Strange rash around insect bites

Posted by le11 @le11, 4 days ago

Hi everyone,
I unfortunately had a run in with some kind of insect that left me with quite a few bites around my ankles/feet and even a couple on my upper leg. They have been incredibly itchy, and slightly red, but I had done my best not to touch them. I've used calamine and steroid cream.
This morning however, I woke up with them a much darker colour with a deep red and purple rash around 1cm diameter for each bite, with a couple of the bad bites having closer to 2cm diameter rashes. The rashes also have heaps of tiny red speckles in them. I went to gp and was given antibiotics and a stronger steroid cream, but just wondering if anyone else has had this type of reaction before, and if anyone knows what kind of bug it may have been. I'm not allergic to anything as far as I know.
Sorry for the long message.

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beachesanddreams | @beachesanddreams | 4 days ago

@le11 This is a tough one for sure! I hope the antibiotics help, of course, though I didn’t know they could be prescribed for insect bites. Keep monitoring your symptoms and progress while on the medications. Perhaps ice on and off will help alleviate swelling? I do hope everything works and that you’ll have relief soon!

seniormed | @seniormed | 4 days ago

Where were you when the bites occurred? Were you around vegetation or water or an overnight?
Outdoors in a warm climate at a certain time of day?
Are you certain they were bites. Did they itch at
the time immediately.?Are you otherwise healthy? History is important for your diagnosis. Take some photos in the event they persist and need further evaluation. Steroid cream under calamine is a good first
treatment. Hope it just goes away and you don’t get
exposed again.

hopeseeker22 | @hopeseeker22 | 4 days ago

Hmm. You say that one insect stayed around that long to inflict all those bites? Did you see it? Feel being bitten? Swat it away? Absent the insect, rule out incipient cirrhosis.

le11 | @le11 | 3 days ago

In reply to @seniormed "Where were you when the bites occurred? Were you around vegetation or water or an overnight?..." + (show)

@seniormed thanks for the reply. They did not itch immediately, so I suppose I am not certain they are bites. I noticed small slighty itchy bumps, similar to mosquito bites after a walk at night (a very urban area/footpath). The previous day, I did go on a bush walk down to a lake with a couple of people, but no one else has any bites or anything similar, and I didnt notice any bites that day.
The day after noticing the first couple of bumps, there were many more visible inflamed and raised bumps. Now today, a few days later, they have the red rash I mentioned. I recently recovered from a bad flu followed by pneumonia about a month ago, so I dont know if that would impact anything. Other than that I am healthy.
Thank you 😊

le11 | @le11 | 3 days ago

In reply to @beachesanddreams "@le11 This is a tough one for sure! I hope the antibiotics help, of course, though..." + (show)

@beachesanddreams The itch has become much more tolerable today thankfully. The doctor believed the bites were infected, which is why I got the antibiotics.
Thank you for your wishes.

seniormed | @seniormed | 3 days ago

Sounds like probable no see ems. Gnats found near water especially at evening time. Bites are anesthetic so you don’t feel them at the time.
They erupt and itch later on sometimes for as long as two weeks.
Topical steroids help the most.

beachesanddreams | @beachesanddreams | 3 days ago

In reply to @le11 "@beachesanddreams The itch has become much more tolerable today thankfully. The doctor believed the bites were..." + (show)

@le11 I’m so very glad to hear this. Hopefully, you’ll be able to put this ordeal behind you soon!

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