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!