Why is dd covered in spots?

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

She's had chicken pox, and so has her sister.

She's perfectly well in herself.

However, for about the last four weeks, she's had itchy spots all over her. I'd say there might be about twenty or thirty spots but they are all over, from her feet, some on her legs, her chest and back and up to her arms. They are quite spread out. They are not blisters, they don't ooze anything, they are just itchy. They look to me like bites but dh and the doctor say no. No one else has them.

The doctor was a bit stumped but thought it might be a kind of eczema and has given us some moisturising cream and hydrocortisone to put on the spots. I've been googling childhood eczema though and it looks nothing like it. She hasn't got red rough weepy patches and nothing in any creases. And she's five which seems a bit late for eczema.

I am at a bit of a loss. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Obviously she's been at school all this time. I just hope no one else suddenly develops spots.

[DeWe]

Shingles?

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

God I hadn't thought of that. Doesn't that usually come with pain?

I just don't know what the hell it is. It could be contagious for all I know. I still think it looks like bites though.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

I actually don't believe it. In the same day that I give in and ask Mumsnet dd1 suddenly has a few itchy spots. Not as many as dd2 but definitely noticeable.

What the fuck could it be?

[ItStillLooksLikeRainDear]

Could it be scabies?

[lougle]

Scabies? Flea bites? (Do you have a dog/cat?)

[JustAfloat]

Bed bugs?

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

Dh says fleas bite in clusters round your ankles. And we've washed all their bedding regularly and they have those plastic mattress protectors. Don't know anything about scabies. Wouldn't the doctor have recognised it?

It doesn't seem to be making them ill but it's very annoying.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

Just googled scabies. Bloody hell. Not that. Don't think the bed bug bites look like it either.

It's a mystery.

[Blu]

Are you sure they aren't bed bugs?

look at this photo

Have a look in her bed with a torch once she has been in it for a couple of hours, and have a good look all round the creases of the mattress for little black spots. Mattress covers would be no deterrent to bed bugs.

[Littlefish]

I had flea bites once which weren't all on my ankles. I had them on my arms, chest and legs.

Do they look like this?

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

Christ on a bike Littlefish have you looked down the rest of that page?

I reckon it must be either fleas or bed bugs but it doesn't look quite like the pictures. The bites on the pictures are bigger and more raised than dd's spots.

[tibni]

My ds was sent home from school with spots that they suspected were measles. They turned out to be pityriasis rosea. His spots looked similar to your picture but they didn't itch. Dr didn't diagnoses straight away so we kept him off school and gave him piraton and covering him in eurax cream. It was via google that I worked out eventually what he had, the herald patch was clear and the dr then confirmed it. Hope you soon have your answer.

[NearTheWindymill]

I think you should call your local council and get pest control to come and investigate.

[Littlefish]

Oh no, I haven't! I'll go and look now. Sorry if I've linked to something awful.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

Oh don't worry it wasn't that bad. Just a bit skin-crawling!

[NearTheWindymill]

Any one else on this thread suddenly very itchy.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

I am after looking at that link.

Am going to be doing a lot of washing and hoovering tomorrow.

[HicDraconis]

Molluscum contagiosum? Viral infection, spots can last up to 18 months. No need to worry re swimming / bath towels / etc, most children will have it at some point.

[differentnameforthis]

Dh says fleas bite in clusters round your ankles. No they don't! When I was a kid we moved house & I was covered in cat flee bites all over my body

[lougle]

Fleas aren't fussy. They'll bite anywhere they can get to. The reason they appear to bite around the ankle is that most people are bitten when they walk through long grass and their ankle is the only bit that's exposed.

[LiegeAndLief]

I didn't start getting eczema until I was 9 or 10. Didn't look like that though!

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

It's leaning towards bites isn't it?

The doctor have me moisturiser and hydrocortisone cream to apply twice a day. It's time consuming and smelly and if it's just bites it's probably a complete waste of time.

[BikeRunSki]

You know you can get CP more than once?

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

Yes I know. I just remember her being a bit poorly when she had it the first time. And that the spots blistered and scabbed over. Also she's had them for weeks whereas CP I think would have cleared up by now.

[NigellasDealer]

see that spot on the left? from here it looks like a little 'line' is that the case?
do the spots go in rows anywhere? like 1....2.......3?