Rash driving me utterly mad - any ideas what it might be as I await referral to dermatology??

[PunishmentRoundupWithJoon]

I have a rash and it's driving me crazy. It started around armpits and has now spread down arms, past elbow and it also on my side, over ribs and on my back.

First GP said it was fungal, gave Canesten HC. That didn't work but did sting when applied. Went to Urgent Care last week as utterly desperate and doctor prescribed steroids as rash was inflamed and spongy.

Saw a GP yesterday for follow up after Urgent Care and she was clueless. She took photos and said she would submit them to dermatology for 'urgent review'.

I have been taking 3 180mg Fexofenadine every day (Urgent Care doc said it was ok, given intensity of itching) but I swear they are making barely any difference. I am using Eurax, Germolene (for anaesthetic effect) and Vagisil (for lidocaine) and the itching is still making me want to scratch my skin off.

Does anyone have any ideas what this might be? It's hot to the touch, and i can feel it burning even as I sit here.

Yes, I am "asking strangers on the internet"! Though not as an alternative to seeking medical treatment.

I'm wondering if it's infected, though surely 2nd GP would have suggested this?

I feel well enough in myself, just utterly frenzied with the itch.

Thanks in advance!

What have they given you that's oral and antifungal? And have they swabbed it and sent to pathology and I be grown? Sorry, I misread earlier and read the fexofenadine as fluconazole.

Haha, I don't even sweat that much, I just have super sensitive skin - combined with doing a physical job and it's a nightmare 😩I hope you get to the bottom of it soon!

My 9 month old has eczema, and I've started using a balm called Drought Secret. Its really good and I'm already seeing a great improvement. All natural ingredients and great reviews.

Have been to Urgent Care again and doc has given me Clarithromycin for 5 days. Can't remember everything he said cos was in a bit of a state but he said it's a bit infected and he'd be concerned about further infection with the scratching and so on. Have taken first tablet! I am SO hoping this makes a difference, but am resigned to it not.

Am now wondering why my own GP didn't prescribe antibiotics. It was even hotter when she touched it!

@Ineffable23 - the anti fungal was a cream, Clotrizmazole (?sp) and it made no difference. The doc I saw today disagreed that it was fungal - so god knows what it is! Haven't had any oral anti fungal tablets.

Re swabs - the gp last week seemed to be suggesting that the dermatologist would do those kinds of test, swabs, etc. Also said it would be the derm that prescribes anti fungal tablets if required and blood tests.

Is the rash a mirror image on both sides of your body? If so it could a symptom of coeliac disease

@Oscar1234 - kind of, but not exactly. On both sides but not necessarily mirror image.

Medicated body powder is good for heat rashes or skin fold rashes.

Also, there are devices you can get to scratch safely. I got my daughter one for Christmas and it is amazing. Not cheap but it is getting a lot of use.

Am I the only person who thought this was going go be a thread about road rage on way to a hospital appointment? 🤣

You have my sympathies OP, I recently had a big flare up of some weird allergic dermatitis that came up in a way ive never had before. Took ages but worked out it was caused by hand soap - the same one we had been using for years. Maybe an ingredient change or something, who knows!

@Arran2024 - was using tons of the medicated body powder when told it was fungal.

Am very interested in the scratching device you mentioned - could you tell me more?

Came on to say this. Dermatitis Herpetiformis is notoriously itchy, and quite rare so not always picked up By GPs. Google and see if it looks similar. My dad has it, but no other coeliac symptoms. It took him ages to get a diagnosis - actually found it himself in a dermatology book in the end! You would need a blood test to confirm it.

I've been getting blisters and welts since 2017. I've tried so many things.

Best for me is:

diphenhydramine cream from Boots

diphenhydramine tablets antihistamine which will also make you sleep. Please talk to pharmacist to make sure this is ok with your other drugs

Avene Xeracalm Balm Notino cheapest at present

This is the best guide for checking your rash against others

Guessing one like this
https://cosi-care.com/products/cooling-scratch-star?tw_source=google&tw_adid=792277565230&tw_campaign=20963642099&tw_kwdid=kwd-1427691554638&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20963642099&gbraid=0AAAAABTnSMEl4xKXH977Ddh1yjqVCyfYK&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzYuIz4XBlAMVYZNQBh374jUDEAAYASAAEgKaFPD_BwE

Yes that's it. I also got my other daughter another product they do, which is more of a roller. They are very expensive but very, very good.

re getting it swabbed - I think you need to push your GP for this - they can do it!! and it would be very helpful to find out if fungal/bacterial/neither.
My DD age 4 had a horrendous skin infection on her leg that really took hold - at one point was seeing a Dr every other day as it was getting worse and worse despite all kinds of antibiotics. They were on the verge of admitting her to hospital for IV antibiotics when they finally agreed to the swab Id begged for every visit, got the right antibiotics and it was gone! If they had done this at the first (or another early) visit it would have saved a lot of suffering. Poor kid couldn’t even sit down she was in so much pain

Hi - this sounds a bit similar to something I had a few years ago.
Mine turned out to be caused by carpet beetles.
I had never heard of carpet beetles before!
They are household pests, quite common. The insects themselves don't bite, but as they larvae crawl around to feed, they shed tiny hairs... and some people have an allergic reaction to the hairs.
This happened to me - I came out in a (horrible) rash all down one arm, and then another arm... and I think the problem was that I'd picked up these larvae hairs (tiny) from clothing I'd worn, or maybe the back of my sofa.
It took a couple of weeks for the rash to go down. It was a really bad one, it looked like a chemical burn down both arms and my sides. And was very itchy!

The rash along with anaemia/iron deficiency would make me suspicious of Coeliac disease.

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/about-coeliac-disease/related-conditions/dermatitis-herpetiformis/

I'm allergic to germolene. I think it's the methyl salicylate. So might be worth dropping that.

Could it be spontaneous chronic urticaria? Which is a histamine issue?

I was scratching until I bled. Nearly driven mad. An antihistamine helped as did creams. I have stopped eating histamine foods like keffir, sauerkraut, kimchi and have upped my raw onions, apples. It has mostly calmed down.

You have my absolute sympathy. I have nodular prurigo (worth you looking up) which came about as a complication of shingles and eczema. The itching was enough to drive me insane a year ago. I was prescribed every cream under the sun then referred to a dermatologist. I now take anti-histamines day and night and these stop the itching. Ask for a sedative anti-histamine as it will help you to sleep and stop unconscious itching. I use hydroxyzine hydrochloride which I get on prescription - BUT - it’s the same stuff that’s in over the counter sleep remedies like Nytol so you could try that until you can get a prescription. Then something like non-drowsy piriton in the day.
If you post a picture, lots of us with dermatology issues might have more of an idea!

Could be scabies that’s extremely itchy

Washing powder? Years ago Aldi laundry detergent took the skin from under my arms. It was horrendous. There's a lot I can't use now.

I don't want to hijack your thread but I can totally empathise, and I'm so sorry you're going through this.

I'm 10 weeks into a so far unexplained intense itch and rash. It started on the side of my neck, spread into my scalp and is now literally everywhere. It's so intense it wakes me up. I've scratched myself raw, I have one of those shower puff things on hand as it's less damaging than nails and I actually made my skin bleed yesterday. I'm onto my 4th course of steroids, but as soon as I finish a course it flares up again. I've got Fexofenadine, Betnovate scalp lotion and Dermacool 2% menthol cream (which does temporarily relieve symptoms, it's a lovely feeling!). My standard bloods were normal but now I'm waiting for the results of allergy blood tests which could take several weeks to come back. I've swapped out all of my skin care, hair care, detergents etc, I'm watching my diet carefully but am at a loss.

The only thing I do every day is take my HRT tablets (Femoston 1/10) and I worked out that the first day of this new box was around the time it all started on my neck. The list of possible side effects includes itching and rash so I'm going to stop taking them 😞and see if that has an impact. If its the HRT then I can swap to another kind, if its not, I'm back to square one... My GP has been brilliant but is as puzzled as me at the moment.

It's no exaggeration to say it totally affects your quality of life so my sympathies to everyone suffering.

That sounds really uncomfortable.
From the spread (armpits → arms/trunk) it could be things like contact dermatitis, eczema flare, or sometimes a fungal rash that’s been altered by steroid cream. Severe itching can also point doctors to rule out scabies, especially if it’s worse at night.
Good that it’s been escalated to dermatology. For now, keep skincare very simple and avoid mixing lots of creams as that can irritate it further. If it worsens quickly, becomes painful, or you feel unwell, get urgent review.

Having just managed to eradicate Scabies from our household I would include it on the list.
You can go to an STD clinic to have it ruled out.
DS picked it up abroad last year. Sleeping on infested bed linen. The eco friendly washing at 30deg doesn’t kill off the mites so it’s becoming endemic.
DS didn’t develop a rash until 6 weeks post travel. But the itching was so intense it stopped him sleeping at night.
The rash became infected as a result and was all over his body, particularly underarms, groin and between fingers and toes.
It took months for the itching to go. It’s an old disease that many GPs don’t always recognise.