Could this be bedbugs?!

[ThisOneNoThatOne]

I've been suffering with a tummy bug for the last couple of nights so my DH has been sleeping on the sofa bed in our living room downstairs. Since he's been sleeping there he has loads of red bites (or I think they're bites) on his chest and under his armpit. They are in clusters and are a little bit crusty (sorry!).

Do you think this could be bedbugs? Do they live in sofa beds? Our sofa bed is rarely used for sleeping on. We sometimes sit on it in the day though. Not sure what to do next. Does he need someone to identify the bites or should we just go straight to pest control?

Thank you!

[ThisOneNoThatOne]

Oh and just to add, he wears a t shirt in bed so do they bite under clothes?

[BatteryOperatedBoyfriend]

They do bite in lines and clusters. You need to look very closely at the bed, if they have been eating someone over night they will be quite fat and not fit back thought the sofa covers. Run a car key or similar on the joins to check. Sometimes also, I believe that the bites don't always come up straight away, so he could have been bitten a day or two ago.

[cozietoesie]

I'm just wondering whether he might have shingles?

[whatsonyourplate]

Could it be fleas? Do you have pets?

[cozietoesie]

PS - if you suspect it might be shingles, get him to the GP right away. You can't cure them but the earlier alleviating meds are taken, the shorter and easier the outbreak will be.

[ThisOneNoThatOne]

Thank you.

We've looked on the sofa bed- I can't see any evidence of them, but I've heard they're good at hiding. You can't actually take the sofa bed apart either, the sofa is the mattress. Will that make it harder to treat if we get a pest control company in?

Would he feel unwell with shingles? Apart from the itching he feels ok.

We do have a cat. I can't see any evidence of fleas on her and my vet told me it isn't flea season yet- is that true?!

The thing that is puzzling me is that the sofa bed is rarely used. Do bedbugs lay dormant for long periods of time?

I'm wondering if he should go to the gp. However it takes 2 wks to get an appointment and I don't want them in the house any longer!

[DamnCommandments]

We thought dh had bed bug bites (from a hotel bed) but it turned out to be shingles. He had itching, then pain and probably fatigue, but the poor bugger was so jet lagged it was impossible to tell

[DamnCommandments]

Ask for an urgent appointment! Wish DH had done. Explain that he may need anti-virals

[moptopp]

I think if you had bedbugs in the house they'd be unlikely to stick to the one bed that never gets slept on.

Definitely could be shingles, the abdomen is a common area for them to appear. Has your DH been under stress/rundown recently?

[ThisOneNoThatOne]

Yes he's definitely been stressed...

I'll get him to ask for an emergency appointment.

Oh dear, I have 3 children under 4. None of them have had chicken pox yet!

[cozietoesie]

He might well feel more or less normal with shingles - just the itching as you said. I'd rule that out first because, as a PP said, I'd be a little surprised if bedbugs were in a piece of furniture that has been with you (and used) long term and had never migrated at all. And your description sounded very like shingles.

You can google pictures on the net. (Warning - the pics can be pretty awful.)

[moptopp]

You have to have direct contact with the fluid from the blisters to catch chicken pox from shingles. It's not airborne like chicken pox itself, so it should be possible to avoid your children catching it.

Hope he can get to the docs and get some antivirals quickly.

[cozietoesie]

PS - but get the cat some anti-flea medication on general principle. I'm afraid that they can get fleas all year round.

[DamnCommandments]

I'm afraid mine caught chicken pox from DH's shingles... We had only one small bathroom with towels slung everywhere and I think she was drying her hands on DH's bath towel (before we had a clue that he might have shingles).

[cozietoesie]

They would likely have caught it anyway at some time I guess. Haven't something like 80% of the UK's adult population had chickenpox at one time or another?

[SuburbanRhonda]

Agree with the "flea season" nonsense. If only!

[breakfastnotattiffanys]

i think shingles usually is only one sided following a nerve so from spine round to front of chest one one side of body only like this <a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/media/medical/hw/h9991394_001.jpg&imgrefurl=www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/shingles&h=300&w=460&tbnid=zggWoGqZh4o0uM:&docid=ddiCEkzgtcoP4M&ei=76LBVsHSJsSyabe_lKAH&tbm=isch&client=safari&ved=0ahUKEwiBhtTDwvnKAhVEWRoKHbcfBXQQMwgtKAowCg" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/media/medical/hw/h9991394_001.jpg&imgrefurl=www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/shingles/shingles&h=300&w=460&tbnid=zggWoGqZh4o0uM:&docid=ddiCEkzgtcoP4M&ei=76LBVsHSJsSyabe_lKAH&tbm=isch&client=safari&ved=0ahUKEwiBhtTDwvnKAhVEWRoKHbcfBXQQMwgtKAowCg

[ThisOneNoThatOne]

Thanks all. He went to the doctor's this afternoon. The doctor thinks it's a skin infection, but he's not ruling out bedbugs or shingles.

I've been to buy some flea treatment too!

Thanks again everyone.

[cozietoesie]

Well that wasn't entirely helpful of him it sounds. Did he recommend any course of treatment or action?

By the way, when this problem is over, you might - if you get 10 minutes - like to visit The litter tray with regard to your cat. Some very experienced cat owners post there and there are even some veterinary professionals who contribute on a voluntary basis. You might find it useful.

[ThisOneNoThatOne]

Thanks Cozie

He's been given some antibiotics and some dermol lotion. We'll see if that works and if not he'll go back to the doctor.

Thanks for the tip about The Litter Tray. I had some good advice from there when my cat had damaged her tail. She's been trouble free since then, but you never know with cats!!