OUCH! I had something very similar and the doctor said it was contact dermatitis. I got it from pruning a Tea Tree plant. I was given prescription hydrocortisone and I also used calamine. It took 5 days to completely disappear. Heat seemed to aggravate it.

take care!

I've had something that looked like that before..mine was poisoin ivy...poisoin oak also looks like that...

But it could also be an alergic reaction to something.

Your best bet would be to get a medication for it from your doctor.

There is also something you can get over the counter that helps with the itching..I think it is Benadryl

Well if a doctor can't diagnose them by your pic, I feel bad even trying to take a stab...but I would think they are hives.... possibly a heat rash.

No matter what the concensus is here...Be sure to check with your doctor just in case it is tied to something more serious.

Are you taking any new (within the past month) medications? I have skin reactions to a lot of things. And I am also skin-reactive to red dye in foods and medications.

Could be a lot of things, really only your doctor can tell you. Sushipup's suggestion is a good one- I had welts like those twice and thought it was an allergic reaction from a plant I had touched. It was actually an allergic reaction to an antibiotic I had been prescribed.

My husband developed an allery to aspirin -- it causes him to break out like that -- all over! And it itches like mad. He not only has to avoid aspirin, he cannot consume anything that has Yellow Dye 5 in it. By US federal law, anything containing Yellow 5 must be labeled as having it as an ingredient, but it's usually in very small type. It also is known by the name Tartrazine.

Yellow 5 is sometimes labeled as E102 (in the European Union), CI (Colour Index International) 19140, FD&C Yellow 5, or Yellow Lake 5. It is also combined with blue dye to create green coloring (example - little green flecks to represent onion in sour cream & onion flavored potato chips, or wintergreen in mints, toothpaste, etc.).

It can cause problems for people with asthma, even if they aren't allergic to aspirin.

Benadryl lotion, calamine lotion, etc., don't really help much. You need a cortisone cream.

My thought is also contact dermatitis ... that looks a whole lot like my poison ivy breakout did! Every year I would try to clear out a section of it, and every year I'd break out something terrible. It's a miserable three weeks until it goes away!

Gosh, that looks uncomfortable, Janie. Is that your arm or leg? Arms seem to get into more poisons, IMO.

If you can't use most creams, I would be trying things like baking soda compresses or Domboro soaks. That might help. I'm glad you're going to the doctor, hope he can help you!

DD had hives that looked like that about 5 days after she started taking a sulfa drug. The hives itched like mad and took several days to disappear.

Looks like a allergic reaction to something, are you taking any different medications? get into some weeds, or a bite? Better go get it checked out.

I agree with the others that it looks like hives. Take some benedryl, if it goes away, you know it was hives. Then you have to figure out what you're allergic to.

Things like that are one of the most difficult things to diagnose. Try washing it with Dial Gold liquid hand soap, sure stopped the itching on my head. Don't use it afterward, it has a very controversial chem in it. Think of it as a prescription.

looks like an allergic reaction-take some benadryl and see a doctor

JMHO, but I would avoid putting petroleum jelly on it. I would go with oral or topical benadryl.

Unfortunatley, we can all develop allergies from things we never had problems with before.

Your plan to see a doctor is a good one!

Feel better.
Dee

Dee, I cannot use over the counter topical medication because of the preservatives- Vaseline is the only thing that doesn't have whatever that preservative is.

That is my arm- my leg is the size of a log, lol. Made Eric check my back and my arms are the only place with the splotches. They are not as raised this morning but are starting to itch a bit- will add more Vaseline to soothe that! The splotches are a little warm to the touch which I find weird. Hoping I can see the MD tomorrow.

Try an oatmeal bath. You can buy it over the counter or mix some raw oatmeal with hot water then pour that into a tub of warm water. Blending it makes it easier to clean the tub afterwards. We used that when my son had hives for the itching.

If they're starting to get warm/hot my guess is cellulitis. Definitely see the doctor.

Jil

My guess would be hives. I get them from time to time especially in the summer.I get mine when I eat alot of fruit especially peaches or tomatoes.They come and go but I am hives free right not since I am being careful. They can also be caused by stress.
Lois

You do need to see your dr. Not being one myself, my opinion (which counts for nothing, really) is that looks like the hives I got once. My reaction was to a med I'd taken in the past without problem--either they changed something in the formula, or I developed yet another allergy. It can take 2 weeks, I learned for an allergy to a med to show up, in some cases.

Along with some heavy duty steroids, my dr. recommended oatmeal baths. You don't need to spring for the expensive 'colloidal oatmeal' preparations like Aveno. All Colloidal means is 'dissolvable'. You can take regular oatmeal, and pulse it in your blender or food processor until it's a fine powder and use that--for a small fraction of the cost of 'medicinal' oatmeal. And it really does help.

I'd give your dr. a call, and tell him it's imperative that you see him today--you can't put up with that. Feel better.

I had that once. Doctor said it was hives and gave me benedryl. The benedryl knocked me for a loop. Put me right to sleep. I had never taken it by mouth before. When I woke up the rash was subsiding and not so itchy. It was gone by that evening. So, I vote hives.

It looks like hives to me too. I had the same experience as Azzalea My reaction was to a med I'd taken in the past without problem--either they changed something in the formula, or I developed yet another allergy. It can take 2 weeks, I learned for an allergy to a med to show up, in some cases. Have you started on any new medicine lately??

I'm with those that say contact dermatitis. I am going with that because my DD and DGD each broke out with an allergic reaction to medications. Allergic reactions most often are on the trunk of the body. They had welts and itched like mad.
Clean it well, let dry and don't put anything on it. Try ice packs for the itching if you can't take Benedryl. (and see your doctor)

Well, I would say that the welts I had when I had an allergic reaction to medication were all on my arms from about wrist to elbow. That's why I thought I had brushed against a plant.

It could be a variety of things: dermititus, psoraisis, algery, hives, drug reaction, or heat rash.

Posion ivy and oak are not the only things in the out of doors that can cause a shin reaction. Several common 'weeds' can iritate such as wild carrot (queen anne's lace) and stinging nettles. Have you come into contact with a frabric containg fiber glass fibers? Somc curtains made years ago contained fiber glass.

It sort of looks like hives, but if my arm was swollen that big, I would be at the doctor's or ER pronto. Even quicker if it is itchy.

I'm going to yell at you! GET THEE TO A DOCTOR!!!!!! Please don't mess around with this. yes, it looks like hives, but the hives are caused by something, and I don't like the swelling. Hives don't usually cause you to swell. Whatever is causing the hives is causing you to swell. Could be your throat next. BETTER YET, GET THEE TO THE ER! I'll stop yelling now.

Tami

How are you feeling? Have you gotten medical help yet? you've got us worried since you haven't been back to update us for about 24 hours. Hope you've gotten treatment and are on your way to feeling better