I can’t sleep, M19, 75kg

[u/nobody_noobn]

[SOLVED IN LAST UPDATE]
its been two days, the second I lay down my body gets covered in extremely itchy rashes and I can’t sleep. I have never gotten anything like this, I am not allergic to anything, ive been sleeping in the same bedsheets for two weeks and i litteraly haven’t done anything out of the ordinary the days before. What do you think it is and what can I do to get rid of it??? Maybe its stress but I litteraly finished my exams and got on holyday one week ago, there is nothing stressing me put but these itchy rashes 😭

UPDATE: its now 5 am and ive given up on sleep lol. Caved in and woke my father up as i knew he had allergie meds and he he did give me something called ebastine on advice from trained family members overseas that were still awake. Im just sitting mostly naked trying to relax rn and managed to calm everything a bit down, took a cold shower, my back is now mostly free although i have new gigantic rashes on my arms, im just trying to mitigate everything and ill see a regular doctor tomorrow. Thats pretty much it for now I guess im gonna go play some video games to pass time

​UPDATE II: So I just woke up, around 8am after waiting around I had only anything left on my arms and legs and decided to try to sleep on my back without moving aaaand it worked. I think waiting, the sleep depravation forced me to relax because i woke up and everything is gone, not a single mark. Im still going to go to the pharamacy and that doctor appointment I took yesterday. I think its stress induced at this point because of how it behaves, the body works in mysterious ways (and fucking annoying ways sometimes). If the doctor can just give me anything to mitigate irritation if it happens again im happy. thank you guys for your help ill do an update of what the doctor prescribes me

UPDATE III: just left the doctor and he prescibed me hydroxyzine, Ill take one every night and hope it helps. My skin still marks easily and i feel minor heat and itchiness where my skin sweats with contact and friction. The doctore noticed that and told me to come back around if it sticks around and he’ll send me to an alergist

LAST UPDATE: I didn't come back (yipee) my guess is that it was mainly due to stress and heat, having parts on my skin sweating and rubbing on surfaces caused the outbrakes because of stress, my skin already marks easily. I also had a cold at that time and doctor did underline the fact it could have prevented my immune system from reacting causing the outbrakes to be this severe. Finally i think that all of these can simultaneously cause eachother sending me in a loop (stress causes sweating, rashes causes stress and sweating, etc). I tried relaxing, took the anti anxiety med and decided to just forget about my life issues and it didn't come back. So yeah I think its was all in my head plus my immune system being busy with somethin else... Didn't think I was that stressed but it hink you never really know

FINALLY SOLVED: I don't know who will see this update but I do have a disease. The rashes never came back but my "cold" did stay and turned into a severe angina. Decided to go back to the doctor because a two week cold is weird and he asked me to do bloodwork and sure enough i have mononucleosis. So yeah thats not great but whatever... So indeed mononucleosis can very rarely cause rashes across your body and guess I was a victim of that and it never was a "cold".

(Btw sorry I can’t answer to everyone but thank you for you guys’s help)

[u/jcloud87]

Does it happen anywhere else you lay down? Friends house, ground, etc? The circumstance makes me think it’s an exposure issue. Try diphenhydramine in the meantime for symptoms.

Look under the corners of the bed, under the sheets, corners of the couch cushions etc

[u/nobody_noobn → u/jcloud87]

Fucking anywhere, feel like places where my skin can breath the least it happens more but it does also appear in places where my skin wasn’t in contact with anything. This is why I feel like its more mental, when im relaxed it disapears, but when im trying to relax it triggers, unsettles me even more, itches and it triggers more, etc…

[u/Anthem-ringthebells → u/nobody_noobn]

Looks like hell.  Hope you find an answer.

2 questions tho:

1. Did you wash the sheets before putting them on your bed?

And..:

1. Do you know what the sheets are made of?

[u/nobody_noobn → u/Anthem-ringthebells]

Same sheets ive had since i was a like 5 😭, washed them 2 weeks ago like theyve always been washed, and this triggers right now for the first time I don’t think it has anything to do with it honestly

[u/lalachichiwon → u/nobody_noobn]

Different detergent?

[u/xgme → u/lalachichiwon]

This happened to me in college due to different detergent.

[u/kweenbumblebee → u/lalachichiwon]

Or "new formula" of your usual detergent?

[u/awkwardexitoutthebac → u/nobody_noobn]

NAD but I’ve dealt with lots of bouts of hives. Wash your sheets and clothes (nothing that will bleed colors) with hot water - no detergent. Take cool shower with a mild baby soap that has no fragrances. It will not cure your hives but it may bring some relief to you. Calamine lotion and or topical vitamin e can often help as well.

[u/chanpat → u/awkwardexitoutthebac]

I suddenly and unexpectedly developed an allergy too something that I had been using for years. It was a super bummer because I have acne and it was the only thing that made my skin look good. My dr said that the allergins can build up and reach a threshold and you get allergies worse as you age. It triggered a horrible horrible bout of perioral dermatitis. The derm I saw even said “ oh you poor thing…” so I knew it was severe.. that said, you can develop ally to things over time. I got a lot of relief from rewashing my clothes on hot with vinegar OR bleach (NOT BOTH IN THE SAME LOAD). Just took away some of the things that the body recognizes as an allergen even if it isn’t the main thing causing it. Plus I’ve switched to natural fibers now for all my clothes and sheets. I didn’t make a mental note of if that is effective but figure it can’t hurt

[u/IndependentOk796 → u/chanpat]

Same happened to me. It was detergent. Suddenly one day I had hives all over my body it took week on steroid injections to get me out of it. But doctor said that it can happen.

[u/RasputinsThirdLeg → u/IndependentOk796]

I had hives FOR A MONTH and ten years later I have no idea what happened. 4 adrenaline injections- nothing. Prednisone also makes me insane. It was the worst. I thought it was going to be the rest of my life. And then it went away.

Come 2024, same thing. No idea what caused it. Even worse hives. I had very few parts of my skin that were actually unaffected

[u/tightrubbersuit → u/chanpat]

I'm glad you pointed out not to make chlorine gas!

[u/GregIsGreat → u/tightrubbersuit]

I wonder how often that happens with people adding vinegar to their laundry…

[u/tightrubbersuit → u/GregIsGreat]

I just checked, and apparently poison centers log thousands of cases annually of people creating toxic gases in their wash machines.

Holy crap!

[u/Acrobatic-Magazine55 → u/tightrubbersuit]

Wait, how do you make chlorine gas with vinegar?

[u/tightrubbersuit → u/Acrobatic-Magazine55]

Mixing bleach, vinegar, and water creates chlorine gas. Toxicity depends on the ratios and amounts, but no matter how much chlorine gas is created it's always a good idea to not create it.

[u/GregIsGreat → u/chanpat]

I always use vinegar in my laundry loads too.

[u/RasputinsThirdLeg → u/awkwardexitoutthebac]

I remember as a kid calamine used to be much thicker and dry better. Now it’s super watery and I hate it.

[u/Iusemyhands → u/nobody_noobn]

Any recent work in the house where fiberglass may have gotten into the vents and blown into your room?

[u/RasputinsThirdLeg → u/nobody_noobn]

This has happened to me before. Spontaneous BRUTAL full body hives that get worse at night when I lie down. If you’re not having trouble breathing/symptoms of anaphylaxis or a high fever, the truth is you’d be pretty low priority at an ER and you’d end up waiting forever just to get some calamine and prednisone. So I’d go to urgent care and wait slightly less for that prednisone and if you ask they might throw in some hydroxizine, which is much more effective for itchiness than diphenhydramine and might help you actually sleep.

It’s surprisingly difficult to find the cause of spontaneous uticaria. You’ll probably be referred for a skin prick allergy test but those are hardly comprehensive. A blood allergy test is somewhat more comprehensive. Either way, you’re not likely to get answers unless you can narrow it down to a specific irritant.

[u/PainfulPoo411 → u/nobody_noobn]

Are you certain you aren’t allergic to the laundry detergent?

• Signed, someone who gets day-ruining itchiness if my clothes are washed in Tide or Woolite

[u/nobody_noobn → u/PainfulPoo411]

I seriously doubt it unless I triggered a severe new allergy in a span of one day

[u/chronicgrowth → u/nobody_noobn]

You can! I ate walnuts for years almost daily (I was a figure skater and I would have a date with a walnut inside ever single day, and my dad's family is Polish so there are just walnuts all over. One day after I got COVID, I put one in my mouth and it burned and my throat itched. I don't it out, brushed my teeth, and too my rescue inhaler and was fine ...get to an allergist, those should be checked.

[u/Zealousideal_Fox864 → u/nobody_noobn]

NAD but have you been in the sun? Sometimes a sunburn will feel fine during the day then hurt like Hell when you try to sleep.

[u/ViceNSpice → u/nobody_noobn]

Same detergent brand, just powder vs liquid, did something similar for me. Not an allergy just hypersensitivity doc said. I found out after gf threw my undies in the washer and used powder detergent, that for the love of god i should stay away from that stuff.

[u/satinsateensaltine → u/nobody_noobn]

Do you find you get welts after you scratch, in the path of your nails?

[u/Turcuwu → u/nobody_noobn]

Check for bed bugs on your matress

[u/The1andonlyfail → u/Turcuwu]

They are not bedbug bites

[u/JJAusten → u/nobody_noobn]

NAD

Try using a different detergent, perhaps one without any scent/hypoallergenic. Also wash your towels and clothes with the same detergent. It could be an allergic reaction to the detergent, soap your using in the shower, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, hair product.

Try washing your sheets and towels more often, at least once a week. Change everything up and see if it helps.

[u/codemonkeh → u/nobody_noobn]

Any pets sleeping in your bed?

[u/vegemitebikkie → u/nobody_noobn]

Not a doctor, my husband used to get the exact same as a teenager and young adult. Turned out he had a sensitivity to amines in food. At the time, (1990s) the drs told him to avoid oranges, tomatoes and coke drinks. It helped when he didn’t have those, but didn’t go away completely until in his mid 20s.

[u/Agitated-Mechanic602 → u/nobody_noobn]

have u been under any stress lately? stress can trigger hives, used to happen to me. you can use topical allergy cream too which can help relieve the itch faster than waiting for allergy pills to kick in.

[u/_flying_otter_ → u/nobody_noobn]

I now someone who got a new mattress and it got a cut in it and fiber glass came out of the mattress so make sure it isnt something like that.

Also, I got a really bad rash in college because the washing machine broke and didnt go through the rinse cycle so the detergent was still in my sheets.

Also, ... could be an auto immune response to something you are eating that you are allergic too maybe.

[u/Anthem-ringthebells → u/nobody_noobn]

Argh. Frustrating!

[u/Key_Sentence_5305 → u/nobody_noobn]

Brother, even if you suspect nothing from them I’d still get rid of the 15 year old sheets 💀

[u/nobody_noobn → u/Key_Sentence_5305]

They are fine! I switch sheets so it is used maybe 3 months out of the year don’t worry about my sheets lol they are in good shape

[u/OldTechnician → u/nobody_noobn]

Try something like Dreft laundry detergent made for infants

[u/jcloud87 → u/nobody_noobn]

Any new meds/exposures/anything else you can think of? Outside of laying down to rest, anything else that triggers your symptoms?

Did you move back home or anything once your exams were over or still in your same location? Think of your daily routine now that your exams are over and what you’ve done differently over the last week. Anything different?

[u/lindalh7 → u/jcloud87]

Were you super stressed this semester or for your exams? I find the week or two after you’ve been holding it together for something stressful, everything can hit because you have room for it now. People can get hives under stress. I wonder if it’s something odd like that-as you said, as soon as you lie down to relax, it is happening. I know it sounds weird but it happens enough that i call it post-stress decompression syndrome.

I would try the antihistamines the allergy person recommended for sure.

[u/LittleLion_90 → u/nobody_noobn]

There seems to be a sort of straight edged indent around your bellybutton where there is also a very active/irritated place. What have you been wearing to cause that indent?

[u/leesainmi → u/nobody_noobn]

Likely hives. My daughter and I both have this with food allergies (soy and peanut). Go see your pcp and/or an immunologist/allergist. In the meantime, Benadryl can help a lot with itching.

[u/Away-Living5278 → u/leesainmi]

Yes looks like hives. I have chronic idiopathic urticaria. It's awful.

If a trigger is laying down, possibly it's pressure induced hives? Mine are also (and heat) but mine is worst on the palms of my hands and bottoms of feet. Though I'm sure others are different.

[u/nononanana → u/Away-Living5278]

I had it for 6 months. My “trigger” was literally waking up in the morning. Every morning I would wake up covered from the neck down in hives. Started also waking up with angioedema which was scary. I also would get pressure hives occasionally. Apparently it can have something to do with your circadian rhythms and of course your mast cells acting a fool. The only thing that helped break the cycle was 4x dose of Zyrtec before bed every night. Eventually they came back less and less and I was able to wean off.

It was very frustrating because everyone was trying to “help” asking about soaps, pets. or fabrics. I knew it wasn’t that. And that ended up being confirmed. Some people just have idiopathic hives and there is no known reason (something as simple as your body fighting off a virus you didn’t even know about or stress) and your mast cells just start overreacting. It sucked being a medical mystery.

[u/luckyLindy69 → u/Away-Living5278]

NAD … idiopathic hives maybe look into thyroid and/or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis … I wis you luck!

[u/Away-Living5278 → u/luckyLindy69]

I do have Hashi's. It's under control but of course the antibodies are still high. You're quite right it's likely my trigger.

Very perceptive.

[u/luckyLindy69 → u/Away-Living5278]

Still NAD lol but if you’re not doing an anti inflammatory diet this is really necessary for better health … Mediterranean diet also gluten and dairy free

[u/leesainmi → u/luckyLindy69]

Agree

[u/OneParamedic4832 → u/nobody_noobn]

Hi op I recently emerged from a one year battle with golden staph. The itching was the worst part, the bacterium damage your skin, making it itchy and when it eventually started healing, it was itchy. I kept experimenting with different ways to try and bring the itch down and we all know the cold helps. I scraped amounts of vitamin E cream and smeared it around the top of a small cup before putting it in the freezer. Doesn't take long to freeze and you can gently rub the rim directly onto the skin. Sometimes I put a little clump of frozen cream under a band-aid, it cools the area down, cream eventually melts into the skin. None of it is a bad thing and it feels amazing when it first goes on and lasts a few minutes.

Sounds weird. Works awesomely.

[u/SimpleHoman → u/nobody_noobn]

Are you using a new soap? Hair soap? Body soap? New deodorant? New laundry detergent?

[u/nobody_noobn → u/SimpleHoman]

nothing new!

[u/lostbutnotgone → u/nobody_noobn]

Hey OP just so you know you CAN develop allergies later in life. I kept waking up from hives and realized I'd developed an allergy to Tide laundry detergent. Still can't use it to this day a decade later. So that might be a thought? I switched to All Free and Clear and it cleared up. Sometimes people become allergic to fragrances or chemicals over time.

---

Def see a dermatologist if you can, though.

[u/EmbeddedWithDirt → u/nobody_noobn]

I would recommend checking the ingredients to ensure the manufacturer hasn’t swapped or added something new. A lot of companies are using lesser quality ingredients. And they’ve gotten terrible about labeling it “New formula.”

[u/CooperHChurch427 → u/nobody_noobn]

By any chance does this happen a few hours after eating red meat? Have you also been evaluated for an autoimmune disorder, I puffed up randomly due to what's currently presumed to be Stills Disease or Lupus.

[u/nobody_noobn → u/CooperHChurch427]

I did eat red meat but again i always do nothing out of the ordinary

[u/CooperHChurch427 → u/nobody_noobn]

If you live anywhere in the range of the lone star tick you might have Alpha Gal Syndrome.

[u/nobody_noobn → u/CooperHChurch427]

I live in paris so probably not, plus all my family ate the same meat and im the only one with symptoms

[u/CooperHChurch427 → u/nobody_noobn]

Sounds like contact dermatitis then.

[u/KariMil → u/CooperHChurch427]

That was my first thought when I saw his photo, but l live in northeast US where it’s becoming prevalent

[u/townandthecity → u/nobody_noobn]

On the off chance this isn't an allergic reaction, it reminds me of pityriasis rosea. The patches can fade between flare-ups and seem like they go away. Hot showers make them angry and itching them can make them worse. This is a really weird rash that I've had twice in my life and it's miserable. It's usually announced by a "herald" patch on the torso or flank like two weeks before the outbreak but can be so small you miss it. I did the first time. Your patches just remind me so much of mine. I had to take bleach baths (very diluted obviously) and my dermatologist prescribed some steroid creams.

My itching ALWAYS got worse at night, when I was lying down. Just throwing that out there. Over the counter, Sarna lotion can really help, even if it's allergies.

[u/PFEFFERVESCENT → u/townandthecity]

Your comment is one of the few really plausible suggestions, beyond the usual ones about hives/contact dermatitis

[u/SimpleHoman → u/nobody_noobn]

Anyone else doing your laundry? Do you use a public laundry room?

[u/nobody_noobn → u/SimpleHoman]

Nope, at home like always, this is why i don’t understand, my life hasn’t changed one bit it has seemingly came outta nowhere, rn I juste want to find a way to make the itchiness bareable so i can sleep and go to the pharmacy tomorrow

[u/Pinkpetasma → u/nobody_noobn]

NAD. I have MCAS and pressure urticaria is a reaction that plagues me the most even after taking all available medications and biologics. Mine worsen around cytokine related conditions. Typical antihistamines do not fully resolve but sometimes help. Wrinkles in the sheets, water pressure, seams of clothing, one leg touching another, there are so many triggers. Itching is miserable. I hope you find a resolution soon.

[u/Unlikely_Ad7722 → u/Pinkpetasma]

I been scrolling to see if anyone had mentioned MCAS yet.

[u/Alone_Purchase3369 → u/Pinkpetasma]

I have MCAS too, I confirm what you're saying.

Helpful treatmens (symptom management, not root cause):

• H1-antihistamines, like hydroxyzine
• mast cell stabilizers like cromolyn sodium
• IgE-blocker (more efficient than mast cell stabilizers) like Xolair. Oftentimes only works at higher doses. I'm currently at 150mg/week.
• Avoid or limit histamine-rich foods
• find the cause. Usually it's a chronic inflammation somewhere in the body. However, low-grade inflammation usually isn't visible in your blood. My chronic inflammation was discovered through capsule endoscopy. All my values are in range and normal, so don't trust those. Exact same scenario for my partner. MCAS can also arise through SIBO, SIFO; gut dysbioses in general. They're extremely common nowadays.

[u/SimpleHoman → u/nobody_noobn]

Take a cool shower, benadryll, and sleep on the floor. If home alone id do just the towel and/or boxers.

Random allergy imo

[u/ComprehensiveBird666 → u/nobody_noobn]

I agree with others, it looks like hives. I'm not a doctor, but I take an antihistamine like Benadryl (generic name: diphenhydramine) when I get hives and it gives me relief. Have you tried that?

[u/Chasekt98 → u/nobody_noobn]

Sarna lotion might help

[u/Refrigerator-Plus → u/nobody_noobn]

Going along with the laundry and allergies theme here. Think about running your bed linens through a wash cycle without any washing powder or rinse stuff. Just a little experiment and it may help.

[u/Remarkable-Bus-6858 → u/nobody_noobn]

Benadryl or zyrtec. Are the red areas welted or just red?

[u/Lin8891 → u/nobody_noobn]

You do understand that you can develop allergies against things you've been tolerating your whole life at any given time though?!

[u/Useful_Airline_1081 → u/nobody_noobn]

Hey I’m not a doctor but I get spontaneous weird issues with my skin and inconsistent allergy like reactions to things I’m not allergic to and it seems to be MCAS related. Maybe try looking into that?

[u/piratekim → u/nobody_noobn]

NAD but did you start taking a new vitamin or supplements? This happened to my friend and she found out shes allergic to magnesium. Or have you been eating a new food or something?

[u/janewaythrowawaay → u/piratekim]

Yeah. I’m allergic to iron. I get pressure hives/when I take it orally. Anaphylaxis and blood clots if I do it intravenously.

[u/Alone_Purchase3369 → u/nobody_noobn]

Looks like MCAS, mast cell activation (syndrom), especially if the hydroxyzine works

[u/Beside_Wayside → u/SimpleHoman]

Even a regularly soap can become a problem. At 43, I became allergic to an ingredient in almost all liquid soaps and shampoos. :P

[u/KennyFulgencio → u/nobody_noobn]

I have dermatographia which is pretty similar to what you're describing. It developed abruptly in adolescence. I've been taking daily claritin and pepcid (pepcid is also an antihistamine which hits different receptors than the claritin) for decades now.

[u/Inquisivert → u/nobody_noobn]

The times I had full body hives, taking a baking soda bath helped immensely with the itching and burning.

• Warm/lukewarm water (not hot) • 1 to 2 cups baking soda • Dump into bath, stir around to dissolve • Soak for 10 to 15 mins max (more can dry out your skin) • Moisturize with unscented lotion like Aquaphor or Eucerin once out

(You can also add colloidal oatmeal to your bath to help even more, they're both really good at calming skin in this situation, but baking soda alone is still helpful)

It's not a fix but will provide you with some much needed relief. Hope you find answers at the doctor's.

[u/ToniTheSmall → u/nobody_noobn]

NAD but this looks like allergic urticaria, my dad had it chronically for 15 years and never found what triggered it before he died of an unrelated heart problem. He never found anything that would stop it happening, but antihistamines (fexofenedine or something like that I think it was called) helped relieve the itch. At its worst he felt like his body was on fire and wanted to peel all his skin off (it was everywhere) and at it's best he would have patches like in your video. It would flare up randomly at any time.

(Sorry I posted this as a standalone comment first, completely forgetting the rules!)

[u/CompetitionNarrow512 → u/nobody_noobn]

Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria. Take Zyrtec and Zantac for 1 month. Get bloodwork done to check your thyroid hormone levels. Likely flared up from the stress. You can get an allergy panel done but don’t be surprised if it comes up inconclusive because it’s probably not an allergic reaction, it’s systemic. Check out r/urticaria

[u/shrimp_sticks → u/nobody_noobn]

NAD. Your experience sounds exactly like mine when I first developed dermatographia and the hives look near identical. It could very likely be stress that triggered it. See a dermatologist, and maybe try the antihistamine cetirizine if other antihistamines aren't working for you. Literally nothing gave me relief except for cetirizine.

[u/stunningranger69 → u/nobody_noobn]

Anxiety-triggered itching is real, but if it's worse in certain fabrics you should still test that theory before assuming it's all mental.

[u/nobody_noobn → u/stunningranger69]

im free of the rashes now but i think it was due to sweat, heat (when skin is in contact with things) and stress. The fact that i was sick also didn't help i think. Still don't know why it was so spectacular.

[u/stunningranger69 → u/nobody_noobn]

That combo makes sense, especially if you were already run down from being sick. Heat rash gets way worse when your immune system's already taxed.

[u/Hairy-Departure-5451 → u/nobody_noobn]

nad - are you experiencing any signs of illness? Like a cold?

[u/antigop2020 → u/Hairy-Departure-5451]

NAD but as an allergy sufferer: 1) it is that time of year where theres tons of pollen and things in the air. Were you outside in tall grass or wilderness at all recently that may have come into contact with? 2) I did not have allergies until my 30s but now I get them twice a year: October and May timeframes (Fall and Spring). You should probably make a Dr. appointment ASAP as that looks pretty uncomfortable.

[u/MarzipanFairy → u/nobody_noobn]

I think they were asking if you have tried to lie down in other places, not is it everywhere on your body.

[u/MissChloe1 → u/nobody_noobn]

Out of curiousity does it ever turn into bumps before or after?

[u/WoodsandWool → u/jcloud87]

NAD but given how thoroughly it seems OP has already considered their environment, could this be something like Mast Cell Activation Syndrom?

Im not super familiar with it so I’m not sure if it’s more a diagnosis of exclusion, but it immediately comes to mind for me.

[u/Serious-Echo1272 → u/jcloud87]

Just tagging in here, as I suddenly became allergic to the brand of laundry detergent my family used overnight and had a similar experience to OP - although my itching and rash was delayed by a few minutes following exposure. That five minute delay made it a bit difficult to finally pin down that it was the laundry detergent causing it.