Here's a new one, don't know if it's relatetd to peri or not. About 2 weeks ago I started getting these little red bumps on my ankles. They itched intensely, and then started spreading. Some are loners, others hang out in groups of 5-10. When I scratch them they break open and bleed. Then they heal up (after a few days). They have spread onto my calves and thighs. And more have shown up on my arms and back. I've been trying Bendaryl and one percent hydrocortisone cream and it wasn't doing anything so I finally relented and went to a walk in clinic tonight.

The doc gave me a shot of Kenalog in the butt and a script for a tapering dose of oral prednisone. This is scaring me. 25 years ago, the day after I graduated from college, I developed a similar rash all over my body. It got progessively worse, to the point where I developed multiple infections from the bumps breaking open,and I became a virtual recluse, afraid to be seen in public. I spent a year of my life miserable and scared....they took snippets of skin from all over (my breast, arm, leg, etc.) and the dermatologist(s) could never find out what was causing it. All they could say was it was nonspecific eczema. It eventually went away...but verrrry slowly. Ugh. I still have scars from this experience.

I don't know if this is the same thing or not. I keep thinking, what if it doesn't go away? And if the prednisone DOES knock it out, when I taper off it, won't it just come back? Could this be an indication of a serious disease?

I did the unthinkable....I googled 'itching skin rash'...what a HUGE mistake. Last night I must have read articles on the web for 3 hours and by the time I finished, I was a basket case....convinced I had diabetes, liver disease, lymphoma, you name it. I'm trying to tell myself ...it's only a rash, it's only a rash. But's it an ugly rash, and it's everywhere.

Anyone got any insight to this?

RR,

I don't suppose what you have is an allergic reaction (ie hives) is it? It's just that when I reacted to some stomach meds a while back, my ankles were one of the first places I got the rash, which then spread. My son has recently had a different type of hives (much smaller raised bumps) according to the doctor - so there is more than one type!

I was told the severe itching in both cases meant allergy was most likely! iT would explain why the cortisoid injection worked!

I had a rash all over like this and some hives but they wernt classic looking hives, I had it in June/July for about 7 weeks, it came up and went away in differant area, I was covered in it, iItoo was looking for all sorts of reasons, but it has gone now, just get a little itching on some odd days, I am awainting tests to see if I am allergic to Soya as iIhad had Revival Soy, I had also had food poisening, but rashes can be part of peri cant they or allergies, I thought my skin would never be clear again but it is, hope your will clear soon.

Thanks for your responses, ladies. Yes, I think it is an allergic reaction of some kind, but to what? I haven't changed soap, perfume, bought new clothes, new sheets, new furniture, nothing. I did, however, start Prozac, again (I've been on and off Prozac a jillion times, never had any skin problems). The doc told me that it's possible the prozac is the culprit...he mentioned how drug companies will use different dyes, fillers, etc. So no more AD's for now.

Does this roller coaster of medical problems ever end?

I'm glad I'm only on the Prednisone for a week; this drug is strong and scares me.

RR,

You know, my son's reaction was also out of the blue! At first we suspected swimming floats (from a fun swim session) but now we think it might be berries of some type. He's 11 & had had it for a week before I saw the doc as I thought it was his excema. But no, the doc said hives, even though it was different to my hives. HE put him on adult dose steroids for 3 days and adult dose antihistamine daily. I also don't like strong drugs and was very nervous about these high levels for my son. 3 weeks later the rash is virtually gone, thank goodness, & he has taken no meds for 4 days. I now need to deliberately subject him to swimming floats & then different berries to see if he gets the same reaction. I am not looking forward to this. He has always been fine with these things before!

They say your body changes every 7 years and I believe that. My DH grew up being allergic to many things such as apples,peaches, almonds,cherries and celery. He is now able to at least eat apples and celery with no problems. The rest he hasn't dared try because they had the worst reactions for him.


Much to my DD's chagrin, she is now the one who can't eat apples! This is very recent. They have only started bothering her over the last couple of years. She has noticed that anything with a pit bothers her so they must all be from the same family.

As for the prednisone,you're right,robin,it is a potent drug! DD has had to take it many times over the years. It is the only thing that will stop a severe asthma attack. However, she has not been able to take it anymore. Every time she tries, within taking 2 pills ,she will get extreme pain in her joints,usually her knees. The doctors think this is all in her head of course,they have never heard of it but it is listed in the side effects as being a serious one. Thankfully her asthma has gotten better over the years so she only has about one serious attack a year but it takes her a couple of weeks to get over it because she can't take the prednisone.

Sometimes I wonder if these doctors all play guessing games.

About 4 years ago, I felt like I had a virus..no really bad symptoms, just didnt feel good..headachy, tired...and then my joints began to ache. Advil works wonders for me and this took the joint ache away. About two days after this..I began to notice this round rash on my ankles...then another, then another..working their way up my legs. Some were the size of a dime..but if you stretched the skin..it looked like 4 stuck together..and some were a quarter of the size.

Each day..more came..and they were creeping their way up. Oh..and they werent itchy. By the time they got to my stomach..I thought, I had better go to the doctor to get this checked out. There is a lot of lymes disease in my area...its rural. I had that virus feeling, joint ache..but the rash wasnt quite right..but, I figured if I didnt get it checked out..I would think it was festering inside..since the symptoms disappear but the disease progresses.

So, I also go to one of those walkin places and see the doc. I insisted on a lymes test, even tho she said it didnt look like lymes. She thought it might be 5ths disease. Thing is..that is usually on the face..mine wasnt. So she tested me for those two things. She felt whatever it was, was viral.

Negative..both tests.

This was a week later and they had stopped traveling and the first ones were disappearing.

I never did find out what that was. I never had german measles. I was never innoculated for them either. Of course, I searched the web for answers, too..and some of my symptoms..as an adult matched the ones for that. I also had some eye burning..but, I thought it was from too much puter time. The only thing that didnt match, once more..was the rash.

In my life, I have learned, and its been reinforced on these forums..is that a whole lotta times..they dont know what the heck you have..and its up to you to cure yourself by trial and error. Also, you can become allergic to any thing..at any time.

Thanks girls! Ducky, I had the exact same symptoms as you did about 15 years ago, and it was indeed Fifth's disease. Did they do a titer for it? My daughter had it the week before me and she was slightly ill, but I was really, really sick...doctor kept telling me I might have rheumatoid arthritis.

Question: How long does it take for the prednisone to make the rash go away? I've take a total of 11 pills and one shot in the butt, and tonight I'm in agony. I'm sitting on my couch, typing on the computer (gotta live wireless), and my legs are itching and burning like crazy. I've got new spots on my arms too. Sigh.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with my primary care doc at 9:30...I will have a ton of questions to ask him...

I dont know what that is..but she took blood. I didnt have it she said..nor was it lymes.

Dont worry about that prednisone. My daughter has been on it for 21 years. Shes fine.

RR,

I think what you call Fifths disease is what we call Slapcheek here in the UK! I had it a few years back. My joints all swelled up painfully (fingers, toes, ankles, wrists, knees, elbows) but I only had a slight rash when I had a warm bath. The kids had had it, but they just got a rash and the telltale red cheeks & felt fine. Adults don't seem to get red cheeks so get misdiagnosed! You know my MIL who'd been staying with us for a few days also caught it - her doctor diagnosed polio!!!(lol) (she was 77) My doc just said " a virus". I researched the internet & found out the innocent Slapcheek virus my kids had had can produce swollen joints in adult females only!! I told my MIL - she was so relieved. It was a while before my feet settled down though. Another mum I spoke to at the school also caught it at the same time. She ended up in a wheelchair temporarily, and like you, the docs thought she had arthritis!!

My experience with these hives is that they take up to 8 weeks to clear your body after the allergen is removed. A tepid bath/ antihistamine can help relieve the itching. I hope you find relief soon!

Whatever test they gave me for 5ths was negative. I dont know what the heck I had. The rash took over a month to go away, with old ones fading faster than new ones. I think I had been getting new ones for about 3 days or so.

One of my twins had a rash that has stayed around for about 6 weeks. Washed all of his clothes twice, in a dye-free, ordor-less soap. Oat baths, non-scented soaps...vacumed and dusted his room daily.
It has now just began to disappear.
Wonder if this might have been what he had?
They gave him Cortisone tablets, durning that period of time.
Cleared for a short time, and back the hives came.
No more hives now.

Interesting.

Yep, it was probably an allergen as fifths goes in a week or so. It only seems to be a swelling problem in adult females. Hey in the words of that song "what a swell problem this is!!!"

When I said 8 weeks, I meant the allergen hives, not fifths.. sorry I'm confusing everyone!!

Okay you guys, here's an update on the mysterious rash...I saw my doctor today and he thinks it's from the generic Prozac I've been taking. Claims that pharmacies are buying it from cheapo manufacturers in 2nd world countries that use sub-grade dyes, fillers, and binders. In fact, he claimed that since he switched his patients to generic Prozac, he's seen more and more allergic reactions. So I"m off it for now. When I finish the prednisone (in a couple of days) we'll know better if it was indeed the Prozac...

What a world we live in today, huh! You cant even trust your medicine. Can you imagine how many doctors switch meds because they arent helping someone, when in fact the meds arent what they were supposed to be?

Somebody should control how and where these druggests get the stuff. Too bad there are middlemen between them and the drug makers. I think if they cut them out..we might be able to trust our meds a little more.

I hope that solves your rash..but, its a good start. At least you have something to eliminate now.