Itchy, Tiny Bumps All Over

[sylvia71]

hi i have the same problem thats comeing back once a year or two years my skin looks the same as on your pictures.I was told it is psoriasis i`ve try alot of medicine but the best i found is psoriasis gel you can find in walgreens ect.its the only one that wont burn and works great.Try that if wont help it will not hurt You.

It's been going on for a month now. It started on my left arm, just above my wrist as a series of tiny reddish, raised dots. It's very itchy. Within about a week, it spread all over my arms. By about 2 weeks it has spread to my legs and some parts of my body (neck, back, under my breast, on my tummy). The worst parts are still on my arms. In the 3rd week, it got to my face a bit.

I've seen 2 doctors and 1 dermatologist. I've been given antihistamine and some steroid ointment. None of this gave me relief. The initial rash seems to fade away into very tiny raised dots (see pictures) and the new itch now appear like this. All over my arms except my actual wrist and hands now have this 'orange-peel' texture - or like a mini basketball surface. It's like having a permanent goose-bumps even on the part of the skin without hair. The dots in some areas are less dense. Compared the affected area with the wrist area that's not affected:

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...71103_0005.jpg

Now, one of the doctors and the dermatologist prescribed Semprex capsules (one after another) so I have been having this medication for almost 2 weeks now. I'm still itching. And the itch on my face got even worse... Although... it looks different from the rest. On my face it is reddish raised area (see pictures) and the skin there feels tender. Plus, my eyelids got swollen too... the left one is worse, it covers half of my left eye.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...71104_0015.jpg

So I googled Semprex and found out that this allergy medicine itself could cause allergic reaction as well! One of the side effects is swollen eyelids...
http://emc.medicines.org.uk/emc/asse...ocumentid=9183

I stopped taking Semprex but kept taking the evening medication (Hydroxyzine). The following morning the swelling was easing off and my overall condition improved. I felt better than I have been since I got this ithcy problem. So I thought I have found out that I'm allergic to Semprex. I simply stop taking it all together.

But lo and behold! This morning I woke up with huge swelling on both eyelids and a bit on my face too! Plus, I was itching like crazy during the night I had problem sleeping. The itch is mostly on my limbs. So I wonder, am I allergic to Hydroxyzine as well? Could it be that all the Semprex I've been taking for almost 2 weeks have wreck havoc to my body and now it became sensitive/allergic to antihistamine?

Now my skin has become very sensitive too. It's a real challenge to find clothing that won't irritate my skin. Any slightest rough material or seams would make my condition worse.

I found cool weather and open space to be of help a bit which is fortunate because now the weather is cool.

Nevertheless, I still have no clue on what has caused the itch on my arms, legs, body that has turned most of my skin into 'orange peel'. As far as I know, I didn't eat nor get in touch with anything new/unusual in the period before the itch started.

My living space is bright with plenty of sunshine and good ventilation. We have big windows that we open every day. We clean our place regularly too.

I have also checked my bed for bedbugs but I didn't see anything, i.e. blood stains or anything at all. I have also washed all the beddings with hot water. Still doesn't help me a bit. BTW, my husband doesn't get any of the itch I got, so whatever it is, it is not contagious.

Oh and I am female, 38 y.o. in good health aside from this condition. I'm not on any medication prior to this, and my weight is normal (slim).

My doc thought it could be something internal so I had some blood tests done several days ago, but the result won't be ready until next Thursday.

I wonder if any body here has similar experience with me, especially the 'orange peel' skin condition.

Thanks a lot for any info you might share here.

~f~

[Sweetlilgurl]

I'm not quite sure what or when I was exposed to what irritated me. All I know is that I've had the rash for about 6 days now. I didn't really notice it until I had shaved, and I had shaved about 3 days before that without any symptoms. I go to a tanning bed every once in awhile. And the last time I had been was the Monday prior to when the rash appeared (on Wed.) Other than that there is nothing unusual about my routine. I have not had it spread anywhere else, even when scratched. I just resist scratching as much as possible, and hope that will help it go away.

[findingthecause]

IDo you have any idea how you got yours? Did you change your lifestyle recently or you changed jobs or something?

No, I have no idea how it happened! I racked my brain trying to remember ANY thing that I might have done differently prior to the first itch but I can't find anything. I didn't change my life style nor change job nor anything whatsoever. It's so mysterious and annoying.

Luckily I work from home, so I don't have to go out much. But this itchiness really distracting my concentration so I have been very unproductive . Plus I have problem sleeping because of the itch as well.

ASHLEY and SWEETLILGURL:
Have you tried moisturizing the part of the skin that is itchy?

For shower I have been using special cleanser called 'Cetaphil'. It is non-soap so it doesn't aggravate your skin. I also use the 'Cetaphil Cream'. When your skin is dry, it feels even more itchier. Also, avoid taking shower with hot water. Lukewarm water is better. You might start with warmer water first, then gradually adjust the water until it's lukewarm.

[ashley123]

Ive been using ivy dry and it hasnt really done anything. i at first got wierd bumps on my fingers that resembled poisen ivy but ive had it enough to know it wasnt it. thats when i thought it was from the latex gloves. however, ive now come to the conclusion that it probably isnt form that. the bumps on my fingers are finally starting to go away. but now i have these other red, small, itchy (esp in morning and night) bumps. they dont look like the ones i had on my fingers though. they arent as raised as the ones on my fingers and they dont have puss in them or anything. they are simply, slightly raised, red dots. some look kinda big but thats just because of how clustered together they are.
so, i have a few under my breast
on my thighs(inner and outer)
on the sides of my stomach
near my elbows
and on the back of my knees

i also thought it could be because of bleach. we had to run bleach through our water tanks for a day and i thought that maybe i just had a bad reaction to that. however, i dont know why it would only be in certain spots...and i didnt shower the day we did it. i didnt shower at my house for a couple days after it happened actually

[Notregistered]

About 5 years ago, I noticed a very small blister on my right index finger. I drained the liquid and it went away. A month later a similar blister appeared on my right inside wrist; I treated it the same way with the same results.

Since then, several single blisters have come and gone, using the above treatment. Six months ago they started appearing as a small rash of blisters along my forearms, the front of my thighs, and lately on my face. Now, when I drained the blisters, a larger, dark brown spot was left behind. I have always had good skin (I never even had acne as an adolescent) so this was all very discouraging. I began to think it might be a skin infection. I had very mild to no itching, and any discomfort was alleviated with an ice pack. Scratching is always a bad idea, since you end up weakening or breaking the skin, the only protective barrier between you and microbes.

I have been using "Head & Shoulders - Intensive Treatment" shampoo (it comes in a navy blue bottle) as an effective treatment for my infrequent (but recurrent) dandruff. I noticed that it also effectively healed a small blister I had drained very close to my scalp. The active ingredient in the shampoo is listed as "Selenium Sulfide - 1%."

Selenium, element 34 in the periodic table, is one of those elements that our bodies need in very small (trace) amounts. Others are, for example, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, and Iodine. We are normally able to ingest adequate amounts from a healthy diet of fresh vegetables, meats, fruits, milk, etc. However, when soil is repeatedly used for harvesting the same crop, as it is in the type of intense farming we have today, over time the trace elements are used up unless they are replenished. Obviously, this will eventually impact the rest of the food chain.

If extreme iodine deficiency results in goiter (not an obvious development), could my condition be caused by selenium deficiency? I googled "Selenium supplements" and a most informative web page from the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) popped up:

ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium.asp

The above web page made me aware that Brazil nuts have an extremely high amount of selenium, so I would not have to deal with commercial supplements of dubious efficacy. Armed with this information, I went to the grocery store and bought another bottle of "Head & Shoulders - Intensive Treatment" and a pound of Brazil nuts, which set me back less than $10.00. Based on the NIH information, I decided about 4 to 6 Brazil nuts per day would be enough. In addition, I would use the shampoo as a body wash.

I noticed results after the first day. No more blisters appeared, the ones I had began to flatten, and a slightly larger one on my knee had no liquid to drain. Today, after only 4 days of Brazil nuts and selenium shampoo treatments, the brown spots on my face, arms, and legs are fading. I was very surprised at the speed, since I have had the blisters ad brown spots on my arms and legs for about four months without change. This makes me wonder how many doctors are treating simple element and mineral deficiencies with more and more aggresive pharmaceuticals ...

I know this solution will help some of you, but not others. It is worth a try because it is inexpensive, non-invasive, and harmless. If you do not see an improvement within a week or two, then selenium deficiency is not your problem. Also, if you are allergic to peanuts, you may want to avoid Brazil nuts and try a selenium supplement instead. Good luck to everyone.

[findingthecause]

Hi Everyone, I wonder how you are all doing. I just wanted to give some updates on my condition.

My dermatologist told me that it seemed to him that my skin condition/allergy is not caused by anything I eat or get in contact with. It's not externa. It is systemic in the sense that my body just got a predisposition for allergy (my mother is allergic to dust and cold weather). The allergy could be triggered by stress, major changes in my life-style or lack of sleep/fatigue. Well, I wasn't particularly stressed out when the allergy first showed its symptoms and there were no changes in my life style and I often don't get enough sleep from time to time with no problem (except for being drowsy the next day, naturally). So I don't know.

Anyway, he gave a set of medication that I should take for 20 days even when the itch has gone. After a few days it seemed to have a good effect for me: I can sleep in the night. And later on my itch seemed to subside - although the look of my skin hasn't improved. It still looks like basket ball surface/orange peel. I am halfway through the medication now.

And in the past 2 days... the itch has come back! Aaarghh...!!! Just when I thought it would finally be gone! I will continue taking the medication and see how it goes... They are:
- Cetirizine Hydrochloride 10mg - once every morning
- Fexofenadine HCL 180mg - once with dinner
- Hydroxyzine 25mg - once at night before bed (it makes you drowsy)

On a side note, someone recommend 'Astaxanthin' for me. I googled it and found out that it's basically an antioxidant food supplement. What I've read about it so far looks good - and there is no known side effects even when taken in high doses daily. The general dose ranges between 2mg - 8mg per day. Anybody here ever heard of Astaxanthin or have had some?

Thanks!

[mom2003]

My daughter (4 yr old) also has similar bumps. They started as a flea bite looking bump, but have now grown into 50 cent peice size layers of tiny bumps. And the flea bite looking ones pop up other places. We have visited the GP 4 times, and a dermatologist, they keep prescribing random (to me) topical meds steriods, antifungal, etc. and cephalexin and clindamycin (thinking it might be impetigo); however they continue to worsen. She has no other symptoms and itching is seldom, mostly at night. We too were treated for scabies, but it is not that. Any diagnosis ideas woudl be very helpful!

[mjms]

Just wondering how the bumps have progressed and if they were ever diagnosed. I am currently experiencing very similar symptoms- thanks.

[WhatISthat?]

I think i hav something similar...
Basically i just started an almost vegan diet. No meat or fish. I was visiting my sister in london when one day i developed a patch of reddish skin on the one side of my mouth,it started itching and felt really scaly. By the next morning it had spread all along my chin and up around the skin of my face. This morning i noticed it spreading along my neck. It doesnt seem to be any thing serious but its really itchy, and my skin looks scaly, my is also a little puffy because im scratching in my sleep. it ruining my holiday! Is it my body detoxing, an allergic reaction or a reaction to the london climate?

[xevilx]

Hey, it's really odd how i got these little things. I was fine before i went to bed 3days ago no bumps and i wake up to all these tiny skin colored bumps, now there on both arms but only under the fore arms and all the way to my shoulders my back and chest neck and face but not my legs lower half of my stomach. But one thing that confused me i was doing weeding to the gutters on my house and there were poison ivy/sumac so i really have no idea, my back kinda itches and my face kinda stings but after like the 3days thats went by my GF got it only of her face and no where else so... im just as confused as you all are.