Dermatographism - Difficult to Diagnose

by Alex
(United States)

I just turned 14 years old and I have been suffering from dermatographism for 1 year. Last year in 7th grade, I was going on a 3 day hiking trip with my grade. The day before we went, we hiked around town with the packs on so we would get used to them. Later that day, I was in class getting ready to go home and my ankle started getting extremely itchy. I didn’t even look at it, I was just scratching. When I got home nothing was bothering me but later that night, I was scratching my leg and I looked at it and there were bumps on my leg. I showed my parents and they said they would take me to the doctor.

When we went to the doctor over the next few days, she said it is probably a viral infection and it will pass in a few weeks. Well after a few more suffering months, we switched doctors and we asked her and she said it will pass as well and that on the camping trip a bug probably bit me and it needs to run its course. Well that did not happen.

I went to a dermatologist yesterday and in literally 1 minute he diagnosed me with dermatographism. He said I would have it for the rest of my life and there is no cure. I got really worried as I am only 14 and I don’t want this skin condition for the rest of my life. It is really embarrassing.

I take Benadryl every morning before I go to school and so I do not get any symptoms but sometimes I do. When I got it last October it was bad but now it does not happen as randomly but it still happens when I come in hard contact with something. Is it ever going to go away, please help!

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Dec 01, 2010

I feel your pain
by: Anonymous

I have the same condition. My sister also had this condition and it went away for her when she turned about 20. I am 18 and have tried all antihistamines with no luck. Hang in there. I know it is embarrassing and exhausting giving people excuses, but over time the itchiness goes away and you learn to avoid scratching your skin. It has gotten to the point where my collar makes my neck hive up, but I find that over the counter Zyrtec helps. Hopefully it will go away with age for us as it did my sister.

Hang in there,
-Ian

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