I am being colonised by a fungal infection

[Beachingtons]

Help!

In late January DD2 brought athlete’s foot home from nursery. I thought it was hand, foot and mouth at first, but she was scratching intensely and crying about it at night, so when it didn’t clear up by mid-Feb using OTC creams, I took her to the doctor and she was prescribed an anti fungal cream. She cosleeps.

By this point, I’d developed a rash on both sides of my groin that was SO intensely itchy, especially at night. I started applying Canesten immediately. I saw the pharmacist who said it could take two weeks to go. After two weeks, it was still awful and had spread further and to my armpits. It’s keeping me awake at night and I’m regularly taking ibuprofen to relieve the itch. I cried on the phone to the doctors, who brought me in to have it swabbed, but haven’t had the results yet.

This week, I started using Daktarin. This has taken the itch from my groin and it seems to be healing there, but it’s still spread to my armpits, knee pits, and today I’ve noticed new patches under my watch strap.

Things I have been doing for weeks:

• no exercise, sex or anything remotely sweaty
• keeping DD’s feet covered
• showering daily or twice daily
• replacing towels and clothes on every use
• wearing only loose cotton, and no underwear/bra unless necessary
• using Head & Shoulders on my hair and the patches
• wearing cotton pyjamas at night, changing bedsheets every couple of days
• drinking diluted apple cider vinegar
• applying either Canesten, or now Daktarin, three times a day to washed skin

I’ve had ringworm a few times in the past but it’s gone within a few weeks with Canesten application.

What the hell is going on?!

Bit of a harsh reply. Why so mean? Do you need more sleep?

Liver-related itching is nothing like the OP is describing. She’s describing localised areas, with rash. Also: she caught it from DC.

All this guessing and scattered suggestions of treatments by posters who have no idea what it is, is a waste of time.

Just wait for the swab result.

I am wondering if you might be allergic to one of the treatments you've tried - eg the medicated powder. This could cause angry patches to erupt in various places just as you describe.

Once skin is irritated, most things you put on it will also irritate it to some extent. Does the daktarin have hydrocortisone in it too? Might be why it's helping.

Obviously what you're doing at the moment is not doing much, so I would stop everything except the daktarin and see how you fare. At least until you get the swab back

When I had resistant thrush, I had to take fluconazole every few days for about a month.
I think I'd also go with teatree oil soap/shower gel as standard and washing all your towels and bedding at 60 with vinegar in the conditioner drawer.

Hello OP @Beachingtons
I am in similar position .

It's picked up in my blood as well. My doctor is arranging long term tablets not terb as bf. I would get a second opinion from a different doctor!

Agree with others who said Nizoral. Dilute it a bit and use like body wash and leave for 10 mins before rinsing. I had tinea versicolor and it went really quickly doing this! And I’d had it for months and could t get rid of it. Wasn’t till I saw a dermatologist it got sorted as I had thought it was something else though!

It’s good you have gone to the GP as they will likely do bloods to rule out diabetes etc as it seems so severe. They may give you an antifungal with steroids in it. Fingers crossed for you

Portion will ease the itch.

Piriton

Have you tried an apple cider vinegar bath? I have done this alongside OTC treatments and I think it's helped, definitely reduced the itching.

I had an awful fungal infection too, you need to faithfully use Trimovate cream in all affected areas for 2 weeks, applying twice daily. That’s what my GP recommended and it works. I was told some other creams can “feed” the fungas

Update: used the Nizoral shampoo on the affected areas this morning, still applying Daktacort twice a day.

I had a general anaesthetic today so imagine that won’t help.

No word from the doctors or via the app. I will call on Monday.

What is your actual ferritin level? The normal range for ferritin is big, and if by borderline you mean you are actually at the lower end of that range then as a woman your levels are actually probably too low to be healthy. It's worth looking into normal vs optimum ferritin levels and seeing where your number actually sits on those scales.

Have you had blood tests done recently? Sometimes if there is undiagnosed diabetes, blood glucose levels are high which can make people more susceptible to infections in general including skin infections. Maybe if you can, go for overall health check. Hope it improves soon!

It was a couple of years ago now, but it was 47. At the time I was supplementing with ferrous fumarate and a multivit containing iron.

I think I will try to book in for an overall blood test MOT though. I do feel like something is up with my immune system.

Do you have a picture? Are you sure it's not impetigo? That might explain why the antifungal cream isn't working.

My GP says they are damaging to the liver.

Are you sure it's fungal? My dad had a 'fungal infection' that turned out to be dermatitis herpetiformis - a skin presentation of coeliac disease. The locations of rash are similar to yours - key thing is that it always presents on both sides of the body.

Edited to add - it's also known to be unbearably itchy.

If it’s candida…
I had thrush for about 2 years. I cut out all yeast and malt and most sugar. I did this for about 3 years and eventually it went, I still try not to eat much these days.
When you start looking there is yeast extract is so many things (not just bread). Jason’s bread is real sourdough and does not have yeast or malt in!!

This sounds awful for you. There is a chance that you and your little one have different conditions.
Throwing a rare illness into the mix, could it be sarcoidosis, this can have skin manifestations and mimics other conditions.
Keep going back to your Gp and request a dermatology referral.

That is low, especially if you were supplementing then and are no longer doing so. The NHS will tell you that normal ferritin levels start at 30, but most people will feel significantly better with levels above 70. I would definitely get checked again and consider a regular supplement.

You can use hibiscrub in the shower. This stuff is very good, you should definitely try it