Unbearable Itching

[Jingthing]

38 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

1 hour ago, Enoon said:

 
The symptoms you have described are textbook prickly heat.  The tiny blisters are sweat building up behind blocked pores. I occasionally suffer below the knees and around the waist. The Thai person who shares my bed suffers no such symptoms and is untroubled.
 
Heat rash (prickly heat) - NHS.UK
 
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=prickly+heat&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa
 
 

A bit of a coincidence that both him and his girlfriend have the same symptoms?

Exactly. More like scabies. 

[impulse]

9 hours ago, sanemax said:

10 hours ago, Stevemercer said:

 

My wife always tells me to go see a doctor when I have some complaint, but what is a doctor going to do? Save it for a real emergency.

 

 It's like calling the police if something has been stolen from you. What's the point. What are they going to do? Save it for a real emergency.

The Doctor will tell you what is wrong with you and give you some medicene to make you better

 

 You have a lot more faith in the diagnostic skills of Thai doctors than a lot of us do.  Going to see one is probably a good idea, but not much better than flipping a coin at the pharmacy.

 

[Roger Harris]

Sounds like scabies to me. You cab catch it if someone else had it and slept in that bed. See a doctor, or see a dermatoligist

for best results

[impulse]

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

A bit of a coincidence that both him and his girlfriend have the same symptoms?

Exactly. More like scabies. 

 

Or bedbugs, or (my bet) tiny ants or any number of environmental conditions in the room and the bed.  Speculating is good for helping newbies to know what to look out for.  Lots of us have been there, done that.  But a definitive answer is the only thing that's going to solve the itching.

 

[StevieAus]

15 hours ago, tryasimight said:

Bit of a leap to suggest everything is different here no matter where you come from don't you think?

I come from tropical North Queensland - climate very similar wet/dry seasons, most bugs that bite are similar, can get the same rashes from heat etc , in fact I find Thailand more pleasant overall as there aren't so many things trying to kill me. Snakes, spiders, crocodiles,sharks....even the butterflies bite in Oz!

There are a few snakes here that will kill you and some two legged creatures if you cross them in the wrong way !!!

[DekDaeng]

19 hours ago, Masove said:

 

Thanks for your post, as you can see, unknowingly, I have possibly caused this myself.

 

However, I do still think our condo bed has something to do with it...... (Which we haven't cleaned yet) 

If it is bedbugs, you could drag the mattress out in to the sun for the day - turn it over a couple of times - that should kill bedbugs, & provide relief

till they come back - 

possibly a large black plastic sheet over the mattress would maximise the heat - should not hurt the mattress, but keep an eye on it.

[sandyf]

Sounds like Hives to me, my wife has had it for the last 4- 6 weeks and still suffering. The rash is caused by excess histamine under the skin. If it is Hives a doctor is not going to help much as the root cause cannot be identified in any individual. 

You need to research the causes, which are many, and try and use some logical form of elimination. It is unlikely that both would be allergic to the same thing so more likely to be something physical like insect bites ,dust, dirty air con, washing powder etc.

Antihistamine medication will relieve the symptoms. Good Luck.

[Sheryl]

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Exactly. More like scabies. 

Prickly heat would also not itch like this.

 

As soon as I hear "unbearable" itching, I think scabies. If the lesions are noticeable on the fingers/webs between fingers then I think scabies for sure.

 

OP see picture here http://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/scabies_1_picture/picture.htm

 

Lindane gel or cram (brand name Hexin) sold in pharmacies will work but read up on adverse affects and don't be excessive in amount applied. Necessary to wash all bedding, towels etc in very hot water to avoid re-infection.

[Gold Star]

21 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Of course going commando isn't illegal. I reckon that was a joke. 

Yes, it is illegal to leave the house here without underwear on. One of the weird Thai laws. Google it.

[Jingthing]

Just now, Gold Star said:

Yes, it is illegal to leave the house here without underwear on. One of the weird Thai laws. Google it.

Who would know if you're wearing pants? 

[Gold Star]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Who would know if you're wearing pants? 

Of course. However it is still on the books. I can't imagine any normal circumstance how you might be caught, other than a frisking at the nightly Police harassment and shakedown checkpoints here in Pattaya.

[giddyup]

6 minutes ago, Gold Star said:

Of course. However it is still on the books. I can't imagine any normal circumstance how you might be caught, other than a frisking at the nightly Police harassment and shakedown checkpoints here in Pattaya.

Is it OK to wear your undies on the outside?

[Lucky mike]

2 hours ago, giddyup said:

Is it OK to wear your undies on the outside?

It is ok in Gotham City.....

[hawker9000]

Just in case you're not making progress and still dealing with your issue, here's sort of a longshot...

 

A gf picked up what she thought were bug bites caused by sand fleas or the like after staying a couple of days at a beach in the Philippines.  They sound like what you describe. They were mostly on her arms & stomach, with some more on her shoulders. She spent a couple of weeks trying antihistamines & lotions, including some prescription stuff from a local doctor.  They'd recede slightly for a couple of days and then return.  No real progress.   Itchy.  This went on for almost 3 weeks before she went to see a 2nd doctor.  That doctor told her he thought they were the result of exposure to a certain kind of caterpillar that's common in southeast asia.  'A fat, wooly hairy thing.  He thought it might have fallen on her out of the ceiling at night while she was sleeping.

 

This caterpillar is very hairy, and if it crawls on your skin, leaves little bits of its hair which sort of work their way into the skin.  These hairs are almost microscopic and impossible to see with the naked eye.  You have no idea they're there no matter how carefully you look.  Most people react to the hairs resulting in little red bumps or welts.  Scratching only tends to drive them deeper into the skin.  And they DO itch. 

 

The solution is simple.   Scotch tape.  NOT duct tape or surgical tape or masking tape.  Regular old scotch tape.  Tear off about a 3-in piece and apply it to the skin where the welts are, and then peel it back off.  Throw it away - do NOT reuse.   Tear off a fresh piece and do the next area.   Do NOT apply any of the used tape to your skin a 2nd time.  And so on until you've done this everywhere there are welts.   Do this maybe twice a day - once in the morning and once in the evening before bed.  Don't bother checking the tape to see if you can see the hairs.  Too tiny.   At least in my gf's case, the bumps were quite noticeably lighter by the beginning of the 3rd day, and almost gone by the 5th.  Nothing else had helped; the tape seemed to do the trick. The bumps did leave behind some discoloration spots that persisted for a couple of more weeks, but they're just artifacts, don't itch or have any feel to them, and eventually disappear. 

Edited September 14, 2017 by hawker9000

[Catoni]

On 2017-09-13 at 6:06 AM, dansbkk said:

Have you been swimming in any of the beaches around the area?  The water is normally polluted and you could have picked up some type of parasite.  These can be found in both polluted sea water and in rivers and ponds.My first bet would be as others have said.  Bed bugs or dust mites, or even fleas.  All are  really hungry eaters and seem to prefer the lower body areas.

See post # 51.  DUST MITES DON'T BITE !.  They simply eat dead skin flakes.   Most homes in the world have dust mites, even in the good 'ole U.S.A. about four out of five homes have them.  And the families are not even aware of them. They are so small you can't really see them with the naked eye.  It would be a better than even bet that your home has dust mites. You could have a million of them in your pillow...(many people do) and not even be aware they are there. Dust mites are not parasites, they don't bite, sting or burrow into your body.  Dead skin that flakes off from you, dandruff, and hair are the only things they go after.  They can trigger allergic reactions and/or asthma in "some" allergy sensitive people as their minute exoskeleton and feces can become airborne and inhaled.

[Catoni]

On 2017-09-14 at 2:19 AM, sandyf said:

Sounds like Hives to me, my wife has had it for the last 4- 6 weeks and still suffering. The rash is caused by excess histamine under the skin. If it is Hives a doctor is not going to help much as the root cause cannot be identified in any individual. 

You need to research the causes, which are many, and try and use some logical form of elimination. It is unlikely that both would be allergic to the same thing so more likely to be something physical like insect bites ,dust, dirty air con, washing powder etc.

Antihistamine medication will relieve the symptoms. Good Luck.

    For allergic reaction causing hives...taking something like Benedryl caplets or simple diphenhydramine antihistmine capsules is okay.. 25 mg - 50 mg.     Prednisone can really help. But it's powerful....  take it with doctor's advice.  A very bad life theatening reaction may need an injection of epinephrine and hospital.

Edited September 16, 2017 by Catoni
spacing error

[owl sees all]

On 14/9/2560 at 2:16 PM, Gold Star said:

Yes, it is illegal to leave the house here without underwear on. One of the weird Thai laws. Google it.

Well I'm not sure about this underwear stuff but you are not allowed to wear a T-shirt inside out in public.

[AaronC76]

On 13/09/2017 at 5:25 PM, Jingthing said:

The O.P. came on this forum to discuss things here. That's what this forum is for. 

Because this is obviously the best place to seek medical advice! 55555

[AaronC76]

On 15/09/2017 at 5:51 AM, hawker9000 said:

Just in case you're not making progress and still dealing with your issue, here's sort of a longshot...

 

A gf picked up what she thought were bug bites caused by sand fleas or the like after staying a couple of days at a beach in the Philippines.  They sound like what you describe. They were mostly on her arms & stomach, with some more on her shoulders. She spent a couple of weeks trying antihistamines & lotions, including some prescription stuff from a local doctor.  They'd recede slightly for a couple of days and then return.  No real progress.   Itchy.  This went on for almost 3 weeks before she went to see a 2nd doctor.  That doctor told her he thought they were the result of exposure to a certain kind of caterpillar that's common in southeast asia.  'A fat, wooly hairy thing.  He thought it might have fallen on her out of the ceiling at night while she was sleeping.

 

This caterpillar is very hairy, and if it crawls on your skin, leaves little bits of its hair which sort of work their way into the skin.  These hairs are almost microscopic and impossible to see with the naked eye.  You have no idea they're there no matter how carefully you look.  Most people react to the hairs resulting in little red bumps or welts.  Scratching only tends to drive them deeper into the skin.  And they DO itch. 

 

The solution is simple.   Scotch tape.  NOT duct tape or surgical tape or masking tape.  Regular old scotch tape.  Tear off about a 3-in piece and apply it to the skin where the welts are, and then peel it back off.  Throw it away - do NOT reuse.   Tear off a fresh piece and do the next area.   Do NOT apply any of the used tape to your skin a 2nd time.  And so on until you've done this everywhere there are welts.   Do this maybe twice a day - once in the morning and once in the evening before bed.  Don't bother checking the tape to see if you can see the hairs.  Too tiny.   At least in my gf's case, the bumps were quite noticeably lighter by the beginning of the 3rd day, and almost gone by the 5th.  Nothing else had helped; the tape seemed to do the trick. The bumps did leave behind some discoloration spots that persisted for a couple of more weeks, but they're just artifacts, don't itch or have any feel to them, and eventually disappear. 

I've had this a couple of times and the wife used sticky rice to remove the hairs by rolling it across the affected areas

[Gold Star]

On 9/13/2017 at 9:07 PM, Masove said:

Thanks to everyone for your contribution. Really appreciate it.

 

We have cleaned our mattress, and will most likely go to the pharmacy tomorrow - if problems continue then the Doctor it is. 

So we are wondering how you made out... 

Did you find out what caused the itching, and what solution worked for you?

[Masove]

On 9/29/2017 at 11:24 AM, Gold Star said:

So we are wondering how you made out... 

Did you find out what caused the itching, and what solution worked for you?

Hi,

Scabies.

 

They gave me a type of permethrin cream/shampoo.

So I visited the hospital twice, the second time was to check how the medication was doing.

I have to keep applying the cream on for a few more days.

 

But the itching has gotten slightly better.

 

Edited October 17, 2017 by Masove