melissel Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 (edited) It is the oddest thing. She woke up with it this morning. The bumps itch some, and she says they hurt some. She's not complaining much about them, but I do notice her scratching a bit and touching them. They're not huge, just maybe 8-10 small lumps in each spot--not on her face or chest or anywhere else. She didn't have them last night. She has no fever or sore throat or anything, although she did have an upper respiratory thing for most of the past week--that's mostly gone now. It doesn't look anything like the Google images I saw for Fifth Disease or Sixth Disease, but I have no IRL experience, so I don't know. WWYD about this? Would you take her to gymnastics tonight with this? ETA: They don't look like anything I've seen online (and BTW, gross!!!). Instead, they look like small mosquito bites, just a bunch in a generalized area. Come to think of it...she showed me two tiny ones on the back of her heel yesterday morning, but I thought they were from wearing a new-to-her pair of shoes :confused: Edited March 23, 2011 by melissel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Because I where they are, I immediately wondered if you had recently changed laundry detergents? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 Because I where they are, I immediately wondered if you had recently changed laundry detergents? Nope, same stuff I've been using for years now, and I'm at the end of a huge bottle, so I wouldn't think they've changed the formula. But thanks for the thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 My hives often look like small to medium-sized bug bites, and I do tend to get them around my joints and extremities. A more serious episode turns them into the flat, irregularly shaped welts that most people recognize as hives, but milder episodes look just like bug bites. Post-viral hives (post-viral urticaria) are not uncommon, so that's a possibility since she recently had a bug. I'd take a wait and see approach. If they disappear over several hours, with more reappearing, then they're most likely hives. Post-viral hives can appear and disappear for a few days to a week or more. If she's uncomfortable you could try a topical (careful, use sparingly!) or oral antihistamine. However, there's no need to treat hives unless they're accompanied by other signs of a potentially serious allergic reaction (ie. hives on face, difficulty breathing, etc.). With no fever or other signs of illness I wouldn't hesitate to take a child with hives to an activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Just want you to know that my 11yo dd has the same thing. We've never figured it out, just used hydrocortisone cream and then a good emollient lotion/cream interchangeably and it sort of comes and goes. Not sure if we're doing it any good, but it seems that it does help a bit. If you find out, I'd love to know, too, because it does NOT look like any photos I've seen! Argh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 My hives often look like small to medium-sized bug bites, and I do tend to get them around my joints and extremities. A more serious episode turns them into the flat, irregularly shaped welts that most people recognize as hives, but milder episodes look just like bug bites. Post-viral hives (post-viral urticaria) are not uncommon, so that's a possibility since she recently had a bug. I'd take a wait and see approach. If they disappear over several hours, with more reappearing, then they're most likely hives. Post-viral hives can appear and disappear for a few days to a week or more. If she's uncomfortable you could try a topical (careful, use sparingly!) or oral antihistamine. However, there's no need to treat hives unless they're accompanied by other signs of a potentially serious allergic reaction (ie. hives on face, difficulty breathing, etc.). Thank you for all of that info. I just had her strip down, and now I see more of them--one on her thumb, a few spreading up her calves, some on her wrists. I'll keep watching them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplain Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 6packofun, if your daughter has hives that have come and gone for more than 6 weeks, it is officially chronic urticaria. Anyone with chronic urticaria should have some basic blood work done, specifically liver function tests. Don't stress out about it though; her liver is probably just fine. Even with normal bloodwork, her primary care physician may wish to refer her to a pediatric allergist for a consultation. The cause of chronic hives is rarely found, and it becomes something you just deal with. I've found that if I scrupulously avoid processed foods, my chronic hives completely resolve, though they do flare a bit when I'm dealing with a GI virus or fever-causing virus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Thanks...I'm not sure I could classify the red/bumpy skin as *hives*, but she has pointed it out to the doctor when dh took her last time. He seemed to think allergy--in fact, it most closely resembles the nickel sensitivity that her sister has in the rash that is produces, but there isn't any one thing that touches her ankles, tops of feet and wrists AND elbows! lol I haven't changed detergents, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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