What are these bites on my girlfriend? (w/pic)

[KnickNut3]

For two months, my girlfriend has been getting these red marks on her body. Unfortunately, twice she's made doctor's appointments (for that and other things), and each time she's happened to have no marks when the appointment finally comes, so they've been unable to help her. What are they?

http://i.imgur.com/DtOfu.jpg

- She only gets them when she's been sleeping at her apartment, never mine or when we're traveling.
- They were mostly on her back and hips to start, but they've been more on her arms/shoulders lately.
- They don't itch unless she scratches them, they don't otherwise hurt, and they go away in 3-4 days.
- At first, the bites were small (size of a quarter), more recently, they're fainter in color but almost the size of a tennis ball.
- They've never looked like pictures of bed bug bites we've seen online. They've also only been in clusters of 2 or 3, never more.

Any ideas? What can she do? Thanks.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Bed bugs?

Opps. Saw you looked that direction already. Sorry. My sister just had her house treated for that, it was something like $1100. So, hopefully it isn't that.

 

[Gibsons]

Those don't look like bites - am I missing something?

 

[xanis]

need more pics of girlfriend to make a diagnosis

 

[Childs]

Need to see pics of boobs for a proper diagnosis...


lol Maybe spider bites? Fleas?

need more pics of girlfriend to make a diagnosis

Sheesh! Some people have no class.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Are you sure there isn't something in her place that she might be allergic to?

 

[Matthiasa]

Those are not bites.
She either hits or compresses her arm on something or is allergic to something she only uses occasionally.
Any other problems would typically take much longer to go away.

 

[UberNeuman]

My grandmum used to get the same marks and it turned out it was a poltergeist.

 

[jagec]

She's been sleeping around with other guys.

 

[KnickNut3]

Those are not bites.
She either hits or compresses her arm on something or is allergic to something she only uses occasionally.
Any other problems would typically take much longer to go away.

Interesting. You do see what could be bite marks just below the larger red splotch. Her previous, smaller ones definitely looked like more traditional bite-marks. I'll try to take a better/closer picture of the next one that looks more like a bite-mark.

The hit/compression thing also seems difficult, since she doesn't get them when she's with me, and it'd be tough to do that to her lower back.

Do you suspect she might be allergic to the detergent the laundromat uses on her sheets?

 

[DaTT]

hickies (sp)

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Do you suspect she might be allergic to the detergent the laundromat uses on her sheets?

Plausible. Does she have anything else laundered there with that detergent or is it just the sheets? Can she wash them somewhere else for a while to see if the problem disappears?

 

[fralexandr]

does she sleep in clothes that cover her hips/back?
if you can't actually find any bite marks, she could be allergic to a detergent or cleaner she uses (did you spray her bed with something she's minorly allergic to so she would sleep at your place more often? ;D).

that said it'll be hard to spot some small insect bites, so bed bugs can't be ruled out. (if you press against the skin to displace the blood [making the inflamed reddish area go pale temporarily] you might have more success finding a bite mark the bite point should remain red)
bed bugs are the most likely insect bite (that wouldn't leave an obviously visible bite mark) that would only occur when she's sleeping at her apartment.
fleas are more likely to travel with her, and spiders are unlikely to bite and there are no obvious paired bite marks thus are probably not the culprit.

 

[Matthiasa]

Honestly, the best option though is to just message your doctor with the image attached or if that isn't an option bring the photos with for the next visit.]
The picture is not of great quality so only guesses can be done really, even if based on past experiences.

 

[Ichinisan]

Possibly a rash from a tick bite.

 

[CZroe]

They've also only been in clusters of 2 or 3, never more.

Bites in rows of twos or threes are bedbug bites. It's known colloquially as "breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Seriously.

 

[FoBoT]

that is a rash
you'll get more serious responses in the Health and Fitness subforum

 

[KnickNut3]

does she sleep in clothes that cover her hips/back?
if you can't actually find any bite marks, she could be allergic to a detergent or cleaner she uses (did you spray her bed with something she's minorly allergic to so she would sleep at your place more often? ;D).

that said it'll be hard to spot some small insect bites, so bed bugs can't be ruled out.
bed bugs are the most likely insect bite (that wouldn't leave an obviously visible bite mark that would only occur when she's sleeping at her apartment.

You've foiled my plan!

I'll get her to ask her cleaners if they use a different detergent on the sheets. The marks are all on areas that are uncovered while she sleeps.

that is a rash
you'll get more serious responses in the Health and Fitness subforum

K, I'll try there (or a mod can move it) if we can't figure it out here.

Thanks all, so far, for their ideas.

 

[tynopik]

it's lyme disease + flesh eating bacteria, panic

 

[Theb]

She should get that looked at. I knew a guy who had a mark like that on his arm, six years later BOOM colon cancer. Dead.

 

[alkemyst]

teh aids?

 

[sixone]

IANAD, but I get marks like that from mosquitoes, so I would say it's some sort of allergic reaction to whatever is biting her. And since the red area is getting larger over time, she's not developing any kind of tolerance - quite the opposite, her reaction seems to be getting worse.

Have you taken her bed apart, checked between the mattress and box springs, looked inside the box springs?

 

[John P]

Plausible. Does she have anything else laundered there with that detergent or is it just the sheets? Can she wash them somewhere else for a while to see if the problem disappears?

Another vote for her laundery detergent or washing machine. Try a "no dye" "no perfume" laundry detergent and if that doesn't work wash her sheets in another washer (if it's an older washer it could have mold built up in it somewhere).

 

[dmcowen674]

What are these bites on my girlfriend? (w/pic)

For two months, my girlfriend has been getting these red marks on her body.

- She only gets them when she's been sleeping at her apartment, never mine or when we're traveling.
- They were mostly on her back and hips to start, but they've been more on her arms/shoulders lately.
- They don't itch unless she scratches them, they don't otherwise hurt, and they go away in 3-4 days.
- At first, the bites were small (size of a quarter), more recently, they're fainter in color but almost the size of a tennis ball.
- They've never looked like pictures of bed bug bites we've seen online. They've also only been in clusters of 2 or 3, never more.

Any ideas? What can she do? Thanks.

Did she change her bedding to polyester?

She may be having a reaction to that artificial shit.

My wife went through the same thing.

Switched to 100% cotton on bedding as well as panties.

Polyester was literally eating her lunch.

Hopefully it is as simple as this.

 

[ultimatebob]

Looks like rug burn to me!