What is this strange rash spreading through all of my kids? Warning: pics

[Annie Laurie]

I'm going to take these down in a little bit and don't read further if gross rash pics will freak you out. But if you're not easily grossed out and may know what this is please look.

 

I had thought maybe they have chicken pox, but my 17 yr old did have it when he was 3. (A very, very mild case.) My 17 yr old says his leg started itching about a week ago and it has spread everywhere now.

 

My other kids have it now too, but it didn't start for them until Friday or Saturday. It's itchy. It's spreading and contagious apparently. They have it on their necks, trunk, legs, arms, arm pits, groin, and my dd has a few on her scalp. I don't see oozing like poison ivy or blisters like chicken pox. I have googled but can't really figure out what it is.

 

We were in the woods on Friday and I had my 4 oldest sit in the plants and trees for photos so maybe they sat in poison ivy. My toddler did not sit in the woods and doesn't seem to have anything yet.

 

No one has a fever or aches or anything.

 

The top two pics are the rash after a week. The bottom pic is a kid who has had the rash since Saturday.

 

 

 

The circle on his right is marker, I had him mark one so we could see if it blistered and scabbed like chicken pox. The other spots that look scabby are from scratching, I don't think their blistering and crusting over.

 

 

Took the pics down, thanks for your help, everyone.

Edited June 4, 2012 by Annie Laurie

[LMA]

Some look like bites. The one of the arm looks like it's from a plant but not poison ivy.

 

If you are not sure, please take them in to the dr., especially if they are spreading.

[CountitallJoy]

They look like chigger bites to me.

[creekland]

The arm pic looks just like my guys look (or myself) when we've been too close to Poison Ivy or Poison Oak. I'd guess bug bites for the others. Are they related?

[bagel270]

The top pic looks like poison ivy to me. The other two look like bites. We discovered chiggers this summer, but those look kind of like tick bites.

[magnificent_baby]

Molluscum?

 

I would have them treated for it to prevent scratching, and a secondary skin infection such as staph or worse.

[Annie Laurie]

Molluscum?

 

I would have them treated for it to prevent scratching, and a secondary skin infection such as staph or worse.

 

They do have calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream, which helps a lot. But at night it wears off and they scratch in their sleep.

[Mrs Mungo]

Looks like bites to me too.

 

The second photo, is that a rash in a ring around a bite? Because that could be from a tick, which could be a sign of lyme or other tick-borne disease.

[Annie Laurie]

They look like chigger bites to me.

 

I had read that chigger bites stop at the underwear line and they have it on their groin.

[maddykate]

It may be turkey mites. They are horribly itchy.

[Annie Laurie]

Looks like bites to me too.

 

The second photo, is that a rash in a ring around a bite? Because that could be from a tick, which could be a sign of lyme or other tick-borne disease.

 

That's a spot that looked like it might be forming a blister so I had him circle it with marker so we could check on it.

[LinRTX]

They look like chigger bites to me. Chigger bites can be anywhere. I get them worse in any are coveered by underclothes and the backs of my knees,

 

Linda

[Mrs Mungo]

That's a spot that looked like it might be forming a blister so I had him circle it with marker so we could check on it.

 

Ah, I see, lol.

[ChristyB in TN]

Looks like chiggers to me. We stay covered in them all summer, it seems. They can pop up anywhere. I like Calamine lotion on them or tea tree oil, or both.

[saraha]

The top looks like a topical reaction- plant oil allergy, either poison ivy etc or some other plant he is allergic too. The bottom two look like bites. As long as there is no other symptoms, I would keep up with the calamine and hydrocortizone, and maybe at night give them an antihistime? I do that with my dd that is very sensitive to certain plant oils and it helps her sleep and takes away the severity of the itching. I have also given her benedryl during the day if the itching is really bad. You can also make a paste of baking soda and water for the bites too. Sometimes that works.

 

Hope that helps

 

eta: Forgot to add that you can apply hot compresses to itchy places, which helps temporarily reduce itching if you feel like you are applying a lot of topicals all day. Also I am not a nurse or anything, this is just what has worked for us.

Edited June 4, 2012 by saraha

[Myeightkiddies]

Don't let them scratch it.

 

Rashes can become infected easily, and the infection can rapidly enter the bloodstream with serious consequences. I'd go into detail of a family situation but I don't want to alarm you. Just stress, "No scratching!

[Annie Laurie]

Don't let them scratch it.

 

Rashes can become infected easily, and the infection can rapidly enter the bloodstream with serious consequences. I'd go into detail of a family situation but I don't want to alarm you. Just stress, "No scratching!

 

Okay, thank you.

 

I am on hold with the doctor's office. I'll feel silly paying so many co-pays for chigger bites, but if they could be tick bites I would want them treated right now.

[Annie Laurie]

The top looks like a topical reaction- plant oil allergy, either poison ivy etc or some other plant he is allergic too. The bottom two look like bites. As long as there is no other symptoms, I would keep up with the calamine and hydrocortizone, and maybe at night give them an antihistime? I do that with my dd that is very sensitive to certain plant oils and it helps her sleep and takes away the severity of the itching. I have also given her benedryl during the day if the itching is really bad. You can also make a paste of baking soda and water for the bites too. Sometimes that works.

 

Hope that helps

 

eta: Forgot to add that you can apply hot compresses to itchy places, which helps temporarily reduce itching if you feel like you are applying a lot of topicals all day. Also I am not a nurse or anything, this is just what has worked for us.

 

Thanks! Good tips.

 

I'm starting to think that my oldest has poison ivy and chigger bites and the other three kids have just chigger bites. Because that rash on my oldest's leg started a week ago and he's always in the woods hiking and fishing with his friends. Then on Friday I took photos of all of them in the woods and that's probably when they all got chigger bites.

 

ETA: The only reason I didn't think bug bites is because they seem to be getting new spots. But maybe that's poison ivy spreading in my oldest, and the little kids probably have a hard time remembering what was already there and if it's new. I'm taking all of them to the dr later just to be sure because tick bites/lyme disease scares me. I don't think it looks like that though.

Edited June 4, 2012 by Annie Laurie

[Annie Laurie]

That's strangely like what my dd11 had this past week that I thought was chicken pox. I'm pretty sure we don't have chiggers, though. Let us know what the dr says.

 

Did you see the pics, K? That's like what she had and it cleared up?

[Unicorn.]

For the itching, use Benadryl spray. It puts a kind of covering over the areas- and the itching doesn't come back like it does w/ the creams. Also using oral benadryl or clariton helps.

[Scarlett]

I had read that chigger bites stop at the underwear line and they have it on their groin.

 

:lol:

 

Um, not Arkansas chiggers.

[KnitWit]

:lol:

 

Um, not Arkansas chiggers.

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[Annie Laurie]

:lol:

 

Um, not Arkansas chiggers.

 

Apparently not TX chiggers either. :tongue_smilie:

[AngieW in Texas]

Not Texas chiggers either. Texas chiggers definitely don't stop there.

 

Oatmeal baths can help a little.

[besroma]

I'm taking all of them to the dr later just to be sure because tick bites/lyme disease scares me.

 

My son recently had such a bad case of poison ivy, he had to take prednisone. He touched the poison ivy....it was a hot day, and everywhere he scratched, he ended up with poison ivy. Six weeks, later, he still has scabs, but he is okay.

 

I hope the doctor visit goes well!

[Annie Laurie]

Ugh. We have an appointment in an hour and I can't believe how much money I'm going to spend to most likely have chigger bites looked at. Better safe than sorry though, I guess. For peace of mind I will rule out tick bites, but do ticks bite in so many places like that?

[LMA]

For the itching, use Benadryl spray. It puts a kind of covering over the areas- and the itching doesn't come back like it does w/ the creams. Also using oral benadryl or clariton helps.

 

Just be careful with the Benadryl. You can't use the Benadryl topical stuff and take the Benadryl pill at the same time. In fact, I wouldn't take an oral antihistamine with the Benadryl cream/spray.

[coffeefreak]

Just be careful with the Benadryl. You can't use the Benadryl topical stuff and take the Benadryl pill at the same time. In fact, I wouldn't take an oral antihistamine with the Benadryl cream/spray.

 

Ugh! I hate chiggers. I had them once and we caught them early enough so we were able to kill them with Nail polish.

 

As for the Benadryl, my drs say you can use both. As a matter of fact, we've been dealing with an itchy rash from head to toe for the last 7 weeks (LOOOOOONG story for a different thread) and Benadryl is the one thing you can mix with other antihistamines when desperate. We were using both Benadryl spray and Benadryl pills. Thankfully, we're not having to do that anymore, but dd is on Zyrtec every 24 hours and when the rash flairs we use Benadryl Cream or spray with no problems.

 

Blessings!

Dorinda