Recently I’ve been noticing small, itchy bumps on my arms and back. At first there was only one, now there are several. They’re not terribly obnoxious, and I am hoping that it isn’t serious enough to go to a dermatologist about.
I don’t think they are insect bites because they’ve been multipling while I’ve spent the most of the past few days indoors. I don’t think its an allergic reaction to anything because I haven’t exposed myself to anything out of the ordinary lately. At one point I thought it was perhaps chicken pox, but I’ve already had chicken pox as a child.
I don’t feel ill or have a fever or anything- just these little ichy bumps which predictably get worse when they are scrached. This evening I tried applying hydrocortisone (it says ANTI ITCH…makes sense right?) but if anything its just made the itching worse- contact by anything causes itching.
Do any dopers have any experience with unexplained itchy bumps?
Odd that you would ask. About three weeks ago I had a very similar thing. Started around my elbow, two days later my legs and arms were covered. My doctor said it was a strep rash. She gave me antibiotics and antihistimine for it. It went away rather quickly. Have you been exposed to anyone with strep?
But yeah, mine started in the same place as yours. On my arms, and now there are a few bumps on my sides. Its actually not that bad so long as nothing is touching them. In fact, the more I think about them, the more itchy they are.
I’m not phobic about doctors, but do have a busy day-to-day schedule and I’m rather hesitant to go to the doctor about something I can just as easily treat myself. Perhaps I should try Ben-Gay?
It doesn’t sound like Chicken Pox (which come in successive crops over a period of just one or two days, then rapidly blister and crust over), have you considered that your house might have a flea infestation?
Or perhaps some sort of contact dermatitis or eczema? I have a series of bitey-lumpy-phenomenally itchy-thingys on my hips that my GP has assured me is eczema, even though they don’t seem to fit the typical description. Might be worth getting a medical opinion if yours are giving you gip.
But just for the record, having a bout of one of the classic infectious diseases such as chicken-pox, measles and mumps etc (or even being medically immunised) does NOT necessarily confer immunity for the future. It makes it much less likely, but not guaranteed. I’ve had chicken pox twice: both pretty serious doses and BOTH occured after childhood. Mind you, I didn’t manage to get the mumps until I was 24 either!!
I have never had chicken pox, yet I tried to expose myself to it. (Babysat a kid who had it.) I was encouraged to do this, because my parents were worried that if I got it as an adult, it could be much worse.
But I’m not sure if I’ll ever get it. My mom had it when she was pregnant with me (late term) and I think I “caught” it from her in the womb. I hope so. I’m well into adulthood and I sure don’t want to get it now.
NurseCarmen, that’s a lot more Cafe Society than IMHO, innit?
I once had a similar infliction of itchy bumps, that also started on my upper arms and back, but it didn’t take long to figure mine was an allergic reaction to a new laundry detergent, as removing my black shirt made it look like I was wearing a red bumpy shirt.
(I’m still overjoyed that the underwear I’d put on that morning hadn’t been washed in the same load as the shirt.)
I’ll third the recommendation of Benadryl/antihistamines for relief. Hadn’t heard about the vinegar, m’self. Have to file that for future reference.
You can get chicken pox more than once? I didn’t know that. My folks exposed me to it when I was a kid, but I never came out in spots (my Dad thinks I had it in my mouth–eeeeeewwww!!). Several years ago I nursed a friend through a bout of it. We didn’t know what it was for several days 'cause the spots didn’t itch. I must have gotten enough of an immunity when I was a kid though, as I didn’t get it again. And believe me, I was thoroughly exposed this time.
yosemitebabe, I believe there is an inoculation for chicken pox these days; you might want to ask your doctor about it.
It’s possible to get it more than once, but it’s rare. Just as a bit of trivia, the easiest way to distinguish chicken pox from smallpox in the early stages is that chicken pox tends to appear on the trunk and spread to the limbs, while smallpox appears on the extremities and spreads to the trunk. Or is it the other way round?
Seriously, though, I think leaping to the chicken pox conclusion right off is a bit premature. It could be all kinds of other things, including a rash or allergic reaction, as has been mentioned.
I’ve had chicken pox twice. I was too young to remember the first time, but the second time I felt miserable (feverish and itchy) before anything visible appeared. So I’m inclined to doubt chicken pox just on the basis that the OP feels fine aside from the itchiness.
I’ve had it three times. First time it was a very mild case (according to my folks) the second time it actually put me in the hospital, got in my eyes and mouth, and the last time in my 20’s was unbareable, but not serious.
I’ve had mumps twice as well. My immunities are all screwed up and I need to avoid all sick kids at all costs!
I’ve never had it either; I’ve wondered if I should go ahead and get immunized against it, though from all empirical evidence I AM immune. Heck, a kid broke out in spots right next to me in the first grade, and I never showed a sign. My brother had it. Nothing again.
Is there a way to find out if you ARE immune? And if there is, does it cost a ton of money?
You should definately get the shot, whiterabbit. Chicken pox is apparently orders of magnitude more painful for adults than it is for kids. I’m not taking my chances.
Have you been stressed lately? Maybe you’ve got shingles. From the time my mom had it, I surmise there isn’t much you can do, though, other than what has been said above–anti-itching creams and such.
Pretty much every summer I get a load of itchy spots all over. Everyone in my family gets them. Something to do with the heat anyway. They last about a week and then go away, but the more you scratch them the worse it gets.
I am an RN and it is my understanding that a person can only get chicken pox once. Perhaps in some rare instance where someone is so immunocompromised that they are unable to develop antibodies to a disease it could be possible to contract it several times but that would be extremely rare and uncommon.
excerpt from here Though the disease is common in children, anyone can be affected. In children, the infection is mild but in adults, it can cause severe illness with several complications. Once infected, a lifelong immunity is obtained, protecting the individual from further attacks.
However, a person can get shingles many times. Singles is caused by the same virus that caused the chicken pox infection. The virus goes dormant but can reappear as shingles when immunosuppressed as in times of stress or following some sort of treatment that temporarily lowers your immunity (taking antibiotics or chemotherapy). A key factor in shingles is that they are very painful, following the path of the nerve in the body.
That said, I doubt this is chicken pox or shingles. Most likely the bumps are either insect bites or a contact dermatitis like poison ivy or allergeric reaction to something.
Immunity can be determined by a simple blood test for titers which are a measurement of the amount of antibodies present for a certain disease.
