To think my BF should go to the doctor? (Warning - pics included)

[BFE]

My bf has had these large red areas on his chest/back for around 4 months. He won’t go to the doctor, to be fair it’s not very easy for him to do that as he works 12 hour days. He finally went to the pharmacy last weekend and asked them what they thought it was, they said psoriasis and sold him some E45 itch relief cream and he also got some vitamin D tablets. But now it’s more irritated than ever and so I don’t think the cream is helping, it seems to be doing the opposite.

Is he going to have to take a day off work, or are there any medical types on here that could point us in the right direction?

It could be ringworm. Quite a bad case. I've known that to be very catching so if you haven't had any symptoms it might be less likely.
It could be psoriasis/ eczema. Has he been diagnosed with either before? Is it itchy? Could it be shingles? He needs to see a GP for sure. Just get him to register with one ASAP. If he can't easily then a walk in centre? It looks very uncomfortable. I really hope he gets it sorted. I'm sure it's nothing very serious that treatment wouldn't fix.

Hi op . My husband suffered psoriasis on 70% of his body . Many parts looked exactly like your photo. You can get this from gp and will be cheaper via prescription, but in the meantime you can get this from Amazon. This is the only treatment that has ever worked for him …and he’s tried so many. Good luck. Ease of spicy foods too

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exorex-Lotion-Treatment-Psoriasis-100ml/dp/B099S7Y2GD/ref=sr_1_8?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.GWrV-cptjYrMLCQPRrpv7LrOMv2nm6slbFQYOPQh6nrU1Cd3ML8pUv95QJigPDyQ-r6yIJ-1fuoF6GhFx0FM3zHVH9u5Z6jnfibBMdjtedPYGtj3gTa0-2_bU0gA2bYJjln5bUsmuRXSpkaMBdxq5DGH6NxMOtaN7i-ccUAaSaLFYVe6qJTjBYRrCNL2DGBr3IPF-t3MjINd1pYaOSPgC1ZzztdmoHCiPzEQZK79Wsv_PBeartfhNrGMa_ja2_hbU7shyzQILnr2qIrX02soa3y66kHcy8j8FOu4YGI_46k.udDIJ6E4pMTOUnKF_I2kmW-lNUgg2w5r9eqpCNs7dVg&dib_tag=se&keywords=psoriasis+coal+tar&qid=1714830790&rdc=1&sr=8-8

He definitely needs to be seen by a doctor! I would go to the out of hours GP. I wouldn't put anything on it though, none of us are doctors or medically trained. He might need a swab as well. Hope he feels better soon!

There are quite a few things it could be, photos here might help
https://www.healthline.com/health/red-circle-on-skin-not-ringworm#lyme-disease
Have you ruled out the possibility of Lyme Disease or Granuloma annulare ?

I'd say that it is Granuloma Annulare.

It looks like ringworm but isn't. It can be itchy and obviously it doesn't look good but usually doesn't cause any bother and just comes and goes as it pleases.

He can see a GP in a different area. My DD was registered with GP in Scotland, but just phoned our local practice if she needed an appointment.

He definitely needs to be seen, employers should give him time off even if it's unpaid or he has to make up hours - he won't need to take the whole shift off. Main thing is to get an appointment and deal with whatever needs to be sorted after.

Another going to say psoriasis when it flared up

My husband has recently had ringworm (and been treated effectively) and I didn't get it so it's not a given that you would but I was scrupulous about washing my hands after I had applied the cream etc. Having said that, my son had it a couple of years ago and I wasn't so careful then as I inspected him, trying to work out what it was but I didn't get it then, either. My son neglected his for quite a long time too and he really suffered for it in the end so persuade him to see the doctor asap. I'm shocked that a pharmacist would mistake that for psoriasis - it's such a classic presentation of ringworm.

Pharmacies and their obsession with e45!!!!!! Someone needs to tell them in the majority of cases e45 actually irritates skin (son has horrific eczema and the amount of people I’ve heard of who actually get anything from e45 is minuscule and yet it’s pharmacies go to). Definitely gp, skin specialist if possible

If it is psoriasis then E45 cream can actually make it worse. My adult child has it, and won't have E45 anywhere near it. He really needs to go to a GP or an urgent treatment centre so he gets the proper cream / antibiotics, whatever.

Thanks for the responses everyone. A nurse from 111 just called back and now we are waiting for someone else to phone back about seeing an OOH GP, so we’re getting somewhere.

He really needs to see the GP or email the photos to the surgery. It could be ringworm or it could be a condition called Nummular Eczema. Either way it won’t go away without treatment and ringworm is very contagious at all stages.

Go private? Superdrug have an online dr service

We aren’t all obsessed with E45. Personally I think it’s shit - as are all the armchair quacks on here. He needs to be seen by a GP and not take advice from bunch of people who have no clue what is wrong - there are a least 6 different conditions being discussed all of which require different treatment.

MN should really take threads like these down - at best they are no help - at worst they are dangerous.

Don’t worry, he is going to see a doctor! There’s a good few contenders for what it could be so there’s no point in trying to treat it until he’s had it properly diagnosed.

I am so glad, BFE, let's hope it is sorted soon.

I don't think it's a bad thread actually. Lots of people have said it looks like several different things, lots of people have said he needs to see a doctor and talked about how to get an appointment.

A sensible OP reading through the whole thread would get the right message even though some individual posts may be very incomplete or even flat out wrong.

Neither Fucidin or Canesten will treat Ringworm.

This looks like ringworm- I can see why maybe an inexperienced clinician might think psoriasis but its not (99!sure!).
He may be able to get something from the pharmacy but if not it’s important he go to GP- it will keep spreading and can spread to others!!

How on earth do you think you know better than a pharmacist who has seen it in person? Based on one picture? 🤦‍♀️

He's had it since Christmas? Wow!

I believe you should be able to get him seem at your GP as a visitor. I did this for my mum (but it was before Covid) so don’t know if things have changed.

You really need to see a doctor. It might be fungal but might need oral antifungal. However it might not be fungal at all. You really need to see a medical doctor ring 111 they will direct you to the nearest walk in.

He should see a GP post haste. I went to a pharmacist last year for a spot beneath my lip, the told me it was an ingrowing hair, three weeks later after visiting my GP I was having a skin cancer excised. Never again will I ask the advice of a pharmacist.

If not ringworm it might be orf, since you say he was working with sheep, I've known a few people who caught that. It's horrid but treatable . According to Wikipedia, which like me is not a medical doctor, it can lead to this. I hope he sees a medic soon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythema_multiforme