So, this weekend, I managed to have some kind of a reaction to something (I think). I have no idea what it was, as I'll explain, and I'm not someone who is prone to allergic reactions...I realize they can happen to anyone, but I'm normally OK, and don't have any weird allergies that I know of. Here's how it went down:

Saturday morning I wake up with an itch on my hands and feet. I think nothing of it, and put some moisturizer on thinking it's just winter skin. Of course, it's not, and as the day progresses, it gets worse. My hands and feet itch unbelieveably. On a 1-10 scale, 10 being borderline "I'm ending my misery now", I made it to about a 9. I managed to cope throughout most of the day and night, but when late Saturday night rolled around, I couldn't sleep, it was that bad (I'm not one to do this, but it took booze to knock me out finally). I was nearly in tears it itched so bad. I looked, and my hands and feet were slightly swollen, and had bumps that looked like fresh mosquito bites. It felt like athletes foot on my hands and feet, enough to the point were I actually tried some Lotrimin AF on my feet and hands....nothing. In the morning I callled Dr. Mom, and she suggested 1 Tylenol PM (Tylenol PM has 25mg of Benadryl in it), and it worked within an hour. I bought some Lanacaine itch ointment just in case.

I looked everywhere on me...nowhere else did this appear. I thought through my whole weekend, and I did, drank, and ate nothing out of the ordinary. I checked with everything to try and figure out what it was, but cannot figure it out for the life of me, if this was an allergic reaction, what it was a reaction to.

The Tylenol wore off, and before bed, I took two more (this is last night still). My hands never itched again really, and definitely not to the level of Saturday night, but my feet were on fire and itched like crazy. The two more pills didn't seem to help like the first one had hours before, but I did manage to get a whole night's sleep, and feel OK this morning (w/o the sauce). My feet blew up again last night, and did the whole thing with the bumps...still burned and itched too.

This morning, there is only very minor itch left, and the swelling seems to have all but left, but I still have no idea what happened.

Anybody have an experience like this? Google's answers are so broad that it really helps me none. Almost like asking a doctor why you're coughing and expecting a diagnosis. Anything help more than not? Did you ever find out what triggered it?

I'm hanging in there now, but keeping a close eye on it. The next step is the doctor, but as of now, it looks to be going away.

Anyone?

 

I think I would check Doc out. He may take a blood test and see what that gives. Could have been a spyder bite, or one of them little critters of sort. If it comes agai, I would ask for a blood test for sure.

 

doctor time man, make the call and go asap.

 

any pain in you joints?? could be fiths disease? which aint nothing to worry about.

 

No joint pain, and the doctor is the very next step, just hasn't been yet because it seems to be going away. Other people have recommended spider bites as well, but I've never seen one in our apartment (I know, means practically nothing)

 

I would still check out Doc, dont wait to long as I dont know how long blood would show in tests. Might be going away, but could be a early sign of whatever. Good Luck

 

Wow that's weird, I had pretty much the same thing this past week.
Soles of my feet, palms of my hands were itchy. My face sometimes felt mildly swollen, and my chest and legs and occasionally face were flushed and pink. I also thought it was an allergic reaction, to what I could not guess, I've never been allergic to anything other than a couple medicines in my life. So after a couple days of taking benedryl (sp?) and it not really helping I went to see my doc. He said it was a virus (can't for the life of me remember the name, but it starts with a C) and he said that they liked to call it "the human hoof and mouth disease" (note that it's in no way related to the animal version) because it affects your soles, hands and throat. Although I didn't really have any symtoms in my throat. He said it usually lasts about 2 weeks and goes away on its own, but to take some antihistamines to counter the itching. He gave me allegra for daytime use (non-drowsy) and zyrtec for at night. Oh and it's contageous.

Anyway, get yourself to the Doc and get checked out.

 

Kind of sounds like eczema. My husband developed eczema about 5 years ago when he was 40 years old. It only seems to affect his hands and feet and the burning and itching is unbearable for him.

He thought it was athlete's foot, but none of the creams worked. After he could no longer tolerate the pain he went to the doc. He was diagnosed with eczema and the doc wrote a script for a steriod cream. That is the only stuff that gets rid of the itching, burning, swelling and painful mosquito bite-looking bumps.

He still gets flare-ups, but always has the steroid cream on hand and uses it at the first sign of the painful bumps.

Definitely go to your doctor!

 

Okay, not trying to sound grim or alarmist here but PLEASE, go see a doctor. One of my cousins had a skin rash on his arm - no pain, just a little rash. He treated it with cream, powder, etc. One day he became really ill and was diagnosed with blood cancer. Mega doses of chemo failed to save him.

Six weeks later, he was buried.

Again, not trying to alarm you but don't play games with unknown disorders.

More than likely something minor but better to know.

Good luck.

 

Thanks all...I think I'm going to check in with a doc tomorrow. I was fine all day, and then it just started to flare up this afternoon at work, and is now almost the point to where it was before. Combine that, with what pitrow said (I'm coughing now) and what nitramjr stated, I'm going to get looked at. Took a little bit of bendryl a minute ago...hopefully it will last me through the game and tonight. Thanks again everyone...

btw...don't sweat it nitramjr. You're right and I'm the same way. I shouldn't be putting it off. Thanks again all.

 

good luck! Let us know how it turns out.

 

Again, sorry to sound the panic alarm but you hate to see something that is easily treatable when caught early turn into something worse. Probably nothing anyway.

Plus, my cousin was diagnosed this time of year about 6 years ago. I miss the hell out of him. Gonna go have a couple beers for each of us now......

 

Well, after my last post was when it really bothered me, so I went home. My mom is the next closest thing to a doctor, plus, it was home, so I was comfortable. Slept like a baby, but did still cough and itch. Woke up this morning, and I caught it creeping on me going up my thigh, so I went to the doctor. He seems to think it's only stress related and got me some meds, so we'll see. BTW....I'm pretty much fine right now. We'll see. Thanks all for any help.

Nitramjr...I almost always think of someone like that when I crack a beer, whether I knew them or not when I'm out with friends. It's my Toast to a Ghost, like they say on the Magic Hat caps...got one for your cousin next time I'm out. Thanks again brother.

 

Just a warning - if ANYONE ever gets a reaction like this one, get to the emergency room ASAP...

The Benadryl is a telling fact... that this was an allergic reaction. It could have gotten much worse, and then your throat closes and you're done. Anaphelactic(sic?) shock.

I've never reacted that badly to anything - except for poison ivy and I knew where I was the night before Rolling in it.

I swear, if I had enough of a reaction that my hands and feet swelled, even slightly, I'd be in the ER as fast as my wife could drive. Then, push to get one of those needles full of adrenaline to carry around with me, in case it comes back and it's hard to breath.

I'm a pessimist when it comes to health and safety

 

wow. talk about over reacting.

I'm glad you can afford to go to the ER for minor reactions, and yes anaphylaxis is a scary thought, but just because you have an allergic reaction with swelling does not mean your going to go into anaphylaxtic shock and die.