<p>I’m on vacation in Cape Cod, hoping to solicit help from my cc pals. Thanks in advance for any ideas or suggestions. </p>
<p>I’ve been dealing with many tiny, very itchy arm bumps for about 4 or 5 days. It started with the elbow crease of my right arm. There are bunches of tiny pimple-like bumps flesh colored or sometimes red. It then spread to much of my right arm including wrist, Also on left arm but not as bad. The original elbow crease area seems mostly healed now, but both arms itch like crazy. I have minor knee/leg itch too, but not sure if related.</p>
<p>Benedryl does not seem to help. (I just tried Claritin, which helps for my fall allergy itchy eyes). Cortizone spray and aloe vera both help with symptoms, but not healing. I try hard not to scratch but sometime do, perhaps at night too.</p>
<p>I’ve been eating a LOT of shellfish so cut that out to rule out that allergy…even though not sure it would ever result in these symptoms. I have not had any since shrimp at lunch yesterday, but itching/spreading persists. I’ve only had two short exposures to the sun (1 - 1.5 hr). The sunblock I had was old, but I used it on face too which seems ok (maybe due to hat).</p>
<p>Could be sand fleas, but I’m not sure they’re on Cape Cod. Sounds most similar to me when I get heat rash. Starts in one area and will never fail to end up somewhere else (for me, generally my forearms and my shins, but also behind the knees and in the elbows). Benedryl won’t help if it is heat rash, cold compresses/other cold type items work the best. Aloe with benzocaine works great for nighttime</p>
<p>I’m thinking not sand fleas since legs only have minor issues. Also it is spreading. Interesting that heat rash can spread… to me the initial symptoms did seem to match photos I saw on web for heat rash. </p>
<p>This morning the arms are feeling better. Not sure if due to cortizone spray or Claritin or good fortune. For now I’ll continue avoiding shellfish, just in case (my dad has allergies to shellfish and many other things - he get “hives in the throat”).</p>
<p>Looked at chigger bite photos and ruled that out too. Those look bigger, more pronounced (like a big misquito bite). Mine are like many tiny raised freckles.</p>
<p>I have been having a similar problem. I think it might be the sun block I use. I am starting to use only the zinc oxide type that has fewer chemicals. Are you using sun screen or block?</p>
<p>I’ve had that before. If you are taking any medications, they can react with the sun and cause this. It certainly could be the shellfish. I am not particularly sensitive or allergy prone, but I went through a terrible bout with a reaction to those Chico’s travelers clothes a few years ago because of the acetate (petroleum) in the black items. Who knew?</p>
<p>I’ve gotten it on my chest, arms and legs…itching drove me crazy. Doctor game me some kind of steroid to relieve the itching.</p>
<p>It doesn’t surprise me that for you it started in your elbow crease…it often happens when pores get clogged, which could happen when sweating while elbows are bent.</p>
<p>Yes, photos of heat rash / prickly heat could be a match. Arms are not so usual, but the elbow crease origin would be. Luckily we have good AC here. Hopefully it will resolve.</p>
<p>My daughter got those types of bumps starting in the elbow crease as well when she moved to MA for UG. Dr. said they were allergy related and gave her a steroid cream which seemed to help. She’s had allergy (pollen) problems for years but never had the bumps till she moved up north.</p>
<p>Thanks to GA and others for feedback. I grew up in NY and visit Cape Cod every year, without problem. But my body is now accustomed to dry CO, so perhaps this explains the heat rash. Also wondering whether my old sunblock somehow clogged the arm pores. </p>
<p>About 35 years ago I did have some mystery hives/bumps when camping on Cape Cod - they disappeared after a few days, so I assume they were sand fleas.</p>
<p>I’ve gotten a rash like that on my hands towards the end of every beach vacation. I don’t actually think it was heat rash, since it was never in the creases where I got heat rash when I was pregnant, it seemed to me more like a delayed reaction to suntan lotion. I had something like that on my leg recently and the dermatologist told me it was eczema. Responded quickly to the cream she gave me. </p>
<p>There are those tiny no-see-um bugs at the Cape.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the help, everybody! Things are going much better now. </p>
<p>Since the problem was mostly on my arms, I’ve ruled out laundry detergent and insects. My best guess is some combination of heat rash, sunburn, sunblock reaction. </p>
<p>Yesterday I showed my bumps to a kind pharmacist. He was baffled but suggested 1% hydrocortisone cream. So I used it last night with great success. Initially I had only put it on the worst patch on upper arm, but when my wrist itched in the middle of night I added more there. Last night I also took children’s liquid benedryl as suggested by pharmacist (he said even if does not help me on itch it could help). The 24 Claritin-D maybe helping too. He told me to consult doctor if it got worse, but so far things are getting better. Yay;)</p>
<p>Do these bumps itch to the point where they bleed slightly, and then scab over, only to have them get itchy again? If so, they may be some type of fungus. The fact that the 1% hydocortisone cream gave you some relief makes me think it is. PM me for more details if you would like.</p>
<p>I have had this for several years. I asked my dermatologist about it and that’s what she said it was and that it is fairly common. I find that it happens after the winter season, when I start sitting out at my son’s baseball games. And then again in the summer, when I go to the beach. Even though I spend time outside, it is being out for several consecutive hours that seems to trigger it. For me it happens on both my arms from around the elbow down and the outsides of my hands. I’m just getting over a case from being at the beach last week.</p>
<p>This happens with or without sunblock. I just accept it as a normal part of adjusting to the summer season now.</p>