What is going on with dd?

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

She's 14, and for the past year has been getting outbreaks of itchy spots, randomly around her body. They look like tiny bites, but there's no puncture mark. If she scratches they blister. They fade up and down, disappeared after a few days if she manages not to scratch, but lasting much longer if she scratches. If there are only a few, she itches just in the area around them, but right now she's got them popping up and fading away all over her body, and she is itchy all over. Anti-histamines reduce the itching.

What is going on? Is this an allergy to something? I have skin allergies, and it's nothing like my reactions.

[SnookieSnooks]

Could they be flea bites?

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

I doubt it. We moved into a flea-infested house once, and the bites were all on exposed skin, usually below the knee. They only bit hands and forearms if we sat on the floor - which was what gave us the clue to what was going on. Also, all of us were affected.

[dinobum]

Bed bugs?

[Wallywobbles]

To stop then itching put a teaspoon in hot water (around 50c) press the back of the teaspoon onto the "bite" for 3-6 seconds. It needs to be hit as she can bare. This works for all insect bites & stings as it kills the toxins. I don't think this could work on an allergy so it might give you a clue to the origins.

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

We've checked for bedbugs.

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Never heard of the hot spoon thing. Will try it.

We try to slap itchy bites, rather than scratch them.

[StilletoRose]

I had similar when I was little if I ate too much fruit. Something to do with fructose malabsorption.

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Fructose malabsorption - she doesn't have any of the listed symptoms.

I will, nonetheless, ask her to record whenever she has any high-fructose foods, to see whether there is a correlation.

[MrsDoylesladder]

I've developed this recently- also been upping my intake of fruit. Don't tell me there's a connection?

[StilletoRose]

My mum used to call them heat spots and put the fruit bowl off limits.

Something to do with Glut5 transporter deficiency I think- they are what help your body process fructose.

Basically you can absorb glucose well, but not fructose. However, eating glucose as the same time as fructose makes you absorb fructose better (as long as there is as much or more glucose). However, eating fructose with sorbitol makes you less able to absorb fructose. Some fruits are high in sorbitol (apples, peaches).

I tried returning to fruit as an adult and got digestive issues. Looked into a bit more and found out the above. Researched which fruits have beneficial fructose/glucose ratios and just avoid fruits with sorbitol now. Exercise can also stimulate GLUT5 production.

The Finns has a really good website, which has an English language option, called Fineli that has lots of info on fructose, glucose and sugar alcohols (sorbitol is one). That helped me research what fruits were safe for me.

Still occasionally get skin symptoms- well before I get digestive symptoms though. I view them as an early warning system that I'm taking fruit consumption too far and reign it in for a bit, normally just a day or two.

Sorry, long explanation, but hope it's useful.

[MrsDoylesladder]

Thank you. I have such horrible itching and spots in random places that sound just like the op's dd. I have MS and really struggle with fatigue. I'll try and speak to a doc next week.
Here's me giving up crisps for Lent; turns out I should give up apples and pears instead.

[StilletoRose]

Hope it helps Mrs.

My spelling and grammar are awful today though.

[MrsDoylesladder]

Sorry to hijack, op. But this has been bugging me and the symptoms you describe match me to a T. I am an old gimmer in my 50s. Never happened before.

[carmelsundae]

I was at a talk today about coeliac disease and it mentioned a skin condition related to coeliac disease but I can't remember ita name. It was a type of dermatitis...
It was a rash that often blistered and was very itchy, and commonly found bilaterally on the body. Said removing gluten would improve the skin condition but would need a dermatologist to confirm diagnosis

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Dermatitis herpetiformes. It's quite different and much more severe. In any case, she had the blood test for coeliac last year and it came back clear.

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Another batch have come out on her. She hasn't eaten much fruit - bananas and satsumas. No dried fruit. No sugar-free stuff. She has drunk juice. And, of course, there's the stuff teens eat but don't tell you!

We could try cutting out the juice. She doesn't have much.

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

Not really convinced about the fructose thing as she has no gastric symptoms.