome.

Another strange thing happened. Last week when we went to the doctor, we got tetanus shots. The nurse put a band-aid on mine. I took it off the next morning in the shower. For 2 days, you could see the mark of the band-aid on my skin. It wasn't painful or itchy, but it was red and a tad puffy and you could clearly see the edges of the band-aid and around the pad. I've never had allergies to adhesive before, but this did something. By Friday night, it disappeared. This morning, I could clearly see the band aid markings again. No pain, but the skin felt a bit dry to the touch. I thought I was imagining it, but Brian could see it too. I've never had sensitive skin, but something is going on here and I wish I knew what it is!

[jgibson2[$]]

You need to call the doctor's office and find out if they use non-latex bandaids. If they do, it's a sensitivity to the adhesive, which sucks, but if they use bandaids with latex, it may be a latex allergy.

Latex allergy can present with an immediate dermatitis, hives, or anaphylaxis. It can also present with a delayed onset (type II) response. Mine always looked like poison ivy and showed up 2 days after I wore latex gloves - something I no longer do.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

When can you go back and get the hives looked at again?

[theworm[$]]

Thanks Judy. It was a fabric style band aid - not sure if those are latex free or not. I did notice (and was surprised) that the gloves that the doctors used were not latex-free. I tend to think that it is an allergy to the adhesive, but I wondered about latex. There was no pain or itch there, but I thought it really odd that is showed up again after a full week. Isn't that just odd?

I can go back to the clinic for the hives anytime, but the NP thinks its chiggers so until the temps go back under 40, I think she'll just tell me to use bug spray. I think I'm going to try and get an appt with another dermatologist. I've gotten the name of one who is supposed to be really good. She's not in my plan, but I can see her outside of the plan if I'm willing to pay. I need a good dermatologist, so I'll try and get an appt. I just hope its not going to take months to get an appt as a new patient.

[magenta321]

I got that to the bandaids when I had my moles removed (I had a thread on here somewhere). It's weird, because I tried mutliple types of bandaids, even op site, and EVERYTHING was leaving welts on me. I finally stopped covering the sores.

But what is really strange to me is I have worn bandaids since, with no problem.

Not helpful, but also weird.

Hope you figure out the hives and can get some relief. Can you take a bath in Aveno? Would that help?

[jgibson2[$]]

I grew up in NC, AKA chiggerland. I NEVER got chiggers without sitting on grass or at least being outdoors for most of the day. Chiggers don't come and go. Due respect to your NP, but I don't believe those are chiggers either.

[theworm[$]]

Thanks Judy!
I really appreciate it. I had never heard of Chiggers before, but from what I read, this doesn't sound like them.

From what I read, those chiggers are really nasty little critters though!!!

[emeleel]

And like Margaret, I have only had the bandaid reaction once, myself. The one time I had that happen was when a vein got blown during a blood donation. It popped up a little hematoma and was fairly tender. I had that puckered skin reaction the same way as you, Wormie. I figured it was because the skin tissue was already so "upset" that the bandaid just made it react badly. I bet yours is the same thing.

[Helen_B[$]]

Wormie, I know I see yeast everywhere, lol, and fugus and mold-related ick, and I think in the aftermath of a flood there would be lots of it. I'm thinking maybe what you have is fungal related. Washing your hands a lot because of the clean-up, and surrounded by molds and stuff, and having any irritation on your skin, insect bite, stress on your immune system, and whamo, it's your lucky day. Antibacterial soap just makes yeast more likely.

My mom had an itchy rash all over her for days, that the doc finally treated with an anti fungal. She had been washing her hands with wet wipes, since she could do that sitting in her wheel chair, and she had really been over washing, since she's peeing about every five minutes and has to wash her hands again. Her aide was giving her a bath with big soapy wipes, and also using incontinent wipes. AND, she was having her Depends sprayed with a spray to neutralize odor, whenever she put on a new one. And, she lives in Florida where it's damp.

It all added up, and it wasn't just contact dermatitis. All the chemical wipes were irritating her skin just a little, and cleaning off ALL the normal skin bateria, and the yeast just grew back faster, given a clear ground. It's like the crab grass of the body.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Yeast is what I had last year as an aftermath of mosquito bites, and it was like big, flattish red welts on my legs.

[lynnzop[$]]

Have you ruled out shingles?

[theworm[$]]

I asked the NP about a yeast infection and she didn't think that was it. It does look like BIG flatish red welts, and it itches! I'm betting that might be it. How do you treat that?

Lynn - I'd be shocked if it was shingles. It's more itchy than painful.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Some of mine were the size of my palm, IIRC. The antihistamines didn't do a thing for it, I had to get a Rx topical antifungal cream. And the dermo didn't even think that's what it was - she swabbed the red spots and sent the swab to the lab, that's how they found out what it was.

The itching was INSANE. I was walking through BJ's stomping my feet to try to make the itching stop since I couldn't touch them without just about scraping my skin off.

[theworm[$]]

I wonder if I could slather myself in yogurt?

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Ketoconazole 2% cream 2x/day for 10 days on affected areas was what I was given. There were oral meds too, but I don't remember if that was before or after they discovered it was yeast.

[jgibson2[$]]

MJ,
Was it diflucan? That's the only oral antifungal I know of that works systemically.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

I don't remember, but they prescribed it before they knew, or even mentioned the possibility of being a yeast infection.