Unknown allergic reaction

[imamac]

I guess this all started on a monday, I noticed I had small cone like bumps randomly on my arms, mostly inside and some outside, no itching or redness. Tuesday morning I was at my clinical site - I'm a nursing student, after I took a PTs vitals I removed my nitrile glove to find a few red raised bumps on my (L) wrist and bottom of my hand, I paid no attention to this, after my 2nd or 3rd gloving, I noticed it was now on both hands and starting to itch. Now I know it must not be the gloves because I never had a reaction to latex-free nitrile, although I did have a reaction to latex gloves once, so I'm careful not to use latex. So I head to the clinic, they ask the standard questions and no, I have not used latex and I have no known allergies or eaten or drunk anything different, a combination of ice packs and hydrocortisone stopped the itching. Here's where the problem is, it's now wed and I now have small, red itchy bumps and some wheals on my arms, tops of my hands, waist area, front of my thighs and my left calf, they all itch at different times lol It did not itch during the day while I was in lecture but now that I'm home. Any ideas?

[ducky406]

Very odd I've never thought it was possible for benedryl not to work. My mind is blown.  Have you gone to a dermatologist? Maybe you can get a better topical cream for it then the over the counter stuff?

[imamac]

Wheals are raised areas with a border, like a blotch, it's not ringworm but a reaction to an allergen, I have both wheals and small cone shaped bumps randomly spread, some red, some not. I've looked into bed bugs but there is no pattern or "line" as typical with bed bugs, I've looked at fleas but this all started with my arms and not my legs. All I know for sure is that they are randomly spread on my arms - mostly on the inside-, upper front of my thighs, this morning behind my knees now. This is so frustrating, I wish I knew what caused it, its definitely a hypersensitive reaction. I did take benadryl, only at night because it knocks me out and it does not help, I wake up itching at different areas and I apply hydrocortisone cream which helps some what.

[ducky406]

Were the gloves powder free? Powder in the non-latex ones react to my eczema pretty badly so it wouldn't surprise me if it's possible to be allergic to it. Although that wouldn't explain why it's all over now.  Could you be developing a more sever reaction to latex? Latex can be included into a ton of stuff (erasers, elastic, rubber tubing, even some plastic).

Have you tried taking benedryll or another antihistamine? I've been able to get rid of horrific rashes via benedryl. (I'm allergic to fragrance so I can get a full body rash with bad laundry powder.) If Benedryl helps at least you'll know it is an allergic reaction.

Are you positive it's not an infectious disease? I mean I don't know what bug has a rash that starts at the hands, but if you work in a clinic its possible you picked something up.

Also what do you mean by wheels- do they look similar to ring worm?