What the hell is this rash

[Gooseygoosey12345]

Sorry, posting here for traffic

I've had a rash which has gotten better and then worse over the last couple of months. It's on my ribs and across my breasts.

Well now it's come up on the back of my neck and where the waist band of where knickers would be on my lower abdomen.

I genuinely want to rip off my skin, it looks a bit like hives but then there's also a couple of parts that look almost like bites, but no one else has been bitten and there's no fleas in the house.

The GP had a quick look when I was in for something else and said to try steroid cream, which I have, but it's not helped at all. I'll try anything at this stage, please help!

[Gooseygoosey12345]

@Jdhshekr I suppose I could've had it without knowing. It does sound like what you've described, it's so strange.

[Jdhshekr]

If you’ve had Covid at any point over the past year (even if you’ve not known that you’ve had it), it could be related to that. DC and I are still getting a rash that looks like a cross between hives and chickenpox that comes up whenever we are run down. A few friends who have had Covid have had the same rash. It itches like mad.

[ElizabethinherGermanGarden]

Pressed post too soon. It does go if I use both HC and antifungal. Had it hideously all over feet and ankles last summer and was agony but also on the underside of my forearms where I rest them on the desk while typing. Anywhere that gets a bit sticky gets a rash if I'm not careful! When I found what works it was like magic.

[ElizabethinherGermanGarden]

@Blueuggboots I swear that is dishydrotic eczema - basically a sweat rash but an eczematous over response. I have had really similar and it is awful. I get rid of it when it flares up with a couple of days of antifungal cream (I tend to use lamasil because that's what's around but clotrimazol would be fine) followed by hydrocortisone until it goes. I think you can get canesten and hydrocortisone In one cream to make it easier but I've never used that. I find if I just use HC it doesn't fully go but with the antifungal

[Gooseygoosey12345]

No not pregnant, I think I'd cry haha!
I have been concerned about an auto immune disease because of other symptoms but it's not easy to get investigations done at the moment and I don't know whether I'm just being a hypochondriac

[VestaTilley]

Are you pregnant? I got a rare rash in pregnancy called PEP (formerly PUPPS). It was unbearable. Worse at night. I was up clawing at my skin (abdomen, feet and ankles) every night for weeks before the birth.

It’s quite rare and my midwife has never seen it before - it’s basically an allergy to your own pregnancy! It got better about 3 weeks after the birth. It’s more common with multiple pregnancies and having boys.

Only thing that helped was steroid cream and antihistamines. Do you have an auto immune disease? That may make you more disposed to things like this.

[Gooseygoosey12345]

@Blueuggboots yes quite similar to that! I can't seem to get a good picture of mine. I've not been ill either and had a negative Covid test and haven't been anywhere since! So strange isn't it. I hope you get some relief soon, the only thing that's helped at all for me is the two creams and piriton, it hasn't really taken the rash down yet, it looks less angry, but it's definitely helped with the itching.

[Blueuggboots]

Ps. Had a covid test too - negative.

[Blueuggboots]

Does it look like this?
I've had this for a few weeks but it's got worse over the last few days...
Spoke to GP (who saw photos) and has given my flucloxacillin for ? Folliculitis but PR sounds more likely. I had a circular bit under my armpit about a week before this started.
I'm using loratidine AND chlorphenamine antihistimines and using moisturiser. It's horrible.

I've not been ill at all. I also have been taking vitamin D supplements for months...

[Connelloni]

Glad you’re feeling a bit better! Hope it continues to improve x

[Gooseygoosey12345]

Just a quick update for anyone who's interested. Antihistamine has helped A LOT with the itching, and using the anti fungal and steroid creams have made it look less angry. I'm not sure which is helping more so I'm just going to continue using both. Hopefully it'll piss off soon! Thanks for all the help and advice

[mortensmike]

Shingles ?

[GodOfPhwoar]

@Canuckduck

I had that PR rash a number of years ago. I was wearing a wool sweater and was at the cinema and felt the weirdest itchy prickling sensation. When I got home I went to get changed and was covered in that rash, it was so odd. It went away after a couple of weeks but nothing was really helped. I was told it was viral and just had to run it’s course.

Actually, my mate’s brother got a really bad rash which he thought might be scabies. Finally worked out that it was the fake Prada jacket he’d been wearing as it stopped when he didn’t wear that and was only where it had been I contact with his skin.

[Canuckduck]

I had that PR rash a number of years ago. I was wearing a wool sweater and was at the cinema and felt the weirdest itchy prickling sensation. When I got home I went to get changed and was covered in that rash, it was so odd. It went away after a couple of weeks but nothing was really helped. I was told it was viral and just had to run it’s course.

[GodOfPhwoar]

I think the previous poster may have meant rabies not scabies. Have you been around any dogs recently?

[PopAyetheSailorMam]

If nothing else works try kleen green enzyme solution. I now realise I developed dust mite allergy. Tried every rash lotion, potion and ointment going. Looked like lots of various skin complaints, kleen green on skin and as a cleaner, some anti allergy wash additive by bio-life called Fabri-cleanse ( approved by allergy uk ) was the answer. Knowing what I know now I would have bought a concentrate to dilute - but because I had not heard of it bought lowest initial outlay ready to use in spray bottle . I ended up dowsing the house like a holy man at an exorcism, splashing it all over. Follow the usage guidelines etc etc. I would say we are a low soft furnishings house certainly everything fabric was washable and regularly laundered as one of kids suffers from asthma. So hard floors, washable rugs, kids all allergy proof bedding etc. I was taking a daily anti histamine, not cheap, nor all the topical skin products. I cannot tell you how soothing that first application of liquid on my skin was after weeks of itch and irritation. I use muslin reusable fabric swatches that I keep in a jar with solution on ready to use rather than cotton wool balls as suggested in the blurb. My one luxury is feather and down quilt and pillows for my bed.

[Gooseygoosey12345]

@seepingweeping it's a bit like that, probably more raised. I've ordered some anti fungal cream that's arriving tomorrow so hopefully it'll help

@Connelloni that would make sense as I seem to get vitD deficient quickly! I'd be straight on a sunbed if they were open and it helped. I'll try taking a supplement (which I should be anyway so won't do any harm) thanks

[Connelloni]

@Gooseygoosey12345 if it is PR, I had it a few years back, a similar time of year and I think it can be brought on by lack of vitamin d/being generally run down in winter. I would never normally advise this (and unfortunately it’s probably not something you can do immediately) but I read online that sunbeds could help. I’m really fair skinned and would normally avoid like the plague but I had two or three sunbeds and the difference was incredible the day after the first, by time I had the second or third it was pretty much gone. It didn’t come back and I never had it again.

Sorry that’s probably no help right now with everywhere shut, but at least try to get any sunshine you can for now or maybe take some vit supplements

[seepingweeping]

Does it look like this?

It can be more red and can also be white in colour.

[seepingweeping]

It's a fungal infection. Canesten cream will treat it.

It's a yeast you produce, it's not infectious.

You could get nizrol shampoo to wash with. It will clear up as long as you apply the cream and wash with this.

[Gooseygoosey12345]

@PintOfCoffeePlease oh no that's ok! Just means it's more common so a greater chance of it being that! Mine is nowhere near as bad as some of the pictures online thankfully, some of them look horrendous. Ooh I hope that happens 

@TrashedWarrior I know 😩 it wakes me up as an adult so I can't imagine how much worse it would be for a child, bless him.
Oh wow, strong mint for a child seems a bit counterproductive, how annoying.

[TrashedWarrior]

5 months 😩 we eased up on the aveeno over the weekend as it had completely cleared and toddler has a fresh cluster of spots he definitely also seems to get a hot and flustered flush all over too, from time to time.

Definitely why he woke hourly from 1am.

I'm going to have to ask for a prescription and a type if antihistamine that doesn't taste of v strong mint (currently having to mix in a big spoon of chocolate spread.)

[PintOfCoffeePlease]

Ah sorry Goosey and whoever mentioned it first, I did RTFT but must have missed it! I was also very worried by the horror stories online but it really wasn’t so bad. My GP also said it often isn’t anything like the worst case scenarios you see online (which is true for most things I suppose). Mine was just really annoying for a few weeks, then got less annoying and eventually I actually forgot all about it until I suddenly realised I hadn’t been clawing at my skin for weeks...hopefully yours is similar, if that’s what it is. :)

[Gooseygoosey12345]

@jeaux90 thank you, think I'll switch to those products anyway, can't do any harm.

@Zigz no mould or damp thankfully, that would just be another one to add to the long list of issues at the minute 

@PintOfCoffeePlease someone upthread mentioned that and I agree, it does sound like it. Apparently it can take 5 months to disappear, I really hope it's not that long, I'll have no skin left

[PintOfCoffeePlease]

OP this is a long shot but try Googling pityriasis rosea. I had this randomly a few months ago, it itched like crazy and took over a month to go away (no meds required). It gave me small flat scaly red patches, all over my front, breasts and back. I’d never heard of it before so might be worth considering. Hope you get it sorted, whatever it is! :)