What is biting me?

SisterHyster · 2023-11-30T23:30:52+00:00

Please help! I seem to be being absolutely eaten alive by something. It feels like midgie bites but obviously that isn’t really a thing in November. Nobody else is being bitten, just me. I do have small red raised dots in the itchy places. Haven’t really been anywhere. had antihistamines which stop the itch for a few hours. Tried hydrocortisone cream too, but it is such a big area (basically my entire torso!) Been to pharmacist who was stumped. Help!

PortalooSunset · 30/11/2023 23:41

Bed bugs?

Original poster

SisterHyster · 30/11/2023 23:44

PortalooSunset · 30/11/2023 23:41

Bed bugs?

I don’t think so - my partner is bite free. Neither of us have stayed anywhere other than at home for several months. Kids are in our bed loads and both are okay. No other signs of bed bugs either.

Bed bugs were my first thought but pharmacist feels like it’s not bed bugs.

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Grimmz · 30/11/2023 23:44

Your entire torso is covered in strange itchy bites? I'd say it merits a GP appointment at least.

Have you considered speaking with a pest controller?

Original poster

SisterHyster · 30/11/2023 23:47

Grimmz · 30/11/2023 23:44

Your entire torso is covered in strange itchy bites? I'd say it merits a GP appointment at least.

Have you considered speaking with a pest controller?

My entire torso is not covered, no. But they are widespread across my torso - maybe 5-10 bites at any time. They heal up and then new ones pop up. Last a good few days each.

Im really prone to insect bites and I’m plagued with them all summer, have been since a child.

There are no visible bugs. Well, there was a weird fly in the house a few weeks ago but it was dealt with. Nobody else is being eaten, hence I’m not convinced there is something in the house. Nobody at work is itching either so I don’t think it’s there.

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AnonymousMusing · 01/12/2023 00:32

I have had the same, and I think it's spider bites. They all migrate into houses when it gets cold outside.

Siha345 · 01/12/2023 00:51

We need to see a photo

flowerchild2000 · 01/12/2023 00:54

bed bugs don't always bite everyone and they don't always come from traveling. I got them in my house because my neighbors had them and refused to treat for them. I was bitten nightly but my DD and partner were not. It was rough. I hope you figure it out whatever it is!

flowerchild2000 · 01/12/2023 00:58

Do your have pets? Could be fleas.

Earlier this year I had Covid and I had a similar kind of rash- it gave me flashbacks to the bed bug incident it presented so similar.

Original poster

SisterHyster · 01/12/2023 07:44

AnonymousMusing · 01/12/2023 00:32

I have had the same, and I think it's spider bites. They all migrate into houses when it gets cold outside.

Well that’s terrifying. I’m not entirely convinced - I am terrified of spiders so they are normally dealt with swiftly and we try to make the house as uninhabitable to them as possible. Plus the bites pop up during the day too.

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Original poster

SisterHyster · 01/12/2023 07:45

Siha345 · 01/12/2023 00:51

We need to see a photo

Ignore the freckle.

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Original poster

SisterHyster · 01/12/2023 07:46

flowerchild2000 · 01/12/2023 00:54

bed bugs don't always bite everyone and they don't always come from traveling. I got them in my house because my neighbors had them and refused to treat for them. I was bitten nightly but my DD and partner were not. It was rough. I hope you figure it out whatever it is!

Detached house so I doubt they have come from neighbours, I’ve thoroughly checked the bed and mattress for signs of bedbugs and I can’t find any. I was convinced it was bedbugs but pharmacist feels it isn’t. How did you know it was bedbugs?

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Original poster

SisterHyster · 01/12/2023 07:48

flowerchild2000 · 01/12/2023 00:58

Do your have pets? Could be fleas.

Earlier this year I had Covid and I had a similar kind of rash- it gave me flashbacks to the bed bug incident it presented so similar.

We do have a dog and I’ve blamed her too. I think it could be fleas but again, dog isn’t itching. I’ve tried checking her for fleas and I can’t see any but I guess they could be hiding. I might de-flea her anyway just to rule it out if nothing else.

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littlemousebigcheese · 01/12/2023 07:55

No idea but exact same thing is happening here! I am bitten on my leg, back, side etc but husband and children are bite free. I really hope it's not spiders as the thought of them crawling on me at night makes me feel sick

Siha345 · 01/12/2023 10:52

If you have a dog then fleas sounds like a likely culprit. Is the dog allowed on your sofa or bed? They aren’t normally very active in winter but my cat sat on my lap for about 2 minutes a couple of days ago and I got bitten twice! No signs of fleas on her (but with flea treatments the fleas need to bite the pet in order to get killed). Being itchy is bloody horrible so I would do a full house sweep with fly spray, then Indorex on and around soft furniture and dog sleeping areas, wash bedding, blankets and dog bedding at 60 degrees and make sure doggy is up to date with flea treatment. I would post a photo of my flea bites to compare but I react quite badly to insect bites so mine are big and swollen

Whatsasname · 01/12/2023 10:58

Carpet beetles maybe? Some people are allergic to the baby ones can't remember the name for a baby insect sorry. They look a bit like furry caterpillars and they're called woolly bears. The adult ones look sort of like stripy ladybirds. Have you seen any ladybird type bugs on windowsills? If it's them they're pretty easy to get rid of. Just buy some stuff and spray round all the edges of your carpets and vacuum really thoroughly

Original poster

SisterHyster · 01/12/2023 13:49

Whatsasname · 01/12/2023 10:58

Carpet beetles maybe? Some people are allergic to the baby ones can't remember the name for a baby insect sorry. They look a bit like furry caterpillars and they're called woolly bears. The adult ones look sort of like stripy ladybirds. Have you seen any ladybird type bugs on windowsills? If it's them they're pretty easy to get rid of. Just buy some stuff and spray round all the edges of your carpets and vacuum really thoroughly

Definitely not seen anything bug like anywhere around house. House is a new build; we have only been here 4 months, was carpeted immediately before we moved in. Everything is new, but we hadn’t got any new things for about 2 months before the itching started so I don’t think it’s from that. We vacuum every day because of the dog - she casts a lot.

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HeliumChestedTrollop · 01/12/2023 13:51

This was me! Turned out I have eczema, thought I was being bitten, I bought loads of flea sprays, even got a bedbug man out, thought I was going nuts.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 01/12/2023 13:52

it doesn’t look like spider bites. More like fleas.

Flea bites are extremely itchy.

Original poster

SisterHyster · 01/12/2023 13:53

Siha345 · 01/12/2023 10:52

If you have a dog then fleas sounds like a likely culprit. Is the dog allowed on your sofa or bed? They aren’t normally very active in winter but my cat sat on my lap for about 2 minutes a couple of days ago and I got bitten twice! No signs of fleas on her (but with flea treatments the fleas need to bite the pet in order to get killed). Being itchy is bloody horrible so I would do a full house sweep with fly spray, then Indorex on and around soft furniture and dog sleeping areas, wash bedding, blankets and dog bedding at 60 degrees and make sure doggy is up to date with flea treatment. I would post a photo of my flea bites to compare but I react quite badly to insect bites so mine are big and swollen

Yeah I feel like to dog is to blame, she’s definitely more glued to me than anyone else so it makes sense that way too. She sleeps on our bed and sofa.

Vet advises not to routinely flea treat and instead to just treat if we see fleas. Been dog owners for about 12 years and neither of our dogs have had fleas before; but another dog in the family recently had them (and funnily enough i itched when around the dog but felt it was just psychosomatic!)

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Original poster

SisterHyster · 01/12/2023 13:54

HeliumChestedTrollop · 01/12/2023 13:51

This was me! Turned out I have eczema, thought I was being bitten, I bought loads of flea sprays, even got a bedbug man out, thought I was going nuts.

I’ve never had eczema before and tend to be more oily than dry. I’ve been using aveeno incase that was the issue, seems to have made no difference. Did you have a rash?

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Original poster

SisterHyster · 01/12/2023 13:55

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 01/12/2023 13:52

it doesn’t look like spider bites. More like fleas.

Flea bites are extremely itchy.

It’s definitely extremely itchy. Feels like midgie bites. Marks are far smaller than midgie bites though.

I was convinced it was fleas but my partner said no way since he’s fine; as is the dog. Mind you at this point my legs are just as hairy as my dogs!

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HeliumChestedTrollop · 01/12/2023 14:01

SisterHyster · 01/12/2023 13:54

I’ve never had eczema before and tend to be more oily than dry. I’ve been using aveeno incase that was the issue, seems to have made no difference. Did you have a rash?

Show quote history

I have never had eczema before either, I starting getting these itchy red spots, but also had a rash on my arm, I did not connect it at first. the only cream that works is Cetraben. Few pics attached. My GP was useless I ended up seeing a private dermatologist in the end

HeliumChestedTrollop · 01/12/2023 14:04

oh and it was intensely itchy

I tell no lie, I did not sleep for a year due to the itching, (felt like it anyway)

I am still on antihistamine now

RandomQuestionOfTheDay · 01/12/2023 14:07

Fleas. I know we DO currently have fleas in the house as I used a different flea treatment on the cats 2 months running and it has clearly failed.

I have a couple of flea bites. DC2 has quite a lot, but he scratches them so it looks worse. DH and DC2 have none. They look like your photo.

Isheabastard · 01/12/2023 14:21

I had one when my legs were covered and it was intensely itchy. I noticed when I was stinting on the sofa.

Started spraying and hoovering like a madman.

Three weeks later I finally went to the Gp. They ruled out everything except perhaps a viral infection. I used cold gel packs for the itching.

The rash finally went and never came back. So could it be that?

At the end of summer I developed shingles, but the rash was very different to yours and the pharmacist diagnosed it.