Could be a spider bite. I remember reading a long time ago that red lines traveling are serious. I can't recall clearly but something like traveling in the blood stream and can reach your heart. So, I would not take it lightly.

The red line could mean an infection. I wouldn't wait till Monday. Maybe you should go to an urgent care--

Yes...I started searching more online and started to get nervous so I called urgent care and said "I'm just wondering if I should be concerned..." and the nurse was like, yes, be here at 3:15.

DH and I were planning to spend the afternoon in Boston, out to dinner, etc., for my birthday (which was yesterday) and I think I may have just blown our plans! The last time we planned to have a fancy dinner out was our anniversary in May, and on that day I was in the ER for several hours. Wonder what I'll be doing on Thanksgiving this year??

I can get very bad histamine reactions from mosquito bites and they sometimes get quite large, like welts. I find that topical bug creams usually do the trick. If it's really bad and I have a lot of them I have to take a Benadryl.

So what happened at the doctor?

Oh my! Hope you got to the docs in time to get on some medication. Certainly sounds like an infected bite to me.

I had some kind of weird hives recently-at first I thought I'd gotten in to poison oak, but knew what it looks like and was diligent to stay away. The next day my entire left hand and arm were covered with horrible welts, red, hot and itchy. I tried every kind of OTC medication, but nothing helped.

FInally went to the doctor on Monday (happened on a Friday). There were a few welts no my right arm, a couple under my chin and 3 on my left shoulder, also under my bra strap. No where else, and not on the palms of my hands.

It looked like hundred of bug bites, not poison oak-but I'd have known if I'd been bitten that many times! We never did find out what it was-just basically ruled out poison oak. A week on steriods and prescription hydrocortisone and the welts finally went down, just a few scabs, but I'm afraid they've scarred. That's what I get for scratching.

Hope you're ok!

Hmmm Sue, I wonder if you have Shingles.

I wondered about shingles too, but shingles attacks one side of the body at a time, so doesn't sound like it now.

Yes, it is an infection from a bug bite. She didn't seem too determined to figure out what type of bug, but I think it must have been a spider? Anyway, I'm on antibiotics 4x/day for 5 days. Funny, the same one DD took a year ago for Lyme disease. It's always something around here.

On Thurs., DH had a colonoscopy and passed out afterwards (while still there, fortunately) which was quite dramatic, so we have had an interesting week. I told him I didn't want him to get all the attention this week!

Fortunately we were still able to go out for a great dinner tonight :)

If you can get an appointment with a dermatologist while you still have the bite/rash; you are better off having them take a biopsy.

My hub started with what looked like bug bites around his ankles; he was working in our yard when we 1st moved here. I was too; never had what he had. Next thing he knows; I believe his back & chest with blotches on his head & face.

Derm took a sample; discoid Lupus; which is the Lupus rash. He has been fine since having cancer & chemo; has not had a flare since then until late April; early May. He pushed himself; I keep telling him that he has to make sure he eats & sleeps after the cancer. He didn't listen; I'm sure he rolls his eyes when I tell him; but he paid the ultimate price. He was up close to 24 hours one night after he got home (normally he takes a nap); did not get enough sleep; also was skipping meals. He got down to Daytona; he had a lip sore starting. Something told me to ask about his tongue; he said it looked like it was starting to get white.

I'll spare everyone how hard it was to find a clinic he could get into with a semi. He did not listen to me with telling them what meds he needs for thrush.... He got his scripts; headed back home. By the time he got here the lip sore & thrush were all over his lips; tongue; throat & nose. Got him into the ENT in Philly who had never seen a case as bad as his.

The next month he was sleeping but wasn't eating correctly; ended up home with horrible blisters on his fingers. I called the derm; secretary did not believe me that he had "huge" blisters on his fingers until I told her how large they were. Derm had no clue what it was until she biopsied. Turns out it was the Lupus rash.

Please make sure you get a biopsy; that is the only way to tell what you have.

By the way; I was stung badly by a Saddleback caterpillar August 23rd. It got me between my fingers & the palm of my hand. Not sure how many of his little stingers went into me; but I'm allergic to his venom. Most painful sting I've ever had. I went to the Dr; who never addressed it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Saddleback caterpillar

Yikes, rose, what a story. How uncomfortable that must have been for DH. But mine really does seem like a distinct bite, with a specific mark in the center like a "bite" or sting, I guess.

My DH, about 18 years ago now, had swollen ankles, out of the blue, for several days -- no rash but swelling -- he turned out to have Sarcoidosis, which is a disease that is apparently more common in middle-aged African American women (I may be remembering incorrectly now, but it was some population that did not include young white men!). So, you never know what something that seems simple may turn out to be! His was diagnosed finally with a lung biopsy. He still has scar tissue in his lungs from the disease but I think he is considered to be in remission now. He hasn't had symptoms in years.

I was hospitalized for an infected bite several years ago. The poisonous spider bites have a specific look & symptoms, so they're easy to rule out. I was told that staph normally resides on the skin, so any break in the skin can result in an infection if conditions are right. I'm pretty sure mine was caused by a mosquito.

I'm glad you got diagnosed and got your meds.

And Happy Birthday. My Birthday was the 21st. Figures we are both whacko Virgos.

I'm glad you got diagnosed and got your meds.

And Happy Birthday. My Birthday was the 21st. Figures we are both whacko Virgos.

Ah...I could have guessed! Happy birthday to you too!

sueb20...my sarcoid started out with what looked like a bug bite/pimple and then developed into a dime-sized lesion on the back of my hand over the span of a couple of years. I have many enlarged nodes in chest and abdomen and a nodule in one lung but no loss of pulmonary function. Glad to hear your husband is in remission!