Possible Insect Bite

[emmie]

not sure but think i have been bitten again by some damn insect,
sitting minding my own business watching tv last evening. itch, scratch and a large welt has come up. What creepy crawlies live on the sofa, as that is where i was sitting. No animals in the house, so not cat, dog fleas?
And what to put on it, as it's large lump, the last time this happened it lasted for several weeks.

[Anngel]

another thing it might be is shingles...that can be at the base of the spine and may present as a large itchy mass, rather than single chickenpox spots. Would definitely get to a medic. If it is shingles you might be infectious. It can recur as well.

[Sqad]

Anngel.....you can't catch shingles.

[aelmpvw]

are you sure sqad?

[Sqad]

Yes.

[hc4361]

You can give somebody chickenpox if you have shingles, though

[Sqad]

hc......... Yes, but very uncommon

[emmie]

other areas have been itching, right palm has been driving me crazy for more than a week, had no choice to scratch it, but the bite or whatever it is came up within minutes last night, and no i can't see it clearly as it's in a awkward place, i would definitely have to be a contortionist to see it.
feels like three or four little lumps clustered together. I will use the cream, but what concerned me i suppose is that it's in the same place as before.

[boxtops]

well.... go to the doc on Monday, then....

[emmie]

can phone them for advice.

[boxtops]

Like sqad said (but not quite) ring NHS111 for the new NHSdirect service. 0845 46 47

[Smowball]

If you can feel 3 or 4 little lumps together I would say it is shingles. I have had it twice, both at very base of spine - and they came up out of nowhere and drove me mad. I also couldnt see them at all and had to look in my bedroom mirror to see them. I left it a few days 1st time as didnt know what it was but ended up having to go to doctor, who diagnosed shingles.

[emmie]

oh...

[Smowball]

It sounds identical to how mine was em. If it is then doctor will give you some cream. Do they feel hard?

[ladybirder]

I think bednobs could be onto something, sorry but it sounds like it could be Herpes.

[Smowball]

In fact, mine was a couple of inches below base of spine - the top of buttock to be precise!

[emmie]

i don;t want to touch the area, except to put cream on,

[emmie]

snow, just there...

[Smowball]

Im pretty sure thats what you have then em x

[chrisgel]

I got bitten by a spider a while ago when trying to get something from the back of a corner unit in the kitchen. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't actually seen it.
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/insects-spiders/identification-guides-and-keys/spider-bites/

[emmie]

don't wish spiders on me, had enough of the cockroaches, courtesy of some kind neighbours, and then the mice, who were horrible guests.