Question about strange skin reaction

[jiff]

Well, yesterday morning I woke up with two marks on the palm of my hand, the surrounding area was discolored (reddish). Over the course of the day, the area around the two marks got inflamed and became slightly hard to the touch. These marks are about a quarter inch apart from each other. In the afternoon, a red stripe (rash looking stripe) began to spread from the mark down my forearm. Today I got up and checked again, the reddish rash mark is still looking like a stripe, but it is now almost to the underpart of my elbow. It seems to be following the vein? The two marks on my palm are now rock hard, hurt to the touch (a lot) and are extremely itchy. The one inch diameter around the two marks is still inflamed and hard, itchy, and painful to the touch. The rash stripe, however, does not itch or hurt.

At first I thought it was two spider bites a quarter inch apart, or one spider bite. Quickly I ruled out one spider bite, because that would have had to be one big spider, and no spiders that size are native to Maine, and I think I would have noticed one that size in my house. I also no longer think it is two seperate bites, as I can't see puncture holes.

All in all, I'm lost as to what this is, or what to do. I don't think it's serious enough to go to the ER, but I will probably go to the doc come tomorrow or Monday if it hasn't gotten better.

Anyone have any idea of what may be going on? I would take a picture, but the shots wouldn't show up well on my cell phone.

 

[Kate51]

Hey Jiff,
I would go get it checked out. ASAP. You may need some help with that. Don't let it get any farther up your arm, please.
Sounds like some kind of poisoning, wouldn't want to lose you!!

 

[jiff]

Picture doesn't show up too well, circled area is the two marks and the rectangled area is the stripe.

 

[jj2]

Blood poison!!!
Get to a doctor NOW.
If it gets to your lipoids under your arm, you are deep trouble!!!
NOW GO

 

[jiff]

Does it really takes 36 hours for it to spread? I would think if it there was anything toxic it would spread faster than this.

 

[jj2]

If your still here, put cold pack on it to slow it down!!!
NOW GO

 

[ramsey2toes]

You need to get to the ER - ASAP!!!! Don't take any chances!!!!

 

[Devilooman]

I agree that looks like blood poisoning! Also the mark in your palm appears to be in the area that your fingernail would hit if you were clinching your fist very hard. Is that possible as the cause? If so, fingernails are usually very dirty.

 

[curiousJan]

Blood poison!!!
Get to a doctor NOW.
If it gets to your lipoids under your arm, you are deep trouble!!!
NOW GO

It does sound like some sort of toxin moving through your blood stream up your arm. Seems like I remember a spider toxin that acts exactly like you describe, OP. GO TO THE DR, NOW!

Jan (* who's not a doctor *)

 

[BigJimW]

Well, yesterday morning I woke up with two marks on the palm of my hand, the surrounding area was discolored (reddish). Over the course of the day, the area around the two marks got inflamed and became slightly hard to the touch. These marks are about a quarter inch apart from each other. In the afternoon, a red stripe (rash looking stripe) began to spread from the mark down my forearm. Today I got up and checked again, the reddish rash mark is still looking like a stripe, but it is now almost to the underpart of my elbow. It seems to be following the vein? The two marks on my palm are now rock hard, hurt to the touch (a lot) and are extremely itchy. The one inch diameter around the two marks is still inflamed and hard, itchy, and painful to the touch. The rash stripe, however, does not itch or hurt.

At first I thought it was two spider bites a quarter inch apart, or one spider bite. Quickly I ruled out one spider bite, because that would have had to be one big spider, and no spiders that size are native to Maine, and I think I would have noticed one that size in my house. I also no longer think it is two seperate bites, as I can't see puncture holes.

All in all, I'm lost as to what this is, or what to do. I don't think it's serious enough to go to the ER, but I will probably go to the doc come tomorrow or Monday if it hasn't gotten better.

Anyone have any idea of what may be going on? I would take a picture, but the shots wouldn't show up well on my cell phone.

Get it checked. I had the same thing about a year and a half ago and it was cellulitis. My arm looked like hell. But it was easily fixed with antibiotics, but if you don't do anything, it can get much worse. And I mean MUCH worse. Like life threatening type of worse.

Left unchecked and I could have lost my arm. Or worse.

My visit to the ER was just to get a couple of bags of antibiotics pumped into me via IV and a stop to the drug store to get a perscription when I left. Cleared up in about 2 days, but you need to finish all the perscription.

 

[BigJimW]

And yes, if you noticed little puncture marks, it was more than likely an insect bite (probably a spider bite) that triggered it. I had the same two type of puncture marks on the base of my thumb on the left hand. Within two days my arm looked awful, was swollen and very hot to the touch. So, get it checked! Take my word, better to be safe than sorry.

AND GO TO THE ER! Don't make an appointment to your doctor. Cellulitis is a medical emergency that needs prompt treatment!

 

[keyzygirl]

I hope he listened!!!

 

[jj2]

I hope he listened!!!

Me too............

 

[BigJimW]

I hope he listened!!!

Well, I hope so. When I left the ER that day, the doctor outright told me that had I waited to the next day for treatment, I more than likely would have had to have my arm amputated, best case scenario. Fortunately the IVs took hold when I was in the ER so I could go home after and get a script at the local CVS to finish the job. Otherwise I would have wound up in the hospital for about a week at the stage it was at when I went in. 24 more hours and my beans would have been cooked.

Not to scare the OP, but I'm not going to sugar coat this to make you feel better. A trip to the ER is in order.

Let us know how you fair. Good luck!

 

[ramsey2toes]

Well I hope he went...when I was on earlier I think there were 3 posts, came home from work to find out if he went or not. When I seen 13 posts I hoped he wasn't still here waiting to see if anything happens. Please give us an update when you can
Thanks and Good Luck

 

[FJF]

When I was living in Colorado, got a (actually several) black widow bites on my knee during the night. The black widow had gotten into my sweatpants in the laundry room before I put them on. When I swatted the spider and finally woke up and found him, my leg looked very much like his arm in the picture ... the marks of the bites and a red line running up my leg ... went to the ER and ended up being put in the hospital for a week ... Hope he went and is ok.

 

[jiff]

Well, I took the advice of people here. I called my doc first and they confirmed that I should go into the ER. Doctor at the ER popped in, took one look and said "Oh, lymphangitis and cellulitis". I got to have IV juice for 45 minutes. Still have the cathider in my arm, because I have to go back tomorrow for more juice. Also have a weeks perscription of antibiotics.

Good thing I posted here when I did or I wouldn't have known it was anything serious.

Thanks everyone.

 

[BigJimW]

Well, I took the advice of people here. I called my doc first and they confirmed that I should go into the ER. Doctor at the ER popped in, took one look and said "Oh, lymphangitis and cellulitis". I got to have IV juice for 45 minutes. Still have the cathider in my arm, because I have to go back tomorrow for more juice. Also have a weeks perscription of antibiotics.

Good thing I posted here when I did or I wouldn't have known it was anything serious.

Thanks everyone.

Told ya.

Yeah, same thing happened to me. A weeks worth of popping pills and a couple of followup visits to make sure it wasn't coming back. You'll be fine.

 

[Moonflame]

Thank goodness you went jiff. Good luck with the recovery and remember to take the whole run of the antibiotics, it's easy to stop taking them when you feel better, but then things come back.

It's things like this that make me love this forum. People here actually care about the folks who post even though we've never met in real life .

 

[jiff]

Well, I'm just glad it's all sorted out... A little upset they said I couldn't go to work though, I guess it makes sense if I work in customer service the customers may not like being helped by a guy with a cathider in his arm. Might get some strange looks.