1. Community
  2. Skin and nails
  3. Dermatitis And Eczema

Been diagnosed with eczema but I feel it's not right

Posted , 4 users are following.

Ladyemmett
Ladyemmett

Hello,

Since several weeks I've been really itchy, getting red bumps, usually only on my legs (starting on the ankles now they are up on my tighs as well), very itchy and usually with a red circle around the spots. Sometimes they're close to each other, the newest on my knee are 3 bumps in a row. We have dogs in the house and one of them has had fleas, we have treated her but some fleas are still there. I've believed it was flea bites but my boyfriend said it can't be because no one else in the house got them. But the symptoms and the pictures online match my bumps and itching nearly perfectly. I went to the GP yesterday and described it, she diagnosed me with eczema straightaway, even before looking at it. Then she looked at one spot and said it was eczema and prescribed me a cream. When I got home, I googled because I felt it was a wrong diagnosis, and the pictures do not match my spots at all. And I do not have that much of a dry skin. I still think it's flea bites.. I don't know what to do. I'm getting really annoyed and stressed now, it's so itchy. I usually get new spots (bites?) when I'm in bed, I discovered those 3 on my knee just now when I woke up because I was itchy. But my boyfriend sleeps in the same bed and he doesn't have anything, neither does his dad.

I've uploaded some pictures http://imgur.com/zilfhvm

http://imgur.com/mEwfioD

http://imgur.com/nkAOBGD

I hope you can advise me what to do. I'm get into really annoyed and stressed out.

(We have treated the dogs with flea bites, washed their beds, vacuumed everything in the downstairs area and used flea spray and collars.)

Thank you!

P. S. I hope it's the right group to post this in.

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest Ladyemmett

    Posted

    Hi Ladyemmett, 

    You do not mention how long it takes for the bumps to clear. That would make it easier to rule out flea bites. If the bumps dissapear relatively quickly it could also be an allergic reaction.  What cream did your GP prescribe? If it contains anti-inflammatory ingredients or antihistamins it could be beneficial even when applied on flea bites.  

    • Ladyemmett
      Ladyemmett Guest

      Posted

      Hi,

      The bumps stay quite a while, I'd say a minimum of 3 days, if not longer. They get itchy on a later stage as well, not just in the beginning. Sometimes it stops being itchy, then it returns. The cream is Clobetasone. On the leaflet it says it's used for mild skin problems, including insect bites. So using it should help it. But I'd still to know what exactly the problem is so I can prevent it in the first place because the itching is starting to get on my nerves as well. So might go to my GP again to get a second opinion.

    • Guest
      Guest Ladyemmett

      Posted

      Three days is quite a long time for an allergic reaction to stick around. I've had a look at the pictures you've uploaded and they look very similar to the bumps my wife gets mostly on her face. (And we don't have pets.)  For her the hives appear randomly and are very itchy. But they disappear within an hour.

      It is sometimes very difficult to pinpoint what exactly causes such a skin reaction. But if the problem persists you should definitely insist on a referal to a dermatologist and get an allergy test done. 

       

        

  • Littlelorry
    Littlelorry Ladyemmett

    Posted

    I would be inclined to think it is flea bites particularly because of the location of the potential bites, the look of them and the closeness of them.  Unfortunately fleas tend to go for the fairer sex and often ignore males, I think it is something to do with the pheromones they give off. This was certainly my experience when it happened in our household where myself and my daughters were bitten - we had two cats at the time. I tried all manner of things to eradicate the fleas including treating the cats and using strong spray but to no avail. I constantly washed bedding etc. In the end I called in the fumigators, a private company. Even they had to come back twice to finally rid us of them. They explained to me that they lay eggs in the carpets and round the edges of rooms and in bedding. The eggs hatch out, particularly in summer as they like hot weather and when the central heating is on. They fumigated the entire house including round the furniture, curtains etc. The chemical spray is quite potent and needs to applied with the windows open. For this reason I stayed with my parents for two days as I felt it was not a suitable environment for the children. I believe the local councils also offer this service for a fee. Benadryl tablets help with the itching or antihistamine cream. I hope this helps.
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.