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!

Bloody hell I type strong and it still wants to correct it

OP can I suggest calamine lotion? I had the most ridiculously itchy rash - it sounds pathetic but it was driving me close to tears and I was scratching to the point of bruising. I went to the GP and tried pretty much all of the things already mentioned and they didn't help. On a random whim I bought some calamine lotion and it totally fixed it - I couldn't believe it. It might be worth a try. It absolutely stinks though!

@TrashedWarrior Yes sounds exactly the same, some scaly patches. I thought it was going away so stopped using the steroid cream and it’s come back with a vengeance!

I really don’t think it’s scabies as it’s not like what’s described on the NHS website. I think it’s just itchier at night because I’m warm in bed and not distracted by anything else. I kind of wish it was scabies as at least that’s quickly treated!

@Purplethrow oh no I meant, I know it’s not that as it’s not the same at all. I’ve had it more than once unfortunately

@WetSausageRoll no, no track marks

@SandysMam I didn’t consider autoimmune to be honest as I’m generally healthy but it’s probably worth thinking about!

@Thack I did consider that but I don’t think I’ve changed anything. I might keep a food diary. It’s exactly the areas you say though, knicker elastic, bra and where the hair tickles my neck

@Autumnchill thank you, I’ll look into that. The GP wasn’t too interested last time as it had calmed down but I’ll be going back and asking for a referral if it doesn’t start clearing up, I want to rip off my skin and I’m making it sore by itching

@Panticus I’m willing to try anything so I’ll give it a go! Thank you

If it is that it says it can take a good few weeks or even months to clear.

As I say, when we stopped all the creams and piriton it has flared again; he doesn't need piriton if we've been on top of slathering and it seems to be best both when he's in the bath and after a bath. Some where said avoid soaps and shower gels etc.

A steroid and anti fungal cream actually seemed to make it worse weirdly.

Sounds horrid; I hope it clears soon!

@TrashedWarrior yes! Mines also better in the bath or straight after.
That's rotten about the creams. I've ordered some so I'll have to see how it goes but I'll keep an eye out in case it makes it worse.
Hope your little ones clears up soon. Thank you

Thanks :)

I'd ask the Gp for a double check that that's what it is and also you could get a prescription for both aveeno and something like zeroderm. I suppose it depends what's cheaper re aveeno. We find the dark blue one the best but it can be more expensive.

Check your shampoos/body wash/laundry stuff for methylisothiazolinone.

I became allergic to this a few years ago and according to my dermatologist about 15% of the population is too.

I'll check for that, thank you. Mad that they include it if 15% of the population is potentially allergic!

@Gooseygoosey12345 sounds like discoid eczema...I randomly got it and at first though I had ringworm...I went to the pharmacy who gave me clotrimazole cream and it cleared up...all settled now...someone I no had similar and her gp said it was a post covid rash but she tested negative 🤷‍♀️xx

@lambo88 that's what I've ordered so fingers crossed! I thought post viral but I've not been ill at all, not even a sniffle. I'm going to be slathered in all sorts by the end of this week

Have you sent a photo to your Gp?
I work at a surgery and we see things like this quite a lot, we ask people to email in their photos and then the GP can decide whether it needs investigation or sometimes they know straight away what it so and prescribe something.

@hashbrownsandwich I haven't, she had a quick look before Xmas when I saw her for something else but it had calmed right down. I'll give them a ring in the week if these creams don't help. Apparently she specialises in skin too!

@Gooseygoosey12345 with the methylisothiazolinone be aware it can also be in the "parfum" ingredient in laundry stuff so I've had to start using Ecover Zero and similar.

Check you don't have any mould or damp hidden in your home, it can cause allergic reactions and it will be worse at night if there's any in your bedroom. Hope you are able to sort it out!

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! :)

@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

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. :)

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 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.

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.

Does it look like this?

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

@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 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

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.

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