Neurodermatitis?

[mbee012]

These little lumps (which are EXTREMELY itchy) suddenly appeared after I vacuumed my room.
They appear everywhere on my legs, majority on the inner thighs, calves and ankle area.
Lately they've spread to my arms and around my waist.

What could it possibly be?
Please help! It's driving me crazy! Thank you :(

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

It could be eczema, allergic reactions or heat rash. Eczema and allergic reactions are infact more likely to occur in individuals with asthma.

You need to wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites.

Apply calamine lotion at the site of the lesions and see if it helps. You could take some oral antihistamine medications like cetrizine or loratadine. You need to maintain a good personal hygiene .

Anti-itch drugs, often antihistamine, may reduce the itch during a flare up of eczema, and the reduced scratching in turn reduces damage and irritation to the skin.

For mild-moderate eczema a weak steroid may be used (e.g. hydrocortisone or desonide), whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. clobetasol propionate, fluocinonide).

Eczema can be exacerbated by dryness of the skin. Moisturizing is one of the most important self-care treatments for sufferers of eczema. Keeping the affected area moistened can promote skin healing and relief of symptoms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eczema

Let us know if you need any further information.

It would be advisable to consult a skin specialist for your symptoms and a proper clinical examination.

Regards.

[mbee012]

Hi Dr.Bhumika,

Thanks for your comment.

I have seen a general physician twice, the first time he prescribed a clobetasol cream. This relieved the itching and the lumps went away after a couple days.

However, a few days after the condition was "under control", it started to appear on my arms.

So upon my second visit to the doctor, he prescribed 20mg Cetirizine HCl (Reactine). This helps me get some sound sleep at night (which I've had trouble getting since this started), but the itchiness still arises during times of rest (or studying).
In turn, scratching the area will bring rise to these lumps again.

Any ideas why this hasn't appeared in the past before? I've never had these skin problems, only a history of Asthma during childhood.

Thanks!

mbee

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

This could be an allergic reaction. You need to wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites.

Apply calamine lotion at the site of the lesions and see if it helps. You could take some oral antihistamine medications like cetrizine or loratadine. You need to maintain a good personal hygiene .

Anti-itch drugs, often antihistamine, may reduce the itch during a flare up of eczema, and the reduced scratching in turn reduces damage and irritation to the skin.

Let us know about how you are doing and if you need any other information.

Post us about what your doctor advises.

Regards.