If a Childrens dermatologist said this to you..

[AmberHiker]

When my son turned 7 out of no where he got a rash , that then signalled two years of back to back episodes of welts,hives, rashes , and to the point his whole body bar his feet has been affected. We have been mainly under the gp who dishes out emolienfs , steroids , bath treatments and advice. I paid private last year to be seen at the hospital under the children’s team who did no testing but wrote a report and chucked the term itchyosis in there ( son doesn’t have this ) said my child needed urgent dermatology appointment and today one year later we went.

she agreed it was unusual in placement and listened to his history but then said what about his school bag? He’s 9 he carries if briefly to school each day. I looked at her kinda dumbstruck .. I said if this was being caused by a backpack what about Summer holidays and weekends when it’s not used … she just looked at me . While they have agreed to do a basic patch test ( no idea when it will be ) and wrote another prescription for more emolients and a stronger steroid there was no concern about the fact

it’s seasonal
doesn’t present like excema
it’s more like Hives and welts
only responds to steroids
no antihestime works
no previous allergy or excema in him or family
no pets or obvious triggers

I’m gonna attach a photo to show what it’s like at its very worst during a typical summer time flare , im just at my wits end . Ive had medical people say its excema then its not then maybe its allergy then maybe its a serious skin condition and now maybe its the school back pack. What would you do at this point

I have no expertise or suggestions op but just wanted to show support. The poor boy: it looks so uncomfortable and I can totally understand your concern and frustration and I hope someone has a brainwave on here. 💐

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I’ve suffered with allergies my whole life. I would suggest you do a diet diary, as I would bet it’s something he is injesting everyday like wheat or sugar.
also - you have probably done this, but change your washing powder. If my sister uses certain brands she comes up in hives all over.

Reaction at school

I'd agree sometime casting the net could help throw up something Op hasn't thought about.

It sounds to me like some sort of allergy. For years I used which ever soap powder was on 'special offer' until my incident with Daz. Now I'm loathed to try anything other than Persil.

Well it’s not his backpack causing that on his leg is it.

That lookso exactly like my son when he has a traction ti pistachio paste in a tiny chocolate. He had major allergy tests fine at hospital, all by bloods took ages to come back. He now has an Epi pen.

I was going to suggest a diary - times etc.

I don't know what that it is.

I'm not stunned GP not helpful - they couldn't recongised Juvenile spring eruption which got pretty bad in DS internet helped us and it was as simple as getting permsion to wear a hat in school breaks.

A dirary help us figure out DS eczema trigger but it happened roughly same month - I was like wtf nothing changed every year - and worked out it was a certain tree pollen - did that with internet and timing. We moved and whether it's the soft water of less trees of that type - it finally cleared up.

Could it be Polymorphic light eruption? Which is basically a sensitivity to the sun. I had a seemingly random rash come out on my face and arms and legs whenever I went outside in my garden. I thought I was allergic to one of the plants or something. Anyway, after a few episodes, and oral steroids being prescribed I was referred to the hospital and the consultant didn't have a definitive answer, but suggested polymorphic light eruption and prescribed sunscreen. After going home and reading up on it, it did seem to fit with my experience and using a high-factor sunscreen on any bit of exposed skin totally stopped the rash.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polymorphic-light-eruption/

We also had to stick to certain natural fabrics - not wool as wool DS reacts to that but then so do I - but sweat and suncreams often made him worse.

Some of the eczema creams had thinsg he reacted to in as well - long slow porcess tracking it all down.

polymorphic light eruption - we get that DH and I but only on exposed skin - DS got it just on ears in spring and really bad.

I was so bad on a field trip in 20s I sought medical advice and they suggested it was contact with some random plant maybe - it was one of the older organisers who suggested light reaction. They gave me antihistamines and I think hydrocortisone cream which slightly helped - it was really not being out all day when field trip ended that stopped it.

DS sun creams could also cause reactions - so had to be careful what we used.

It sounds like he is reacting to something in the environment in Spring/Summer. What trees and shrubs do you have around your house? Or anywhere that your son spends time? I used to get awful eczema and hayfever at the time the rape seed was in bloom (now). There was a field near where we lived. I would try treating it like hayfever sufferers do and shower before bed every night to wash off the pollen or whatever he is reacting to.

I just wanted to add that as a lifelong eczema/dermatitis sufferer (chronic in childhood) I honestly feel that no-one understands these things, not GP's and not dermatologists. You just have to learn how to manage it yourself.

I also sometimes get random rashes. At the moment, at age 53, I have reacted to something and have itchy skin and hives all over my back, legs and arms, no idea what has caused this. I bought some Betnovate online as I cannot be bothered to see the GP about this anymore and I cannot suffer while I wait to see the GP!

My advise would be:

No laundry detergent, laundry balls only

You can be allergic to the emollients the GP's prescribe. They actually set off the worst reactions for me. I tend to use only Vaseline or Sudocrem. On my face, there is a Clinique moisturiser that I can use

Salt in the bath

Vacuum the mattress every time you change his bed

Don't be afraid of steroid use to calm down flare ups. It is painful and better to get on top of things quickly rather than just go on suffering

I take 1 anti-histamine tablet before bed every night

Aveeno is good but I seem to be allergic to that at the moment. This could change as my skin is so unpredictable!

No fragrances in the home

Look at the hair products, especially shampoo and conditioner he uses

Shower before bed every evening.

This is quackery. Ignore it.

Looks like an topical allergy rash to me, and I'd be very familiar.

@AmberHiker, it definitely looks like an allergic reaction, like urticaria

Agree that keeping food diary may help pinpoint his triggers.

Do you have pets, at all?

In all honesty that's not always the case. They fobbed off my son's symptoms for years. Tests showed nothing. turned out it was due to a citric acid allergy. We only found this out by doing an extreme exclusion diet. He is fine if he doesn't eat citric acid very itchy and ill if he does. Only found this out by a suggestion on here!

That is exactly how my legs have been recently, exactly the same place. And in 53 years I have never had eczema there. Salt baths, Sudocrem in a thin layer and the steroid has eased it for me. I hope you can get on top of this soon, OP.

OP he could be allergic to anything, literally. I think you should get him to fill out a food diary. Make it fun, get him to choose a nice notebook and write everything he consumes. Believe it or not I'm allergic to the additives in tap water. That took a lot of working out! Another tip is to get him to have some flaxseed oil each day, either in capsules or a little liquid on his cereal or in his yoghurt.

Is it only when it’s hot?
I have spontaneous and cholinergic urticaria and antihistamines don’t work for me
if you’re anywhere near Manchester I can recommend the guy who saw me, he’s excellent

This sounds like idiopathic urticaria to me. But I'm not a dermatology expert. Generally they will want to work stepwise through investigations so as not to go down the path of advanced treatments eg immunologics for rarer disorders until you have ruled out the common stuff. But rest assured there are still lots of treatment possibilities in the arsenal. Good luck sounds very difficult for your son.

Allergy testing would be good. Might have to go private though. I had this done years ago and I am allergy to over 30 things. Similar rashes to those photos. It’s easier to test than to try and eliminate. For example I am allergic to one chemical that is present in toilet paper production!

It looks very similar to what my daughter used to have at this time of the year. Combination of heat and hay fever

Your son looks like he has pale skin too, DD was the same

Does the rash actually itch him??

That is definitely an allergic reaction to something my son gets these from grass dust dogs cats pollen even tomatoes sometimes he also has asthma and eczema too as frustrating as it is keep on pushing with how it is today you really don’t get anywhere (with kids symptoms) so don’t put up op!! I’m currently going through this with adhd diagnosis