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What Causes Bug Bites All Over Legs Ans Back Followed By Joints Pain?

Posted on Fri, 22 May 2015

Question: Hello! I topped up on questions yesterday but the doctor accepted the answer before i could use my follow up questions...anyway, i have been getting rashes/bites all over my legs and a few here and there on my stomach and back. This has been going on for weeks. About a couple of months prior, i started having really bad joint pain and muscle pain in my arms, wrists, fingers, etc. i wound up having a pretty bad vitamin d deficiency that i am now being treated for. I go back to the doctor in XXXXXXX for another comprehensive cbc and to check if my vitamin d level went back up. Anyway, the rash or bites on my legs mostly appear when i wake up in the morning or during the night while i am sleeping. I have checked my bed and we do not have bed bugs. No one in the house has these except for me. They start out as a pinkish color, then become really itchy...as they heal you can see a center and they become a very dark red color and then fade. My husband who sleeps in the same bed has no bites. My dermatologist did a biopsy on one of the spots and it came back as reactionary to insect bites/insect bite with no other cause. I have 4 more this morning in addition to the several i have. I am worried that this is related to a blood disorder or cancer such as leukemia or some other kind of infection. The dermatologist said if it was an autoimmune disease it would have shown up in the biopsy results. Anyway, i am worried that i may need bloodwork to see if its something really bad as maybe the biopsy didnt catch it? I have attached some pictures. The last picture is a new one. Please ignore the super red spot, that is where they did the biopsy. Thank you!

Answered by Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
This looks like allergic

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Welcome to Health Care Magic, Thanks for writing to us,

I am Dr.Muhammad Ahmad, I have read your question, I understand your concern and will try to help you in the best possible way.

Thanks for writing back to us , doctor can't really close a discussion until the user does it, or may be there was a technical fault i apologize for the inconvenience.

I have seen the pictures you uploaded, they are nothing like lesions due to cancer, or autoimmune they look like simple allergic rashes.

There are few bed bugs who don't bite they release fumes which cause allergy.

I have simple suggestions for you:

1) Use OTC anti allergic like citerizine 10mg daily at night.

2) buy one or two new pair of clothes and dont take anything old with you and your husband , stay in some other place for 3 days and see if there are more bites or not. If there are no bites it means these were bed bugs.

3) It is not necessary that other people at home should have it too, there are few people who get allergy with fumes and other don't get it.

4) Other than bed bugs there may be something in your pet or carpet of else where , where you stay before going to bed. You get bitten go to bed and when you get up you have these marks.

5) If taking antihistamins makes it better. It means it was perfectly allergic as it sounds and looks like.

I would suggest you not to panic just try my suggestions.

....

I Hope this answers your question, if your have more queries feel free to ask, otherwise close the discussion and rate it. Wish you the best of health.

Regards,

Dr.Muhammad Ahmad.

M.B.B.S.

Resident M.D.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (1 hour later)

Ok thank you so much! I was only concerned about lymphoma because i have read that it can cause hives/red rashes. I havehad these rashes for weeks now, it started with only 2. I am worried that the biopsy done on one of my spots wouldnt show something serious like lymphoma or a blood related infection. However, the dermatologist said the biopsy came back as caused by insect bite. I did have inflamed lymphnode in my neck but that was awhile ago and i was sick. A couple of months ago i had joint pain which was related to a vitamin d deficiency....im not sure if this is related or not. Anyway, i was concerned that it was an infection or lymphoma or something but i think it would have popped up in the biopsy. I just wanted to make sure. Thanks!

Answered by Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (26 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Allergic rashes and cancer

Detailed Answer:
Hi

Thanks for writing back,

I understand your concern ,

I will hereby try to help you in understanding lymphome better.

Lymphoma is relatively easy to diagnose. However, it often escapes detection in the early stages. Early symptoms may be either non existent or fairly mild. Symptoms of lymphoma are also non-specific. Common symptoms are easily overlooked or ignored. They include:

-fatigue

-night sweats

-unexplained weight loss

-fever

-chills

-itching.

Yes you are right this must have shown in the biopsy if this were any infection or lymphoma or autoimmune problem.

I would suggest you to get you lymph nodes evaluated if they are persistently enlarged, they need an FNAC id they are there and enlarged.

But sometimes in infections they get enlarged and then get smaller after the infection settles down.

My suspicion still goes more in favour of allergic rashes which are even due to some allergen or bug bite allergy.

You can simply try OTC anti allegrics and see if they help you.

Some times we are concerned about complicated things and over look simple causes.

So just take tablet citerizine 10mg daily at night and see if that helps.

Regards.

Dr.Ahmad

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (45 minutes later)

Hello! Thank you for your answer. So it is definitely not related to lymphoma or cancer since it didnt show up in the biopsy of one of my rashes/bites? It was a shave biopsy where the dermatologist shaved off the rash/bite. I am definitey not experiencing weight loss or any of the above, i do occassionally have night sweats but i like to be bundled up when i sleep. The lymphnodes on the left side of my neck are sometimes bigger thanthe right side, it is slight. I had it examined last weekend and the doctor thought nothing of it. I have been taking claritin for the past few days to no avail. So you are sure this isnt related to cancer such as leukemia or lymphoma, etc as that would have shown in the biopsy. I am worried that the only type of illness/cancer that it would have detected would have been skin cancer. I am concerned because i am the only one in my family/house with these rashes/bites. I had 5 new ones yesterday despite taking claritin, etc. i will show a picture of it.they start out smaller and not itchy and then enlarge considerably and become super itchy. This is two rashes/bites that got so large they are together. So anyway, i just want to make sure that biopsy would have detexted a leukemia/lymphoma or anything likewise. I am 27 and have no history of that in the family that i know of. Thanks again! The new picture is the one on my far right.

Answered by Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (18 hours later)

Brief Answer:
There are some options

Detailed Answer:
HI,

Thanks for writing back,

As i said already This doesn't seem to be a problem of cancer. I can't give you 100% surety as i have very limited access to your investigations and i can not examine you but your history , symptoms and exam findings are not consistent with a cancer.

I would like you to visit an allergy clinic if claritin is not working for you and get their opinion in this regard. Then you can also visit an internist to get his opinion on the possible causes.

You don't have to worry there are many options you can avail. just need patience and proper direction.

I wish the best of health.

Regards.

Dr.Muhammad Ahmad

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (10 hours later)

Thanks for your advice. We had an exterminator come into our house and he said we had no bugs that he could find. I took the precautions of buying hypo allergenic mattress and pillow covers. I also started taking allegra last night. Im hoping this all helps but i am still worried. The dermatologist said the biopsy results showed that the reaction was that like someone would get from a bug bite but cant say with 100 percent certainty what is causing it. Like i said i am worried i have some sort of infection such as leukemia/lymphoma or something serious. However, the dermatologist said that would have come up in the biopsy most likely. I just dont know where to go to/how to go about fixing this problem now as i cant find the source.

Answered by Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (11 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Other options are there

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for writing back,

I understand your concern, after taking many medicines and following it up with dermatologist, Having found no answer is indeed depressing.

You asked me about what can you do next,

Here is a plan i can give you. (in order of priority)

1) Meet an internal medicine specialist.

2) Rheumatologist.

3) Visit an allergy clinic.

Internal medical specialist can check you for both allergy, autoimmune and cancer. Although nothing shows that you have cancer but atleast you doubts will be addressed in a better way.

And if it is allergy actually an allergy clinic will use methods other than giving antihistamins , to relieve your allergy.

I know things seem complicated but don't panic follow it up with an internist hopefully many things will be ruled in or ruled out, Stay blessed.

I wish you the very best of health.

Regards

Dr.Muhammad Ahmad

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (33 minutes later)

Thank you for your answer. You said they can check for cancer such as lymphoma or leukemia but wouldnt that have come up in the biopsy they did on one of the bites/rashes. If you had to guess would you say this is an allergy or should i get bloodwork done to ensure it isnt lymphoma or something like that. I am iust thinking that they should have gone away by now but i would think anything cancer related would have shown up in the biopsy they did, right?

Answered by Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (7 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Yes biopsy is meant to be conclusive

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for writing back.

Yes you are right if that was because if any cancer that would have come in the biopsy.

That wouldn't have stayed hidden and come up as allergic spots in biopsy.

I said they can check for cancer just in case you want a counter check or a counter opinion by another doctor other wise biopsy results should be conclusive to rule out any neoplasia.

Yo shouldn't worry and make a plan according to my suggestions and follow this thing.

Regards.

Dr.Muhammad Ahmad

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (35 minutes later)

I agree with you. Do you have any idea what this could be as i am now taking allegra and still have these rashes/hives/bites whatever they are. I am just worried it is a blood disorder or something like that but i guess its not if it showed positive for bug bites.

Answered by Dr. Muhammad Ahmad (16 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Allergy/autoimmune

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

thanks for writing back,

Actually there is nothing like a biopsy positive for bug bites, bites cause inflammation and allergic reaction, so if a biopsy says it looks like allergic reaction , we label it as bossible bug bite.

I believe that sounds like an allergy or autoimmune.

I would suggest you to see a rheumatologist if anti allergics arent helping you ...a complete workup is what you require in this regard. If it comes out to be autoimmune then you will be needing meds for that if that comes out to be allergic then you can visit an allergy clinic for more help.

Hopefully you will find an answer.

Regards.

Dr.Muhammad Ahmad

Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar