recurrent allergy- unknown trigger

hello everyone

I am writing you hoping you will help me regarging the below issue.

my mother  developed her first  anaphilactic reaction this summer- she thought a bee/insect bite her. she developed a rash after 6-7 hours, all over body, maculo-papular, initially like a small lesion red, very itchy, milimiters in diameter initially, which then grew(in 2-3 hours) as a ring /half ring/3/4 of ring lesion, with clear core and slightly elevated border of 1 mm maybe, associated with superior lip and  eye oedema, no respiratory symptoms. she went to hospital, they gave IV steroids, IV fluids and antihistamines. she was feeling better 12 hours after the IV  from itchyness point of view and then itchyness cvame back, so we went again to the hospital. anyway...she had about 3-4 courses of IV steroids and po antihistamines. the rash lasted about 2-3 weeks and she was taking steroids po decresing regime. she was fine about 6 months then, when she was booked to have the sensitivyty tests done, she developped the same type of rash, this time trigerred by...i don t know what, cause it wa in the middle of the winter, so no bees or insects. the second episode was even more severe cauise she was an inpatient for 7 days and she completed 7 days of IV steroids and antihistamines. she was discharegd, now she developed again the rash, not even after one month from the previous one. she managed to do the sensityvity tests- IGE was positive as expected, tests were positive for a venon of a wild wasp and I think nothing else. She did not do the food allergy ones though. I must say that since August when she had the first attack, she ate moderately, avoided (but not completly) the eggs, chocolate, nuts, she s not taking aspirin or ibuprofen.

now....being given this type of lesions, what differential diagnosis could be? the lesions are the key and i did not find a picture onm the internet to look like the one she had. But I will ask her to take pictures in different stages and I can upload them if you like.

Thank you very much for your help,

Alex

Hi Alex, when I read your post, I immediately thought of spiders and then I wondered,  what country are you in?

my mom is in Romania.

I'm still looking for the answer myself! I was put on steroids for skin itching, they did me a lot of harm so I stopped taking them, so they put me on antihistamines. I developed more allergies, including to more foods, and chemicals. I asked for allergy testing but was told they don't offer that anymore.

I've been on antihistmines for years and wish I could stop taking them, especially because one doctor said they're bad for the liver, and when I occassionally run out I'm in trouble, scratching until I bleed. I hope someone might give an enlightening answer for your mum and me.

hope so too, Georgia.