To think this may need more urgent attention now?? Medical issue

[Issue33]

DH is worrying me a bit. He's had a skin issue now for around 2 months. It's like his skin is on fire and it's getting worse. It's itchy all over, he said feels like things crawling over him and he has cracked and scabbed skin in large patches on his arms, legs, tummy and back.

He's been to the doctors twice who keep saying it's eczema (I've got eczema and it looks absolutely nothing like it but I appreciate I'm no doctor!).

He's tried steroid creams, steroid tablets, antibiotics... Nothing is touching it.

He's so miserable tonight, says he feels like he's burning everywhere (he doesn't have a temp though I checked).

Would I be unreasonable to suggest he gets this looked at more urgently now? Maybe even A&E? 111?! Anything! Or do we trust the GP that it's "just" eczema?

So very sorry to read about your poor husband. If he is referred to a dermatologist, if they recommend a fungal cream, reject it. My daughter has eczema and was in agony after using it.

For temporary relief while he is waiting the Body Shop 'hemp' body butter has always helped, as well as E45. The thicker the cream the better, the liquid ones sting.

Good luck, let us know what happens.

You really need a medical diagnosis- I'd go to a large pharmacy tomorrow and ask to speak to the actual pharmacist- not just the counter assistant - and they could help. And / Or try 111.

Impetigo or liver conditions as PP have said are possibles.

Now this is a bit out there, but I though I may as well mention it and you can just ignore it:

A weird thing that happened to me once was getting similarly allergic skin reactions (although mine were on my eyelids and seemed like eczema, and other patches on my body) and my theory was it was a weird allergic reaction to thread worms (which I realised later on that my son had, but had no symptoms). It went on for quite a while before I realised and nothing seemed to get rid of the allergic patches.

But then I treated us all with Ovex (for the worms) and my skin cleared up in a matter of days.

Hugely anecdotal and I'm not medically trained... but it really seemed to me like I was having an allergic reaction to having the worms in my body.

It would be interesting to know if any doctors or other posters have any experience of that, or if it just sounds far fetched?

But unless your DH is allergic to Ovex it could be worth considering

If he's already on some antihistamines (the most common ones are H1 receptor blockers, such as cetirizine), maybe he can switch to H2 ones, such as cimetidine or famotidine (this one is used for covid too) or combine them. A few years ago, an acquaintance had such a skin issue, with intense itching, for some months after quitting smoking, nobody knows why; the only thing that helped him was ranitidine, a H2 antihistamine.

About H1 and H2:
www.verywellhealth.com/treating-urticaria-83240

www.thearthritisconnection.com/psoriatic-arthritis/solutions-to-problem-itching

Could it be Dermatitis Herpetiformis. My friend's DH had this. Sounded v similar. GP couldn't do anything. Eventually got dermatology referral and they knew what it was immediately. www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/coeliac-disease/dermatitis-herpetiformis/?&&type=rfst&set=true#cookie-widget

I had rash for years in and around bum tried all sorts, you know what cleared it up still have tube in for any itching mediurum (yellow tube) nappy cream sorry about spelling it was mentioned on here I tried it works a treat. Your poor husband I feel for him itching all the time is miserable and I had scaly skin with it awful.

If you have the money book a private consultation, in my experience GPs are not great for Dermatology. If you can't afford it, insist on an NHS referral and some blood tests in the meantime

Sounds awful, your poor husband.
I can't give any medical suggestions beyond what people have already said, but I would also recommend Eurax until he can get seen. It is an anti itch lotion or cream, developed for scabies and also helps the itch of chicken pox etc.

When I had hives it helped as well.

My skin was like this a while ago turns out I was allergic to the persil washing tablets !! I take antihistamine daily for various allergies but this was horrible and I scratched myself raw . Once I re washed all my clothes and bedding it went . Hope it may be something simple like this . If not push for dermatologist appointment.

Didn’t want to read and run, could it be ‘erythrodermic psoriasis’? Have a look at some images - this can be acute and if so A&E would be appropriate.

A relative had similar itching and white poo - turned out to be a liver problem..

I second this. Eurax is excellent.

If he can tell the GP he wants a full set of bloods done, they may find something if topical stuff hasn't helped.

(I went to the GP because I just hadn't recovered from Covid in autumn last year. Full bloods discovered an overactive thyroid, and now I've been diagnosed with Graves' Disease)

Call 111, they can arrange an out of hours consult with a GP this weekend to reassess him.

Do NOT trust the doctor. My mum itched for nearly a year they said it was a mental health issue, I took her private and she had severe anaemia My friend itched all over her body for months, after getting brushed off it turned out to be cancer. Get it properly checked out.

Doesn’t sound like scabies - you can see the little bites with scabies and it feels itchy but not fiery. Plus you don’t usually get it all over and the skin doesn’t crack.

My Psoriasis felt like that. The only thing that helped before I got properly medicated was Psoriderm Bath Additive and using T-gel as a body wash. Stings like a bitch when you first get in, but then the burning and stinging fucked off after twenty minutes and lasted long enough for the steroids (for such a large area, something like Dovobet or Enstilar would be more appropriate) to do their thing.

I wouldn't go to a&e, it's not nice for him, but it's not an emergency. I'd give these suggestions a try, maybe visit a pharmacist and then ring the doctors on Tuesday. Hope he's feeling better soon! X

I had some similar symptoms. It turned out it was one of the more rarer symptoms of severe anemia. This is easily diagnosed with a routine blood test at your GPS. With the right treatment it is simple to fix .

does he have cream?

Are there any other symptoms other than itch or burning? I think if he can wait a week, fine but if he is extremely distressed then phone 111.

Has he tried a lukewarm bath with oats (in a sock and tied)? I have eczema all my life and that helps. Also, I'm allergic to polyester, so when I flare up for any reason, I cannot have it near me as it makes my already inflamed skin go on fire. If he has cotton clothes try that. Would also suggest he eats less carbs like white bread, pasta etc for a couple of days if he can as well as sugar as could be related to diet too.

Really feel for him as I know what its like to have that all over itch and just feeling irritated and miserable 😔

I don’t think it’s scabies, they don’t leave red patches on different parts of the body, they will leave what looks like burrows on the skin. As a pharmacist I’d be able to tell straight away just by looking at the skin, so it could be worth taking him to your local pharmacy!

If it is eczema then it’s clearly severe eczema and he should keep on at the GP for a referral to immunology to see what is triggering the flare ups and also to dermatology.

In regards to the antihistamines the ones he’d be taking for hay fever wouldn’t touch anything this severe, so would need a prescription for some. Although, he could try fexofenadine which is now finally available OTC! If it is affecting his sleep tell him to pop to the pharmacy to get some phenergen. This is a sedating antihistamine, so it will help with the itch and also help to sleep.

I would 100% get back onto the GP, there is no point carrying on with the steroids if they aren’t working! They can cause flare ups if stopping and starting too. Ask DH to request calcineurin inhibitors. These are given in the worse case scenario, and it seems he is pretty much at the point!

Hope this helps and he finds some relief from the medications I’ve mentioned he can get OTC.

There are lots of skin conditions that are systemic in nature and need proper diagnosis and medication. Anything that doesn't clear up with standard creams/anti-histamine treatment needs investigating. I had an itchy rash on my hands that came and went for years and it turned out to be lupus. Cleared up within 2 weeks after starting hydroxychloroquine and never came back.

There's also an extremely rare form of lymphoma that only presents as skin lesions. Called MCTCL or something similar. I stumbled across a random video of someone on YouTube who had it. The treatment is just shining a UV light on the affected areas so nothing scary but it does need ruling out. (Sadly the lady who posted the video passed away as her therapy was delayed due to pregnancy and the lymphoma progressed too far).

He needs a Course of Steroids - Oral & Topical.
Do his joints ache?

My OH had similar issues but mainly on his legs, he was on antibiotics for 5 weeks before they finally tested for diabetes. He was a type 2 diabetic which was why his skin wasn't healing.

Cut out anything with a perfume too. No shampoo/shower gel, just use simple soap in a bar. Wash clothes with Surcare, use surcare washing up liquid for dishes etc.

He obviously still needs to see someone, but eliminating all that might help.

My first thought is liver. I'd pack him off to A&E with drinks, snacks, a pillow and reading material and fully charged phone. It'll be a long haul bit at least he'll get help. GPs are a disgrace and waste of space since covid.